Alcoholics Anonymous Blog December 23 2014 "Freedom To Choose”
A great share this morning in a meeting. Inspiring and this helped a lot of people start their Tuesday morning, with experience, strength and hope. Even though this time of year can cause a great deal of turmoil, sticking close to people who are like-minded over the holidays feels like the best solution one day at a time.
It can be very difficult to cope with numerous difficulties. And even though I have my issues, many more face even more difficult challenges. For one reason or another, many people perished this year and the stark reality that anyone of us can be afflicted at any time in our lives, brings home the importance to me of living in the moment as much as possible. I am very grateful that the 24-hour suggestion helps to keep me in the moment and not worrying about the possibilities which might cut me short. I'm not immune to fear, and at the same time as anyone else, I do feel the more we are in the moment, we can cherish every experience for what it is.
Step ten helps immensely to keep my side of the Street clean, simply because it stops the build up of unwanted feelings linked to pride, ego and fear. And the balance comes in gratitude, gratitude to have experienced another day. I feel deeply when there is upset for others and unfortunate certainty that their ailments are terminal. If you had asked me ten years ago about the preferences I would have for the future, I don't feel that I would have been able to cope with what happened to me over the years. There were times before recovery that I never wanted to wake up, and these days I wake up with gratitude rather than the horror of that past existence. When we hear hard news from our friends about their situation, all I can do is ask them to let me know what I may do and share what's going on and if I can help in any way. There is a revolution in medicine which will help many, but not soon enough.
I mention something about denial and acceptance this morning. My denial before recovery, it kept me looking at the world and judging it badly, because even though there have been romance and finance all through my life to the good, addiction made possible the most abject fear of living. On the road to acceptance, I stopped judging and got back into participating and simply loving people for who they are, very human, human beings experiencing life in the moment and when denial comes, sometimes we can help each other even in the most difficult circumstances.
Hearing a newcomer share and then more newcomers, and what they do and how quickly some become involved in Fellowship because they want to, that inclusion and participation can be very very helpful. I hear the answers to my situation today from many people new to the notion that total abstinence is the solution. And I am humbled very often by their wisdom of life, because most people have great wisdom on the road to recovery.
This time of year, step ten and gratitude help me towards courage, faith and confidence. Step eleven helps me focus and gain perspective to find and surrender to the truth of now, I'm still learning every single day about how to love people and sometimes more difficult to deal with is when people express their love of me. Wisdom comes moment to moment, not on my own, in the company of the many who share their truth, their love and their wisdom in the moment of now. Gratitude indeed just for today.
Step Twelve Reading 12 & 12
Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, AA is for Alcoholics, AA 12 Steps, Addiction And Recovery, DonInLondon, Don Oddy,
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