I don't think happiness or unhappiness is the point. How do we meet the problems we face? How do we best learn from them and transmit what we have learned to others, if they would receive the knowledge? AS BILL SEES IT, p. 306
In my search "to be happy," I changed jobs, married and divorced, took geographical cures, and ran myself into debt--financially, emotionally and spiritually. In A.A., I'm learning to grow up. Instead of demanding that people, places and things make me happy, I can ask God for self-acceptance. When a problem overwhelms me, A.A.'s Twelve Steps will help me grow through the pain. The knowledge I gain can be a gift to others who suffer with the same problem. As Bill said, "When pain comes, we are expected to learn from it willingly, and help others to learn. When happiness comes, we accept it as a gift, and thank God for it." (As Bill Sees It, p. 306)
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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Thats a tough pill to swallow but Im sure it true. As a newcomer, I used to try and "absolutely insist on ejoying life" like the book says but was not successful. The problem was I had no concept of what life or enjoyment were all about. Now that I have at least a concept of serenity Im much better at this life thing but I still struggle with taking pleasure over ultimate happiness. Probably will forever but hopefully to lesser degrees.
