Alcoholics Anonymous | Mar 24 2014 | DonInLondon | Step 3 "Your Higher Power"

Don DonInLondon says

March 24, 2014 at 4:36 am

Alcoholics Anonymous Blog & Video | March 24 2004 – 2014 | DonInLondon |
Step 3 “Your Higher Power”

March 24 Video
Alcoholics Anonymous | March 24 | DonInLondon | Step 3 “Your Higher Power” |
DonInLondon March 24, 2014: step three month: “made a decision to turn our
will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.” How am I
feeling this morning? A very good question. Indeed, all in all, I do feel
good. Somebody asked me to help a friend of theirs with a study on type I
diabetes, a friend asked me to do a chair. And most of all, I’m just happy
to be alive. Surrendering to that truth, that I’m happy and share about it
in a meeting can sometimes make other people feel more unhappy in
themselves. I still need to share that I’m happy.

This morning I put some chairs out, which will make my physical problems
become more pronounced later on. I greeted new people and said welcome. And
I greeted quite a few other regular people as well, just because nobody
else was doing it! This is not a criticism per se, it’s just that many
people come to meetings with a cloud over their heads and a head full of
problems yet to be identified, the greeting is the last thing on their mind.

This morning, it wasn’t about step three and surrendering to the truth, it
was about step nine and surrendering to the truth of what we did, and
amends to be made without doing further harm. Step nine and making amends,
it comes after step six and seven, where we understand the difference
between living in our defects of character of pride, ego and fear; and
working on our shortcomings, working to develop our courage to change,
faith in doing the next right thing and building our self worth, so we
understand the value of relationships with other people. And step nine is
often about asking people about what we did because some of the time we
were blind to the harm done to others by us.

Everything takes time, and the steps reminders every single day just how
difficult it has been to get into recovery in the first place, to find
peace within ourselves and then hopefully help others find peace as well.
Not easy because the disease of addiction, whether you call it alcoholism
or some other “ism” the condition does not go away. And we need the steps
to remind us how we can be with ourselves and other people. One day at a
time, the steps in action within us make a huge difference to normal living
in a difficult and distressed world.

Don’t think for a moment the steps will cure you or me, they will just help
make life possible. And very often sensible, insensible, joyful,
serendipity and plain topsy-turvy all day long. The good news is we are
better able to cope. When we are living the steps, we have stopped working
the steps because they are part of our being, rather than our doing. At the
end of step nine if we are fortunate, I promise you that you will see
reality more clearly, which is far beyond the wildest dreams most people
have.

DonInLondon 2004 – 2013

Alcoholics Anonymous | March 24 2013 | Steps In Action | Step 3 “Your
Higher Power” “our feeling and thinking intelligence… are they balanced
and what happens if we ignore feelings, and what happens if we do not think
before we launch into action?” In my own experience and I can only speak
for myself, I need to challenge my own feelings and thinking before taking
action, and I need to share my feelings and thinking very often before
taking action, because my way is not enough, and most likely not right for
you…

Always good to get to a meeting of the fellowship of AA, I fit in and feel
like I belong. At the same time everyone else feels like they fit in and
they belong? Newcomers, they don’t fit in yet and the notion of fellowship
is very strange. Where everyone is equal, no one can tell you what to do,
and they make all sorts of suggestions as if they were instructions to
living life. If a newcomer is not suspicious, if a newcomer accepts
everything we say, as if it is gospel, I feel the prospects for the new man
or woman are likely to be bleak. Stubborn, defiant and rebellious, these
traits kept me alive all the way to the fellowship and I still needed them
to challenge my own outlook and the outlook of everyone around me in
meetings. The complete surrender to admit and accept that we are powerless
over alcohol, this was right and then I needed freedom to be confused, and
freedom to start making new choices to the good of living, rather than an
end to living one day at a time…

Our feeling and thinking intelligence: I was unable to understand what my
feelings were most of my life because I suppressed half of them with
alcohol, ones I thought you didn’t want me to have, what I would consider
negative feelings. And yet those feelings were still there, building up and
only kept at bay with self-medication and then self harm. If we don’t deal
with our feelings it is harmful to ourselves and other people because we
are being dishonest, closed down and unwilling to share truth. The same
applies to our thinking, and sharing half of what we think so we may gain
an advantage of some sort becomes pointless and recovery because personal
relationships do require and openness, honest approach and willingness to
develop the truth of now. When I say I love you, I mean it emotionally and
spiritually, I love you in the moment of now. It does not mean you will
love me back, I cannot make you love me, and you cannot make yourself love
me either. And that’s just right in the moment of now…

Sometimes people think and don’t feel life. They think if they do all the
right things, life will be okay and ask anyone in recovery does it work? To
think things will be all right just because? I hope the answer is a
resounding no! There are many ways we can live and find love in our lives,
the best way and surprisingly, the easiest way is to be together with
common purpose and usefulness. Common purpose can be as simple as starting
a conversation, finding common ground and similar outlooks. And every time
we keep things level and truthful, the likelihood is we either like
someone, or we don’t. And naturally we develop friendships and kinship, or
distance and no common ground. Either way we can be respectful as long as
we do not undermine each other. Ask any couple who have different political
views why they can be in love with each other and at the same time, almost
at war over their political ideals… Same is true in fellowship, common
purpose, common ground, sober first and then anything can happen… Tradition
three, a desire to stop drinking, that similarity is the glue of life in
recovery…

Romance in recovery is a wonderful thing! The odds are good, and the goods
are odd? I’ve learned that many times and it really does undermine the
truth that in sobriety we can find love. As long as we are getting sober,
of course, and though some equality and then some common ground, and then
the usual natural desires and needs. And we do need time for these things
to develop the right way round? Actually, I still don’t know what the right
way round is because then I put my thinking ahead of my feelings. Nothing
undermines recovery, like another person suggesting how to love people,
which people to love, and what my love looks like to you. Go with nature
and let that work once you understand more about your feelings and thinking
and actions without alcohol, causing a disruption to what nature gave us.
The notion that some people are from Mars and some people are from Venus is
not particularly helpful, we all live on Earth. And if we can be truthful,
really truthful, then we have a starting point, and often a much quicker
endpoint as we keep on making natural mistakes, just like everybody else…

And of course when it comes to romance, depending on our age and our
natural state, we all have our own truth. The most important part of love
and romance is open, honest and willing, and sharing truth. The sooner the
truth is out, the sooner people make decisions on a one-to-one basis, about
what is right for them. And as Gandhi said, “an emphatic no is better than
a half-hearted yes.” And be righteous if you don’t feel it’s right, say no!
There is no point in trying to be something or feel something you don’t. If
you don’t feel it, the love that is, don’t pretend or lead yourself or
another person on because that’s where we cause harm to them and we can
cause harm to ourselves by becoming judgemental and prejudicial looking for
faults. And sometimes we fear being loved. And we cannot return it… Until
we are ready and the right person comes along at the right time in the
right place, no guarantees. And no rule book, or set of instructions seems
to be available since the beginning of time…And of course we all might need
to get a few frogs sometimes before we find our Prince or Princess today…

It was so good to see one or two friends who have been around most my
recovery in the last few days. Some friends have been sober for decades,
and I rarely see them. Some friends have been out for some more research
into what alcohol does on a personal level, and some friends have simply
returned of their own volition to restart their recovery. And I feel good
when that happens, to reconnect and be so happy that they are there. I
cannot explain the feeling other than love and feel very moved by what they
say and what they do. When we hear the truth shared stripped of any varnish
and without guile, simply to wake up with a clear head and not a mountain
of empty bottles, I am simply happy. And I can share that and share that
fellowship is a desire to stop drinking, and sobriety comes first in all
respects…

Which brings me back to romance in recovery. I have a responsibility for my
personal conduct, and the same is true for each and every one. And
fellowship is described as a spiritual kindergarten, and in the spiritual
kindergarten, it does take a lot of time to understand what our feelings
are and what drives them, why we think the way we do and the actions that
follow. And in the spiritual kindergarten, we are all learning how to love
one another, how to love each other, and how to be loved back. And we all
have needs and desires, I will have thinking going on, and in the past we
have probably got away with a lot. And so romance happens regardless of all
the concerns we will throw into our thinking as individuals and as groups.
Relationships will happen, and the reality is somehow most of the time we
do put sober first. If a woman sees that a man has been able to drink like
her, and the man has been able to see that the woman can drink like him,
they are on common ground, from the past. Without a drink inside each
other. It is highly likely that the same attractions are going to be there?
I cannot comment for other people, the most important part of any romance
is that sober must come first in my humble opinion or there will be no
relationship of any kind with anyone. So if a romantic interlude occurs, no
matter how long it may be, keep going to meetings, do not let go any
friends, do not undermine your recovery, simply find a way to include a
romance along the way and do not undermine your sobriety, and hopefully
your lover will keep to their programme of sobriety as well, as you do too…
Of course, romance outside fellowship, I feel the same applies, sober
first, and romance can happen and every other sort of relationship too…
Open honest and willing to find the truth, love is the very essence of
living…

Alcoholics Anonymous | March 24 2012 | Steps In Action | Step 3 “Your
Higher Power” Alcoholics Anonymous Today’s AA daily reflection: “active not
passive, man is supposed to think and act…” I don’t really like the word
supposed, when it comes to thinking and action. And the omission of the
word emotional is not helpful to me. Humans are emotional and spiritual and
we derive serenity from our ability to cope with reality…

Three words came to mind reading the daily reflections from AA this
morning, “expectations, ambition and aspiration” and I know expectations
are resentments under construction for me. At the same time I do have
ambitions and aspirations on a daily basis. My ambition? To have a sober
day and my aspiration is to cope well and enjoy and appreciate what is
beautiful. My ambition is constant, to be sober and my aspirations can
change in any given moment as long as I am open to change and be flexible
as life changes in the moment of now…
I was never overloaded with my own expectations, indeed my expectations of
life never amounted to much. And my ambitions and aspirations were always
limited by my imagination or by the present state of the world. When I
narrow my outlook to expectations, it really is a very small outlook. And
my ambitions and aspirations can be so narrowed if all I have is
expectation. Letting go expectations, opening my eyes and letting
connections be made in all directions will always improve my outlook,
ambitions and aspirations. Letting go and letting in the world makes
anything possible as long as I see reality and not a fantasy…
At the same time, being a proper human I still have fantasies and they are
good fantasies I assure you! Emotional and spiritual well-being, for
complicated human beings. I need to understand my feelings, what is real
and what is not real and how to cope with my situation on a daily basis.
Trying to resolve all my issues on my own is very limiting, asking the help
and letting go and letting the world in will always provide a broader and
deeper understanding of what I can and cannot do on a daily basis…
In the United Kingdom, there seems to be a rush to increase the unit price
of alcohol in order to stop disorder! Like anywhere else in the world, when
a government aims to impose its will on the will of the people, the people
will prove to be tenacious and resilient in their pursuit of happiness.
Taxation and penalties drives behaviour underground, home brewing is where
it all started for me, under the guidance of a rebellious father… The
greater the limits of liberty, the greater the defiance created…
And for me as an individual in recovery some time, the restriction of
liberty does not lead to a change in mind-set when it comes to personal
behaviour. And the question is what is the greater good? People learning
from experience or people being restricted through taxation. The issues are
moribund and full of prejudice. And the breadth of the problem is far too
big for me, my ambition to be sober and my aspiration to enjoy what is
beautiful today…
I will always aim to develop opinions and beliefs based on reality rather
than a fantasy. When it comes to trying to help in the fellowship of AA,
very early on rules, laws and regulations would lead to exclusion rather
than inclusion. So there are no laws, rules or regulations in the
fellowship of AA and everyone is included if they have a desire to stop
drinking. Personal choice and making informed choices is the very essence
of this emotional and spiritual Fellowship. Learning about the truth of
life, how to love people and be loved back without conditions and useful in
whatever capacity we can. And it works, when we work at it, just for a day…
-/-
DonInLondon 2005-2011
With challenge and support we can develop courage, faith and confidence
[enough stress], distress then fear, brave facing and ego may pull us
down… Inspired by Marilu Henner ~ “having realistic expectations helps
identify where we have stress and distress, important in finding balance
and to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life” ~ Expectations are
resentments under construction!
-/-
AA Daily Reflection: ACTIVE, NOT PASSIVE MARCH 24 Man is supposed to think,
and act. He wasn’t made to God’s image to be an automaton. As Bill Sees It,
p. 55
Before I joined A.A., I often did not think, and reacted to people and
situations. When not reacting I acted in a mechanical fashion. After
joining A.A., I started seeking daily guidance from a Power greater than
myself, and learning to listen for that guidance. Then I began to make
decisions and act on them, rather than react to them. The results have been
constructive; I no longer allow others to make decisions for me and then
criticize me for it. Today-and every day-with a heart full of gratitude,
and a desire for God’s will to be done through me, my life is worth
sharing, especially with my fellow alcoholics! Above all, if I do not make
a religion out of anything, even A.A., then I can be an open channel for
God’s expression.
-/-
As Bill sees it ~ Eternal Values
Many people will have no truck at all with absolute spiritual values.
Perfectionists, they say, are either full of conceit because they fancy
they have reached some impossible goal, or else they are swamped in
self-condemnation because they have not done so. Yet I think that we should
not hold this view. It is not the fault of great ideals that they are
sometimes misused and so become shallow excuses for guilt, rebellion, and
pride. On the contrary, we cannot grow very much unless we constantly try
to envision that the eternal spiritual values are “Day by day, we try to
move a little toward God’s perfection. So we need not be consumed by
maudlin guilt for failure to achieve His likeness and image by Thursday
next. Progress is our aim, and His perfection is the beacon, light-years
away, that draws us on.”

Step Three Video 12 And 12
Alcoholics Anonymous | Step 3 Reading 12 & 12 |

Step Two Video 12 And 12
Alcoholics Anonymous | Step 2 Reading 12 & 12 | DonInLondon |

Step One Video 12 And 12
Alcoholics Anonymous | Step 1 Reading 12 & 12 | DonInLondon

Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, AA is for Alcoholics, AA 12 Steps, Addiction
And Recovery, DonInLondon, Don Oddy,

Comments

Don DonInLondon says

March 24, 2014 at 4:36 am

Alcoholics Anonymous Blog & Video | March 24 2004 – 2014 | DonInLondon |
Step 3 “Your Higher Power”

March 24 Video
Alcoholics Anonymous | March 24 | DonInLondon | Step 3 “Your Higher Power” |
DonInLondon March 24, 2014: step three month: “made a decision to turn our
will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.” How am I
feeling this morning? A very good question. Indeed, all in all, I do feel
good. Somebody asked me to help a friend of theirs with a study on type I
diabetes, a friend asked me to do a chair. And most of all, I’m just happy
to be alive. Surrendering to that truth, that I’m happy and share about it
in a meeting can sometimes make other people feel more unhappy in
themselves. I still need to share that I’m happy.

This morning I put some chairs out, which will make my physical problems
become more pronounced later on. I greeted new people and said welcome. And
I greeted quite a few other regular people as well, just because nobody
else was doing it! This is not a criticism per se, it’s just that many
people come to meetings with a cloud over their heads and a head full of
problems yet to be identified, the greeting is the last thing on their mind.

This morning, it wasn’t about step three and surrendering to the truth, it
was about step nine and surrendering to the truth of what we did, and
amends to be made without doing further harm. Step nine and making amends,
it comes after step six and seven, where we understand the difference
between living in our defects of character of pride, ego and fear; and
working on our shortcomings, working to develop our courage to change,
faith in doing the next right thing and building our self worth, so we
understand the value of relationships with other people. And step nine is
often about asking people about what we did because some of the time we
were blind to the harm done to others by us.

Everything takes time, and the steps reminders every single day just how
difficult it has been to get into recovery in the first place, to find
peace within ourselves and then hopefully help others find peace as well.
Not easy because the disease of addiction, whether you call it alcoholism
or some other “ism” the condition does not go away. And we need the steps
to remind us how we can be with ourselves and other people. One day at a
time, the steps in action within us make a huge difference to normal living
in a difficult and distressed world.

Don’t think for a moment the steps will cure you or me, they will just help
make life possible. And very often sensible, insensible, joyful,
serendipity and plain topsy-turvy all day long. The good news is we are
better able to cope. When we are living the steps, we have stopped working
the steps because they are part of our being, rather than our doing. At the
end of step nine if we are fortunate, I promise you that you will see
reality more clearly, which is far beyond the wildest dreams most people
have.

DonInLondon 2004 – 2013

Alcoholics Anonymous | March 24 2013 | Steps In Action | Step 3 “Your
Higher Power” “our feeling and thinking intelligence… are they balanced
and what happens if we ignore feelings, and what happens if we do not think
before we launch into action?” In my own experience and I can only speak
for myself, I need to challenge my own feelings and thinking before taking
action, and I need to share my feelings and thinking very often before
taking action, because my way is not enough, and most likely not right for
you…

Always good to get to a meeting of the fellowship of AA, I fit in and feel
like I belong. At the same time everyone else feels like they fit in and
they belong? Newcomers, they don’t fit in yet and the notion of fellowship
is very strange. Where everyone is equal, no one can tell you what to do,
and they make all sorts of suggestions as if they were instructions to
living life. If a newcomer is not suspicious, if a newcomer accepts
everything we say, as if it is gospel, I feel the prospects for the new man
or woman are likely to be bleak. Stubborn, defiant and rebellious, these
traits kept me alive all the way to the fellowship and I still needed them
to challenge my own outlook and the outlook of everyone around me in
meetings. The complete surrender to admit and accept that we are powerless
over alcohol, this was right and then I needed freedom to be confused, and
freedom to start making new choices to the good of living, rather than an
end to living one day at a time…

Our feeling and thinking intelligence: I was unable to understand what my
feelings were most of my life because I suppressed half of them with
alcohol, ones I thought you didn’t want me to have, what I would consider
negative feelings. And yet those feelings were still there, building up and
only kept at bay with self-medication and then self harm. If we don’t deal
with our feelings it is harmful to ourselves and other people because we
are being dishonest, closed down and unwilling to share truth. The same
applies to our thinking, and sharing half of what we think so we may gain
an advantage of some sort becomes pointless and recovery because personal
relationships do require and openness, honest approach and willingness to
develop the truth of now. When I say I love you, I mean it emotionally and
spiritually, I love you in the moment of now. It does not mean you will
love me back, I cannot make you love me, and you cannot make yourself love
me either. And that’s just right in the moment of now…

Sometimes people think and don’t feel life. They think if they do all the
right things, life will be okay and ask anyone in recovery does it work? To
think things will be all right just because? I hope the answer is a
resounding no! There are many ways we can live and find love in our lives,
the best way and surprisingly, the easiest way is to be together with
common purpose and usefulness. Common purpose can be as simple as starting
a conversation, finding common ground and similar outlooks. And every time
we keep things level and truthful, the likelihood is we either like
someone, or we don’t. And naturally we develop friendships and kinship, or
distance and no common ground. Either way we can be respectful as long as
we do not undermine each other. Ask any couple who have different political
views why they can be in love with each other and at the same time, almost
at war over their political ideals… Same is true in fellowship, common
purpose, common ground, sober first and then anything can happen… Tradition
three, a desire to stop drinking, that similarity is the glue of life in
recovery…

Romance in recovery is a wonderful thing! The odds are good, and the goods
are odd? I’ve learned that many times and it really does undermine the
truth that in sobriety we can find love. As long as we are getting sober,
of course, and though some equality and then some common ground, and then
the usual natural desires and needs. And we do need time for these things
to develop the right way round? Actually, I still don’t know what the right
way round is because then I put my thinking ahead of my feelings. Nothing
undermines recovery, like another person suggesting how to love people,
which people to love, and what my love looks like to you. Go with nature
and let that work once you understand more about your feelings and thinking
and actions without alcohol, causing a disruption to what nature gave us.
The notion that some people are from Mars and some people are from Venus is
not particularly helpful, we all live on Earth. And if we can be truthful,
really truthful, then we have a starting point, and often a much quicker
endpoint as we keep on making natural mistakes, just like everybody else…

And of course when it comes to romance, depending on our age and our
natural state, we all have our own truth. The most important part of love
and romance is open, honest and willing, and sharing truth. The sooner the
truth is out, the sooner people make decisions on a one-to-one basis, about
what is right for them. And as Gandhi said, “an emphatic no is better than
a half-hearted yes.” And be righteous if you don’t feel it’s right, say no!
There is no point in trying to be something or feel something you don’t. If
you don’t feel it, the love that is, don’t pretend or lead yourself or
another person on because that’s where we cause harm to them and we can
cause harm to ourselves by becoming judgemental and prejudicial looking for
faults. And sometimes we fear being loved. And we cannot return it… Until
we are ready and the right person comes along at the right time in the
right place, no guarantees. And no rule book, or set of instructions seems
to be available since the beginning of time…And of course we all might need
to get a few frogs sometimes before we find our Prince or Princess today…

It was so good to see one or two friends who have been around most my
recovery in the last few days. Some friends have been sober for decades,
and I rarely see them. Some friends have been out for some more research
into what alcohol does on a personal level, and some friends have simply
returned of their own volition to restart their recovery. And I feel good
when that happens, to reconnect and be so happy that they are there. I
cannot explain the feeling other than love and feel very moved by what they
say and what they do. When we hear the truth shared stripped of any varnish
and without guile, simply to wake up with a clear head and not a mountain
of empty bottles, I am simply happy. And I can share that and share that
fellowship is a desire to stop drinking, and sobriety comes first in all
respects…

Which brings me back to romance in recovery. I have a responsibility for my
personal conduct, and the same is true for each and every one. And
fellowship is described as a spiritual kindergarten, and in the spiritual
kindergarten, it does take a lot of time to understand what our feelings
are and what drives them, why we think the way we do and the actions that
follow. And in the spiritual kindergarten, we are all learning how to love
one another, how to love each other, and how to be loved back. And we all
have needs and desires, I will have thinking going on, and in the past we
have probably got away with a lot. And so romance happens regardless of all
the concerns we will throw into our thinking as individuals and as groups.
Relationships will happen, and the reality is somehow most of the time we
do put sober first. If a woman sees that a man has been able to drink like
her, and the man has been able to see that the woman can drink like him,
they are on common ground, from the past. Without a drink inside each
other. It is highly likely that the same attractions are going to be there?
I cannot comment for other people, the most important part of any romance
is that sober must come first in my humble opinion or there will be no
relationship of any kind with anyone. So if a romantic interlude occurs, no
matter how long it may be, keep going to meetings, do not let go any
friends, do not undermine your recovery, simply find a way to include a
romance along the way and do not undermine your sobriety, and hopefully
your lover will keep to their programme of sobriety as well, as you do too…
Of course, romance outside fellowship, I feel the same applies, sober
first, and romance can happen and every other sort of relationship too…
Open honest and willing to find the truth, love is the very essence of
living…

Alcoholics Anonymous | March 24 2012 | Steps In Action | Step 3 “Your
Higher Power” Alcoholics Anonymous Today’s AA daily reflection: “active not
passive, man is supposed to think and act…” I don’t really like the word
supposed, when it comes to thinking and action. And the omission of the
word emotional is not helpful to me. Humans are emotional and spiritual and
we derive serenity from our ability to cope with reality…

Three words came to mind reading the daily reflections from AA this
morning, “expectations, ambition and aspiration” and I know expectations
are resentments under construction for me. At the same time I do have
ambitions and aspirations on a daily basis. My ambition? To have a sober
day and my aspiration is to cope well and enjoy and appreciate what is
beautiful. My ambition is constant, to be sober and my aspirations can
change in any given moment as long as I am open to change and be flexible
as life changes in the moment of now…
I was never overloaded with my own expectations, indeed my expectations of
life never amounted to much. And my ambitions and aspirations were always
limited by my imagination or by the present state of the world. When I
narrow my outlook to expectations, it really is a very small outlook. And
my ambitions and aspirations can be so narrowed if all I have is
expectation. Letting go expectations, opening my eyes and letting
connections be made in all directions will always improve my outlook,
ambitions and aspirations. Letting go and letting in the world makes
anything possible as long as I see reality and not a fantasy…
At the same time, being a proper human I still have fantasies and they are
good fantasies I assure you! Emotional and spiritual well-being, for
complicated human beings. I need to understand my feelings, what is real
and what is not real and how to cope with my situation on a daily basis.
Trying to resolve all my issues on my own is very limiting, asking the help
and letting go and letting the world in will always provide a broader and
deeper understanding of what I can and cannot do on a daily basis…
In the United Kingdom, there seems to be a rush to increase the unit price
of alcohol in order to stop disorder! Like anywhere else in the world, when
a government aims to impose its will on the will of the people, the people
will prove to be tenacious and resilient in their pursuit of happiness.
Taxation and penalties drives behaviour underground, home brewing is where
it all started for me, under the guidance of a rebellious father… The
greater the limits of liberty, the greater the defiance created…
And for me as an individual in recovery some time, the restriction of
liberty does not lead to a change in mind-set when it comes to personal
behaviour. And the question is what is the greater good? People learning
from experience or people being restricted through taxation. The issues are
moribund and full of prejudice. And the breadth of the problem is far too
big for me, my ambition to be sober and my aspiration to enjoy what is
beautiful today…
I will always aim to develop opinions and beliefs based on reality rather
than a fantasy. When it comes to trying to help in the fellowship of AA,
very early on rules, laws and regulations would lead to exclusion rather
than inclusion. So there are no laws, rules or regulations in the
fellowship of AA and everyone is included if they have a desire to stop
drinking. Personal choice and making informed choices is the very essence
of this emotional and spiritual Fellowship. Learning about the truth of
life, how to love people and be loved back without conditions and useful in
whatever capacity we can. And it works, when we work at it, just for a day…
-/-
DonInLondon 2005-2011
With challenge and support we can develop courage, faith and confidence
[enough stress], distress then fear, brave facing and ego may pull us
down… Inspired by Marilu Henner ~ “having realistic expectations helps
identify where we have stress and distress, important in finding balance
and to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life” ~ Expectations are
resentments under construction!
-/-
AA Daily Reflection: ACTIVE, NOT PASSIVE MARCH 24 Man is supposed to think,
and act. He wasn’t made to God’s image to be an automaton. As Bill Sees It,
p. 55
Before I joined A.A., I often did not think, and reacted to people and
situations. When not reacting I acted in a mechanical fashion. After
joining A.A., I started seeking daily guidance from a Power greater than
myself, and learning to listen for that guidance. Then I began to make
decisions and act on them, rather than react to them. The results have been
constructive; I no longer allow others to make decisions for me and then
criticize me for it. Today-and every day-with a heart full of gratitude,
and a desire for God’s will to be done through me, my life is worth
sharing, especially with my fellow alcoholics! Above all, if I do not make
a religion out of anything, even A.A., then I can be an open channel for
God’s expression.
-/-
As Bill sees it ~ Eternal Values
Many people will have no truck at all with absolute spiritual values.
Perfectionists, they say, are either full of conceit because they fancy
they have reached some impossible goal, or else they are swamped in
self-condemnation because they have not done so. Yet I think that we should
not hold this view. It is not the fault of great ideals that they are
sometimes misused and so become shallow excuses for guilt, rebellion, and
pride. On the contrary, we cannot grow very much unless we constantly try
to envision that the eternal spiritual values are “Day by day, we try to
move a little toward God’s perfection. So we need not be consumed by
maudlin guilt for failure to achieve His likeness and image by Thursday
next. Progress is our aim, and His perfection is the beacon, light-years
away, that draws us on.”

Step Three Video 12 And 12
Alcoholics Anonymous | Step 3 Reading 12 & 12 |

Step Two Video 12 And 12
Alcoholics Anonymous | Step 2 Reading 12 & 12 | DonInLondon |

Step One Video 12 And 12
Alcoholics Anonymous | Step 1 Reading 12 & 12 | DonInLondon

AA Big Book Video | Chapter 5 | How It Works |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 5 How It Works |

Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, AA is for Alcoholics, AA 12 Steps, Addiction
And Recovery, DonInLondon, Don Oddy,