April 19 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 4 "Inventory" | Alcoholics Anonymous Today's AA daily reflection: "brothers in our defects…" Another way of looking at this statement can be the extremes of feeling we experience, when we are stuck in the malady, or not feeling anything being another extreme and the desire for oblivion rather than reality and completely unable to stop hurting ourselves day in and day out…
Another part of the reading for today reads as, "the identification of that one alcoholic has with another is mysterious, spiritual – almost incomprehensible, but it is there, I feel it." Through time in Fellowship there is nothing mysterious about the way we identify with each other, the similarities are absolutely clear and the differences are what make us unique humans. The spiritual angle, is the ability to live life "real" day by day, a "reality check" is the same as a "spirituality check," able to deal with life and ask the help when necessary. So what seemed so mysterious and incomprehensible becomes completely understandable and possible one day at a time…
April is all about step four in the daily reflections literature from Alcoholics Anonymous. And also from the book, "as Bill sees it…" Step four is about resolutely looking at our part in mistakes made. The extremes of behaviour in my case, anger and resentment covering up my fear, pretending to be okay and tried to fit in and covering up shame and guilt to protect me from ridicule, shame and guilt about not being good enough using prideful ego… Step six material, and contingent on the day I ask for help from whatever source, I take a leap of faith towards step seven on a daily basis. Defects: extremes of unhelpful behaviour. Shortcomings, learning how to do the right thing and developing right sized faith, courage and confidence on a daily basis…
Step four is a true gift, a fear less inventory undertaken in a fearless way… As we sort out the good, the bad and the ugly, of what we did and why we did it, we start to see a new way forward. It does take time to adjust and realise that we were our own worst enemies once the rot had set in. The good news, we salvage the best of what we did, and let go that which is no longer useful, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly and sometimes we go backwards rather than forwards and we learn from it. All good as long as my defects of character don't overwhelm me and I can develop my shortcomings of not enough courage, faith and confidence to keep doing the right things today…
How the steps work! Now this is a difficult subject, as each person becomes familiar with the twelve steps and the twelve traditions, each develops an understanding and personal outlook. The good news the twelve steps and twelve traditions become more understandable with time and living to these principles. And they work because they are not and I emphasise "not rules, laws or regulations" they are suggestions and ways of living well and to good conscience one day at a time…
DonInLondon 2005-2011
Assets and liabilities: Our emotional and spiritual balance is based on reality and being able to cope. Assets can be courage, faith and confidence. Liabilities can be fear, brave facing and ego. Perceived assets can be liabilities if they have no foundation. Perceived liabilities can be assets when there is a clear and present danger... Truth and reality are key always...
Is spiritual 'mysterious?' In recovery we emerge from long periods of denial. Recovery is just for today, experiencing reality as it is with every feeling we have. Spiritual is living reality and the ability to live life on life's terms.. No wonder spiritual may seem mysterious after years of denial, today with truth, love and wisdom of others, life indeed can feel mysteriously magical..
In recovery, step four the moral inventory is taking stock of our character assets and liabilities ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. "If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality is spiritual" Just for today as we experience truth, love and wisdom of others..
-/-
AA Daily Reflection: BROTHERS IN OUR DEFECTS... We recovered alcoholics are not so much brothers in virtue as we are brothers in our defects, and in our common strivings to overcome them. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 167
The identification that one alcoholic has with another is mysterious, spiritual–almost incomprehensible. But it is there. I “feel” it. Today I feel that I can help people and that they can help me. It is a new and exciting feeling for me to care for someone; to care what they are feeling, hoping for, praying for; to know their sadness, joy, horror, sorrow, grief; to want to share those feelings so that someone can have relief. I never knew how to do this–or how to try. I never even cared. The Fellowship of A.A., and God, are teaching me how to care about others.
-/-
As Bill Sees It ~ Who Is to Blame..? At Step Four we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened? Though a given situation had not been entirely our fault, we often tried to cast the whole blame on the other person involved. We finally saw that the inventory should be ours, not the other man's. So we admitted our wrongs honestly and became willing to set these matters straight. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 67
-/-
I do not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous I speak for myself. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of unique and authentic people who speak for themselves where they will to share experience, strength and hope about recovery on a daily basis. Anonymity affords sanctuary to find how to live sober and be open, honest and willing to learn life day by day. For me "truth," "love" and "wisdom" offer the best spiritual experience by living reality today. Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open, honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity, service and recovery.
-/-
Step 4 "Fearless Inventory" Reading Video Link:
"Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves"
-/-
Another part of the reading for today reads as, "the identification of that one alcoholic has with another is mysterious, spiritual – almost incomprehensible, but it is there, I feel it." Through time in Fellowship there is nothing mysterious about the way we identify with each other, the similarities are absolutely clear and the differences are what make us unique humans. The spiritual angle, is the ability to live life "real" day by day, a "reality check" is the same as a "spirituality check," able to deal with life and ask the help when necessary. So what seemed so mysterious and incomprehensible becomes completely understandable and possible one day at a time…
April is all about step four in the daily reflections literature from Alcoholics Anonymous. And also from the book, "as Bill sees it…" Step four is about resolutely looking at our part in mistakes made. The extremes of behaviour in my case, anger and resentment covering up my fear, pretending to be okay and tried to fit in and covering up shame and guilt to protect me from ridicule, shame and guilt about not being good enough using prideful ego… Step six material, and contingent on the day I ask for help from whatever source, I take a leap of faith towards step seven on a daily basis. Defects: extremes of unhelpful behaviour. Shortcomings, learning how to do the right thing and developing right sized faith, courage and confidence on a daily basis…
Step four is a true gift, a fear less inventory undertaken in a fearless way… As we sort out the good, the bad and the ugly, of what we did and why we did it, we start to see a new way forward. It does take time to adjust and realise that we were our own worst enemies once the rot had set in. The good news, we salvage the best of what we did, and let go that which is no longer useful, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly and sometimes we go backwards rather than forwards and we learn from it. All good as long as my defects of character don't overwhelm me and I can develop my shortcomings of not enough courage, faith and confidence to keep doing the right things today…
How the steps work! Now this is a difficult subject, as each person becomes familiar with the twelve steps and the twelve traditions, each develops an understanding and personal outlook. The good news the twelve steps and twelve traditions become more understandable with time and living to these principles. And they work because they are not and I emphasise "not rules, laws or regulations" they are suggestions and ways of living well and to good conscience one day at a time…
DonInLondon 2005-2011
Assets and liabilities: Our emotional and spiritual balance is based on reality and being able to cope. Assets can be courage, faith and confidence. Liabilities can be fear, brave facing and ego. Perceived assets can be liabilities if they have no foundation. Perceived liabilities can be assets when there is a clear and present danger... Truth and reality are key always...
Is spiritual 'mysterious?' In recovery we emerge from long periods of denial. Recovery is just for today, experiencing reality as it is with every feeling we have. Spiritual is living reality and the ability to live life on life's terms.. No wonder spiritual may seem mysterious after years of denial, today with truth, love and wisdom of others, life indeed can feel mysteriously magical..
In recovery, step four the moral inventory is taking stock of our character assets and liabilities ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. "If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality is spiritual" Just for today as we experience truth, love and wisdom of others..
-/-
AA Daily Reflection: BROTHERS IN OUR DEFECTS... We recovered alcoholics are not so much brothers in virtue as we are brothers in our defects, and in our common strivings to overcome them. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 167
The identification that one alcoholic has with another is mysterious, spiritual–almost incomprehensible. But it is there. I “feel” it. Today I feel that I can help people and that they can help me. It is a new and exciting feeling for me to care for someone; to care what they are feeling, hoping for, praying for; to know their sadness, joy, horror, sorrow, grief; to want to share those feelings so that someone can have relief. I never knew how to do this–or how to try. I never even cared. The Fellowship of A.A., and God, are teaching me how to care about others.
-/-
As Bill Sees It ~ Who Is to Blame..? At Step Four we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened? Though a given situation had not been entirely our fault, we often tried to cast the whole blame on the other person involved. We finally saw that the inventory should be ours, not the other man's. So we admitted our wrongs honestly and became willing to set these matters straight. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 67
-/-
I do not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous I speak for myself. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of unique and authentic people who speak for themselves where they will to share experience, strength and hope about recovery on a daily basis. Anonymity affords sanctuary to find how to live sober and be open, honest and willing to learn life day by day. For me "truth," "love" and "wisdom" offer the best spiritual experience by living reality today. Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open, honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity, service and recovery.
-/-
Step 4 "Fearless Inventory" Reading Video Link:
"Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves"
-/-
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