"I am the best person I can be!"

But is that enough? In a recent episode of the Showtime series "Californication" the character "Cokey Smurf" is presented with her first temptation shortly after leaving rehab for cocaine addiction. At a party she is handed a cocktail and as she stares at it fighting the temptation to imbibe she says "I am the best person I can be". She then proceeds to pour the drink on the ground and the mini-crisis is averted.

But, again, is that enough? Is it good enough to simply be the best person we can be or do we have to do more? My feeling is that by saying we are already at a point where we are "the best that we can be" we are actually selling ourselves short. Particularly if it is shortly after exiting rehab. In a 4 week rehab program; and perhaps even ones of longer duration; our work is clearly not done. It is perhaps just beginning. certainly at that point an addict is in no way ready to pronounce that they are as "good as they can be". If, for instance, you are a believer in the 12 step program you certainly cannot work you steps that quickly. Even if you are participating in a more "holistic" program, regardless of the length of the program you are fall from the goal line and have a long way to go.

What would have happened if despite repeating her mantra, "Cokey Smurf" decided to take that drink. Would she simply say that "being the best person I can be" wasn't good enough. That may be true at that moment. That leaves you with two choices--give up because you will never be strong enough, or grow to be even stronger.

Personal growth is something that is vital to everyone. Addicts are not the only ones who must keep growing. Addicts and non-addicts alike should remain on a path of personal grow that has no limits. Lives that become stagnant and are absent of growth and development are ones that fail to experience all that life has to offer. All of us should squeeze all we can out of life and that requires a desire to move forward at all times ensuring that our own personal development remains limitless.

At any particular point in time as we take a snapshot of where we stand in our growth we should indeed be "the best person that we can be". But we should never be satisfied that we can stop there. Remember that "..life's like an hour glass glued to the table". It is never going to stop moving. We can't either. Keep moving forward.