Encouraging / Influencing Others: It's a Two Way Street

So, for me, on the day that I'm writing this, my day count is 3 9 27. That is, I have been sober for 3 years, 8 months, and 27 days. I believe that it's my life calling to influence other people to NOT go down this road AT ALL. Meaning NO DRUGS at all. For some like myself, it's also NO ALCOHOL at all. For some who have just quit smoking it's NO TOBACCO at all. I also know people who have stopped TOBACCO who had not been smoking it, but who had been dipping it (using snuff).

I appreciate the fact that my success in this area can help others clean up their act, too.

Still, there are many life goals that I currently have that I'm looking to others to model my behavior after them. For example, I'm currently in college and I want to be a good student, so I've learned that I need to read / study regularly. I'm so glad that there are others that I can model that after AND I'm also appreciative of the fact that I can tell people that I want to do it, and they soon after ENCOURAGE ME because they simply ask, "So, how's studying going, Curt?" I can say, "Well, I still haven't made it a priority," I can say, "I'm doing a little better by study better than I was," or I can say, "I'm doing WONDERS compared to where I was before -- I'm studying very often now." Eventually, won't it be good to say, "I study every chance I get. Morning, night, in between classes. I even keep my book in my car so that when I'm stopped at a red light I can just read some more."

Ok, now HOPEFULLY you get the joke there. Of course, it's good to improve to a certain point -- but, we don't have to be crazy about it.

The main point that I want to make here is that I'm so appreciative of the fact that I can MODEL my behavior after others in my life in some regards. Whether it's studying more, being a better friend, being a stronger Christian, being more physicalling active, running more, working out more -- there are PEOPLE that I can get their ideas AND express my desire to do it. Some I can model my behavior AFTER their behavior.

While I want to influence other people who are trying to get sober, I'm also aware that's it's never a 'done deal.' That is, I also have to keep my sobriety as a TOP priority. So, people who are trying to get clean, I want to encourage them, too. Still, there are many things that I'm so glad that I have people in my life who I can model MY BEHAVIOR after their behavior. If I want to be a better student, if I want to be a better runner, or if I want to eventually meet a woman that I choose to marry and that chooses to marry me. There are many people who have shown me that that is possible, and I'm thankful to God because their in my life.