While there are many new qualities and traits that become invaluable upon their adoption in sobriety, in order to reap the full benefit of what true recovery has to offer, we cannot afford to circumvent the process of incorporating patience. Patience becomes crucial in any program because it is the antithesis as well as the antidote to impulsivity. This is obviously easier said than done as our entire lives in addiction were characterized by a complete lack of patience as addiction’s motto is, “I want what I want, and I want it now!” We, as addicts, have conditioned ourselves to value the things in life that come immediately and without the requirement of hard work. What we sacrifice in its place is the beautifully childlike quality of wonder. When we begin to be able to see the world with the combination of excitement and curiosity, we are then able to perceive beauty in a way we have never before.

Little things that we never understood could be so amazing such as a great cup of coffee, a sunny day, a walk on the beach, or a hike through the forest, suddenly reveal their wonderous nature to us. Patience plays an integral role in the ability to see the world anew because it doesn’t happen in a flash. For example, having a conversation with an old friend might be one way to relish in the little things, but what if we burned bridges with that friend while we were in active addiction? Before we are able to enjoy those conversations, we are going to have to make amends with our friend so that this communication is possible. These are the types of experiences that we cannot avoid although they may be uncomfortable, embarrassing, and make us feel guilty. The treasure of reunifying with an old friend suddenly becomes possible in sobriety because we are no longer subject to the incessant demands of our addictions. In early sobriety, if we start to feel impatient or impulsive, we can simply go out and try new experiences. The mistake we often make as addicts is unintentionally regressing back to our addicted mind state whereby anything that isn’t using drugs or alcohol is considered unworthy of our efforts. Not only can we not afford to make this misperception for the sake of our sobriety, but if we fail to apply patience and wonder in relation to the world, we will surely risk missing out on the amazing beauty it has to offer.


Tree House Recovery of Portland, Oregon is a men’s addiction treatment center that teaches our clients how to roll with life’s punches and use the tools they’ve learned throughout the treatment process to stay on top of anything life throws at them. Call (503) 850-2474 to see how we can help you today.