April 2 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 4 "Inventory" | Alcoholics Anonymous [ Full daily blog link: http://donoddylondon.blogspot.com/ ] Today's AA daily reflection: "character building…" Everything we do in life offers the opportunity to learn new ways to live. When we were very young, we were able to learn without even thinking about it. Today I feel good when I remind myself that learning opens the door always to new ways of living and that is character building. Nothing is wasted, even when we are barking up the wrong tree!
My first attempt at step four, my fearless moral inventory was full of truth, and also full of tall tales and escapades… Full of reasons and excuses and of course as I wandered off the truth into denial I was truly in a pickle. I had to go back to what I remembered as the bare facts and then work out what my feelings were which led to either extremes of fear, putting on a brave face and ego. And at the other extreme where I seemed to have courage faith and confidence which have no foundation in reality. Back then I could not cope if I could not match up to my own expectations, which were far higher than anyone else had of me…
I read my step 4 to myself, and thought it a pretty good attempt and ready to share with a counsellor in my case as a step five. I waited a week or two and then read it again. It was full of embellishments and near truth and not quite the truth of times past and my feelings about them. I was able to cross out a lot of instances which were imaginary and fabrications to impress another person. Less denial and less fabrication started to break through into truth and reality. Meetings kept me sane, or restored to sanity just for a day when doing this particular step…
Usually I love my life day-to-day. But I discovered over the weekend I had been taking the wrong medication for over a week. My repeat prescriptions had been stopped due to a medical doctor writing a new prescription without the repeats. And I opened the packet of statins, which actually cause me depression, instead of my usual medication sertraline for clinical depression. A double whammy and thank God for cherished friend who came to see me and feed me… This morning the medical practice continued to bugger up the prescriptions again leading to another appointment and another go in a week or so...
Fellowship provides me with certainty, a place where I can express all my feelings and without doubt sharing truth day-to-day, no matter how painful, no matter how personal it may be, that is why we have meetings. I would certainly have perished some years back if it had not been for our principles of open honest and willing, to share truth daily. And sometimes we hear things we do not like, or feel they may be too personal. I do not ever want people to feel they cannot share the truth because of the sensibilities of others. We really learn from the darkest moments, and the brightest moments of a person sharing and long may it be so…
DonInLondon 2005-2011 [ Full daily blog link: http://donoddylondon.blogspot.com/ ]
Who we were: that was then; who we are, this is now, changing everyday as life experience happens. How we respond today with an open honest and willing outlook helps us become our unique authentic selves. All on a journey of discovery, so similar, being who we are, as life offers. Acceptance and serenity are part of our spiritual progress...
Decisions made as we become more balanced, calm, confident, with faith and courage, offer better outcomes, not certainties ~ Henry David Thoreau "It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things" -/- Share to let go fears and resentments, to find clarity as it emerges, needs met, wants forgotten...
-/-
AA Daily Reflection: Daily Reflections ~ CHARACTER BUILDING APRIL 2, Demands made upon other people for too much attention, protection, and love can only invite domination or revulsion…. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 44
When I uncovered my need for approval in the Fourth Step, I didn’t think it should rank as a character defect. I wanted to think of it more as an asset (that is, the desire to please people). It was quickly pointed out to me that this “need” can be very crippling. Today I still enjoy getting the approval of others, but I am not willing to pay the price I used to pay to get it. I will not bend myself into a pretzel to get others to like me. If I get your approval, that’s fine; but if I don’t, I will survive without it. I am responsible for speaking what I perceive to be the truth, not what I think others may want to hear. Similarly, my false pride always kept me overly concerned about my reputation. Since being enlightened in the A.A. program, my aim is to improve my character.
-/-
As Bill Sees It ~ Out of the Dark Self-searching is the means by which we bring new vision, action, and grace to bear upon the dark and negative side of our natures. With it comes the development of that kind of humility that makes it possible for us to receive God's help. Yet it is only a step. We will want to go further. We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of us, to flower and to grow. But first of all we shall want sunlight; nothing much can grow in the dark. Meditation is our step out into the sun.
"A clear light seems to fall upon us all -- when we open our eyes. Since our blindness is caused by our own defects, we must first deeply realize what they are. Constructive meditation is the first requirement for each new step in our spiritual growth." 1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 98 2. LETTER, 1946
-/-
Step 4 "Fearless Inventory" Reading Video Link:
"Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves"
-/-
My first attempt at step four, my fearless moral inventory was full of truth, and also full of tall tales and escapades… Full of reasons and excuses and of course as I wandered off the truth into denial I was truly in a pickle. I had to go back to what I remembered as the bare facts and then work out what my feelings were which led to either extremes of fear, putting on a brave face and ego. And at the other extreme where I seemed to have courage faith and confidence which have no foundation in reality. Back then I could not cope if I could not match up to my own expectations, which were far higher than anyone else had of me…
I read my step 4 to myself, and thought it a pretty good attempt and ready to share with a counsellor in my case as a step five. I waited a week or two and then read it again. It was full of embellishments and near truth and not quite the truth of times past and my feelings about them. I was able to cross out a lot of instances which were imaginary and fabrications to impress another person. Less denial and less fabrication started to break through into truth and reality. Meetings kept me sane, or restored to sanity just for a day when doing this particular step…
Usually I love my life day-to-day. But I discovered over the weekend I had been taking the wrong medication for over a week. My repeat prescriptions had been stopped due to a medical doctor writing a new prescription without the repeats. And I opened the packet of statins, which actually cause me depression, instead of my usual medication sertraline for clinical depression. A double whammy and thank God for cherished friend who came to see me and feed me… This morning the medical practice continued to bugger up the prescriptions again leading to another appointment and another go in a week or so...
Fellowship provides me with certainty, a place where I can express all my feelings and without doubt sharing truth day-to-day, no matter how painful, no matter how personal it may be, that is why we have meetings. I would certainly have perished some years back if it had not been for our principles of open honest and willing, to share truth daily. And sometimes we hear things we do not like, or feel they may be too personal. I do not ever want people to feel they cannot share the truth because of the sensibilities of others. We really learn from the darkest moments, and the brightest moments of a person sharing and long may it be so…
DonInLondon 2005-2011 [ Full daily blog link: http://donoddylondon.blogspot.com/ ]
Who we were: that was then; who we are, this is now, changing everyday as life experience happens. How we respond today with an open honest and willing outlook helps us become our unique authentic selves. All on a journey of discovery, so similar, being who we are, as life offers. Acceptance and serenity are part of our spiritual progress...
Decisions made as we become more balanced, calm, confident, with faith and courage, offer better outcomes, not certainties ~ Henry David Thoreau "It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things" -/- Share to let go fears and resentments, to find clarity as it emerges, needs met, wants forgotten...
-/-
AA Daily Reflection: Daily Reflections ~ CHARACTER BUILDING APRIL 2, Demands made upon other people for too much attention, protection, and love can only invite domination or revulsion…. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 44
When I uncovered my need for approval in the Fourth Step, I didn’t think it should rank as a character defect. I wanted to think of it more as an asset (that is, the desire to please people). It was quickly pointed out to me that this “need” can be very crippling. Today I still enjoy getting the approval of others, but I am not willing to pay the price I used to pay to get it. I will not bend myself into a pretzel to get others to like me. If I get your approval, that’s fine; but if I don’t, I will survive without it. I am responsible for speaking what I perceive to be the truth, not what I think others may want to hear. Similarly, my false pride always kept me overly concerned about my reputation. Since being enlightened in the A.A. program, my aim is to improve my character.
-/-
As Bill Sees It ~ Out of the Dark Self-searching is the means by which we bring new vision, action, and grace to bear upon the dark and negative side of our natures. With it comes the development of that kind of humility that makes it possible for us to receive God's help. Yet it is only a step. We will want to go further. We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of us, to flower and to grow. But first of all we shall want sunlight; nothing much can grow in the dark. Meditation is our step out into the sun.
"A clear light seems to fall upon us all -- when we open our eyes. Since our blindness is caused by our own defects, we must first deeply realize what they are. Constructive meditation is the first requirement for each new step in our spiritual growth." 1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 98 2. LETTER, 1946
-/-
Step 4 "Fearless Inventory" Reading Video Link:
"Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves"
-/-
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