Reality of the Unseen - Part 3 - Page 8 - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

citychick · 07-01-2008, 03:37 AM

"How free do you want to be!"

as free as it's possible to be in this life, Pat

citychick · 07-01-2008, 03:39 AM

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning

It's quite uncomfortable to be an adolescent at age thirty-two.

Peggy Cahn

Our lives are in process every moment, which means change is ever-present. As new information is sorted and acquired, old habits are discarded. We don't let go of some old behaviors easily, however. They are like comfortable shoes. They may be worn thin, and they probably embarrass us in certain company, but we slip them on unconsciously and then it's too late.

Maturity is an "as if" behavior, initially. Emotional development was stunted, for most of us, with the onset of our addictive behavior, thus, we often respond to situations like adolescents. Application of the "as if" principle will result both in new personal attitudes and unfamiliar, yet welcome, responses from others. Acting as if we are capable, strong, confident, or serene will pave the way for making those behaviors real, after a time. If we believe in ourselves and our ability to become the women we strive to be, we can then move forward confidently.

***********

When my behavior embarrasses or shames me, I will accept the responsibility for changing it. Changing it offers immediate rewards. The people around me will react in refreshing ways, and I'll feel more fully alive.

Rusty Zipper · 07-01-2008, 03:43 AM

for me. started useing at 13, surrendered at age 48, a liftime of imaturity..
if we do te math...

i would say i'm now a somewhat mature teenager, next year... a young adult, thanks to the belief, faith and trust in my powers that be!

citychick · 07-01-2008, 04:46 AM

For me it was 13-46..and while I was using I thought of myself as a most mature adult...jump to early sobriety and I felt like that 13 year old again..

Today, I'd say early 30's but then again I'm only guessing..

lol

Fluttering · 07-01-2008, 09:55 AM

I recall my sponosr saying I was just a baby and had to learn to crawl before I could walk..
I'm grateful we do get to grow up all over again..with many tools to do things differetn and better...

I passed the teenage phase and am now an adult...But I'm still a kid at heart

citychick · 07-02-2008, 12:40 AM

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning

Humor is such a strong weapon, such a strong answer. Women have to make jokes about themselves, laugh about themselves, because they have nothing to lose.

Agnes Varda

Laughter can cure a physical condition; it can and will positively affect an emotional illness as well. Laughter ushers in a new perspective which gives vent to a changed attitude. And our attitude toward any situation, any individual, is all-powerful.

A negative, critical attitude toward our financial situation, toward our disease, toward our boss, or spouse, or children, determines how we feel moment by moment. In like manner, when we raise our sights, look at the world with lightness in our hearts, expecting to enjoy the day, the people, the activity, we'll succeed.

Finding humor in a situation, any situation prevents us from succumbing to feelings of powerlessness. Feeling powerless, behaving as victims, came easily for many of us before we chose this program and the Twelve Steps to live by. Choosing a humorous response, opting to laugh at our situation, at any point in time, keeps our personal power where it belongs-with ourselves.

My emotional health depends on my active involvement in deciding who I am, right now. Deciding to chuckle rather than snarl will give me an unexpected emotional boost.

**Ann** · 07-02-2008, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Choosing a humorous response, opting to laugh at our situation, at any point in time, keeps our personal power where it belongs-with ourselves.

Learning to laugh at myself was a huge growing moment for me. Life had been so serious, I had lived in fear for so many years...it was SR and a few ladies who arrived about the same time as I did, Morning Glory, Smoke, JT and Pony who helped me get out of myself and just laugh until I hurt.

By the way, contrary to you youthful folks...I was 105 when I began my recovery (codies age quickly) and today I am making up for lost time and I am having the time of my life in my 50's.

Rusty Zipper · 07-02-2008, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Deciding to chuckle rather than snarl will give me an unexpected emotional boost.

well, you know i try my hardest at that!

Mondo Motto!

citychick · 07-02-2008, 04:58 PM

Quote:

By the way, contrary to you youthful folks...I was 105 when I began my recovery

well, when you add the five sobriety years for Rusty and the twenty months for me we're about 102, well he is, I'm younger...

**Ann** · 07-02-2008, 07:46 PM

citychick · 07-03-2008, 12:33 AM

Thursday, July 3, 2008

You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning

No one can build (her) security upon the nobleness of another person.

Willa Cather

Where do we look for our security? Do we look to our husbands or our lovers? Do we look to a parent or our children? Perhaps we seek our security in our jobs. But none of these avenues brings lasting contentment, as we've each probably discovered, just as pills, alcohol, or maybe food failed to give us lasting security.

Security of the spirit is with us from our birth. It's just that we haven't tapped into the source. Perhaps we don't even know the source, but it's been with us always, awaiting our realization of it.

No step do we ever take alone. Each breath we take is in partnership with the eternal source of strength and security within us. We have the choice to accept this partnership any time. And this guarantee of security in all things at all times is the gift of freedom.

Our desire for security is God-given. The security we desire is also given by God to us. We are secure today and every day.

Each step I take is in concert with my higher power. I need experience nothing alone. I can breathe in and tap the plentiful source of strength awaiting me, now.

citychick · 07-10-2008, 04:36 PM

Thursday, July 10, 2008

You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Eleanor Roosevelt

We are competent women. We made a wise choice for ourselves when we decided to recover. Each day that we continue working this program our Spirits are strengthened. And our gifts will multiply.

Feeling inferior can become a habit. Being passive and feeling inferior go hand-in-hand, and they prepare us for becoming dependent on alcohol, pills, food, and people. We didn't understand, instinctively, that we are just who we're meant to be. We grew up believing we were not smart enough, not pretty enough, not capable enough. We grew up too distant from the source of our real strength.

How wonderful for us that we found the program! How lucky we are to have, for the taking, all the strength we'll ever need to face any situation, to handle any problem, to resolve any personal relationship conflict. Feeling inferior can be only a bad memory. The choice is ours. The program promises a better life. The Steps promise the strength to move forward. Our friends promise us outstretched hands.

I will look forward to the challenges of today with hope and strength and know that I am able to meet them.

IO Storm · 07-10-2008, 06:59 PM

Our friends promise us outstretched hands.

I am so grateful for your outstretched hands, my friends. We never know

when we have another opportunity to say it...so I'm saying it!

Thank you for being my friends.

citychick · 07-11-2008, 05:16 AM

my spiritual sister

good to see you again

I miss you when you're not here.

citychick · 07-12-2008, 03:40 AM

Saturday, July 12, 2008

You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning

... those interested in perpetuating present conditions are always in tears about the marvelous past that is about to disappear, without having so much as a smile for the young future.

Simone de Beauvoir

Hanging on to any moment, once it's gone, deadens us to the joys and lessons of the present. We must learn to let go, to let go of persons, painful situations, and even meaningful experiences. Life goes on, and the most fruitful lesson before us is to move with the vibrations, be in tune with them.

Being open to the present is our only chance for growth. These experiences today in our lives beckon us forward along the path meant for us. We are not guaranteed only joy today. But we are promised security. We may not be free of twinges of fear or confusion, but we can learn to trust even in the midst of adversity. We can remember that power greater than ourselves whenever and wherever our steps are uncertain.

Dwelling, as we are wont to do, on our rebuffs, our rejections, invites further criticism. But neither should we dwell on past joys. Attention to now and to the persons here, now, is the only rightful response to life. Not being here, now, invites others to turn away, just as we have turned away.

I will celebrate the thrill of the present, squeeze the moments of today, and trust the outcome to God.

**Ann** · 07-12-2008, 03:50 AM

Quote:

I will celebrate the thrill of the present, squeeze the moments of today, and trust the outcome to God.

These words touched my heart today and I realize how grateful I am for my past, even for the not so good days that held valuable lessons for me. Just for today I will embrace all the joy and beauty that comes my way.

Hugs

Rusty Zipper · 07-12-2008, 03:56 AM

Quote:

We may not be free of twinges of fear or confusion

thats what caught my eye today...
because, i try to encourage others in recovery to always strenghten the trust in their Powers that be!

me included...

***indigo*** · 07-12-2008, 07:58 AM

Amen

citychick · 07-12-2008, 05:21 PM

Hi indie! glad you're back!

Ann, I'm grateful for my past too, tho folks outside the program can't understand why

Any twinges of fear I experience are manageable today Rusty..it doesn't paralyse me as in days of old.

Rusty Zipper · 07-12-2008, 06:30 PM

CC

Quote:

Any twinges of fear I experience are manageable today Rusty..it doesn't paralyse me as in days of old.

yeah, might just give a little Twitch! lol

citychick · 07-13-2008, 02:10 AM

Sunday, July 13, 2008

You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning

The trouble is not that we are never happy--it is that happiness is so episodical.

Ruth Benedict

Happiness is our birthright. The decision to be happy is ours to make, every day, when confronted with any experience. Too many of us grew up believing that life needed to be a certain way for us to be happy. We looked for the right lover, the right job, and the right dress. We looked outside of ourselves for the key to happiness. In time, we even looked to alcohol, drugs, and food perhaps-to no avail.

Happiness lies within. We must encourage it to spring forth. But first we need to believe that happiness is fully within our power. We must trust that the most difficult circumstances won't keep it from us when we have learned to tap the source within.

Life is a gift we are granted moment-by-moment. Let us be in awe of the wonder of it, and then revel in it. We can marvel at creation for a moment and realize how special we are to be participants. Happiness will overcome us if we let it. We can best show our gratitude for the wonder of this gift by smiling within and without.

That I am here is a wonderful mystery to which joy is the natural response. It is no accident that I am here.

**Ann** · 07-13-2008, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Life is a gift we are granted moment-by-moment. Let us be in awe of the wonder of it, and then revel in it. ...

That I am here is a wonderful mystery to which joy is the natural response. It is no accident that I am here.

Wow, CC. powerful words those are. It is no accident that any of us are here and no accident that we cross paths on this journey of life. I'm so grateful to share your path and walk together in awe. Cosmic accident? I think not.

Hugs

citychick · 07-13-2008, 11:45 PM

Ann

Quote:

I'm so grateful to share your path

ditto Ann, you've taught me more than you'll ever know.

I've come to realize that 'everyone' I meet

07-01-2008, 03:37 AM	#176 (permalink)
citychick Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Emerald City Posts: 2,255	"How free do you want to be!" as free as it's possible to be in this life, Pat __________________ " May you live for an audience of One today in your little corner of the world..."

07-01-2008, 03:39 AM	#177 (permalink)
citychick Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Emerald City Posts: 2,255	Tuesday, July 1, 2008 You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning It's quite uncomfortable to be an adolescent at age thirty-two. Peggy Cahn Our lives are in process every moment, which means change is ever-present. As new information is sorted and acquired, old habits are discarded. We don't let go of some old behaviors easily, however. They are like comfortable shoes. They may be worn thin, and they probably embarrass us in certain company, but we slip them on unconsciously and then it's too late. Maturity is an "as if" behavior, initially. Emotional development was stunted, for most of us, with the onset of our addictive behavior, thus, we often respond to situations like adolescents. Application of the "as if" principle will result both in new personal attitudes and unfamiliar, yet welcome, responses from others. Acting as if we are capable, strong, confident, or serene will pave the way for making those behaviors real, after a time. If we believe in ourselves and our ability to become the women we strive to be, we can then move forward confidently. ********* When my behavior embarrasses or shames me, I will accept the responsibility for changing it. Changing it offers immediate rewards. The people around me will react in refreshing ways, and I'll feel more fully alive. __________________ " May you live for an audience of One today in your little corner of the world..."**

07-01-2008, 03:43 AM	#178 (permalink)
Rusty Zipper Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: my room in ct. Posts: 12,210	for me. started useing at 13, surrendered at age 48, a liftime of imaturity.. if we do te math... i would say i'm now a somewhat mature teenager, next year... a young adult, thanks to the belief, faith and trust in my powers that be! __________________ *Rule 62*

07-01-2008, 04:46 AM	#179 (permalink)
citychick Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Emerald City Posts: 2,255	For me it was 13-46..and while I was using I thought of myself as a most mature adult...jump to early sobriety and I felt like that 13 year old again.. Today, I'd say early 30's but then again I'm only guessing.. lol __________________ " May you live for an audience of One today in your little corner of the world..."

07-01-2008, 09:55 AM	#180 (permalink)
Fluttering Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fluttering About Posts: 2,698	I recall my sponosr saying I was just a baby and had to learn to crawl before I could walk.. I'm grateful we do get to grow up all over again..with many tools to do things differetn and better... I passed the teenage phase and am now an adult...But I'm still a kid at heart __________________

07-02-2008, 12:40 AM	#181 (permalink)
citychick Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Emerald City Posts: 2,255	Wednesday, July 2, 2008 You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning Humor is such a strong weapon, such a strong answer. Women have to make jokes about themselves, laugh about themselves, because they have nothing to lose. Agnes Varda Laughter can cure a physical condition; it can and will positively affect an emotional illness as well. Laughter ushers in a new perspective which gives vent to a changed attitude. And our attitude toward any situation, any individual, is all-powerful. A negative, critical attitude toward our financial situation, toward our disease, toward our boss, or spouse, or children, determines how we feel moment by moment. In like manner, when we raise our sights, look at the world with lightness in our hearts, expecting to enjoy the day, the people, the activity, we'll succeed. Finding humor in a situation, any situation prevents us from succumbing to feelings of powerlessness. Feeling powerless, behaving as victims, came easily for many of us before we chose this program and the Twelve Steps to live by. Choosing a humorous response, opting to laugh at our situation, at any point in time, keeps our personal power where it belongs-with ourselves. My emotional health depends on my active involvement in deciding who I am, right now. Deciding to chuckle rather than snarl will give me an unexpected emotional boost. __________________ " May you live for an audience of One today in your little corner of the world..."

07-02-2008, 07:46 PM	#185 (permalink)
Ann Sharing Our Light Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: By The Lake Posts: 15,130	__________________ Somewhere between the gator swamp and the Taj Mahal there is a path, it may be hidden, overgrown or may blend in with the other surroundings, but it is there, it's your path and it is calling you.~Frankly~

07-03-2008, 12:33 AM	#186 (permalink)
citychick Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Emerald City Posts: 2,255	Thursday, July 3, 2008 You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning No one can build (her) security upon the nobleness of another person. Willa Cather Where do we look for our security? Do we look to our husbands or our lovers? Do we look to a parent or our children? Perhaps we seek our security in our jobs. But none of these avenues brings lasting contentment, as we've each probably discovered, just as pills, alcohol, or maybe food failed to give us lasting security. Security of the spirit is with us from our birth. It's just that we haven't tapped into the source. Perhaps we don't even know the source, but it's been with us always, awaiting our realization of it. No step do we ever take alone. Each breath we take is in partnership with the eternal source of strength and security within us. We have the choice to accept this partnership any time. And this guarantee of security in all things at all times is the gift of freedom. Our desire for security is God-given. The security we desire is also given by God to us. We are secure today and every day. Each step I take is in concert with my higher power. I need experience nothing alone. I can breathe in and tap the plentiful source of strength awaiting me, now. __________________ " May you live for an audience of One today in your little corner of the world..."

07-10-2008, 04:36 PM	#187 (permalink)
citychick Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Emerald City Posts: 2,255	Thursday, July 10, 2008 You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Eleanor Roosevelt We are competent women. We made a wise choice for ourselves when we decided to recover. Each day that we continue working this program our Spirits are strengthened. And our gifts will multiply. Feeling inferior can become a habit. Being passive and feeling inferior go hand-in-hand, and they prepare us for becoming dependent on alcohol, pills, food, and people. We didn't understand, instinctively, that we are just who we're meant to be. We grew up believing we were not smart enough, not pretty enough, not capable enough. We grew up too distant from the source of our real strength. How wonderful for us that we found the program! How lucky we are to have, for the taking, all the strength we'll ever need to face any situation, to handle any problem, to resolve any personal relationship conflict. Feeling inferior can be only a bad memory. The choice is ours. The program promises a better life. The Steps promise the strength to move forward. Our friends promise us outstretched hands. I will look forward to the challenges of today with hope and strength and know that I am able to meet them. __________________ " May you live for an audience of One today in your little corner of the world..."

07-10-2008, 06:59 PM	#188 (permalink)
IO Storm IO Storm Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Southern California Posts: 9,216 Blog Entries: 1	Our friends promise us outstretched hands. I am so grateful for your outstretched hands, my friends. We never know when we have another opportunity to say it...so I'm saying it! Thank you for being my friends. __________________ "God holds me still in the eye of the Storm"

07-11-2008, 05:16 AM	#189 (permalink)
citychick Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Emerald City Posts: 2,255	my spiritual sister good to see you again I miss you when you're not here. __________________ " May you live for an audience of One today in your little corner of the world..."

07-12-2008, 03:40 AM	#190 (permalink)
citychick Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Emerald City Posts: 2,255	Saturday, July 12, 2008 You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning ... those interested in perpetuating present conditions are always in tears about the marvelous past that is about to disappear, without having so much as a smile for the young future. Simone de Beauvoir Hanging on to any moment, once it's gone, deadens us to the joys and lessons of the present. We must learn to let go, to let go of persons, painful situations, and even meaningful experiences. Life goes on, and the most fruitful lesson before us is to move with the vibrations, be in tune with them. Being open to the present is our only chance for growth. These experiences today in our lives beckon us forward along the path meant for us. We are not guaranteed only joy today. But we are promised security. We may not be free of twinges of fear or confusion, but we can learn to trust even in the midst of adversity. We can remember that power greater than ourselves whenever and wherever our steps are uncertain. Dwelling, as we are wont to do, on our rebuffs, our rejections, invites further criticism. But neither should we dwell on past joys. Attention to now and to the persons here, now, is the only rightful response to life. Not being here, now, invites others to turn away, just as we have turned away. I will celebrate the thrill of the present, squeeze the moments of today, and trust the outcome to God. __________________ " May you live for an audience of One today in your little corner of the world..."

07-12-2008, 07:58 AM	#193 (permalink)
*indigo* Community Greeter Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Mid-Life Express Posts: 9,146	Amen __________________ When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself." Namasté

07-12-2008, 05:21 PM	#194 (permalink)
citychick Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Emerald City Posts: 2,255	Hi indie! glad you're back! Ann, I'm grateful for my past too, tho folks outside the program can't understand why Any twinges of fear I experience are manageable today Rusty..it doesn't paralyse me as in days of old. __________________ " May you live for an audience of One today in your little corner of the world..."

07-13-2008, 02:10 AM	#196 (permalink)
citychick Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Emerald City Posts: 2,255	Sunday, July 13, 2008 You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning The trouble is not that we are never happy--it is that happiness is so episodical. Ruth Benedict Happiness is our birthright. The decision to be happy is ours to make, every day, when confronted with any experience. Too many of us grew up believing that life needed to be a certain way for us to be happy. We looked for the right lover, the right job, and the right dress. We looked outside of ourselves for the key to happiness. In time, we even looked to alcohol, drugs, and food perhaps-to no avail. Happiness lies within. We must encourage it to spring forth. But first we need to believe that happiness is fully within our power. We must trust that the most difficult circumstances won't keep it from us when we have learned to tap the source within. Life is a gift we are granted moment-by-moment. Let us be in awe of the wonder of it, and then revel in it. We can marvel at creation for a moment and realize how special we are to be participants. Happiness will overcome us if we let it. We can best show our gratitude for the wonder of this gift by smiling within and without. That I am here is a wonderful mystery to which joy is the natural response. It is no accident that I am here. __________________ " May you live for an audience of One today in your little corner of the world..."