How Do You..
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Living in Today!
Posts: 3,948
How Do You..
Stay Spiritually Fit? For Me it Includes Making Meetings.. Working With Other Alcoholics And Working on the Steps..
(i Don't Want To Turn Into A Miserable Dry Drunk!)
(i Don't Want To Turn Into A Miserable Dry Drunk!)
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Southern New Hampshire
Posts: 746
I set aside what I think I need to do and follow the directions in the Big Book. Of particular importance are the directions contained on pages 84-88. If I follow these, I am quite certain I will remain recovered for the remainder of my life.For me Prayer and meditation are vital, working with others is vital, finishing all amends is vital. Having a current experience with step one is also a practice I find helpful.
My current teacher taught me about the law of invitation, which boils down to only going where I am wanted.Some meetings I avoid because they drain me spiritually, they are sick meetings and are quite happy to remain that way. (I'd be happy to elaborate on this but that's for another thread). Funny how avoiding certain meetings maintains my spiritual fitness, another fine paradox.
My current teacher taught me about the law of invitation, which boils down to only going where I am wanted.Some meetings I avoid because they drain me spiritually, they are sick meetings and are quite happy to remain that way. (I'd be happy to elaborate on this but that's for another thread). Funny how avoiding certain meetings maintains my spiritual fitness, another fine paradox.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
I would echo Rob... Staying current in step one is absolutely necessary for me. Followed by a quick third step "prayer"... I put that in quotes, because while I don't physically get on my knees, I have a vision or a picture in my mind, of what that third step is about. I call that up to consciousness when needed.
Meetings help. I have a good home group which maintains a strong spiritual message and they aren't afraid to say so. But no meeting is perfect and mine is no exception. But fellowship, particularly fellowship of the spirit, is important.
Mark
Meetings help. I have a good home group which maintains a strong spiritual message and they aren't afraid to say so. But no meeting is perfect and mine is no exception. But fellowship, particularly fellowship of the spirit, is important.
Mark
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, one big happy dysfunctional family!
Posts: 23,134
Seems like I'm constantly refining and changing my "program of spiritual fitness". Most importantly I "practice the principles in all my affairs" or at least to the best of my ability. I try to follow a rigorous and disciplined routine of meetings, fellowship, prayer & meditation, reading to nourish the mind.
Lately I started to question the "God of my understanding". Did I really understand God at all? I've gone back to Celebrate Recovery and started reading the Bible and attending stag meetings, I'm trying to dig deeper, uncover more, and be more honest than I'm usually comfortable with. So I guess I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone.
Constant progress and learning, never seeking perfection, only asking His will for me.
Lately I started to question the "God of my understanding". Did I really understand God at all? I've gone back to Celebrate Recovery and started reading the Bible and attending stag meetings, I'm trying to dig deeper, uncover more, and be more honest than I'm usually comfortable with. So I guess I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone.
Constant progress and learning, never seeking perfection, only asking His will for me.
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Living in Today!
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Originally Posted by Astro 
Seems like I'm constantly refining and changing my "program of spiritual fitness". Most importantly I "practice the principles in all my affairs" or at least to the best of my ability. I try to follow a rigorous and disciplined routine of meetings, fellowship, prayer & meditation, reading to nourish the mind.
Lately I started to question the "God of my understanding". Did I really understand God at all? I've gone back to Celebrate Recovery and started reading the Bible and attending stag meetings, I'm trying to dig deeper, uncover more, and be more honest than I'm usually comfortable with. So I guess I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone.
Constant progress and learning, never seeking perfection, only asking His will for me.
Lately I started to question the "God of my understanding". Did I really understand God at all? I've gone back to Celebrate Recovery and started reading the Bible and attending stag meetings, I'm trying to dig deeper, uncover more, and be more honest than I'm usually comfortable with. So I guess I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone.
Constant progress and learning, never seeking perfection, only asking His will for me.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 58
Every morning before I leave the house for work, I say the step 3 and step 7 prayer and spend about 10 minutes in quiet meditation. The dog and I are the only two who are up in the morning.
I attend two specific meetings a week (Both Big Book Stuides) and usually one somewhere else. I try to practice step 12, where possible. Last night and two weeks ago, I had "wet ones". Will they be back today? sure hope so. I am supposed to pick up one tonight.
I still do work at my group (coffee this month - best darn coffee that group has ever drank, I might add) and chaired two months ago. And I think too many have my cell phone number. Kidding.
I attend two specific meetings a week (Both Big Book Stuides) and usually one somewhere else. I try to practice step 12, where possible. Last night and two weeks ago, I had "wet ones". Will they be back today? sure hope so. I am supposed to pick up one tonight.
I still do work at my group (coffee this month - best darn coffee that group has ever drank, I might add) and chaired two months ago. And I think too many have my cell phone number. Kidding.
Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 1,636
The overly simplified answer, for me, would be constant, continuous practice of Steps 10-12.
But, in actual practice, that seems to entail a lot more for me than I originally expected when I approached those Steps.
Like others have said, it does tend to be a constantly changing and evolving process -- both in terms of my "conscious contact," the things I do to achieve/maintain conscious contact, and my openess and willingness to go where I am lead and do what I am lead to do in and through that conscious contact. And sometimes, especially when important spiritual and emotional shifts occur, it means going back (or sometimes even more like "being thrown back" to) and reworking/re-experiencing earlier Steps on a new and deeper level and/or from a new perspective.
It seems like, for me, I cannot just be static or tread water in my program/my spiritual growth and remain spiritually fit. Right now, after some pretty big stuff that has happened with me over the last few months, I am really very aware that as long as I continue to "work my program," live this way of life, or whatever you want to call it, I need to expect that I am going to be repeatedly challenged to do so at higher and higher levels....and my best guess is that, if I even get to a point where (I think) I'm not being challenged in that way on a regular basis, that'll be a definite sign that I am slacking off in some way and am beginning to lose my openess and willingness and, thus, my connection to HP.
So, basically, what that would seem to mean to me is that my spiritual fitness has to be ever-evolving and ever-increasing in order for me to truly remain spiritually fit. I mean, I know for a fact that what I understood as spiritual fitness - and what was indeed, for me, spiritual fitness at that time --last spring, would be totally unacceptable complacency and back-sliding for me right now, and I'm guessing (and also hoping, even though it scares me a bit) that where I am now will probably seem as "spiritually immature" to me in another year, as where I was last spring looks to me now.
freya
But, in actual practice, that seems to entail a lot more for me than I originally expected when I approached those Steps.
Like others have said, it does tend to be a constantly changing and evolving process -- both in terms of my "conscious contact," the things I do to achieve/maintain conscious contact, and my openess and willingness to go where I am lead and do what I am lead to do in and through that conscious contact. And sometimes, especially when important spiritual and emotional shifts occur, it means going back (or sometimes even more like "being thrown back" to) and reworking/re-experiencing earlier Steps on a new and deeper level and/or from a new perspective.
It seems like, for me, I cannot just be static or tread water in my program/my spiritual growth and remain spiritually fit. Right now, after some pretty big stuff that has happened with me over the last few months, I am really very aware that as long as I continue to "work my program," live this way of life, or whatever you want to call it, I need to expect that I am going to be repeatedly challenged to do so at higher and higher levels....and my best guess is that, if I even get to a point where (I think) I'm not being challenged in that way on a regular basis, that'll be a definite sign that I am slacking off in some way and am beginning to lose my openess and willingness and, thus, my connection to HP.
So, basically, what that would seem to mean to me is that my spiritual fitness has to be ever-evolving and ever-increasing in order for me to truly remain spiritually fit. I mean, I know for a fact that what I understood as spiritual fitness - and what was indeed, for me, spiritual fitness at that time --last spring, would be totally unacceptable complacency and back-sliding for me right now, and I'm guessing (and also hoping, even though it scares me a bit) that where I am now will probably seem as "spiritually immature" to me in another year, as where I was last spring looks to me now.
freya
Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Akron, OH
Posts: 83
Originally Posted by Rob B
Some meetings I avoid because they drain me spiritually, they are sick meetings and are quite happy to remain that way. (I'd be happy to elaborate on this but that's for another thread). Funny how avoiding certain meetings maintains my spiritual fitness, another fine paradox.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 215
I have a routine similar to Rockworm. Me and the dogs do our daily reflection, prayer, walking mediation and off into the day I go...they stay home with their dad. I also say the serenity prayer in the parking lot at work before i get out of the car...so my co-workers don't get to know the 'real' me....giggling.
Laozi Old Man
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
I think this sums up my daily maintenance and growth:
"Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help."
(page 84)
"Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help."
(page 84)
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 4,682
Definitely prayers and working on steps 6 and 7 on a daily basis, sometimes hourly...i like the joe and charlie view on this where they say that it is not just a matter of saying have all of me good and bad and getting the $29.99 special and never having to worry about it again! Of course meetings, talking and meeting with other alcoholics and seeing how i may be of help to others...i could keep listing things...it's by no means a chore but it is a lot of 'work'...
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