Overcoming the Fear of Success

Why is it every year we hear of Lottery winners , who two or three years later are completely bankrupt? Why is it that many, when given a windfall, quickly find a way to waist these newly found resources? Why is it many will go through life, with their head to the grindstone , never to actively pursue something better?
Simply put, these individuals are gripped by a fear of success. What do I mean? Well, it's my opinion that many people in life have become comfortable in the current circumstances they find themselves in. The longer this condition is allowed to exist, whether it be poverty, addiction, homelessness, etc.... the more comfortable the individual becomes in the surroundings. When an outsider offers a hand up, or this individual is presented with an opportunity to pull themselves out of this mess, more times than not the individual will shrink back and find a way to fight the opportunity. This is no less true of all of us who find ourselves in a "cozy" job. Perhaps we have held down the same position for many years. Perhaps we have lived in the same city our entire lives. Perhaps we our circle of friends is a tight knit closely audited group. All of these examples personify one point, that as human beings we are comfortable with consistency. Why is this a problem? Well if we have been consistently broke, or consistently fall into the same behavior or addiction. Or we are comfortable with our plot in life that we will not exceed to something extraordinary, we are settling for ordinary.
Do not allow the fear of the unknown to stunt your growth. I'm now rapidly approaching 3 years of sobriety in my personal life, in suit with this my financial life has made a complete 180 degree turn and my family is on the path to success. Everyday I see this path becoming better and better, yet deep down in side of me there is a fear, a desire to sabotage everything and revert to my "normal" life of pain and recovery, peaks and valley's, extreme ups and downs. For all of us in recovery this is a battle. We in a since become comfortable with the battle, we in some deep sick way enjoyed the cycle's of becoming high, and then later mending the problems associated with our addiction. This cycle provided excitement and entertainment. It provided pain and joy simultaneously, and as many of us are aware it is as much this cycle that is addictive as it is the actual substance itself. When we break away from this cycle our lives begin a different cycle, one of perhaps shallower lows and more subdued highs, but overall the trajectory of our life begins an upward climb. Perhaps unnoticeable at first this upward climb will take us higher and higher through life, until one day we may look over the edge and say "Whoa" it's a long drop! At this point do not fear! Do not be afraid of success! Do not be fearful of accomplishing everything you deserve in life! Allow yourself time to become comfortable with this new success and fight the urge to revert to your former way of life. It is God's desire that each us achieve great things in our lives. Sometimes we just have to get out of our own way and allow him to take us to places we could never imagine.
Thanks to everybody who took the time to read this ramble, and to each and every one of you listening, know that you can do it! One day at a time.