Alcoholics Anonymous Videos | DonInLondon

Alcoholics Anonymous Blog & Video | Feb 23 2004 - 2014 | DonInLondon | Step 2 "Sanity"

February 23 Video

DonInLondon February 23, 2014: step two month: "came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity." Being restored to sanity is not boring, more likely we feel things more deeply and broadly. We have ideas, beliefs and opinions, affiliations all over the place, and likely an opinion on everything we encounter. That's what it is to be a human being, full of opinion and belief, being restored to sanity on a daily basis means we feel life more deeply, and often we need a greater perspective to curb our natural desires to be right! We may be right, then comes the question about whether or not we want to be right or do we want to be happy?

There is another way of looking at this, we can be right and we can be happy and most of the time this is possible if we consult, negotiate and have a common understanding. Being right and happy is part of life, being right with oneself and the world? Not always are we able to be right with ourselves and the world because we have different opinions and beliefs. The second tradition in Fellowship is all about group conscience being the vehicle of decision-making. And the group conscience can be called at any time if things seem to be going off the rails. Soonest looked at, soonest we come back to agreeable terms of getting on together.

The Ukraine has been going through tremendous changes, and it seems that the balance of power, the quality of life and many things need reform. More likely to happen in Ukraine to the good of the people, than it is likely to happen in the UK and other so-called mature democracies. I wish the best for the Ukraine, I don't have the answers, at the same time I have great empathy with anyone anywhere suggesting equality is better than inequality. And as they sweep through the old regime, those in power, those vying for power, they need to listen carefully, or they repeat the same old same old again.

Anyway the most important thing is, we can be restored to sanity on a daily basis, we can be passionate about causes. We learn what unconditional love is, there are no conditions to love anyway, we just thought there were conditions, the conditions we thought were right, without any negotiation, with great expectations and rewards which had not been clearly defined, but clearly we felt entitled to something. Unconditional is unequivocal, there are no conditions to love, and if you have some, beware the insanity that follows.

Whenever I catch a few glimpses of TV shows which are all about discovering what other people are up to in your life, the entitlements and expectations before any relationship started is colossal on both sides. People read agony aunt columns, so many books about this that and the other, which plague the lives of those trying to sort themselves out to fit in somewhere in society. Could it be as simple as understanding what emotional and spiritual living is? Know your mood in the moment of now, no how your mood impacts on your thinking and the actions which follow. And then, what seems to be the really hard bit, is to ask the question of other people, how are you feeling? What are you thinking? And how will you would I move along together today?

I do have difficult moments understanding the focused undermining of those who cannot cope on their own in our society. Young people without a job, made to feel bad if they cannot find work. And many people who have become dislocated from mainstream society being made the scapegoat. And the poorest working households relying on benefits, made to feel bad about it, because it must be their fault when it is not. And a bunch of members of Parliament who keep harking back to the old days, and blaming each other for a colossal mess made by a greedy bunch of people in the banking industry and their cohorts. These are some of my opinions, just for this morning, and if I keep them rattling around in my head, I will not be a happy bunny today. The good news is I know what I can and cannot do on a daily basis. And so, even though I might be peeved and unhappy at the portrayal of many groups within my society, I need to keep being restored to sanity in the moment of now. Or I might emigrate to the Ukraine depending on what they do next and live a better life in the company of people who may start to work together in a big society which cares for everybody and not just one or two, just for today. There is hope wherever we are, and sometimes the best way forward is to do the next right thing and help another person doing what they can today.

DonInLondon 2004 - 2013

Alcoholics Anonymous | February 23 2013 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 2 "Sanity" | "AAA status for the United Kingdom has now become AA status just like me!" The Triple-A status of the UK has now been downgraded to double-A or thereabouts. Our Chancellor of the Exchequer, says we need to work harder and he needs to work harder! For me to keep my double-A status, a fellow in Alcoholics Anonymous, all I need do is understand my emotional and spiritual journey one day at a time…

When we set our credibility so high, and then we cannot achieve or maintain such high standards as a country, the truth about the economy is that it is stagnant or shrinking one day at a time. I suppose I would like to admonish the current government for their lack of foresight and their lack of credibility today. If I were the Chancellor, I will be looking at what I can do today, which is to stop chastising and undermining the unemployed workforce, dividing the deserving poor from the undeserving poor, his focus is not on growth, it is on punishment of the weaker and most vulnerable in society. He ought to be focused on the big picture, the global impact and the opportunities for growth and not punishment today… In fellowship, we understand what we can and cannot do on a daily basis, and the fellowship is based on growth of emotional and spiritual living, so that we can address all matters in the material world as well. We do not slouch and we don't grumble or crawl, we stand tall and look for what we can do today…

Losing status! On the way to rock bottom, I had no clue about status, it was the very last thing on my mind. I was in oblivion. And in a desperate state, and ego had completely lost the plot. And without self-esteem, with the ego at rock bottom and with self-esteem at rock bottom, there is no hiding place. Rocks and hard places, fellowship is all about emerging and growing so we can cope in the moment of now and make plans for the future. We have AA status, sober and living in the moment of now where we can feel life as it is, and not keep on blaming the rest of the world. As the UK Chancellor wags his finger and says we must work harder, and he must work harder, I can see he doesn't understand. And he doesn't know the answers to the can do and cannot do right now…

Ego and status! The puffed up politician, riding on the crest of the rocks of the economy. He has become a blight on recovery in economic terms. Turning the screws, dampening down growth and at the same time using quantitative easing to borrow and put off the evil day when his strategy and tactics show failure and more problems rather than a solution. As he crows about unemployment going down, there is no growth to correspond with this statistic. More people employed, and yet less output and the income figures are down. The illusions of ego and status trying to struggle for Triple-A status is a figment and not a reality. It doesn't matter? Not if you're already at rock bottom, but then the Chancellor applies yet another tax on the poorest and the rich keep on getting richer one day at a time. The age-old problem, short-term politicians creating long-term nightmares and they know what they are doing? Blinded by ego and ideology, the addiction to power, their rock bottom will follow, and the problem is they can take the rest of us with them… I could tell them where they're going wrong, but it is wasted effort, there are better people than me who are more able to describe what they should do and what they're not doing one day at a time…

How does this affect me in recovery? Trained as an economist, trained as a businessman and successful at both these disciplines in practical terms over many years. I have left those disciplines behind me, concentrating on something I care about more than them, real people and real solutions being created one day at a time. Practical living, understanding problems and learning solutions on the emotional and spiritual level helps me be more practical in the material world. I work with needs met and wants let go with can and cannot do and the wisdom to know the difference. Thankfully I am one voice, and there are many voices sharing about the experience, strength and hope in recovery. Many people, millions, maybe all equal and adaptable to varying degrees, one day at a time. And who is lagging behind in the land of ideology? Politicians and ideologists! Less so with us fellowship people, we are more flexible and adaptable and more equal to the challenge of life today. And if we are not we have the confidence and humility to ask for help from those who are able and where we need help to develop just for today…

I love my life the way it is, slowly developing, never knowing quite where it might go and without fear of loss. I never realised just how much ego and status was important to many people. And I somehow missed the point of power over others, it was never my need to dominate you. At the same time with strong opinions and beliefs, it got me into all sorts of trouble and all sorts of success over the years. But I missed the obvious, I had lost my hold on truth, how to love and how to be loved back and the wisdom growing on a daily basis. When we are focused on the detail and measure success by impossible material measures which don't count in the reality of now, we miss the point. And we miss what we can do as we endeavour and have humility to keep on learning one day at a time…

How am I feeling this morning? Why and what can I do? These are the basic questions which sort out my emotional and spiritual connection to reality and how I may cope. When I heard the news about the UK economy being downgraded to double-A, and the Chancellor's response that he needed to continue on his path and work harder at it, I had a feeling of, "oh no, here we go again, another round of tax rises and cutting back on spending, when spending on the real assets of growth and humans who can grow was missing," I was dismayed and angry. I then needed to come back to my reality, I feel okay myself, I feel bit tired, I need to adjust my blood sugars, I need to catch up with my daily reflections. I can do the manageable bits for myself. And then a phone call from a friend, and news, which was not so good about some parts of life, and grief and love. And other parts of life where endeavour proves that if we have a can do attitude, and cannot do attitude, we learn the wisdom to know the difference for a day…

After missing my writing and morning reflections yesterday, catching up today is a pleasure, refreshed in different ways by seeing different people, getting new perspectives and new outlooks and sharing experience, strength and hope. Rather than try make a video yesterday when I was tired and exhausted, I let the endeavour go. And in letting go not worry about it, or feel anything other than what was going on. Back in those moments of now, looking after myself, being able to love those I was with all working well. And I realise more and more with humility, so many people in so many voices sharing experience, strength and hope, I am unlikely to be missed for one day or for many days. Fellowship rocks, we are all in it together with one primary purpose, to be sober today. However we achieve that, it is usually the many working in harmony to the truth of now, how to love and more difficult sometimes, how to be loved back, it keeps on growing moment to moment and just for a day…

Alcoholics Anonymous | February 23 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 2 "Sanity" | Today's AA daily reflection: "paradoxes and growing pains." Alcoholics Anonymous, all about emotional and spiritual living. Or often described by me as my feelings fit the reality of my situation in the moment of now. If life is calm, my feelings and thinking and actions are likely to be calm. If life is at an extreme, my feelings and thinking and actions may be extreme. All good in the moment of now. It's not about suppression or hiding from the truth, it's dealing with the truth and coping with reality and just for a moment, a minute an hour and in this one day…

For years I have no clue what it was to be a complete emotional and spiritual individual. Only half my feelings seemed to be allowed and so half my feelings were hidden away and not developed, and the other half became overdeveloped to compensate. So I was not an all-rounder in the emotional and spiritual departments of life. Being restored to sanity on any given day can be contingent on asking the help from any source around me. And these days, anything in this world can be a higher power in the moment of now. If God works through people, all well and good and with a good conscience to help me and that inner voice of conscience my decision-making and actions improve day by day…

Sometimes though, we go two steps forward and one step backward or two steps backward and one step forward. Why not? Sometimes like in my life I had to start over from what seemed like the very beginning. And these days whatever happens because life is difficult we can go back to a new beginning simply because that is the reality of our situation. Nothing is lost in this economy unless we choose to see it as waste. Human life, it has always been this way and the more flexible we are in a more rounded we are in our emotional and spiritual outlook, that anything can happen, the more likely we change as life changes…

The only guarantee in life is that if I am sober I stand more chance to cope on a daily basis knowing what my feelings are and coping with each change in my life as it occurs. Better choices made and free choices often with discussion, often with a pause to reflect and very often completely spontaneous and in the moment… I don't have to second-guess everything any more, unless there is imminent danger or a risky situation in which case as my mother would say, "keep a sharp look out!"

DonInLondon 2005-2011

Happy truth becomes real, we fear less and have faith in being able to love with an open heart. Wonderful to express what sober life offers. Whether life is happy or sad, we are able to share our truth, express what is happening in the moment and in the day. We need never fear our real life experiences when we are open and share them. We live reality today...

Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one’s old life as a condition for finding a new one ~ A.A. COMES OF AGE

The state of being grateful; warm and friendly feeling toward a benefactor; kindness awakened by a favour received; thankfulness

Attitude of gratitude - is in our daily actions, feelings and behaviour ~ John F. Kennedy "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -/- Lest we forget, actions speak louder than words...

Grateful for now, grateful for another step in potholes and puddles... ~ Brian Tracy "To develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to us, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than our current situation.!" -/- Splish splash splosh...

Fellowship friends help us through the dark times and lighten our burdens ~ Albert Schweitzer "At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." -/- Sharing experience, strength and hope, a gift of providence...

All living is a two way street, we need include to be included, share and share alike ~ William Arthur Ward "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." give freely, expect nothing and forgive everything..

AA Daily Reflection: MYSTERIOUS PARADOXES ~ FEBRUARY 23, such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one’s old life as a condition for finding a new one. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 46

What glorious mysteries paradoxes are! They do not compute, yet when recognized and accepted, they reaffirm something in the universe beyond human logic. When I face a fear, I am given courage; when I support a brother or sister, my capacity to love myself is increased; when I accept a pain as part of the growing experience of life, I realize a greater happiness; when I look at my dark side, I am brought into new light; when I accept my vulnerabilities and surrender to a Higher Power, I am graced with unforeseen strength. I stumbled through the doors of A.A. in disgrace, expecting nothing from life, and I have been given hope and dignity. Miraculously, the only way to keep the gifts of the program is to pass them on.

"Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."

Step Two Video 12 And 12