November 3 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 11 Daily Meditation Alcoholics Anonymous Today's Daily Reflections: "self examination, prayer and meditation…" Self examination emotionally and spiritually, "how am I feeling this morning, why, and how my coping right now in the moment? The answer is yes, I feel calm, one or two situations need clarity. Sober and coping, level with myself and everyone I know, even though there are some difficulties to resolve…
Video For Today:
How long does it take to start some daily routines around emotional and spiritual well-being? And how do I put this into practice in an emotional and spiritual way? Utilising self examination, knowing my feelings and being able to cope with now, the truth of my situation as it is, can be done in seconds. And some prayer, meditation? Even though I can be forgetful, most days I can focus on step one, my daily step, "I am powerless over alcohol, and then I include people, places and things, and life will get unmanageable if I decide I have got power over anything other than personal choices." And also remind myself that trying to make the same solution fit every problem would lead to insanity, which is step two. And step three is simply letting go trying to solve everything on my own, asking for help, simply gives me better solutions, if there is a solution to be found today…
So! Self examination, prayer and meditation improves my spiritual and emotional awareness of my situation today. Knowing my feelings, my mood, means I know what will impact on my thinking. Happy mood, most likely happy thinking. Sad mood, most likely sad, thinking. And when my mood changes during the day because of what is going on, those few seconds of asking myself the question, how am I feeling? This helps me know my mood, know how my thinking is being influenced and then what actions may follow as a result. In the blink of an eye I can understand my mood and my thinking and the actions which will follow, and this becomes an automatic practice and then life improves as we cope with each situation, moment by moment, be they good, bad or ugly...
The old way of life, where all of step six defects of character can manifest and make life more difficult than it need be, where fear drives thinking, we put on a brave face to the world and ego tries to cover up shame and guilt for some inadequacy or exposure which is uncomfortable. The new way of life, where we are working on our shortcomings in step seven: learning to have the courage to change, learning about faith in doing the next right thing and asking for help, and growing confidence to learn everything from life experience and the wisdom of others and how to put it into practice day by day, and simply today is the day that counts…
Yesterday I mentioned my mum is not too good, and has had an operation as part of her cancer treatment. News update is good, awake and rehydrating, somewhat chilled out on painkillers which explains some of her gallows humour last night. I needed to wait from Thursday lunchtime to around six last night to hear the news and step seven helped me, courage not to interfere and bombard with calls for updates, faith and wait for news when news was available and confidence that my sister is with her and medical support for my mum is as good as it can get right now. I feel relief and happy to talk to a rather spangled octogenarian, laughing at my jokes about being turned into the colour of a Smurf which is part of the treatment just for today...
DonInLondon 2005-2011
A wonderful morning, being part of a solution and part of a process, courage and faith, able to be a friend and be there for another human is as good as gets. To love be loved and useful today…
Listening and meditation: or listening and reflecting on the big picture of what is happening around me. I can see my part in life, from starting over and learning everything anew. And then asking for help to find my path, with humility to learn I do not bow and
scrape, simply asking for help, clarity and seeing what I can and cannot do. As I put in the action and practice, make mistakes, make progress and listen and learn, life runs more smoothly today...
DonInLondon 2005-2010
November 3 2010 ~ in another time I was trained to observe and listen, to evaluate and make judgments based on evidence. In the past life became so distorted I could hear nothing but the rush to oblivion drink provided. Today I can review, reflect and be more
aware of how I am feeling, why and what to do. No longer alone, I can listen to wisdom today...
November 3 2010 ~ yes, yes, I hear what you say... And in my mind I am shouting just shut the **** up. Because the chatter in my head is bad enough without your advice! I need a meeting, to listen and calm down. Sometimes we shut out everything when the
pressure is on and simply a meeting in fellowship can quiet fear, I can share and start again...
Today I am feeling pretty good spiritually; I am more in the moment, more able to live now. And although I may be suffering quite a lot of pain physically, I feel good enough for now. Why? Today I am not alone even in solitude…
Breaking the patterns of the past is not easy, some things we have learned to do to the point we do not know we are doing the. We have rituals and all sorts going on. From lucky charms, to warnings in rhymes, we can be very superstitious creatures.
In recovery we learn that sober we can face most of what happens, we have nothing to fear often, except the fear of fear. We don’t know what we fear but that feeling creeps in somewhere. And then we can have a committee in our heads chattering all sorts. We
don’t deserve what is happening, we do deserve better and when this happens we are not in the present, we are either recollecting old times, or and fantasising about future times.
Maintenance Steps - living life sober one day at a time
Step ten, eleven and twelve, described by many as the maintenance steps keep us on a sober outlook just for a day. Step ten to see where we are disturbed in our daily living, and is often counterbalanced by our daily gratitude list. Step eleven is all about reflection
and meditation and prayer as we practice as individuals. And our spiritual wellbeing is contingent on our attitudes and behaviour on a daily basis as we put the steps into our daily living.
Is it difficult to get sober? Some find it easy, I found it difficult. Is it easy to keep sober? Some find it easy, I find it a daily challenge which I can relish and love, or find horrible and hate as life happens.
So much easier sober today, I forget alcohol, but when I do have recollections I am always firmly glued to the present where life will work as well as it can and not the horror of back then in addiction.
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AA Daily Reflections ~ "FOCUSING AND LISTENING" NOVEMBER 3 There is a direct linkage among self - examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 98
If I do my self - examination first, then surely, I’ll have enough humility to pray and meditate - because I’ll see and feel my need for them. Some wish to begin and end with prayer, leaving the self - examination and meditation to take place in between, whereas
others start with meditation, listening for advice from God about their still hidden or unacknowledged defects. Still others engage in written and verbal work on their defects, ending with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. These three - self - examination,
meditation and prayer - form a circle, without a beginning or an end. No matter where, or how, I start, I eventually arrive at my destination: a better life."
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November 3 2007
DonInLondon - ‘Day In the Life’ Stuff of Life
What Stuff?
Things to do with family and fellowship mostly. And in no particular order, so as per usual we all need be nimble in our understanding how life works. Life works and goes along without our control of it, only we do get our choices back to the what, when and where we may be.
The last couple of days has been a reflection on concerns for my Brother, he seems to have onset of diabetes. And in the very near recent past, with the death of my sister’s partner, the change in health of any family member makes us sit up and be concerned.
My brother will get more information next week, I guess about what kind of diabetes he has. The are two types of diabetes, Type 1, and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is where I reside presently. Type 1 is the worst case scenario, Type 2 on the way to type one, although diet helps both, the diet can do just so much and medical intervention seems a wise course or we perish sooner rather than later.
If we don’t make insulin though’ the good news is we need get it and through injection presently as many times a day as needed. Type two where there is still insulin production can be managed greatly by diet and use of Metformin to stimulate production of insulin. Without insulin we cannot process our food, so we lose weight rapidly and feel thirsty and feel run down.
All this is experienced daily by many who have this chronic condition. And other things too which I need not elaborate just now. Knowing it can be treated is good news, we live as we do, and make the best of what can be done. People can live well with diabetes as long as its diagnosed and managed to instructions from professionals.
Diet
Diet is important and can slow the progression of the disease, from borderline to type 2, then type 1 which is where I started after a small operation which shocked my system enough to stop insulin production. So we live and we can keep on doing so with help and support.
Its still a shock to get something which we cannot get rid of, merely add it on to the list of daily routines to keep as well as we may.
AA - Alcoholics Anonymous [ My experience of AA, I don‘t speak for AA]
Four meetings over the last couple of days. Two Step meetings and two ordinary meetings. What is the difference. I guess ordinary meetings of AA are really about experience strength and hope. We share what is working for us and what is still unmanageable and usually about things we cannot change. The good news is not to beat ourselves up when we cannot change something to do with people places and things. And then step meetings are about how to change our living and utilise a process of understanding life around 12 steps of change.
Step Change
Another topic for guru’s in industry, I wonder if the realise this management consultancy speak come from the AA 12 steps, or does it? I don’t really mind personally but some may be upset to see that Step Change is what we alcoholics call our 12 step programme.
The two step meetings are or were about step 7 seems my local step meetings are somehow synchronised so a double dose and well worth it for me.
Step 7
For me its about getting simply, Courage, Faith and Confidence back to be the me I am. And get over my natural old fears, fear of life, and putting on a brave face, and feeling a need to use ego rather than esteem.
Step seven is so important that we get real and right sized, the equal of others and others equal to us. This means we stop wondering if we have a voice worth listening to, we realise that everyone’s voice needs to be heard.
So a booster for me about step seven helps immensely in the context of finding the truth of me.
Step six which precedes step seven is a look at my defects as we in AA learn.
I do not speak for AA
I emphasise again what I say on videos and what I write is my outlook, and not an “AA” outlook. This difference is essential as everyone has their own AA experience, some good and some abysmal, usually because we hold on to what ails us, namely addictions and self will run riot.
Why?
Well everyone finds their path in recovery, we find what works for ourselves in this 12 step programme of living. Any other way of sharing experience, strength and hope means we tend to judge others and what they do, rather than minding our own business and getting along with help and support from people with wisdom.
So I don’t speak or write for AA, I merely learn in AA what my path can be, with changing my attitudes and behaviour. And also having a higher power than me!
Higher Powers
AA comes from the land of the free, the USA, an excellent export in my opinion. And AA was developed by good people who had strong beliefs about everything. This includes God.
Some have God as their higher power. And when I read Ghandi said: “God Is Truth” the AA programme stopped being a puzzle and became a really helpful way to make my life right sized and manageable with my personal choices very much more informed and me more able to achieve them.
Fear of God
I guess the reliance on a God from biblical or theological stand points has always made me fear loss of choice and success in living somehow. To rely on a God? Well in my early life my Father was my God, and I knew no different until he failed to be the God I could understand. His life was ruined by alcohol as well as a very poor childhood.
Fear of Truth ? [ Ghandi‘s definition that God is Truth]
I don’t fear truth these days, I relish it as my higher power.
So often we think we have the truth and yet each day my truth alters, my truth is informed more by living and gaining wisdom. So a higher power which is Truth, helps me make better choices and better decisions as I get wisdom from family and fellowship with each passing day. I am also capable of many mistakes which helps me learn a more helpful path to living.
Truth About What
Me of course and the world. AA sets out to help people live sober, just for a day. A day sober is my/our starting point. Always just for today.
Physical, Emotional and Spiritual
The elements AA deals with, and a whole lot more with all the fellowship open to change by the day. AA has no spokespeople as such, it remains a fellowship without outside affiliations. Yet every fellow of AA has and can live as they may, better for being sober and more able to deal with life on life’s terms.
Promises in the Steps of AA
That sober living simply affords the opportunity to have a life best lived without the chains and ruin of obsession and addiction to alcohol. Marvellous AA, a place to find experience, strength and hope. To work out where we are with our physical, emotional and spiritual being.
‘Life on life’s Terms’
Whatever life puts our way, we live the happiness and the sorrows best with a clear head, and not one ruined by self-harm and an addiction which kills so many and so many deny they have, alcoholism.
Addiction
Not a self-inflicted wound I must shout loudly. A condition humans are powerless over on their own and ruined by isolation. AA brings fellowship, guidance and a way to live to our full measure, equal to others and others our equal.
So whilst I do not speak for AA, I can speak for me and my experience, long may it be so. I gain a life restored, and lose a life lived in insanity. What a gift, just for today.
So these last couple of days, a better informed me what I may do, my interest is always people and photography has helped me along the way most recently. I am learning every day is really the message conveyed just now. I feel alright Just For today.
3rd November 2006 [All About Last Year]
Long Days and Friendships [All About Last Year]
Seems like a long day, with much friendship and time spent in company. I wonder how much is good and when is too much. I am more aware of my needs and wants these days.
So a full day of living in company. With consultations on health this morning and some good news and some news to keep to a better regime, it all seems quite positive. At the same time I am over reaching myself I realise. And need be careful with all connections.
I am stretched a little thin for me, and best be careful to keep a balance. Where to find the balance? And be constructive and be aware.
Odd really, never quite so sure of challenges to my living when its advice which includes should do, could do, and might do. Others can project their desires and aims in my direction. Some advice is definitely as some see it through their eyes as if I am them. And I am me. My path and choices developing through time and application, at a pace which works in the day.
I need not wear others clothes and aspirations.
I am calm in choice and aware to sensitivities. This is life and living, just simply best in the day.
Being told my spiritual core, and other capacities. It feels awkward as seen through another pair of eyes. Simply how we journey is best made with clarity and care. To open ourselves to the world of possible and real, real being the key. Another’s vision is clear for them and clearly not my path. Not yet anyway.
With great care and less judgment of others journey’s its time to find sleep and keep faith with openness honesty and willingness to make good another day…
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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Step 10 "Although all inventories are alike in principle, the time factor does distinguish one from another. There's the spot-check inventory, taken at any time of the day, whenever we find ourselves getting tangled up. There's the one we take at day's end, when we review the happenings of the hours just past. Here we cast up a balance sheet, crediting ourselves with things well done, and chalking up debits where due. Then there are those occasions when alone, or in the company of our sponsor or spiritual adviser, we make a careful review of our progress since the last time. Many A.A.'s go in for annual or semi-annual house-cleanings. Many of us also like the experience of an occasional retreat from the outside world where we can quiet down for an undisturbed day or so of self-overhaul and meditation.”
October 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 10 The Now Inventory
Alcoholics Anonymous | Step Eleven Reading Video Link:
October 2012 | Video Reading How It Works:
October 2012 | Video Reading Into Action :
October 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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About Psychosis And Depression:
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