My AA Sponsor and all the text says the same thing. That still doesn't make it easy to do!
I once had a client who was charged with and eventually pled guilty to a serious criminal conspiracy offence. He was standing and facing the BC Supreme Court Justice who had his fate in her hands, knowing that the case law suggested that the normal sentence for his offence, even for a first time offender, would involve substantial jail time.
He was an alcoholic and his addiction was a critical factor in his becoming involved in the conspiracy in the first time.
He had been spiraling down as the court proceedings wound through in an unusually slow manner. His friends rescued him, convinced him to start with AA and it made such a difference that over the months that we appeared from time to time before that Supreme Court Justice even she noticed the improvement in him.
After both I and the Crown Counsel made our submissions on sentence, my client was given the standard opportunity to address the Court.
His address to the Court consisted of a recitation of the Alcoholics Anonymous Serenity prayer.
It was a large and crowded courtroom, the Justice and all Counsel were there and formally robed, there were many accused and supporters, and you could have heard a pin drop.
The Justice proceeded to review the submissions on sentence, including my client's words, and then proceeded to pronounce sentence: a lengthy period of restrictive probation. No jail time.
As far as I am aware, up to that time no person charged in Canada with a similar offense, with similar personal involvement, had ever received a non-custodial sentence.
The moral of this story is that in life, and in photography, it is worthwhile to:
"
Accept the things (you) cannot change; (Have) courage to change the things (you) can; And wisdom to know the difference."