August 17 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 8 Amends And Willing Alcoholics Anonymous Today's AA daily reflection: "righting the harm…" On many occasions it is true that the harm done to others has not been as great as the harm done to ourselves over the years. Addiction drives the mind to single purpose a single obsession on a 24 seven basis, always to have our fix nearby and easily accessed one day at a time. Our self harm was 24 hours a day…
Video For Today:
Our emotional and spiritual development… Where we know what our feelings are in the moment of now and we can cope? When we are hungry angry lonely and tired and any combination of these things our emotions like anyone else who is not an addict or alcoholic become fractious and sometimes uncontrollable. We fall into a bad mood and can only concentrate on the negative. If we know why, hungry angry lonely or tired we can change and allow our feelings to settle by right actions in the moment of now…
Criticise not one bit! When we are in recovery, with the knowledge of the 12 steps we can be very good critics not only of our own behaviour, but the behaviour of everyone around us. And the trouble is, when we are the critic, we have all the weapons we have learned in self appraisal through step four, to appraise the people around us and see exactly where their defects are. Indeed criticise not one bit, unless you are really prepared for what you unleash…
If we are hurt by people around us, especially those we care for deeply, usually in the form of some judgemental statement, it can be extremely painful. No matter how old we are, no matter how well we cope with recovery usually, those wounded around us for whatever reason can become highly critical and we want to shoot them down? Better to forgive, and forgive ourselves equally for the anger and hurt we have felt at their hands. Steps to stop suicide, traditions to avoid homicide…!
The really helpful person in recovery full of suggestions to help you on your way! They can be a real pain in the backside, just like me… The whole point of fellowship, it is the many voices we hear in recovery which provide experience, strength and hope. Nobody is a guru, nobody has all the answers and nobody should be telling you what to do. We listen, ask for help and make free choices. Like a business contract, three estimates please, I may still say no and find another path today…
AA Daily Reflections ~ "Step 8 Daily Reflections August 17: Righting the harm... In many instances we shall find that though the harm done others has not been great, the emotional harm we have done ourselves has. [12&12]
Have you ever thought that the harm you did a business associate, or perhaps a family member, was so slight that it really didn’t deserve an apology because they probably wouldn’t remember it anyway? If that person, and the wrong done to him, keeps coming to mind, time and again, causing an uneasy or perhaps guilty feeling, then I put that person’s name at the top of my “amends list,” and become willing to make a sincere apology, knowing I will feel calm and relaxed about that person once this very important part of my recovery is accomplished."
DonInLondon 2005 2011
From my life story in step four, I was able to see harm done to me and everyone. Awful and calamitous times, and undermined by alcohol, emotional and spiritual damage was done. In step eight making the list of amends and being willing meant I could see my part in matters, deal with the reality and prepare to progress to step nine…
A recent meeting, I shared about how the steps help me live in the moment. I do not control my feelings. Feelings are the foundation of my thinking patterns. If I feel right, most likely my thinking which follows is right sized. If old feelings are evoked by a situation, old thinking is likely to cloud the situation. Sometimes bad if feelings make me feel and think in the old insane ways, "here we go again!" Today in the moment feelings can fit with reality, letting go and letting in the new...
August 2008 ~ 2010
Self-harm done: spiritual and emotional. Open, honest and willing, and making progress, and not perfect. Life is full of denial, white lies and dark lies, yet truth is where we share our spiritual core today. When denial creeps in as it may, or lies, the self-harm for me wounds me deeper than ever imagined back then. Truth endures more today...
Just for today... I have choices, first to be sober, sober first and then the rest of life can happen. I see real life more fully, more able to react and respond to each and every experience with strength and hope, courage to see the big picture and consider my impact and see life as you see it too. All in the moment of now...
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We learn as we can just one day at a time…
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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 8 "Step Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all." "n other words, who have you harmed? You will recall from our discussion of Steps 4 and 5, that a preliminary list of persons we had harmed is generated there. The list will now be refined into a personal amendment plan, which is the product of Step 8."Although this step requires plenty of work, there is nothing frightening in it. Amends are not actually made in Step 8. Instead, we plan for the making of amends in Step 9, which follows. Harm is: injury, hurt, damage, misfortune, grief, pain, sorrow, evil, wrong or wickedness. Have we brought about any of these in the lives of others? The Big Book and the 12&12 also are quite specific about harm." BB Bunch
August Video Reading Step Eight Into Action Link:
Step Eight Reading
“How It Works” Reading Video Link:
“Into Action" 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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