Keep it simple

[Then, and only then]

Help! How do I do that? Why do I complicate this simple program more than other fellow drunks?

1. Ego, I know better, ya I am better
2. Hide-out I do not and can not face "life", so I will just lie here and think. House cleaning can wait.
3. Gift, Since most of my defects can be my strong points in different lights, it must be a gift. I just need to know how to control it.
4. I dunno, Since I can not change, I will just say, Keep it simple three times in the morning and pretend the problem does not exist. I will just keep on coming back.
5. The walk, I will just to walk, not to talk and think.
6. Your experience, strength and hope

Please help!

[sunlight]

I had to start with baby steps. I'd focus on one thing, like getting a chore done, or speaking kindly, or helping someone. This one thing would be the only thing I'd expect from myself for that day. If I couldn't do it, I'd figure I wasn't capable yet & set my goal on something else. If I did succeed, it would give me confidence and hope and the next day I'd add another small thing. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED!

I had such a mountain of toxic waste in defects that I knew they wouldn't be gone overnight. But, I did believe God would remove them. I did not focus on them. Taking new actions was my focus. If I keep checking on how I'm doing, I'm not doing. I'm analyzing. The paralysis of analysis! ( Notice the first four letters of that last word. ) There is a beautiful freedom in action. A spiritual advisor once told me that focusing on myself was like being a train in a tunnel with the headlights turned inward. There was no way to see where I was going and eventually I was going to crash. Crash is putting it mildly!

When I stopped constantly looking at myself, and shifted my sight to God, recovery and others, people started telling me I'd changed! And I knew it was true. I wasn't miserable anymore & my children actually wanted to be with me!

Sometimes I have to force myself to get out in the stream of things, otherwise I'll just flop around and mope. But when I do get myself out, I find God has already gone before me forging the way. Seems I always get more than I give, too.

Take care. Keep talking to us.......

[Dallas]

I can tell you how I did it. You may or may not find something useful in it that can help you with it.

First off -- what you wrote above about the keep it simple problem -- you could have been writing it about me and it would have fit me perfectly.

Secondly -- what you wrote about the keep it simple problem, above -- describes nearly to a tee -- most of the alkies I've known in recovery.

So -- the bad thing is: You've got a problem.
And -- the good thing is: You're not alone!


And -- even better is: I figured out a way to solve the problem for me. I'll share it with you...

1. I needed something simple -- that could help me keep it simple and not complicated.
2. I added "First Things First" to "Keep It Simple."
3. My solution ended up as "Keep it simple and first things first" and "First things first and keep it simple."

Yes... One is a problem I've always had... I've never done well with One's. ALWAYS had to be at least TWO! So, I took "Keep it Simple" and added "First Things First" which gave me One: "Keep it simple and first things first" And, Two: "First Things First and Keep it Simple."

Doing it that way gave me one answer for all problems and if that didn't work -- I had another answer!

Having one answer that fit all problems -- and another answer -- just in case it didn't fit the problem -- gave me relief! I didn't have to stress out about it. So, that helped me to relax and keep it simple!

Now... how they work together:

1. When I focus on "First Things First"... I'm not concerned with "The NEXT right action to take"... All I've got to do is focus on "the NOW right action."
2. When I focus on the "NOW right action" -- it automatically keeps it simple for me!

WIN with "What's Important Now!" That really does work! Staying in the present -- out of tomorrow and out of yesterday -- out of "the meeting earlier today" or the "meeting later today!" Just focus on "right now!" And, if you'll do that -- it will be simple, and easier, and a whole lot more relaxed.

When we think a lot -- the increased brain activity creates chemical gases in the brain -- (that's what thoughts are -- chemical gases that we create to have the thought) -- and, we tend to get addicted to "the brain farts."

Dallas

[Then, and only then]

Thank you. I really enjoy this forum.

[Dallas]

We enjoy you, too! Keep coming back!