lad81

I'm working the steps of the program but I'm having a hard time identifying my higher power. I beleive in the universe and energy... I do believe in a higher power but I can't tell you what it looks like or what it is. Has anyone else struggled with this? Advice? Thoughts?

Thanks!

honeypig

Hi, lad81--here's a link to a thread that might help you out. It's from the stickies at the top of the page:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...religious.html

Hope it's useful.

Florence

Oh yeah, I commented at length on that thread. The truth is that when I am on my bike and feeling so active and alive, that overwhelming feeling of in-my-body-ness and gratefulness to be healthy and ALIVE is my higher power. I feel it when I'm dancing with my kids, too. It's a feeling of abundance.

What makes you feel so full and grateful you could burst? Call that, whatever it is, church.

Fathom

I didn't really get this either until I started going to yoga again. My new teacher happens to be fairly spiritual in her yoga practice. She begins every class with a short meditation and instructs us to let go of that which does not serve our highest and best selves, and to set our intention for our practice. Somehow, that wording just seemed to click for me. I think I imagine my soul as being my highest and best self. When I think on it, I suddenly feel a sense of peace wash over me. For that time when i meditate in her class, I am present in the moment and focused on strengthening the good of my soul, and my body through my yoga practice. For that time, the drama of the day is irrelevant and I can just focus on me at my best. What a wonderful feeling!

I am not a religious person, and I have a difficult time actually believing in the power of Qi like my yoga teacher does. But, I do feel that I can think beyond myself and find something more powerful and righteous. I call it my soul, but maybe it is the Universe, or God, of which my soul is a part. I don't know. And I'm not sure it matters in the details of it.

I think the primary goal of recognizing your higher power is that you, as you are living this life right now all caught up in chaos and drama, you are not in a good position to fix yourself. Most important, I think, is that you are patient with yourself. Give yourself some time to wrap your head around all you are learning right now. You are not required to understand everything at once.

Peace,
Fathom

SoberLife2014

Hey lad, I'm in the same boat you are. I have really struggled with identifying my higher power. I also believe in energy but not one being that will solve all my problems if I ask nicely. So, what I've come to believe is that God (we will call it that for the sake of simplicity) is in everything, and it's everything working together perfectly. Like a clock. It's the planets orbiting the sun and the electrons orbiting a proton. It's also our souls. If something becomes unbalanced or gets out of whack it's going against that perfect clockwork and creates chaos. So, by choosing to turn my will and my life over to God, I'm basically saying that I'm going to work in harmony with Him. I think we innately know what when we are in harmony with him. I also find that when I pray I often get an answer to something I'm struggling with. Why there is even such a thing as addiction in the first place, I don't know. It's all probably part of some greater thing that I can't even comprehend. I came to believe that a power greater than me can return me to sanity. I really believe that is true if I quit trying to control everything and just live in harmony. My realization of that never came in a burning bush, but I can say that this is what I truly believe.

I'm putting myself out on a limb here, these are just my beliefs. Please don't judge me.

m1k3

Hi Lad. After years of meditation and Alanon I have finally identified my higher power. It's "I don't know". I don't need to give it a name or put it in a box, it is something that I can tap into, that's more than my ego and that's enough.

Your friend,