Moments of clarity...

[Dallas]

Everyday it gets more obvious to me -- that I still need the help of the Fellowship just as much today -- as I have ever needed it.

How true it is for me, that even when my intentions and motives are good -- my actions are not always practical. Even when I pause and wait for the right idea -- and pray and meditate -- asking for guidance and direction to take the right actions -- the Fellowship often helps me to "check out" the guidance that I think I'm getting -- and, hopefully, this will help me be more careful about stepping on toes -- and will assist me in taking better and more productive actions!

Dallas

[DebbieV]

Dallas Wrote:

How true it is for me, that even when my intentions and motives are good -- my actions are not always practical. Even when I pause and wait for the right idea -- and pray and meditate -- asking for guidance and direction to take the right actions -- the Fellowship often helps me to "check out" the guidance that I think I'm getting -- and, hopefully, this will help me be more careful about stepping on toes -- and will assist me in taking better and more productive actions!

How true that is for me also. I have this feeling latley, because God saved me from breast cancer and myself, the Program and God saved me from dying a alcoholic death, that I need to give back all I can. So, for the last few weeks or so.....I dove into the program head first and tried to save all sober alcoholics, who I felt were still suffering...
That is how this alcoholic seems to work, all or nothing. I am consider my self lucky that I have members in the program who I can call, and they say 'how is Debbie doing?' And I start telling all that I am trying to do with the program. They say, 'No, how is Debbie doing?'
I got to thinking about that last night and today, and as right as my motives my be, I still have to take time and work my own program, go to a meeting that I get feed. But still not give up what I love with all my heart and that is step 12, working with others.
I am learning that I have to have it, and keep it before I can give it away.
I love AA, it saved my life. I love the people in it who tell me to take care of ME, then try to help others, all that I can.
It is that balance, I always seem to be fighting with. It feels like a see-saw, (not sure of the spelling on that one ) and today I have both ends in the air and seem to be where I need to be.
Thank you to all alcoholics out there who care enough to say 'hey, you need to be giving away what was so freely given to you, but you can't give away what you don't have.' It keeps my Program in check, as well as doing 10, 11 and 12...everyday, ALL day.

Debbie

[Dallas]

Notice that Step 12 has three aspects to it:

"12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."

See them?

1. "12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of
these steps"

Referring the the previous eleven Steps -- by taking ALL the previous Steps -- it produced a Spiritual Awakening. (Got us out of our spiritual sleep!) It transformed our personality and our attitudes towards God, towards others, and towards ourselves. It produced a change in our personality that would be sufficient to recover from alcoholism.


2. "we tried to carry this message to alcoholics,"

Notice that it says "tried". This is part of the "and there is more action" stage. Trying to carry the message to other alcoholics -- is an essential, in regards to the AA 12 Step program of recovery. If we want to experience what "recovered" appears to be -- we have to continue taking the actions.

Also, notice that it says "tried" -- it doesn't say that we were successful!

We "try" to carry the message to other alcoholics (12th Step work)... it doesn't say that they are successfully going to "stay sober." Their sobriety... is between them and their God, it depends on the actions that they take. They are responsible for their recovery. Just like our sobriety... depends upon our actions. We are responsible for our own recovery. We "try" to carry the message... to other alcoholics... (12th Step work) as part of our recovery.

3. "and to practice these principles in all our affairs."

What principles? The principles that we learned in the previous Eleven Steps. To "practice" them -- means we must continue to "act upon them" -- it's the "continued actions"... of practicing these Eleven Principles in "all areas of our life."

How do we experience our life? One heart beat and one breath and one moment at a time. We don't get "one day at a time." Our life could be over before the end of the next 24 hours.... before the next breath... before the next heart beat.... before the next moment.

When we begin to live "in the moment"... we experience "life in the present"... and life in the present moment... is when we need to be concerned with "practicing these principles."

We don't have bad days -- we have bad moments. Any time we are experiencing a bad moment -- I guarantee you -- that we are not practicing "these principles" in that moment.

Each day is full of many moments. When we were drinking and we had a bad moment -- we picked up a drink. Now, in sobriety, when we have a bad moment -- we pick up the spiritual tool-kit that has been presented to us. And, we begin to change our moments.

This is what it means to "Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all of our activities. “How can I best serve
Thee—Thy will (not mine) be done.â€

[DebbieV]

Dallas Wrote:

We don't have bad days -- we have bad moments. Any time we are experiencing a bad moment -- I guarantee you -- that we are not practicing "these principles" in that moment

If you don't mind Dallas, I am going to steal that one and stick it in my head with, This Too Shall Pass. Kind of goes hand in hand.

I had a bad morning today. Nasty, ugly, reality smacked me in the face. That would have been enough to ruin my whole day, in my life before taking the steps.
Turns out that, I had a great day, great meeting and great night.
'we practice these principles in all our affairs' worked for me today.
some days not as well as other. My bad days seem to be turning into bad moments, sometimes hours. But, very few bad days.

Thanks for the tool, need all I can get to put into my tool box.

Deb

[littlemiss]

3. "and to practice these principles in all our affairs."

What principles? The principles that we learned in the previous Eleven Steps. To "practice" them -- means we must continue to "act upon them" -- it's the "continued actions"... of practicing these Eleven Principles in "all areas of our life."

How do we experience our life? One heart beat and one breath and one moment at a time. We don't get "one day at a time." Our life could be over before the end of the next 24 hours.... before the next breath... before the next heart beat.... before the next moment.

When we begin to live "in the moment"... we experience "life in the present"... and life in the present moment... is when we need to be concerned with "practicing these principles."

We don't have bad days -- we have bad moments. Any time we are experiencing a bad moment -- I guarantee you -- that we are not practicing "these principles" in that moment.

Each day is full of many moments. When we were drinking and we had a bad moment -- we picked up a drink. Now, in sobriety, when we have a bad moment -- we pick up the spiritual tool-kit that has been presented to us. And, we begin to change our moments.

Thanks, Dallas...this really spoke to me...

[Dallas]