Big Man, this is a reply to your post about the “alcoholic condition being lifted”. At meetings, more and more, I hear that the “alcoholic mind” remains delusional forever, regardless that you are no longer drinking and activating your alcoholism. This, to me, goes against everything I believe AA stands for. I hear often that … Read more
I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done. ~ Henry Ford When we start out on the recovery journey believing that we can stay sober and live a happy life seems extremely out of reach. In the beginning we get frustrated and regress … Read more
“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” — Albert Einstein One of the reasons addictions counselors and treatment providers fail so miserably is simple, they “TELL” people what to do and push them into the box that they have outlined. No where under any conditions … Read more
“Sometimes the biggest gain in productive energy will come from cleaning the cobwebs, dealing with old business, and clearing the desks – cutting loose debris that’s impeding forward motion.” — David Allen The longer I am sober the more clear I can see that Bill Wilson was so advanced in his thinking. The first 164 … Read more
Living, Loving, Learning, One Day at a Time. The three “L’s” how we experience life is important in our recovery journey. If we take ourselves too seriously we will beat ourselves to death when we fail. When we Live our lives in a Loving way we ensure that we are Learning as we go. Early … Read more
Perfection of character is this: to live each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, without apathy, without pretense. — Marcus Aurelius Living life on life’s terms in a way that is accepting of the challenges we face. Recognizing that nothing, absolutely nothing cannot be overcome. An old friend Walter would always say, … Read more
“Argue for your limitations and surely they’ll be yours.” – Marshall Sylver The most hurtful phrase in our vocabulary is, “I Can’t”. When we set limitations on what we can and cannot do we are stifling our human potential. We are human becomings i.e. we strive to become better and better people each and every … Read more
Addiction is an every-day battle. Mornings are struggles to wake up, nights are long and fitful. Mantras against substance abuse become the only words in the internal vocabulary. Recovering from addiction is as much a state of being as the addiction process itself. Many people have only those in support groups to help them through … Read more
“Every time you respond in a certain fashion, it gets easier and easier to respond.” – Marshall Sylver E + R = O Event Plus Response Equals Outcome. As an alcoholic I was explosive at times, and to be honest in early recovery I found myself popping as well. What I have found is when … Read more
“When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.” – St. Francis de Sales Addiction and alcoholism are filled with contradictions. I remember when I first went to rehab the definition of alcoholism encompassing the term “Progressive”. In my mind at the time progressive meant … Read more