Gratitude.
I remember living in the fear of never having enough. Not enough strength, charm, peace, happiness, money, food and the like. In that fear state I was rarely strong enough to face any challenges during the day without annoyance, frustration, anxiety, and anger. I look back now and am almost embarrassed because I always had […]
Humility brings serenity
In my arrogance I was isolated, frustrated, disliked, feared, and hurt. In my humility I am accepted, appreciated, accepting, appreciative, thoughtful, kind, compassionate, loving, peaceful, and giving. I have lived both lives and I prefer humility. Knowing that humility is not thinking myself as less than but thinking of myself less often. In my arrogance […]
Spiritual self.
“It is a story of suffering, transmuted under grace, into spiritual progress.” Bill Wilson This statement was used to describe AA; my experience shows me this process can be experienced by anyone. I have gone through many times of suffering, each of which was caused by me and my reactions to life. Each of them […]
Equal
I am reminded how all beings are equal, and all beings are worthy of being loved. I remember as a child I took on this belief that people of other religions, races, creeds, and colors were different than I and even below me because they were different. To all those I treated as less than; […]
Supported
I am reminded how God will support me in every decision I make. I have free will which translates into learning what is for my highest good and what is not through experiences. In my life I have learned how adultery, theft, speeding, lying, hatred, shame, guilt, violence, racism, arrogance, and the like are not […]
Moral recalibration.
This was the deepest part of my recovery. I once believed that I was a good guy after I stopped drinking. My moral inventories showed me a different perspective. I found how my moral compass was so far out of calibration I assumed everything I believed, thought, and felt was just how guys like me […]
From the madness.
For all the fear and complaining going on we have certainly learned a lot. I had worked for many years in the prisons in Minnesota as an alcohol and drug counselor. Prior to that I worked in an extended care facility for men in the early stages of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. I […]
Intellectual and spiritual
I am reminded how many of my problems were created through my own intellectual pride of being able to know something, and my lack of spiritual insight. I could function well logically, yet I really didn’t delve into the spiritual understanding. I have discovered how there needs to be a balance between intellect and spiritual […]
It is needed
I am reminded how all that is occurring is needed. The politics, the conflicts, the racism, hatred, wars, the poor, the suffering the things we often judge as bad or evil. These things are needed for us to gain a desire for something different. The sooner we all stop fretting over how bad things are […]
Pharisee no more
I am reminded how I am to have appreciation for those beings I have found difficult to accept. Not so long ago I would place myself above others and judge them as being wrong, bad, evil, stupid, lost or the like. I then realized that I no longer wanted to be the bully, so I […]
