Gottalife

This post just reminded me of an old timer who had a similar turn of phrase. He used to say it was his job to "comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable". Many a time he disturbed me with some succint remark that had me thinking for days.

I know he upset a few people with his style. I was amazed at his funeral to find not only AAs, but hundreds of folks from the wider community. Jack did a lot of good with his sobriety but humbly kept it to himself.

Boleo, I dont think your style is abrupt, just succinct. I am reminded of someone once saying of something they had written, if they had more time they could have made it shorter. Brevity is a skill I have not yet acquired.

Boleo

I know exactly what you mean. Some people are some kind of a friggin saint inside a meeting and then lie, cheat and steal outside of meetings.

You know what I do outside of meetings - I care for Dementia, Alzheimer and Hospice patients. Some times 120 hours per week (I do 24 hour live in shifts).

I can easily afford to generate a few granules of bad karma here at SR because my career/vocation assures that I will generate tons of good karma elsewhere.

Boleo

"I promised to give a short speech... I just gave it."
(Dr. Bob Smith)

Gottalife

I absolutely agree with this sentiment, but I am not so sure it is optional for alcoholics of my type.

The Big Book is full of promises about the new life we are going to be leading as the result of the steps. Perhaps this is that attraction part fo the program. It was for me, I wanted what they had.

But I think it is pretty clear also what half measures bring. Not much.

There is something that keeps me involved and happy, and it goes way beyond not drinking. The daily practice of trying to align my will with God's, of trying to put others first and self second, of trying to grow spiritually, brings a never ending stream of spiritual rewards which lead me to permanent sobriety. It is not a discipline or chore, but more of a pleasure to live this way.

By observation, that alternative "don't drink and go to meetings" seems to bring what I call saw tooth sobriety where the best you are going to feel is at the end of a meeting. Then things decline until the decline is arrested by another meeting which gets us back to our peak. Not a very satisfying way to live, from one meeting to the next, and many find it so unrewarding they eventually stop the meetings, then there is nothing to arrest the decline.

That is quite a different proposition to continuing spiritual growth and discovery through the eleventh step. After all, step eleven is the AA twenty four hour plan, and its a long way different to not drinking one day at a time.

Fly N Buy

Last night I was reading about shortcomings on Barefoot's World in regards to steps 6&7. It gave me pause to review the defects God has allowed me to be aware of at this point in myself.

Selfishness still tops the chart. I dwell on someday I will do great things for others - in and out of AA. But first, I need to keep working on me at 11 months........

This morning I prayed for knowledge of His will and what He would have me do to work on selfishness. What today would you have me do???

I was struck by the thought we can't give away what we don't have. That's good, and buys me time not to have to help another drunk. Don't get me wrong, I love drunks - but not at the point of wanting someone to rely on me. Not ready for that........someday.

So I pulled up an application to volunteer at the local hospital in anyway they need me and God directs. I believe in that action I may start to work on my selfishness - relieve me of the bondage of self.

So are these thoughts that lead to action God's will for me today? I think so. Regardless, sometimes maybe His will is revealed simply by taking action we think is His will......

I'm sorry, what was the topic?
This all just popped in my pea brain.......

Boleo

In my case, I dreaded getting a "spiritual awakening" even if it succeed at keeping me sober till I died. Life without alcohol seemed worse than death. I had no clue what a spiritual awakening actually was (2 meetings a day for 2 years and no one described it).

Then, at the very moment that I wanted to go back to drinking and looked forward to dying drunk - the miracle happened. Not at all what I expected. Nothing like how I imagined it. Not even what, where or when I wanted it. In fact, at first it looked like a cruel joke played on me by a God who was playing "keep away" with my sobriety. I was expecting it to just fade away like the "pink cloud" that some people talked about. Then when it didn't fade (the least bit), I knew that I had experienced a bonafide miracle.

Now that impressed me BIG time. There was something bigger in the Universe than my mind could imagine. The next thing I asked myself was "What else are spiritual awakenings good for besides clean pee"? The answer to that question still keeps me searching even today. I don't even care about sobriety anymore.

"Guess what? I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell (awakenings)!"
( Will Ferrell)

Boleo

Sorry Christopher Walken. That was your line.