April 29 2012 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 4 “Inventory” | Alcoholics Anonymous [ Full daily blog link: http://donoddylondon.blogspot.com/ ] Today’s AA daily reflection: “group autonomy…” Thank goodness the traditions are written to ensure that Fellowship groups in AA are the ultimate authority for the fellowship of AA. In other words groups are autonomous and share their views with the Fellowship via trusted servants… And everyone is a trusted servant each with an opinion and a voice as they choose…
Freedom of feeling leading to a particular way of thinking and actions which follow… Often the frustration of life and how it works around us will have thwarted our own personal liberties, how we felt about life and how we thought about life. And in the past a lot of my actions were about blotting out the truth about myself and my situation. A heartbreaking situation when we feel life just is not only difficult, it felt like it was impossible every day. Today I have more freedom than ever in recovery…
I am allowed to voice my feelings, my thoughts and take appropriate action which feels right for me. I still have an obligation when I am inside the Fellowship to speak for myself, and not for other people. This absolute truth can be undermined by me when I try to squeeze myself like a pretzel into other people’s ideas and notions around personal conduct. Within the group or groups I attend I do observe and accept the group conscience at group level. And if I don’t like the way the group is run, I can always find another group to belong to…
The similarities and not the differences always keep me coming back to Fellowship. I am fully aware the most important criteria for connection, inclusion and participation is a desire to be sober today. And then Re: anyone else, open honest and willing to be respectful of other peoples views be supportive and challenging if needed, but never bend people to fit my world or my will. The beauty of Fellowship, an anarchic democracy when it comes to group autonomy and personal choices. Tolerance and love is all part of how we as individuals learn to live together in Fellowship and also find our own path, our own opinion, our own belief system, sober one day at a time we just keep on learning how to live life in this amazing world of now…
On this day back in 2007, and what follows on the blog, I seem to emphasise the road to hell is paved with good intent, and as one person said on that day, “don’t put my values on other people” is always a key in living in peace and harmony. It stops me judging what others do, and puts the responsibility firmly in place for me in how to live an emotional and spiritual recovery… Life is less complicated and I try keep it simple today…
Tolerance and love, forgive everyone everything in the moment of now, it is the best that they can be with what they have and what I have, because I certainly do tread on the toes of other people and need learn forgiveness every single day… And at the same time, we live the consequences of our actions each and every day…
DonInLondon 2005-2011 [ Full daily blog link: http://donoddylondon.blogspot.com/ ]
Step 4 “Fearless Inventory” Reading Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6ZjNH5tlb8
“Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves”
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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 Twelve 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
Email | don@doninlondon.com
Music | “music for airports” By Brian Eno | http://www.enoshop.co.uk/ |