Daily Meditation, Pain & Progress
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Daily Meditation, Pain & Progress
Pain and Progress
"Years ago I used to commiserate with all people who suffered. Now I commiserate only with those who suffer in ignorance, who do not understand the purpose and ultimate utility of pain."
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Someone once remarked that pain is the touchstone of spiritual progress. How heartily we can agree with him, for we know that the pains of alcoholism had to come before sobriety, and continued turmoil before serenity.
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"Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even though the moment you do not see."
"Years ago I used to commiserate with all people who suffered. Now I commiserate only with those who suffer in ignorance, who do not understand the purpose and ultimate utility of pain."
<<<>>>
Someone once remarked that pain is the touchstone of spiritual progress. How heartily we can agree with him, for we know that the pains of alcoholism had to come before sobriety, and continued turmoil before serenity.
<<<>>>
"Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even though the moment you do not see."
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Hmmmmm, interesting question Laceejoe,
The answer is no, I have known happiness, love, peace, joy, contentment.....but I think I feel most comfortable with pain. It's the most familiar, and it's the one I guess I know how to handle. It's not as scary to me as love or happiness. I think that is why I continue to self sabotage. I am a self sabotage from way back. I'll get only so far and then I'll do something to ruin it. Drugs and alcohol is a perfect example, marrying an alcoholic is another. Pain is like an old shoe, I can stay in, listen to sad music, cry and eat icecream. When I'm happy, and godforbid successful, I have to show-up, be accountable, do my best, be a good person, eat well, exercise, manage my time well, try to be organized, budget my money. I always seem to screw one of these things up and then they all kind of follow suit. I don't know why......maybe if I managed to be happy all the time, I wouldn't know who I was.
The answer is no, I have known happiness, love, peace, joy, contentment.....but I think I feel most comfortable with pain. It's the most familiar, and it's the one I guess I know how to handle. It's not as scary to me as love or happiness. I think that is why I continue to self sabotage. I am a self sabotage from way back. I'll get only so far and then I'll do something to ruin it. Drugs and alcohol is a perfect example, marrying an alcoholic is another. Pain is like an old shoe, I can stay in, listen to sad music, cry and eat icecream. When I'm happy, and godforbid successful, I have to show-up, be accountable, do my best, be a good person, eat well, exercise, manage my time well, try to be organized, budget my money. I always seem to screw one of these things up and then they all kind of follow suit. I don't know why......maybe if I managed to be happy all the time, I wouldn't know who I was.
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(((((Searching))))))
Your words seem so sad to me, mostly b/c I feel as you do. It almost seems as if I go out of my way to mess up my happiness when I find it upon me. I am most comfortable with sadness. It's a hard habit to break...I know I'm still living in some of the turmoil before serenity, but sometimes serenity seems so far off....if only b/c the thought of living a serene and happy life is sooooo completely foreign.....
But I do know that I stayed away from the boards too long. I just posted to Clowie yesterday that I've been having a hard time finding things to post recently. Now look at me - I can't shut up!
Your words seem so sad to me, mostly b/c I feel as you do. It almost seems as if I go out of my way to mess up my happiness when I find it upon me. I am most comfortable with sadness. It's a hard habit to break...I know I'm still living in some of the turmoil before serenity, but sometimes serenity seems so far off....if only b/c the thought of living a serene and happy life is sooooo completely foreign.....
But I do know that I stayed away from the boards too long. I just posted to Clowie yesterday that I've been having a hard time finding things to post recently. Now look at me - I can't shut up!
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searching,
very interesting post. i see what your saying and this has provoked a look at old sugar.
i have hadpros question the level of pain i can endure, and i've had it suggested that level of tolerance comes from my family of origin and all of the formative events and lessons of childhood. applying that to your post i would say until recently i really did block out pain and go on. a lot like a distorted childhood that i had and i adapted too. i didn't let that pain in for years and there truly is a lesson to be learned once i looked those horrors in the eye and admitted to myself that they did happen. so to feel pain is a teaching process also in my eyes. i believe in the no pain no gain theory in life, but not in a sick way. i think the only time we do change, grow, learn, or perhaps recover is thru experiencing pain and effecting change as a result. too bad so many of us coda's have such a high tolerance for pain. acceptance and surrender to pain is so much a part of recovery in a learning sense. thanks for the focus and your share today.
hugs from sugar
very interesting post. i see what your saying and this has provoked a look at old sugar.
i have hadpros question the level of pain i can endure, and i've had it suggested that level of tolerance comes from my family of origin and all of the formative events and lessons of childhood. applying that to your post i would say until recently i really did block out pain and go on. a lot like a distorted childhood that i had and i adapted too. i didn't let that pain in for years and there truly is a lesson to be learned once i looked those horrors in the eye and admitted to myself that they did happen. so to feel pain is a teaching process also in my eyes. i believe in the no pain no gain theory in life, but not in a sick way. i think the only time we do change, grow, learn, or perhaps recover is thru experiencing pain and effecting change as a result. too bad so many of us coda's have such a high tolerance for pain. acceptance and surrender to pain is so much a part of recovery in a learning sense. thanks for the focus and your share today.
hugs from sugar
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Journeygal,
I'm so glad you're back. You don't have to post to be here with us but of course I for onr love it when you do. Maybe it's a good sign
Thanks Sugar,
you know you're so right....it is important to feel the pain and go through it but I need to remember why I do that. It's for the freedom and the peace I get when my mind set is just on enjoying life. That is the goal isn't it, to feel happy and content. I claim to be the central core of the family and happiness is very contagious. I would imagine that if everyone were happier we would get along better.
Pain brought me into recovery and I am in recovery to get better and experience a healthy, happy life. From time to time I feel like I am there. I think the trick is that once I am there, I need to learn how to make it stick.
I'm so glad you're back. You don't have to post to be here with us but of course I for onr love it when you do. Maybe it's a good sign
Thanks Sugar,
you know you're so right....it is important to feel the pain and go through it but I need to remember why I do that. It's for the freedom and the peace I get when my mind set is just on enjoying life. That is the goal isn't it, to feel happy and content. I claim to be the central core of the family and happiness is very contagious. I would imagine that if everyone were happier we would get along better.
Pain brought me into recovery and I am in recovery to get better and experience a healthy, happy life. From time to time I feel like I am there. I think the trick is that once I am there, I need to learn how to make it stick.
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: By The Lake
Posts: 60,328
Searching
"It's not as scary for me as love or happiness". It's not about "pain" "love" or "happiness", Searching, you are talking about "fear".
I know because I have been there and in then end I found that I was just afraid of everything, truly scared all the time without and relief, and I constantly had panic attacks and anxiety attacks.
When I spoke to my doctor about the attacks, she asked me "Do you have more than 5 or 6 a week?" My answer was "I have more than 5 or 6 a DAY". That's when I knew I needed help.
Until we get past fear, other emotions are fleeting. Fear will darken our brightest day and turn our calm waters into tempests.
When we get past the fear, we get past the pain and learn to live again as happy healthy human beings.
"It's not as scary for me as love or happiness". It's not about "pain" "love" or "happiness", Searching, you are talking about "fear".
I know because I have been there and in then end I found that I was just afraid of everything, truly scared all the time without and relief, and I constantly had panic attacks and anxiety attacks.
When I spoke to my doctor about the attacks, she asked me "Do you have more than 5 or 6 a week?" My answer was "I have more than 5 or 6 a DAY". That's when I knew I needed help.
Until we get past fear, other emotions are fleeting. Fear will darken our brightest day and turn our calm waters into tempests.
When we get past the fear, we get past the pain and learn to live again as happy healthy human beings.
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Join Date: Oct 2002
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Oh my god!!!!!
Literally, I have the chills here. I have been doing a daily meditation everyday for the SA board and occaisionally I post one here too, if it applies. Well this one prompted a whole thread. On all of the meditations I write the book it came from but the one on this thread, I didn't know where I got it.
Just now in my search for todays daily meditation, I received an e-mail from a friend who occaisionally sends me recovery related e-mails. She sent me a meditation written by Bill W. who inspired the meditation above. It has the same wording in it. Is that wierd or what. See, things like this make me believe that everything is just part of some divine plan and if we got out of the way once in a while, we might in fact benefit from it.
Meditation from "Keep It Simple."
January 8th
Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see. --- Bill W.
At times, we’ll go through pain and hardship. At times, we’ll have doubts. At times, we’ll get angry and think we just don’t care anymore. These things can spiritually blind us. But this is normal. Hopefully, we’ll be ready for those times. Hopefully, we will have friends who will be there for us.
Thank God for these moments! Yes, hard times can make our spirits deep and strong. These moments tell us who we are as sober people. These moments help us grow and change. Spirituality is about choice. To be spiritual, we must turn ourselves over to the care of our Higher Power.
Prayer for the Day ---
God, help me find You in my moments of blindness. This is when I really need You.
Action for the Day ---
Today I’ll get ready for the hard times ahead. I will list my friends who will be there for me.
Literally, I have the chills here. I have been doing a daily meditation everyday for the SA board and occaisionally I post one here too, if it applies. Well this one prompted a whole thread. On all of the meditations I write the book it came from but the one on this thread, I didn't know where I got it.
Just now in my search for todays daily meditation, I received an e-mail from a friend who occaisionally sends me recovery related e-mails. She sent me a meditation written by Bill W. who inspired the meditation above. It has the same wording in it. Is that wierd or what. See, things like this make me believe that everything is just part of some divine plan and if we got out of the way once in a while, we might in fact benefit from it.
Meditation from "Keep It Simple."
January 8th
Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see. --- Bill W.
At times, we’ll go through pain and hardship. At times, we’ll have doubts. At times, we’ll get angry and think we just don’t care anymore. These things can spiritually blind us. But this is normal. Hopefully, we’ll be ready for those times. Hopefully, we will have friends who will be there for us.
Thank God for these moments! Yes, hard times can make our spirits deep and strong. These moments tell us who we are as sober people. These moments help us grow and change. Spirituality is about choice. To be spiritual, we must turn ourselves over to the care of our Higher Power.
Prayer for the Day ---
God, help me find You in my moments of blindness. This is when I really need You.
Action for the Day ---
Today I’ll get ready for the hard times ahead. I will list my friends who will be there for me.
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