On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.
In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.
When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life? But we must be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others. After making our review we ask God's forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.
Yes, thank you Robert. How often,if we just take that moment when we wake up, and decide just how we are going to experience this day! Like that part on "What the Bleep do we know". Today, I give myself over to my Higher Power. Some days it's "this hour", or "this minute". But experiencing the day knowing that my life is unfolding the way my HP feels is best for me is such great reassurance. One of the reasons I enjoy lighting a candle in the a.m., and just sitting, feeling trust in what today will bring will be the way it should be.
And the nightly inventory. Wow, if I get caught up, and don't remember to do that, or decide I"m just too lazy? Or worse, I'll tell myself that shoot, I don't need to take an inventory, I've been really good today. Hogwash. It just means that in the morning, the truth will be revealed to me, and it's like getting a mental spanking. Then I have twice as much inventory to do.
Thank you for this post. I was letting today get away from me a bit, feelings and all, so I sorely needed this reminder. " Discover the consciousness that God/Higher Power is in complete control of our lives, and that His will is unfolding the way it should". Something like that. hug, Wren
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Funny, isn't it, how friends and a Power greater than ourselves can neutralize nightmares?
I try and live by that each day. its the bit in the middle I struggle with !!!
but today I thought well ENOUGH I am tired and I went had a nap. I TOOK IT EASY...
praying I am not so good at, but I am willing to try anything! lets not forget I went to any lenghs to get a drink and we know what out BEST THINKING GOT US! Disaster!
If I was willing to do that.. I am willing to do ANYTHING to not drink
My sponcer has advised me to stop posting on here,. it has troubled me a bit because it gives me purpose and I feel you guys are great. is this official A.A or not?
I have not been getting to as many meetings as I want to because I am scared of being seen at work and being sacked- my sponcer then points out that i am projecting. ,but I am not- I have had warnings before when I went to meetings in town when i was off work with bad back / depression a year ago and I nearly got fired,. i told my sponcer this and he told me that that was then and I should not use the past to project the future, i can in THEORY relate to it but in practise I cant, please could you help??
I find this page usefull - despite what my sponcer says, if I was using the net to chat up women or to look at indecent images that would be different - but I am using it for A.A where else can I talk about A.A at 5 to 12 at night with out waking someone???
I guess I am tired !! page 86 time!! but if you could suggest anything to help me with the above I would be most grateful.......
Personally, I do not "get" your Sponsor. First he tells you to get off Anti-Depressants - when he's not your Doctor, and his suggestion of that could have dire and devastating results. Then he tells you that you need to stay off of this Board. Did he tell you why???
Were they suggestions? I hope so! How long have you been working with this Sponsor? You might want to ask him about the benefits you would gain, if you stopped using this Board.
You seem to working a real good Program, and giving it you all, that is my preception of you. I have seen a real blossoming in you from when you began, using this Board, and it sure felt to me like this Board has been a very Positive influence in your life. What you have been posting, and your willingness, as you described above, doing whatever it takes not to drink again. I know that one too.
So, I feel a little confused by your Sponsor, can you tell us more about him?
Thanks Robert, for sharing this, I am really curious about why he thinks you should shop using this Forum. And I sure hope you didn't take his suggestion of stopping your Anti-Depressant, he does not know your diagnosis, and if they are being perscibed for a Clinical Depression, (speaking hypathecially) well that is what thousands of people in this country do, for same. But all of this is strickly between you and you Doctor. No one else. My opinion.
Bye for now, Toni
P.S. I know many people in the Meetings I attend that openly discuss their using Ant-Depressant, in a positive way, and there is NEVER any contradiction, by anyone to the subject, EVER........................ I am also Really a little confused by these Requests of your Sponsor.????????????????
Gotta admit, if I had a sponsor who started giving me advice against what a medical professional was prescribing, I think I would be more likely to find another sponsor than to ignore my doctor's advice.
Also, at least for myself, I have found this board to be not much different than a meeting, except that it is more personal discussing my AA issues at a face-2-face. I can also say, personally, that this board has helped me.
People have told me that I shouldn't take anything mind-altering (anti-depressants) at meetings. You know what I say now f**k you and what you think. Okay maybe I don't really say that out loud but thats what I think.
If I followed everyones advice in AA I would be drunk, without a home and maybe dead. I choose to take the good and leave the bad today. Sorry for being so adamant about this but I'm kinda pissed at your sponsor because he's telling you to do something which I view as life-threatening. That's the way I see it. Peace and understanding........
Hi Robert, Personally, I do not "get" your Sponsor. First he tells you to get off Anti-Depressants - when he's not your Doctor, and his suggestion of that could have dire and devastating results. Then he tells you that you need to stay off of this Board. Did he tell you why???
Hi there yes he said that it is a way of isolating myself, and said that nothing compairs to picking up the phone or face to face , however in my experience - people are not glad to hear from you at 8 in the morning or 11 at night
I do not feel ready to come off the anti depressants as I am still depressed. my sponcer is very much either something is right or it is wrong, when i talk about my fears- he just tells me to abruply stop. and then to pray to god, the thing is I do not understand a great deal yet...
robert i would have a REAL problem with a sponser who told me to 1--get off my meds.. ....2---quit sharing on a board that helped me..........RED FLAGS all over the place here
a sponser is just another healing 12stepper w/ more experience one HOPES, and is really working the program one HOPES......i sponser people on and off and i make **suggestions** and i keep it within the 12steps......at NO time would i tell a sponsee to get off meds, that is her doctor's call.............if my sponsee was getting nourished on the boards, i wuld ENCourage rather than DIScourage her to share......
talking and sharing w/other recovering alkies has kept me going.....sober.....managing my ptsd better than i thought......we NEED each other's fellowship/ validation/ knowing we are NOT alone in our struggles......
if u r getting "red flags" re: ur sponser, there is NO crime in saying "hey lets be friends, but i am shopping for a sponser who meets my needs".....i did it..i had a guy sponser first off and i replaced him becuz he began acting like he was working my inventory AND he was acting as if HE was my higher power.....so we are friends and will be till the end, but i have a lady sponser now and i adore the lady!! she is working her program, a REAL shining example of what recovery can do, and never never never has she ever over stepped my boundaries as a human being/ recovering alkie.......
when i am messing up, yes, she gets on me, lovingly and firmly, but at NO time acts like she is my hihger power......
i am concerned at what ur sponser said to u...and i am glad that U were concerned enuf to write us.........we are all human!! with all good intentions, but sometimes a relationship runs its course and U move on........no big deal, it happens every day........
u sound like a level guy......keep sharing if it is helping U feel better about u?? keeping u off the sauce?? than u share ur little heart out and bollocks to anyone who disagrees...
i do what works, and i leave the rest......what works for one may not work for another.....we each have to find our "niche" however, there ARE the "tried and true" aspects of this program that we UNIVERSALLY need...i am talkin about the STEPS, we ALL need the steps....we ALL need a power greater than we are.....we ALL need each ohter....we all need to be validated/ encouraged/ given ESH, not orders.......and we ALL need to know that we are humans---perfectly imperfect........
what ever u decided to do w/ ur sponser, please if this board is working for U?? than i hope u stay.....ur HP will guide U.......maybe its ur hp prompting u to share about this to us........
i hope this post made sense, i am kinda sleepy...time for shower and bed..
please take what works and dump the rest.......rosie
