The question of the day: How is recovery like a trip up Mount Everest? This entire concept goes along with the difference between seeing treatment as a cure or a fix or seeing it as a step in the journey.

Those who think 30 days in treatment will take care of their drinking or drug problem will, of course, see no need to sharpen their tools. The only tool they needed was treatment. However for those who truly understand step 1, they realize that treatment is just the staging area so to speak.

When climbers tackle Mount Everest, they must spend time in base camp, compiling their equipment, getting everything they need in place for the trip to the summit. Getting to base camp is no mean feat in itself, it's tens of thousands of feet above sea level, and those of us who are less adventurous would consider that trip alone to be beyond our capabilities.

There are many who can't yet make the commitment to come to treatment. They are not ready or capable of tackling the first step. Yet for those seeking the summit, it is just the beginning of the trip. The real work begins when they leave base camp. They have lots of tools, ropes, tents, crampons, boots, gloves, ice axes, etc. Yet if they don't keep these tools in working order, sharpened and ready to go, they will fail when they need them most and the result may well be a devastating fall to one's death. Similarly, if we don't keep the tools of recovery ready to use at any moment, the result can also be a devastating crash into the hell of active addiction, or even death.

Mountain climbers never know what they will face on the trip to the summit and they never know when a crisis will come. By the same token, those in recovery never know when they will be tested by the trials and tribulations life has to offer. That's why it's vitally important to be ever vigilant and prepared. That's why the tools must be kept sharpened and ready to use. And remember, like your recovery, Mount Everest can only be climbed one step at a time. May God guide your steps each day of your own journey.