May 8 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 5 Admit And Accept | Alcoholics Anonymous Today's AA daily reflection: "a resting place…" The resting place as we complete step five, and for me my step five needed one or two additions. The understanding that we become one with God and our fellow human beings, that we understand humility is all about learning to live life one day at a time…
Which means I need not have preconceived ideas about how life should be. Step four and step five release me from my old understandings and an attitude of needing to be right. I learn how to live life one day at a time, understand that it is going to keep on changing and I will make progress if I utilise all my senses and keep on the path of open, honest and willing and have the courage to change…
Support and challenge helps me live life with free choices on a daily basis. Sometimes, or many times I ask the help because I don't know what to do. And the gift is listening to others with an open mind keeps me informed. On my own, not testing out my thinking which is clouded by my own emotions or amplified by my emotions can leave me misinformed. "Two heads are better than one," and "too many cooks spoil the broth." We find balance as we progress one day at a time…
The resting place as suggested in the daily reflections, does not feel like a resting place to me, it feels like all the doors in my house are open and the windows to let in fresh air, blow the cobwebs out of my head and be ready to change direction as and when the need arises. I guess the resting place can be letting go the defects of character which cloud my judgement, letting go extremes of fear, the need for a brave face and ego, and I always need remember that defects are less troublesome contingent on the day I ask, pray, meditate and get help as needed in the moment…
Humility and learning, what a gift to know that it is okay not to know the answers today. Even when others may have expectations that we have the answers, there is great strength from saying, "I don't know right now because it's beyond my experience, let me find out." Emotional and spiritual, feeling good about not knowing and not fearing ignorance in the moment of now. Because the next moment we can feel good about finding out or by listening to another who already has an answer which works just for today…
DonInLondon 2005-2011
In recovery any meeting is the right meeting.. We learn not to judge but we still do, to listen, to absorb, to deny, to be angry and frustrated, to be depressed, to accept we need change as the world is changing.. We learn, adopt new attitudes and behaviours, we can be the problem, we can be the solution, we find we have choices
Expression of our truth after years of denial… We do not deal with simply our denial; we deal with denial in others every day too. On our spiritual path, we can improve our truth, our open honest and willing outlook. Step five and all the steps are about personal development, progress not perfection. Living the principles helps us live well to good conscience. A way of living for us we share in our daily life, and unhelpful should we decide to judge others on this journey of life...
Daily Reflections "A RESTING PLACE... All of A.A.’s Twelve Steps ask us to go contrary to our natural desires . . . they all deflate our egos. When it comes to ego deflation, few Steps are harder to take than Five. But scarcely any Step is more necessary to long time sobriety and peace of mind than this one. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 55
After writing down my character defects, I was unwilling to talk about them, and decided it was time to stop carrying this burden alone. I needed to confess those defects to someone else. I had read – and been told – I could not stay sober unless I did. Step Five provided me with a feeling of belonging, with humility and serenity when I practiced it in my daily living. It was important to admit my defects of character in the order presented in Step Five: “to God, to ourselves and to another human being.” Admitting to God first paved the way for admission to me and to another person. As the taking of the Step is described, a feeling of being at one with God and my fellow man brought me to a resting place where I could prepare myself for the remaining Steps toward a full and meaningful sobriety."
-/-
May 8 2007
Live & Let Live DonInLondon ‘Day In the Life’
Very wise words and a reminder for me yesterday: Live and let live has a lot of resonance for my present situation. I never realised that as my present circumstances are somewhat Spartan and very basic, that I would be judged with prejudice. Similarly, it’s sometimes what others do say and don’t say which gives clues to how others make decisions and make their prejudice known.
Why do I have to consider these things? Because I need recognise my true situation and the honesty I find is sometimes much clearer than others and their good will and then their indifference. Many people in everyday living make decisions of prejudice in the blink of an eye.
What do I mean? Well we might expect in this diverse culture in the UK, that much has happened to make us all more aware of old prejudice and new prejudices. With the world and the news, often we are being educated into another form of prejudice by osmosis in my opinion.
How we view any part of life, it comes with our values and understandings. We can be without even realising prejudicial in so many ways. Race, ethnicity, age, sex, colour, religion, disabled and so many more, even down to sports, the way we look, the way we think and behave has all got so prejudice in it. As to prejudice or preference, we can go at the debate forever, yet the truth is always there somewhere and somehow.
I guess the truth is we live where we are most comfortable, live to morals we can understand and agree are proper. We can also break rules and do things to stretch our living and doing when it seems to suit our needs and wants.
As we stretch ourselves sometimes to the limit of where we feel comfortable, it can make us challenge our values and actions. We can be concerned about how we live with expediency, how we treat others, either with deep concern or just superficially as we try to make our way day to day.
Live and Let Live
It’s so important we do keep an eye on where our prejudice may take us. As we develop and get on in this world, so often we do treat others with less than the care we might anticipate. We also may utilise others and be concerned whether they are really as important as we make out… this is true for me, inasmuch as I see my utility and see it abused now and then by others who might know better.
Actually the same applies both ways so don’t think for a moment I let myself off the hook in this, I have seen where indifference and shallow behaviour will leave me with others.
Forgiving
Forgiving is the key: We need to know and be aware that life is forever changing, that we do get as we give. And sometimes the world is not as friendly as we might feel. And we are not so friendly either. At the same time we need not be door mats and let the world trample over us. Nor may the world be utilised as if everyone is a resource or commodity.
Values and Principles
How we treat each other, how complacent we may be, how we feel is truly important on a day to day basis.
Anger
Some stuff has come up these past few days, old feelings and angers I thought long processed. But recent weeks have highlighted where the deep of things still reside.
Is it any wonder when we have been treated badly it does take time work through everything? Of course it does
And more forgiving
We do need keep working on forgiveness for ourselves when we are superficial and indifferent, as we recognise it. And also deal with others indifference and superficial ways, as they too have we their personal journey in all this stuff.
Progress is the Key
We can progress become lighter in our living, as we forgive and forgive again where we need. And this applies to everyone and everything we might wonder at, or our anger and enraged feelings will lead us into all sorts of unhelpful outcomes. My outcome this morning is to do as I am asking. To forgive and let go some recent and old hurts. As they are forgiven, I might find room in there to forgive myself for being in the right place to be a part of things ugly and best left where they belong, in the past, acknowledged and dealt with. And sometimes that is just for today.
Process
We need to process and understand the bigger picture, not all about me, more of all about us. Us, we are all in some way connected. Best we have some respect, cherishing relationships and being open minded as we go, or we are what we become, dark and unenlightened beings, our hurt and pain etched into us as lines upon our faces. We need not be so, and with generosity which comes in all forgiving, we can return to more enlightened times and living. Just as we may, one day at a time…
AA Official Site Daily Reflections ~ AA Official Big Book And Twelve And Twelve Online
-/-
"Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. Chapter 6, Into Action, Big Book From: Page 72 Thru: Page 75, the bottom of the page. 12 And 12 Step 5."
May ~ All About Step Five:"Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs"
Step 5 "Admit And Accept" Reading Video Link:
-/-
May ~ Video Reading Chapter Six Into Action Link:
-/-
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.
-/-
Spiritual principles ~ Forgiveness Acceptance Surrender Faith Open-mindedness Honesty Willingness Moral-inventory Amends Humility Persistence Spiritual-growth Service
-/-
Which means I need not have preconceived ideas about how life should be. Step four and step five release me from my old understandings and an attitude of needing to be right. I learn how to live life one day at a time, understand that it is going to keep on changing and I will make progress if I utilise all my senses and keep on the path of open, honest and willing and have the courage to change…
Support and challenge helps me live life with free choices on a daily basis. Sometimes, or many times I ask the help because I don't know what to do. And the gift is listening to others with an open mind keeps me informed. On my own, not testing out my thinking which is clouded by my own emotions or amplified by my emotions can leave me misinformed. "Two heads are better than one," and "too many cooks spoil the broth." We find balance as we progress one day at a time…
The resting place as suggested in the daily reflections, does not feel like a resting place to me, it feels like all the doors in my house are open and the windows to let in fresh air, blow the cobwebs out of my head and be ready to change direction as and when the need arises. I guess the resting place can be letting go the defects of character which cloud my judgement, letting go extremes of fear, the need for a brave face and ego, and I always need remember that defects are less troublesome contingent on the day I ask, pray, meditate and get help as needed in the moment…
Humility and learning, what a gift to know that it is okay not to know the answers today. Even when others may have expectations that we have the answers, there is great strength from saying, "I don't know right now because it's beyond my experience, let me find out." Emotional and spiritual, feeling good about not knowing and not fearing ignorance in the moment of now. Because the next moment we can feel good about finding out or by listening to another who already has an answer which works just for today…
DonInLondon 2005-2011
In recovery any meeting is the right meeting.. We learn not to judge but we still do, to listen, to absorb, to deny, to be angry and frustrated, to be depressed, to accept we need change as the world is changing.. We learn, adopt new attitudes and behaviours, we can be the problem, we can be the solution, we find we have choices
Expression of our truth after years of denial… We do not deal with simply our denial; we deal with denial in others every day too. On our spiritual path, we can improve our truth, our open honest and willing outlook. Step five and all the steps are about personal development, progress not perfection. Living the principles helps us live well to good conscience. A way of living for us we share in our daily life, and unhelpful should we decide to judge others on this journey of life...
Daily Reflections "A RESTING PLACE... All of A.A.’s Twelve Steps ask us to go contrary to our natural desires . . . they all deflate our egos. When it comes to ego deflation, few Steps are harder to take than Five. But scarcely any Step is more necessary to long time sobriety and peace of mind than this one. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 55
After writing down my character defects, I was unwilling to talk about them, and decided it was time to stop carrying this burden alone. I needed to confess those defects to someone else. I had read – and been told – I could not stay sober unless I did. Step Five provided me with a feeling of belonging, with humility and serenity when I practiced it in my daily living. It was important to admit my defects of character in the order presented in Step Five: “to God, to ourselves and to another human being.” Admitting to God first paved the way for admission to me and to another person. As the taking of the Step is described, a feeling of being at one with God and my fellow man brought me to a resting place where I could prepare myself for the remaining Steps toward a full and meaningful sobriety."
-/-
May 8 2007
Live & Let Live DonInLondon ‘Day In the Life’
Very wise words and a reminder for me yesterday: Live and let live has a lot of resonance for my present situation. I never realised that as my present circumstances are somewhat Spartan and very basic, that I would be judged with prejudice. Similarly, it’s sometimes what others do say and don’t say which gives clues to how others make decisions and make their prejudice known.
Why do I have to consider these things? Because I need recognise my true situation and the honesty I find is sometimes much clearer than others and their good will and then their indifference. Many people in everyday living make decisions of prejudice in the blink of an eye.
What do I mean? Well we might expect in this diverse culture in the UK, that much has happened to make us all more aware of old prejudice and new prejudices. With the world and the news, often we are being educated into another form of prejudice by osmosis in my opinion.
How we view any part of life, it comes with our values and understandings. We can be without even realising prejudicial in so many ways. Race, ethnicity, age, sex, colour, religion, disabled and so many more, even down to sports, the way we look, the way we think and behave has all got so prejudice in it. As to prejudice or preference, we can go at the debate forever, yet the truth is always there somewhere and somehow.
I guess the truth is we live where we are most comfortable, live to morals we can understand and agree are proper. We can also break rules and do things to stretch our living and doing when it seems to suit our needs and wants.
As we stretch ourselves sometimes to the limit of where we feel comfortable, it can make us challenge our values and actions. We can be concerned about how we live with expediency, how we treat others, either with deep concern or just superficially as we try to make our way day to day.
Live and Let Live
It’s so important we do keep an eye on where our prejudice may take us. As we develop and get on in this world, so often we do treat others with less than the care we might anticipate. We also may utilise others and be concerned whether they are really as important as we make out… this is true for me, inasmuch as I see my utility and see it abused now and then by others who might know better.
Actually the same applies both ways so don’t think for a moment I let myself off the hook in this, I have seen where indifference and shallow behaviour will leave me with others.
Forgiving
Forgiving is the key: We need to know and be aware that life is forever changing, that we do get as we give. And sometimes the world is not as friendly as we might feel. And we are not so friendly either. At the same time we need not be door mats and let the world trample over us. Nor may the world be utilised as if everyone is a resource or commodity.
Values and Principles
How we treat each other, how complacent we may be, how we feel is truly important on a day to day basis.
Anger
Some stuff has come up these past few days, old feelings and angers I thought long processed. But recent weeks have highlighted where the deep of things still reside.
Is it any wonder when we have been treated badly it does take time work through everything? Of course it does
And more forgiving
We do need keep working on forgiveness for ourselves when we are superficial and indifferent, as we recognise it. And also deal with others indifference and superficial ways, as they too have we their personal journey in all this stuff.
Progress is the Key
We can progress become lighter in our living, as we forgive and forgive again where we need. And this applies to everyone and everything we might wonder at, or our anger and enraged feelings will lead us into all sorts of unhelpful outcomes. My outcome this morning is to do as I am asking. To forgive and let go some recent and old hurts. As they are forgiven, I might find room in there to forgive myself for being in the right place to be a part of things ugly and best left where they belong, in the past, acknowledged and dealt with. And sometimes that is just for today.
Process
We need to process and understand the bigger picture, not all about me, more of all about us. Us, we are all in some way connected. Best we have some respect, cherishing relationships and being open minded as we go, or we are what we become, dark and unenlightened beings, our hurt and pain etched into us as lines upon our faces. We need not be so, and with generosity which comes in all forgiving, we can return to more enlightened times and living. Just as we may, one day at a time…
AA Official Site Daily Reflections ~ AA Official Big Book And Twelve And Twelve Online
-/-
"Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. Chapter 6, Into Action, Big Book From: Page 72 Thru: Page 75, the bottom of the page. 12 And 12 Step 5."
May ~ All About Step Five:"Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs"
Step 5 "Admit And Accept" Reading Video Link:
-/-
May ~ Video Reading Chapter Six Into Action Link:
-/-
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.
-/-
Spiritual principles ~ Forgiveness Acceptance Surrender Faith Open-mindedness Honesty Willingness Moral-inventory Amends Humility Persistence Spiritual-growth Service
-/-
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