June-13 topics

Jun 14, 2024
5 min read

This is my Tradition 5/7, step 12

Pancake Marathon

The pain of myself is real, but not real to the point in stoping me from living life that is without pain, now I know that pain is life on life terms at point of me stopping and wanting to just give up: its at that point that I will then be put to the true test of the new Character that I'm building upon my Foundation.

You may think that there are a thousand different things being done in recovery, really there's just a thousand different ways of saying a few simple things.

acronyms and SLOGANS: Organized by Pancake Marathon

The faith I have today is by the willingness to let go of the pain, yes the past actions of myself, got me here; it was the lack of hope that I started to go nuts.

Acronyms

FAITH: Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him/hope
Past: problems availing Solutions tomorrow
HOPE: Happy Our Program Exists
NUTS: Not Using The Steps

Slogans are wisdom written in shorthand and Acronyms are just the sum/the Virtues, of all that wisdom: WISDOM: When In Self, Discover Our Motives

Slogans (underlined ) blog page Acronyms (bold) blog page Principles (italic): A.A. files

Step 12/to give where credit is due I got all of these readings from "recovery HQ" _ but I put them in a Living life on life's terms and to Better care of the message and you can actually find all of them in Daily Readings and Inspirations

Spiritual principle a day: Humility Opens Us Up to Support

Page 170

"It's a tremendous struggle for most of us to stop relying on our own thinking and begin to ask for help, but when we do, we have begun to practice the principle of humility found in the Second Step."

NA Step Working Guides, Step Two, "Spiritual Principles"

Before recovery, pride, ego, and denial were essential to our survival. They allowed us to fake a fierce sense of independence. These powerful defects of character can be real stumbling blocks to our recovery. Left unchecked, they can lead to what some have called "Superhero Syndrome"--the belief that we can and must do everything on our own. This can be a very lonely place, separated from the god of our understanding and other addicts in recovery. It can be so easy for us to encourage our friends and sponsees to reach out to others for help, only to find ourselves stuck in our own self-centered thinking.

In the Second Step, we begin to build a belief system and come to understand that two of us together represent a power greater than any of us on our own. In our active addiction, many of us perceived asking for help as a form of weakness. But we learn to be vulnerable enough to ask for support and find strength in this surrender. For many of us, the sponsorship relationship is where we learn to trust someone and reach out when we are in need.

Something clicks into place when we realize that we are not giving up our independence or problem-solving abilities by simply asking others to be there for us. Whether it is a shoulder to cry on, experience with a commitment, or learning how to do our own laundry--we all need a little help sometimes. One addict shared, "As I practice humility and become open to the support of others, my relationships become increasingly authentic."

When we can let go of the idea that "our way is the only way," then we can find some comfort in knowing that we are not alone in this process. People can and will help us; all we have to do is ask.

——— ——— ——— ——— ———

Even though it can feel like an attempt to climb Mount Everest, I will continue to reach out and let another member help me to consider a perspective besides my own.

Keep It Simple: The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work. ---Robert Frost

Worry---it's a lonely activity. It puts distance between us and others. Our program is full of ideas about what to do with worry. On Step Three, we turn our will and our lives over to God. This includes worry.
Our slogans also suggest what to do with worry. One Day at a Time. Live and Let Live. Easy Does It. Let Go and Let God. Their main message is stop worrying. Trust the program. Trust your Higher Power. Everything will be okay.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, I give You my worries. Teach me how to trust again. I want to trust in You, my program, and myself.
Action for the Day: I'll write the program slogans listed above on a piece of paper, and I'll read them over today. I'll let myself live them today.

NA Just For Today: A Full Life

"The program works a miracle in our lives....We become free to live." Basic Text, p. 11
Most of us-if we've been in recovery for any length of time at all-have heard some member complaining in a meeting about being terribly overworked, too busy for meetings or sponsorship or other activities. In fact, we may have been the complaining member. The days seem so full: job, family and friends, meetings, activities, sponsorship, step work. "There just aren't enough hours in the day;" the member complains, "to get everything done and meet everyone's demands on my time!"
When this happens, usually there's soft laughter from some of the other members-probably members who had planned to grumble about the same sort of thing. The laughter stems from our recognition that we are complaining about the miracle of the life that is ours today. Not so long ago, few of us were capable of having any of these "problems" in our life. We devoted all of our energy to maintaining our active addiction. Today we have full lives, complete with all the feelings and problems that go with living in reality.
Just for today: I will remember that my life is a miracle. Instead of resenting how busy I am, I will be thankful my life is so full.

Daily Reflections: LIVING OUR AMENDS

"Years of living with an alcoholic is almost sure to make any wife or child neurotic. The entire family is to some extent, ill." ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 122
It is important for me to realize that, as an alcoholic, I not only hurt myself, but also those around me. Making amends to my family, and to the families of alcoholics still suffering, will always be important. Understanding the havoc I created and trying to repair the destruction, will be a lifelong endeavor. The example of my sobriety may give others hope, and faith to help themselves.

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