November 23 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 11 Daily Meditation Alcoholics Anonymous Today's Daily Reflections: "holding our face up to the light… Holding our face up to the truth…" I heard a recording of Gandhi from 1923: "God is truth, God is love…" Truth, love and wisdom shines when we able to utilise all our senses and experience the moment of now. All senses working, and asking myself: "how am I feeling? Now that I know what my feelings are, I realise how they impact on my thinking and actions: Feel good, think good, action likely to be good. Feel bad, think bad, actions are likely to be bad. Feel the ugliness, think ugly and actions can be ugly. Facing up to: the truth, the good the bad and the ugly. All in one day is enlightenment in the moment, the imperfectly perfect moment of now…
Video For Today:
A meeting last night in Eaton square, at the back of Buckingham Palace. After eights: "a chair by someone sharing experience strength and hope of later sobriety." They shared that enlightenment, holding our faces up to the light and the truth reveals that we are very human and very sensitive beings. We all live in the same day, some having good experiences, some having bad experiences in some having plain ugly experiences. And we share about all of them. If we are fortunate and truthful, we are enlightened in these moments. Last night, very real about recovery, that life offers every experience to every human being. And that we need to know our emotional and spiritual connection to now. Feelings working in the moment can be a real shock to the system…
Riding to the meeting on my electric bicycle: the wind starting to howl and the trees losing their leaves. No hat tonight or I would lose it. And so, a feeling of oneness with the elements. And the meeting, full of bright emotionally aware and deep thinking people. After the meeting, rather than go straight home, a ride to Buckingham Palace, and onward to Trafalgar square along the Mall, leaves falling and tumbling across the road and the wind and the rustling leaves skipping across the ground. The Lions and Nelson's column, and up Charing Cross Road, to the hippodrome and Leicester square, and then onward to Piccadilly and Eros. Gusting winds, everyone huddling in groups. And then the rain came tumbling down. Down Piccadilly, riding past the Royal Academy and Fortnum and Mason's, and on to the Ritz, and onto Green Park. Cars whistling past and the wind picking up felt hazardous and exhilarating all once. Around Hyde Park, where cars pushed to and fro and lorries and buses forged their path, and I follow them. And onward past Harvey Nichols, and then the spectacle of Harrods lit up for Christmas… And a shortcut, down to Walton Street, wind and rain pelting, men and women huddled under umbrellas outside bars smoking and laughing… Sloane Avenue and home, at peace with myself and the world. Excited by life and peaceful inside is a good end to the day…
How am I feeling this morning? Rattled! I thoroughly enjoyed the elements last night. Hugging the men in fellowship, and kisses on cheeks for the girls. I am reminded of times past and relationships and how much I cherish the memories of those times. I miss my soul mates from back then. And at the same time, I know most are happy where they are now. Life is an adventure, and learning to cherish those we have loved, those who have expired and those who we know are still around and not in my life is a necessary part of my recovery. Letting go, the hardest thing to let go and then, in acceptance, accepting the let go means there is room to grow, to cherish and be able to love all over again. After the heartbreak, and into the truth we find good, as life enlightens one day at a time…
Self-awareness? Yes, I do feel good this morning, my emotions are working, and I can cherish everything right now. I'm not superficial and indifferent, and can help if help is needed, and if I am asked, rather than impose anything on anyone, all I need do is share experience, strength and hope. And this is what we all do in fellowship today… Bright happy Clappy, or miserable and downtrodden and somewhere in between, we hear our story and relate in the moment of now… Who would've thought it? As a person being open, honest and willing to learn, and then a fellowship where we are together in unity, service and recovery… Now how cool is that..?
DonInLondon 2005-2011
Just because you are good at something does not mean you should. We can become excellent in many roles in life; it does not mean it is good for us or even the path we should take. Sometimes necessity drives us, nature and providence, economy and need. Freedom of choice takes time and need be based on reality, not fantasy. Spiritual is reality and living it, fantasy is often based on superstition, dreams and fear that reality cannot live up to our expectations today…
If you ask for help, I can suggest and support but not instruct. If I ask for help, listen and make better choices I learn and grow. I need enough fear to keep safe, enough faith to broaden my experience. And sometimes learning is at the extremes of feeling and often more helpful when there is a balance in feelings and experiences. When we take it to the limit all the time, we can break and some never recover to live a life again…
What may get in the way of my emotional and spiritual growth? Not knowing what emotional and spiritual growth means to me, because for years it was going on, limited by my outlook and starved by my lack of understanding. Today I realise it is so simple I could not see it. To live open, honest and willing, to learn what my feelings are right now and cope with the situation I am having today…
Emotional ~ a conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific incident causing physiological and behavioural changes in the body. And the spiritual experience, for me is living in the moment where feelings fit with reality, not exaggerate or underplayed. I feel the moment and can cope with what is going on today…
November 23 2010 ~ if I am learning who I am on a daily basis, living reality and not fantasy, feeling the moment of now, happy or sad as life experience is, then I am fit spiritually. With humility, the capacity to keep learning continues. So easy to falter, become judgmental and prejudiced, then I block my spiritual progress and likely yours too today...
November 23 2010 ~ I can feel hurt by my history, and if I fall into what if's and why not's I am stuck. I need see the world as it is today, feel the feelings and understand them, not push away half of what nature has given me. Anger and resentments are part of what we feel daily until we accept life on life's terms. I accept I am human today...
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AA Daily Reflections ~ "HOLD YOUR FACE TO THE LIGHT... Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see. AS BILL SEES IT
One Sunday in October, during my morning meditation, I glanced out the window at the ash tree in our front yard. At once I was overwhelmed by its magnificent, golden colour! As I stared in awe at God's work of art, the leaves began to fall and, within minutes, the branches were bare. Sadness came over me as I thought of the winter months ahead, but just as I was reflecting on autumn's annual process, God's message came through. Like the trees, stripped of their leaves in the fall, sprout new blossoms in the spring, I had had my compulsive, selfish ways removed by God in order for me to blossom into a sober, joyful member of A.A. Thank you, God, for the changing seasons and for my ever-changing life."
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November 23 2007
DonInLondon - ‘Day In The Life’ Keep It Simple so we say
Clarity and Boundaries
I am not sure if I made myself clear yesterday writing about the way life can turn out with ‘Diversity and Psychosis‘.
In essence it’s the acknowledgement that people in the world come from many different backgrounds and we need accept the outlook of others is different and still we have similar aims in living. The Psychosis part happens so often when we see others difference and never accept it, we get into emotional knots and won’t let go our understanding, and so see the others point of view with respect. We resent the differences more than understand them. So we know we are better accepting diversity, we just don’t, because we may fear or feel the need to defend our way over their way.
Clarity
How do we get to clarity in our situation and living. Simple daily questions help us find our feet more quickly.
How Am I feeling?
We may feel ok, not ok, loved, not loved, included or not excluded. However we feel we know and not push those feelings away. We need know the right and wrong of our feelings and ask ourselves why we feel so. The answer is knowing the feelings and the next step…
Why?
The why question usually means we are feeling ok because all feels right with our own personal world. When we feel wrong footed, its often that something is plain unacceptable in our outlook.
What Can I do?
I can explore my feelings, see why and this clue gives me the answer either to accept my lot, or not accept and decide what choices I have today.
I may want world peace today, and know its beyond my power. I may want to complain to my neighbour about their all-night party, and let it go because it only happens now and then. Or I may ask my neighbour when they next are having a party, and arrange to be out or buy earplugs! Simply there are adjustments I can choose to make, without getting into anger and rage. Letting go and seeing what we can and cannot do. We need recognise mostly we can make choices when we have the information, and still not impact on others behaviour. We need not be wilful at the expense of others.
Empathy
As I mention in today’s video, the world of empathy can be helped when we follow the same questions when we are included and involved with others.
How are we Feeling?
When we engage in inclusive feelings. This question how are we feeling may reveal a lot of feelings for the good. Good feelings are all feelings we have, so we may have angry feelings about behaviour of others and others can have angry feelings about us.
“We Can Like a Person and Love them, And still Hate their behaviour”
Yes we can, we love many people we may encounter, like them a lot, and still hate their behaviour.
Typically for people like me, who have lost the plot for years with addiction, people can love us and still hate our behaviour. As we sober up, we behave differently? If we are able and have a programme to keep us healthy. Then we can learn new ways to live.
How We Are Feeling… Why?
When we discuss our situations, around how it feels, we can see others points of view, find common ground and make positive decisions.
What We Can Do!
Get Clarity - Find Boundaries
We can if we try. Diversity does not mean we have to accept and live to others way of life. We can negotiate and find a path.
Negotiation is Not About Winning
Its about finding out where we are, what we may do, together or separately. It makes us able to take decisions and sometimes choices to be included in matters or we choose to go our own way.
Understanding the Possible and Impossible
Some things can be changed, new boundaries and new ways to be included through good understanding and negotiation.
Some things we cannot change, and we need decide in a planned way what we can do.
Relationships
We are better understanding through discussion and not aggressive behaviour, we can assert our own views and not impose them on others.
We need know our boundaries and realise we can choose our path and accept or reject and move with care and great respect for our views and others who may reject us. Either way we find security and knowing when to be included and not included.
So simple? So Hard if we fear outcomes are not going to go our way. Still it is better to keep faith and keep to the good of our good conscience as best we can.
More anon
23rd November 2006
The Problem with any Prejudice
Yes it is a problem, the problem with any prejudice is simply we start taking a look at the ones who point fingers and create a disturbance. The problem with all prejudice is it is founded upon ignorance and fear.
People who fear have prejudice. People who are not fearful have nothing to be prejudiced about. People with fear and don’t understand are doubly handicapped as they are most likely lacking self-knowledge and self-awareness.
Looking at some debates going on the BBC following the alcoholism programme and the Policeman suggesting Heroin addicts might be better given their fix via the state, all manner of prejudice is displayed. And as with all prejudice its got its roots in fear.
I made a comment about those who argue short sharp shocks for addicts would lead us to draconian measures for people who are just plain overweight or too thin. After all anyone overweight or too thin has no self-control we expect of addicts. And how many people is this? Half the population?
Well it makes me wonder where people do feel they have rights to criticise and make bold statements to harm their fellows in society.
No one wants to be overweight or too thin and no one wants to be an addict. And as we see there are moves in the NHS via new labour policy to put fat people or too thin people down to the bottom of waiting lists as if they are second class citizens… As for addicts, most often they die, without support or help.
Where are we all in this sorry state of affairs. Being a person in recovery for a while now, I understand all too clearly the path to ruin and the path back to ordinary life is just plain hard slog and hard work, day in and day out.
There is no easy way out for any deformity of character or physique, it requires support and a lot of effort. And indeed I suspect the odd couch potato enjoys having a go at addicts who they feel are wasters and useless. By the same token ask a recovering addict about couch potatoes and more often than not they will suggest its none of their business…
So where are we with our brave new labour world?
A bit nearer to getting to the truth about a lot of things as the NHS although strapped for cash has made serious inroads to the treatment of too fat people and too thing people and as it happens to addicts as well. So well done the NHS!
As to attitudes and behaviour in our great and good society we seem to have become slack and mendacious, easy to blame others and lacking in responsibility, personal and social. The blame culture really needs to be resolved, and the culture of corporate irresponsibility and personal liability needs overhaul. The new labour lot are full of bull when it comes to leading from the front. Although there a lot of good intentions overall they are rubbish at changing anything worth a damn.
When “Knacker” of the Yard makes a suggestion we feed the addicts so they don’t hurt or steal anymore, we get indignant rather than wipe out loads of criminal behaviour. We are still wanting to punish people for being addicts. And if we hear more about fat people and thin people being second raters then they too will become demonised and seen as irresponsible citizens.
Where will it all end?
Soon I hope when some sensible people make some dramatic and sensible policies in the social categories which help people get over their awful living and awful binds. Until then, if you are perfect, well done, if you are imperfect in some way, stop looking outwards and take a look in the mirror, and then apply your prejudice to yourself.
In the meantime be good to yourself! You know it makes sense..
November 23rd 2005
Trips and Stumbles
Trying to find our way It’s a hard job, just living. We all work hard in our own way to make sense of our lives. Not an easy task sorting our nature and nurture out. or nature helps with the most common elements of our complicated lives. To stay alive, to eat, to experience, to have our needs met through toil. And nurture, which goes beyond the basic needs, yet drives every fundamental part of our nature. Our nurture most likely is the embellishment of nature. This might seem obvious, it is never so, for our nurture can take us to realms beyond conscious experience. Our own imagination, a gripping world of possibilities and fantasy…
Talking with a friend like me, at new cross roads in our lives. Full of the one absolute certainty, that life has changed and will never be restored to old "normal service". Why? Well normal service in olden times meant indulgence of every sort without impunity. A lesson learned that consequences of any action can’t be discounted. That life teaches easy lessons on easy matters and hard lessons on hard matters, that if a thing is worth doing right the consequences are as hard as any impact felt by any human. Work hard, drink hard. Work harder and drink harder. The harder we work and party the greater the outcomes and consequences. The higher we go, the inevitable swing back down to earth, can be quick and devastating. A smack into rock from lofty heights is not cushioned, the impact like smack of unimaginable hurt. It smashes and breaks as if hit by a speeding car full on and no brakes. People wrecks are hard to ignore as much as we would wish, especially when it’s us. When we work and party, and take on the challenge of life we are pushed and pushing. We need learn along the way, the safety limits of all we do. Yet many of us don’t come close or near to knowing limits and safety. We, the ultimate risk takers, take it all the way, because we learned there is no other way, at least that’s what we thought. And that’s what "LIFE" taught!
And reflecting today, with a friend who still gets angry and troubled he cannot burn as brightly all the time, a hammering pace of self-driven success and happiness… as if it were a happy and joyful, the never ending push to strive and be a success. That drive, that success, that height of achievement, forever striving for the next level, and never ever stopping long to savour the moment of the experience, to sit still and take stock, to be allowed to stop the world and get off. For there is no off to success…
How driven to be, and have no sense of being, how empty the rhetoric and banners of modern man, that anyone can be a success in our democracy and our world. And how the lie of success is maintained in thin relief against a happier life of joyful times, where moments are savoured, experienced and full measure, like ripe fruit, a taste sweet beyond its measure. How were we ever misled by a world of plenty, when most the world is starved by ignorance? And we the gifted, especially ignorant of happy times, where faith and wellbeing would light our spirit through good conscience. We sit bamboozled for a moment as we feel the pull to normal being, not super beings as folk remember our old selves. We discard old memories as quick as we can, yet feel the pull forever, moving on into uncharted worlds where miracles await the simple man who treads light and soft across the oceans of this earth…
Where will this journey in our new world take us? In mind, body and spirit we move on and hark back, as we stand on the shoulders of time, so history anchors the common man, wretched as he flays free the chains and breaks his own prison walls to dust. Just ordinary men, just happy to have an outlook and restored faith in nature and good conscience…
November 23rd 2004
Persuasion
The act or process or an instance of persuading is as much we can really hope when we express our inner preferences of living. Often we wish for, think we have a right to expect and a whole host of notions about the world and what it may have for us. We want things from life, often we don't need these things from life.
Wanting leads to awkward notions of getting what we are due. In the beginning we may adopt persuasion to get our want met. And as children we use our feelings to express basic needs, and to an extent those things we want more of.
Our life experiences will teach us what works. Our need for control often makes us determined to make our world our way. Control like any desire is often greater than we can achieve. To control our world is fraught with disappointment. Our desires can become unrealistic and our chasm between what is and what is wanted often is so great we retreat and harbour ill-conceived notions and fantasy about the possible.
If we are able to understand our ability to persuade to an extent, be content to balance our wants and needs, we will find a brokered harmony.
If we regard ourselves as powerful over others, we may find discontent for ourselves and others. For persuasion is one thing in finding that balance, power over others will leave all parties unhappy and powerless as time catches us in our folly and leaves us breathless with discontent.
For in general we are powerless over people, we have persuasion in our skills of life, and a notion of balance serves all and is master of none.
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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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