November 21 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 11 Daily Meditation Alcoholics Anonymous Today's Daily Reflections: the deadly sins and seven virtues: SINS; Pride, Greed, Lust, Anger, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth Virtues; Humility, Liberality and mercy, Chastity and continence, Patience and meekness, Temperance and abstinence and self-control, Love of God and love of neighbour and love of enemy, Fortitude and courage... What sort of prayer? One that helps me most daily, is the serenity prayer. Whether you are a believer in God, whatever you understand God to be, or simply a person with good conscience and no understanding of God, the serenity prayer crystallises sins and virtues in the moment of now. To God or and good conscience, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference… And saying this prayer helps me in any moment of can do, and cannot do, and learning the wisdom right now…
Video For Today:
I was asked to do a chair last night, and this simply means I share my experience, strength and hope at the beginning of the meeting and then everyone has the opportunity to share their experience, strength and hope. I can say I was at the meeting and how it impacted on me… I learn wisdom from everyone, what is working for them, what issues they face, the issues that are current. The hardest thing for me is someone saying thank you, or that they love me for who I am. I still don't know who I am much more than I did yesterday. Feedback is good, and it is still so hard sometimes to hear that other people accept me as a human being, and I have something useful to share. It's not an issue of pride, it is still an issue of confidence, and learning what humility is in practice, and I guess that will be something of a daily experience in the moment, today and every day…
Yesterday was very helpful, being challenged about my opinions and beliefs, and this always feels good... Eventually! It helped me realise that although I share my opinions and beliefs, I would not wish to undermine your beliefs and opinions. I could not have found a way to live life without you, and you are the reason why I write and share as I do. You are the person who holds your own outlook, your own beliefs, and your own opinions based on life experiences which are beyond mine. If you weren't there, I doubt I would have found a way to live life, open, honest and willing to share the truth I am learning day by day. Who are you? You are the person reading these words, and I thank you with deepest love and regard…
It was Sunday night when I was asked to do the chair near Nelson's column and I agreed ahead of the day. A little bit of person pleasing on my part based on affection and love. And they knew I might be able, and they also knew I might not be able, because some days walking is near impossible because of pain. And on Sunday I had taken myself off to take photos and already shooting pains were guaranteed for twenty-four hours. And Tuesday afternoon yesterday, I felt it difficult. And somehow, for a few hours, for whatever reason, no pain at all, well nearly no pain. A short journey by car, a bus journey of memories and laughter, being in Trafalgar Square and the Strand and St Martin's in the fields in the best of fellowship company, telling the truth and hearing the truth and loving human beings and home safe, in a place of calm and acceptance feels like as good as it need get on any given day…
Romance and Finance… Very important elements in living. Romance: I love life now, hardwired to adore and love women, and in the past greedy for love, and today, in love with one will do nicely, thank you… Romance is what it is, wherever we are. Finance: definitely greedy in the past, determined to be paid my worth, calculated by me and able to command substantial payment. Today? Finance, where needs are met, that is I break even daily, weekly, monthly is good enough. Having had the freedom of nothing for a number of years, just enough will do these days... That is me, not you… We all have our choices today…
DonInLondon 2005-2011
What we see is what we get today. In fellowship we see progress and not perfection. We hear about success and calamity within moments. We hear about love and loss, we learn over and over that fellowship and recovery are about living life real. We are attracted to truth, not lies, we attracted to humanity, not perfection. We learn to love each other. Attraction to truth: and not promotion of a fiction, not fixing, learning and coping with reality today. Anonymity is sacrosanct to help us find our truth. Anonymity is a personal decision always. And we need never be ashamed of the truth, the hardship, the journey, progress and not perfection, every one of us imperfectly perfect in the moment of now...
Sometimes, the meeting before the meeting and the meeting after the meeting gives us so much more than we may ever expect. Truly wonderful getting to know people we would never have otherwise met is a true gift. Fellowship: freely given, freely received, and unconditional. To love, be loved and useful today...
Attraction Not Promotion - Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films... Promotion of a "fix" is never on the agenda, attraction to the truth and how recovery works, "if at first we don't succeed, whilst we draw breath we can try again." Sharing the truth, that fellowship provides the conditions and tool kit to be sober one day at a time, freedom to make better choices sober is as good as it gets. There is no blame attached to people in fellowship, addiction is the culprit, a life and death struggle with something we are powerless over. Fellowship: an imperfectly perfect solution? Always and never a fix today...
November 21 2010 ~ how am I feeling, why and what can I do today? In the spirit of unity service and recovery, if I know my mood and feelings, I can reflect and collect my thoughts to make the best of this day by helping others in fellowship. And I can practice these principles in all my affairs, right sized and human today...
November 21 2010 ~ Sharing experience strength and hope of what I have learned in recovery might help a newcomer. And when a newcomer shares the experience strength and hope, I listen and learn. Fellowship is all about learning from each other and having the humility to be human. Humility, the ability to learn and change always...
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AA Daily Reflections "A CLASSIC PRAYER: Lord, make me a channel for thy peace—that where there is hatred, I may bring love—that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness—that where there is discord, I may bring harmony—that where there is error, I may bring truth—that where there is doubt, I may bring faith—that where there is despair, I may bring hope—that where there are shadows, I may bring light—that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted—to understand, than to be understood—to love, than to be loved. For it is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life. Amen. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 99
No matter where I am in my spiritual growth, the St. Francis prayer helps me improve my conscious contact with the God of my understanding. I think that one of the great advantages of my faith in God is that I do not understand Him, or Her, or It. It may be that my relationship with my Higher Power is so fruitful that I do not have to understand. All that I am certain of is that if I work the Eleventh Step regularly, as best I can, I will continue to improve my conscious contact, I will know His will for me, and I will have the power to carry it out."
"SERVING MY BROTHER" The member talks to the newcomer not in a spirit of power but in a spirit of humility and weakness. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS COMES OF AGE p. 279
As the days pass in A.A., I ask God to guide my thoughts and the words that I speak. In this labour of continuous participation in the Fellowship, I have numerous opportunities to speak. So I frequently ask God to help me watch over my thoughts and my words, that they may be the true and proper reflections of our program; to focus my aspirations once again to seek His guidance; to help me be truly kind and loving, helpful and healing, yet always filled with humility, and free from any trace of arrogance. Today I may very well have to deal with disagreeable attitudes or utterances - the typical stock-in-trade attitude of the still-suffering alcoholic. If this should happen, I will take a moment to centre myself in God, so that I will be able to respond from a perspective of composure, strength and sensibility."
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November 21 2007
DonInLondon - ‘Day In the life’ Double Header
Two meetings and A Better Outlook
I must share that my outlook has been improved today, just listening and being a part of two meetings of AA, Alcoholics Anonymous. A fellowship of men and women who prefer to stay sober on a daily basis. I am sure we come to realise that life has taken us in many directions over the years of drinking, and we don’t always realise quite who damaged we are until we start recovery.
Yesterday or as its now gone midnight, Monday was a bit of a hard swallow with everything. And now it seems like a new day already has dawned and I feel ok just for now.
Some of my friends are having good days and some bad. We need be around for the good and bad of everything. Recovery helps us deal with the good and the bad. Recovery is not ever about the old pink cloud and floating daily in a haze of joy. We get every awful day as anyone does in normal living, how we respond is really how we can make good or just sometimes survive the hardest moments as life deals the cards.
Acceptance Tonight - or as is, now Yesterday!
Now it is today the 21st and more alert than the early hours! It was a good day even though sodden with rain, I got out. Sometimes just getting out is the key. And last night hearing the passage on acceptance in the big book helped my frame of mind.
Feelings
We all have feelings. These come first in how we perceive our situation and then we think. So we feel first and think, then we process these feelings and thoughts. If we are lucky we get to share them.
When I cycle in London, I take the risk because it’s the best way to travel. Even in the rain. I see the world and I perceive all the dangers, and still know its got to be this way, as walking and public transport wipe me out due to my chronic conditions.
Pain is not a stranger either physically or emotionally. The pain of having no purpose and only a desire to drink is a spiritual pain so immense death is preferable. So I know what makes me happier and gives me strength. That is certainly fellowship these days.
Spiritual For Me? Ghandi - “God Is Truth”
Truth is my higher power, absolute truth, not my version or opinion or my insistence on truth. There is the absolute truth of how things are today. And I keep to truth as I share in fellowship or wherever I am, my truth and have a more open mind to truth today. Denial, so useful sometimes, is not a way to live, so truth will out sometime hopefully more often and more informed for sharing and understanding.
I included in my video the passage on acceptance is the key. Simply I need keep sharing and asking and enquiring and living.
Living And Experience
We get to live truth as we move along in our lives if we are open and honest and willing. We may never ever be perfect. Yet we can be perfectly open to change and adapt as we may to new living and living the experience of life.
Live Life
We do live life and life is our school and best educator. What we learn from books and others might have application, might be worthy and often is. Yet judgment can make us observers and criticisers of truth and life.
Observe We Must
Observe and Understand
Yes we need observe in order to clarify our path. And yet too much armchair living, to much passivity and too often stuck one way can blight a life rather than living a life.
So today I am off out and look forward positively. So much better included and part of living and not just watching the world go by.
21st November 2006
You Can’t hide Forever
Interesting observation. Who is hiding? And here comes denial. Hiding, place or state of concealment: a place where somebody is hiding or can hide, or the state of being hidden.
What a state to be in, hiding, I have done the hiding a long time in this life. Hiding what from who? Hiding me from me I would guess in the main. That state of hiding and denial of the truths of life.
Denial that runs so deep it would take a strong mind to delve to such depths and surface with all the truths of me and you. Can this be alone? All my experience has shown me it’s a deep we need to explore with a guide. Some form of journeyman to our soul and reason for living. So deep the cold and heat of that dark inside, chills and makes us sweat and catch our breath in nightmares. Hiding what from who? Me and my Truth. Where is denial today? And why may I want to hide forever…
At a meeting tonight
Yes as usual at a meeting and quite happy to be there, not the centre of the universe nor the ego driven man I might have been although I wonder whether I really understand that I had one or used it consciously. I make the Tea by the way which is how to find out who is who and what. And this I enjoy immensely because I can flirt with girls and have manly conversations with blokes. And still go home and have some peace and time to reflect on my own.
Yes we were with a new sharer tonight, for me they were new, and have been around in fellowship for years. Anyways for me the message was clear, my understanding of the here and now and all our understandings really are based on this one moment we have, where everything is real.
Spiritual Connection
Yes for me the spiritual connection all mankind look for is right here and now and in the ever present, present moment. So for all these years I have endorsements piling up that I have been on track. On track about life, off the track with other matters of living which drove me to distractions beyond sanity. And insanity won for quite a while.
Meetings in fellowship
Help me see where I am today. With everything to contend with and just this one moment, from now to next, there is nothing unmanageable but my imagination and my past. I cannot change one thing in the past nor would wish to. I cannot change this very moment of now, except live it as it is, and to the future, next day, next week or next year. It is out there and beyond control or manageability. I need only focus on now, and consequences.
We cannot hide forever
Indeed this one line of words out of the past, from a man I have known from years ago, said something that connects. And it is not without meaning. We cannot hide from anything actually or distort truth except in our analysis and our desire for it to be different.
I am reminded of another, “How will it show up”
How things show up these days is as good as our minds can deal with truth and honesty. Maybe only honesty stops us in our delusions often so strong we have to live insanity a while before sanity may be restored.
Between the we cannot hide forever and how will things show up? There is no control, we are indeed powerless over both eventualities. We cannot control how things show up or hide from others and how truth manifests.
We can be delusional, we can be forgetful. Yet when we apply our minds to times past and the ever present, present moment of now, absolutes appear and we can deal with them and the consequences.
Values and Principles
Our values and principles are challenged as we move along in truth and honesty. We see our tricks and let go their challenge when we apply to our good conscience and share our views. And we learn what values and principles guide us as we go along in life.
How am I feeling?
Indifferent to much of nothing, and very present with today. Today makes life worthwhile. When my mood is out of control and goes where it will beyond my will or power, then there is acceptance of where it takes me. To a hiding place? Not so for some years I feel. Yet how life is today is not as I might have envisaged to share, nor how others might have thought it would end up. As its not ended just yet, I might reflect it can take me anywhere. And anywhere is ok by me. Where there is good conscience, and the meeting of my mind in this present moment, I can make good choices and decisions, and consult and see how the next steps may be taken. I am driven by nothing and move with ease to the next best thing. I am not troubled by position or power, indeed quite the opposite. Yet at the same time I am careful with myself and everyone I meet.
Open Honest and Willing
Concepts and truths, we live and make good what we will daily, and can review and modify as we may. Nothing is set in stone except intransigence born of ego and intellectual conundrums we set, to puzzle others and our own minds, set free as we see the truth. Our nemesis comes if we are lucky, and never or with the misfortune of shorter living than we may envisage, where our journey set so fast we cannot change without losing everything but our soul.
And this is where we start and end in the metaphysics garden of life. Present and progressions to living in this ever present, present moment, perfect and flawed as we make our way to the next best thing.
What Next?
Is not my concern, as next will follow as it may. Sitting with careful heart and the without authority for anyone, the next step, whatever it may be, made with sound principles, always challenged and without misgivings, or deniable notions. Is this possible? I may not be the judge of that, you may be, or another life lived. We have now power but the power of now. Sounds like I lifted that phrase from somewhere.
As we get older and wisdom grows through experience we realise the movement we make in this life helps in increments to the next generation and on and on. As a collective humanity, learns so slowly as we can only really get the message through experience and actions, we are forever in a gradual crawl to better understanding of what we may become. And where this journey ends is beyond me. And I am grateful for my part in it, right now and forever.
November 21st 2005
Power
(em)power others by filling your own heart with courage, your thoughts with determination and your eyes with destiny.
We never realise how important power is when we hold on too hard we fear letting go. Power is another element of life we share. We need enough power to get along and so does everyone else. When we need take on more power and responsibility, we need take care it is accepted. And we can give up our power to others we trust and accept. The balance of power depends on relationships and understandings. Our need and expression of power is always a negotiation. A negotiation best checked and agreed in real time, and real terms. Lest we trip over each other at the controls of life...
November 21st 2004
A Frenchman speaks of Imperialism
Being an Englishman, sometimes wrapped in the warmth of my small yet significant life, I hear words which brush like paint to a canvas, to dry as a permanent reminder of history. It was not just a concern raised to our English nation, it was suggested that America had also adopted an Imperialistic approach to world politics.
I was not at all surprised that our small Island and America so omnipotent would attract a gentle repost and a reminder of our historical Imperialism. It was a Frenchman who said it, Chirac, and with a sting I recognised it, this notion of our world order and righteous behaviour so entrenched in our English heritage.
Without doubt we are challenged, and we should feel the brush of truth, as nerves send angry feelings, tempered with fear and most likely defiance, because we feel our taint to past, present and future history. We are culpable as a nation at war on terror, slipping back to old ways, supported by a rapacious nation hungry for vengeance, America.
I hope we hold our nerve and reflect and look to our misshapen notions of righteous war on terror. For we have unleashed shock and awe, followed by a shift to aggression and inhumanity the equal of those who make war as terrorists.
So quickly we descend to brutish acts of war. Now aggressor and insurgent forces have equality in their barbarity.
We might learn a thing or two. When rocks and barbaric aggression are wielded thus, the outcome is severe and never forgotten. Never in this millennium, as our global world records every moment, every nuance, every action of the conniving Trickster, whether he wears Religious attire or the Uniform of righteous politician, they will be exemplars.
Mendicants who turned our world to folly and near ruin.
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Just For Today And Every Day, Cherish Always...
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AA Official Online Site: Daily Reflections
AA Official Online Site: Big Book And Twelve And Twelve
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“The method of prayer & meditation. We often hear it said in meetings that the speaker "hits his knees every morning." Not being brought up Catholic or Muslim, we envisioned that slapping of the knees might be spiritually significant in A.A. When we discovered that the act of prayer was being referred to, we asked why A.A. tells us to get on our knees to pray. We were informed that A.A. makes no such suggestion. In fact, reference to praying on the knees, in the original draft of Step 7, was explicitly removed to prevent the misconception that such a practice was suggested. Moreover, to be on one’s knees as a prior condition to prayer will prevent prayer at many opportunities during the day. If you or your sponsor think that you should be on your knees for correct prayer, then by all means do so. It might just be the best way to pray. For the content of prayer, see Step 11b that follows.” BB Bunch
November 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 10 The Now Inventory
Alcoholics Anonymous | Step Eleven Reading Video Link:
November 2012 | Video Reading How It Works:
November 2012 | Video Reading Into Action :
November 2012 | Playlist All About Step Eleven:
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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