July 11 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 7 Courage To Change Alcoholics Anonymous Today's AA daily reflection: "a turning point and in my case answers not invented by me…" Gone are the days where I reject answers to critical questions which affect my life and I have not found the solutions by myself. Step seven, all about humility which is to keep learning and accept that many of the answers about life are out there in the world and not inside me. It is okay not to know anything today and find out…
Learning From Others
In the fellowship big book, there is appendix II which describes the spiritual experience. Whether we are religious or nonreligious, the spiritual experience is always happening right now. And as Herbert Spencer suggested, "contempt prior to investigation" closes the door on learning through experience how life really works in the moment of now. Those who ridicule and undermine a person learning anything at any time of life, block the spiritual development of those around them. Let go and let people learn their path in life, and the twelve steps open the door to each person learning and having their spiritual experience in the moment of now and just as reality is today…
It takes time to let go old ideas, old attitudes and behaviours. Just because we think we know the answers, to whatever it is, the answers may not be applicable to anyone else but us as individuals. My spiritual path is mine, your spiritual path is yours and although we may exist in the same time and place, how we understand the world and our spiritual experiences can be quite different, we have similarities and very justifiable differences today…
Self prejudice is the worst and most awful state, where we are still confused about the ism we have. As we recover and find ourselves with more clean time, we forget the horror of the addiction when we start to judge newcomers and their struggles. Maybe we do need to challenge our humility every day. Recovery, as the days pass and we return to a more normal existence makes us forgetful of our condition, sober one day. As we can let go self prejudice, our prejudice can easily be transferred to newcomers and those who slip from time to time…
Ignorance is bliss? Ignorance simply means not knowing something. And I have never been happy with the adage, and I do not believe that ignorance is bliss. In recovery, we need knowledge and to ask the help on a daily basis and be in touch with recovery, lest we forget. Chapter 5 in the big book, describes how it works, that is how recovery works. And how to go about recovery in the chapter six, "into action." Everything based on learning life all over again, simply and always just for today…
Good news yesterday, I been waiting for an impacted wisdom tooth is to be extracted and a cancellation came up and I was able to get to the specialist in time. No time for fear, no time for brave face and only just enough time to start reciting the serenity prayer in my head, as the wisdom tooth was taken out much to my surprise without any pain and without any fear, apart from five minutes of white knuckles… And today still no pain, although I have taken two paracetamol just in case…
AA Daily Reflections ~ "A turning point: July 11 ~ A great turning point in our lives came when we sought for humility as something we really wanted, rather than as something we must have. [12 & 12]
Either the A.A. way of life becomes one of joy or I return to the darkness and despair of alcoholism. Joy comes to me when my attitude concerning God and humility turns to one of desire rather than of burden. The darkness in my life changes to radiant light when I arrive at the realization that being truthful and honest in dealing with my inventory results in my life being filled with serenity, freedom, and joy. Trust in my Higher Power deepens, and the flush of gratitude spreads through my being. I am convinced that being humble is being truthful and honest in dealing with myself and God. It is then that humility is something I "really want," rather being "something I must have.""
DonInLondon 2005-2011
Step seven is all about developing courage, faith and confidence daily, so I may live well today. Each day is different, the challenges are what they are, I can ask for help at any time to make the best of what is and not what I might imagine…
A lovely meeting last night, all about life being best experienced real, without fixing our feelings. Happy or sad, good or bad, when our feelings fit our experience of now, sobriety works, life on life's terms. Truth, love and wisdom prevails...
Right sized and a right to live... In utter defeat we faced the abomination of self-defeat and self-loathing. 12 steps and a higher power, a day at a time we make good our living in recovery. Taking steps to live well, and not to judge our fellows, family and community. Today we are able to love, be loved and useful...
Just for today, a life plan... judge not as we have been judged. As the days, months and years go by, we meet old friends on their way to rock bottom. As they shunned and judged us in our ruin, we need not judge them or anyone, we simply offer a helping hand in fellowship and love today...
11 July 2007
Way Of Life - July 10 2007 - DonInLondon ‘Day in the Life’
We have to develop a way of life. None of us comes with instructions. And of course when we are young we soak everything up and we hear see, sense everything and of course we mimic, because that is what we humans do as all other primates too, by example.
My “olden days” or days of yore
Indeed my olden days were a bit up and down as any child may experience. We do learn from parents as I have said. We learn the good and less good. We are definitely able to see our resemblances in our parents.
Qualities we Acquire
I was smiling inside myself tonight. Because we do work out what we can do and how to live. There were plenty reminders. I see the parents of the people I encounter so often in front of me as I see which qualities come from either parent.
People are less aware of this. I know I got a good selection of attributes from my mother and father.
Tonight
I went to a meeting of my fellowship as usual, but actually I changed venue and went to Kensington tonight. Closer and on ground level, much more my open feeling for this day.
And listening reminded me of some qualities I have from my parents. From my father, a temper and raging alcoholism I fear is true. I reckon he knows this if he happens to be observing me from some nearby cloud. My father died a long time back. And I hope he will be pleased I made it through those awful times when alcohol seemed to be the only way to deal with life.
From my mother, although I have never shared directly. I am reminded that she has a quiet determination and strong and resolute nature. And maybe sometimes this has been a sort of silent defiance which comes from her lineage as well.
For Me? A Raging Alcoholic with Silent defiance..
I guess looking back this is true, and surely know the way all these things work is we don’t know and remain unaware until we learn and take a hard look in the mirror.
I have to smile at myself and realise the truth in so much I see and recollect of past times. And in smiling and seeing where it all came from, the path leading to now. It’s not about blame or even wanting some sort of absolution, it’s about the truth and how it came about.
Forgiving
Once we realise how we were made and what we did, we recognise a pattern which spans generations. And we can see and forgive why and how. We can see the way to change once we realise our default outlook, sometimes maybe better said as defaulty? Very faulty with drink on top I can attest in me.
When we know and Realise the truth
We can change or not if we are able, the disease and illness of alcoholism is a very good mechanism of denial and complete abandonment of sensibilities.
And yet we know our part in life, and need own everything and not blame anymore, the past.
We have the present and the future, one day though is the key.
Today
Has been up and down. Much sadness and tears. And the recollections of Sunday are as sad can be. I realise I am human and need grieve. And grieving comes out as it may, when we are able to connect with feelings and truths.
Feelings
Learning them again and again these last few years. I am more tolerant when I realise the path was never meant to be quite the way it turned out. That would be a madness if I had gone the way of most with this malady.
So for today
I have been ready and willing and not needed. And that’s fine. There is nothing to be gained by being a spare part. And I found diversion for a few minutes with website stuff and some calls and emails with friends. And some still to do.
I am ok just now, and know these moments come and go, and things evoke and I realise just how big a gap is made when we lose family. And we don’t have a process which fits neatly with the map of grief some understand with intellect and have yet to travel these feelings in their own real world.
And even when some may feel, because they do have feelings that they are the same, they are never quite in the same place. Loss makes us all deal as we can, from denial to acceptance. it’s a daily thing and goes on as long as is needed. And sometimes for a whole lifetime. We learn to live with some losses as we make our way with kinder connections and more time to let others find their feet when these events occur.
Never a right or wrong way to be
We need just be ourselves understanding how we are feeling and learn how we cope and sort so much of the next steps as we are able. Slow and slower often than we might like, because we must.
Right now? Is just ok and will be until the next wave and reminders press hard and make my tears flow again, and again till I smile with gentle appreciation for a fellow lost too soon. Life is life and real is best, we need learn everything as we go along, just for a day, and we find wisdom helps as it may.
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AA Official Online Site: Daily Reflections
AA Official Online Site: Big Book And Twelve And Twelve
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Step 7 "Step 7 Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings" "The way we have come to look at humility is that it is a virtue, one of the principles that AA teaches us to live. The definition we have adopted pictures us as standing naked before God, without pretence nor reservation. It means hiding nothing, being our real selves, both good and bad. A good synonym for humility is honesty." BB Bunch
July Video Reading Step Seven Into Action Link:
Step 7 "Courage To Change" Reading Video Link:
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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 Traditions: steps to be open, honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity, service and recovery.
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Spiritual principles ~ Forgiveness Acceptance Surrender Faith Open-mindedness Honesty Willingness Moral-inventory Amends Humility Persistence Spiritual-growth Service
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