Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Reddit Share on Pinterest Share on Linkedin Share on Tumblr Recovery in the workplace certainly has its challenges for me. I’m the receptionist for a big organization with a large lobby area. Constantly, lunch spreads and snacks are placed right in front of my desk area. Having to see and smell these items, which are usually off my food plan, can make workplace abstinence a real battlefield for me. I have learned it’s all about preparation and interpretation. To prepare, I always bring my own food; I never let myself think I can have a little of this or that from the company’s spread today. I’ve made it a black-and-white issue, so I never start to bargain with my sick mind. At first, I found this extremely difficult, so I also changed my interpretation of my circumstances: I went from thinking “poor me” to looking at these events as reminders from God, almost like an inside joke that only God and I can experience. Now, when food is laid out in the lobby, it’s kind of like, “Yep, there they go again. It’s okay. I am with you.” These tools of manageability are gifts from God. I certainly could not have thought of them on my own. God is always the one in control, no matter what is in front of my desk. — Anonymous