Living one day at a time is very wise.
Yesterday is gone forever. It went away and left us with its
mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and
pains. Yesterday has passed beyond our control. All
the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We
cannot undo a single act we performed. We cannot erase a
single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever.
Another day we should not worry about is tomorrow. No
matter how much we worry about it or plan for it we cannot
actually live it until it gets here. And if we are fearful of what
may happen tomorrow we relinquish our ability to enjoy today.
Most of the things we worry about don't materialize anyway, so
why worry?
Living for today is best. We can handle one day much better.
Today I can choose to look for the good. Today I can choose
to love and forgive, smile and laugh. Today I can choose to
enjoy myself.
Sure, there will be challenges along the way, and probably
somebody will say something, or do something, I don't like
but that is okay. That's life. Today I choose to go out of my
way to relax and enjoy.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Good And Bad Of Meetings
At this morning's meeting someone mentioned that there are people in AA who like to run things and push their agenda on everyone else. Of course a name or two popped into my head immediately but I did not mention them. I just reminded everyone that the ego maniacs and power seekers have always been a part of our fellowship and always will be.
Several people mentioned that they do not go to certain meetings because of these people. Fortunately in my area there are many meetings to go to and we can pick and choose. That is one thing good I can say about AA in our area. Even though we don't have the quality I wish we had, at least we do have variety. For that I'm grateful.
When I go to meetings I'm not going just for myself. I'm going looking for someone who is willing to learn. I'm always willing to share my experience, strength and hope with someone who really wants to hear it. That is the true spirit of AA - reaching out a helping hand to the few who really are wanting a life free of alcohol, not just a meeting to go to.
Several people mentioned that they do not go to certain meetings because of these people. Fortunately in my area there are many meetings to go to and we can pick and choose. That is one thing good I can say about AA in our area. Even though we don't have the quality I wish we had, at least we do have variety. For that I'm grateful.
When I go to meetings I'm not going just for myself. I'm going looking for someone who is willing to learn. I'm always willing to share my experience, strength and hope with someone who really wants to hear it. That is the true spirit of AA - reaching out a helping hand to the few who really are wanting a life free of alcohol, not just a meeting to go to.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Hope
At this morning's meditation meeting we talked about several things - one of them being hope. I mentioned that when I first came to AA I had no hope, and that it came later. Others in attendance understood what I was talking about and agreed that they were the same way when they came into the fellowship.
Hope is a necessary component in recovery. That is the essence of step two. After we have admitted that we are helpless and hopeless in step one we must somehow move into hope before we can make any progress. Hope is not easy in the beginning, but when it comes it gives us a foundation to build on.
Hope is a necessary component in recovery. That is the essence of step two. After we have admitted that we are helpless and hopeless in step one we must somehow move into hope before we can make any progress. Hope is not easy in the beginning, but when it comes it gives us a foundation to build on.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Bill Wilson & The 12 Steps
There are those in AA who like to spread untruths about our program of recovery and about AA history. One of the stories going around is that Bill Wilson took many years to work the 12 steps. Is it true? Did Bill Wilson work the 12 steps at the beginning of his recovery or many years later? You can find the answer here.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Our Demands On Life
Bill Wilson had a few things to say about our tendency to make demands on life. Basically his point was that if we continue to make demands it will prevent us from experiencing peace of mind.
... primarily fear that we would lose something we already possessed or would fail to get something we demanded. Living upon a basis of unsatisfied demands, we were in a state of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore, no peace was to be had unless we could find a means of reducing these demands. The difference between a demand and a simple request is plain to anyone.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 76
It's okay to have our wish list, as long as we set these things as goals to move toward, rather than requirements we put on life, ourselves or others.
... primarily fear that we would lose something we already possessed or would fail to get something we demanded. Living upon a basis of unsatisfied demands, we were in a state of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore, no peace was to be had unless we could find a means of reducing these demands. The difference between a demand and a simple request is plain to anyone.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 76
It's okay to have our wish list, as long as we set these things as goals to move toward, rather than requirements we put on life, ourselves or others.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Step Twelve
Step Twelve in the AA program of recovery is...
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
We worked these steps and the result is a spiritual awakening. If we were painstaking and thorough it also resulted in the desire to drink being removed. That is part of the spiritual awakening.
Now, as a way of life, we try to carry this message (of hope) to other alcoholics and practice these (12 steps) principles in all our affairs.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
We worked these steps and the result is a spiritual awakening. If we were painstaking and thorough it also resulted in the desire to drink being removed. That is part of the spiritual awakening.
Now, as a way of life, we try to carry this message (of hope) to other alcoholics and practice these (12 steps) principles in all our affairs.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Step Eleven
Step Eleven of the AA program of recovery is...
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
This step says that we are to seek something. We are to seek to improve on our conscious contact with God, and we do that through prayer and meditation. The big kicker in there is that we are not to pray for selfish things - only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Of course, one cannot improve on something that does not exist. We have to have already established contact with God before we can improve on that relationship. Prayer and meditation - as opposed to the old stinking thinking alcoholics are used to. That is an improvement all by itself.
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
This step says that we are to seek something. We are to seek to improve on our conscious contact with God, and we do that through prayer and meditation. The big kicker in there is that we are not to pray for selfish things - only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Of course, one cannot improve on something that does not exist. We have to have already established contact with God before we can improve on that relationship. Prayer and meditation - as opposed to the old stinking thinking alcoholics are used to. That is an improvement all by itself.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Step Ten
Step Ten in AA's program of recovery is...
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
There isn't a lot that needs to be said about this step because it is so simple and self-explanatory. We started our inventory in step four. That was an event. This step is talking about a lifestyle. We practice this principle as a way of life. We constantly pay attention to what we do right and what we do wrong. When we are wrong we admit it and correct what needs correcting. There is nothing complicated about this step, just a simple and decent way to live.
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
There isn't a lot that needs to be said about this step because it is so simple and self-explanatory. We started our inventory in step four. That was an event. This step is talking about a lifestyle. We practice this principle as a way of life. We constantly pay attention to what we do right and what we do wrong. When we are wrong we admit it and correct what needs correcting. There is nothing complicated about this step, just a simple and decent way to live.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Step Nine
Step Nine in the AA program of recovery is...
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
This is a step where courage must be combined with willingness. This is where we take action - regardless of how uncomfortable it feels. We go to the people we have harmed and we make our amends. Fun? Hell no. Necessary? Absolutely, if we want to be free of the guilt we have been carrying around over the years.
There is an exception. If making an amends will actually do harm to someone then we do not do it. Never are we to do something or tell someone something that will harm them just to ease our conscious. We must not put ourselves first here.
Step Nine is one more step toward freedom from alcohol. After this step in the Big Book are some promises. One of them says that if we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. Wanna be amazed? Make those amends.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
This is a step where courage must be combined with willingness. This is where we take action - regardless of how uncomfortable it feels. We go to the people we have harmed and we make our amends. Fun? Hell no. Necessary? Absolutely, if we want to be free of the guilt we have been carrying around over the years.
There is an exception. If making an amends will actually do harm to someone then we do not do it. Never are we to do something or tell someone something that will harm them just to ease our conscious. We must not put ourselves first here.
Step Nine is one more step toward freedom from alcohol. After this step in the Big Book are some promises. One of them says that if we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. Wanna be amazed? Make those amends.
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