why is blogging helpful to your recovery?
what were your best and worst days
since getting sober?
when do you feel the need to share most;
when things are good, or bad?
how do you feel about the legal limit
for blood alcohol levels; too low, high
or correct at .08?
where do you go, if anywhere, to
supplement your recovery?
how would you describe your
feelings right now?
how many alcoholics does it take
to change a light bulb?
just one; as soon as they okay
it with their sponsor.
just a reminder to not take
everything so seriously.
ever been to a meeting full
of doom and gloom?
those are the rooms i avoid.
i already know the dire consequences
of addiction ; i want to hear how
folks are living a contented life.
tell me of the freedom from bondage,
joy of family & friends and security
in the benefits of clean living.
laughter can really be
the best medicine.
The people who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.
- Lloyd James
The experience of love and peace is the only thing of importance that is communicated. It is this attitude of the heart, and not what is said between two people, that does healing work in both directions.
- Gerald G. Jampolsky
Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare.
- Japanese proverb
Everybody who loves you wants you to be true to yourself, no matter how it appears.
- Eli Jaxon-Bear
God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.
- Jewish Proverb
It's OK to mess up. You should give yourself a break.
- Billy Joel
There is no greater hell than to be a prisoner of fear.
- Ben Johnson
Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.
- Lyndon Baines Johnson
Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwile.
- Franklin P. Jones
Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't.
- Erica Jong
The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.
- Joseph Joubert
Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.
- Henry J. Kaiser
Life can only be understood backward, yet, it has to be lived forward.
- Søren Kierkegaard
Wisdom is the reward for a lifetime of listening... when you'd have preferred to talk.
- D.J. Kaufman
Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.
- Danny Kaye
Never, if possible, lie down at night without being able to say: I have made one human being, at least, a little wiser, a little happier, or a little better this day.
- Charles Kingsley
it's that time of the year when
many teens may be tempted to
drink at grad parties and proms.
despite warnings and memories
of past incidents, the peer pressure
and desire to let loose can be immense.
experts suggest instead of just asking
teens not drink, explaining the
potential risks and consequences
may prove more effective.
remind them of the dangers of
driving under the influence, having
unprotected sex and the potential
for violence.
there is also the probability of
getting sick and having a hangover.
they need to be reminded that alcohol
is not necessary to have a good time.
I find these to be a welcome and
practical addition to my recovery.
remaining within the spirit of the
12, these steps encourage positive
reinforcement of strengths and
character pluses.
a glaring omission in the 12 is the
encouragement to confront those
who harmed us is word or deed.
this is essential for most and especially
women who have been emotionally
or sexually abused.
the emphasis on self-esteem, pursuit
of freedom and developement of
character is an absolute must for
progressive wellness.
from /www.charlottekasl.com/16steps.html
| 1) | We affirm we have the power to take charge of our lives and stop being dependent on substances or other people for our self-esteem and security. |
| Alternative: We admit/acknowledge we are out of control with/powerless over ________ yet have the power to take charge of our lives and stop being dependent on substances or other people for our self-esteem and security. | |
| 2) | We come to believe that God/Goddess/Universe/Great Spirit/Higher Power awakens the healing wisdom within us when we open ourselves to the power. |
| 3) | We make a decision to become our authentic selves and trust in the healing power of the truth. |
| 4) | We examine our beliefs, addictions and dependent behavior in the context of living in a hierarchical, patriarchal culture. |
| 5) | We share with another person and the Universe all those things inside of us for which we feel shame and guilt. |
| 6) | We affirm and enjoy our intelligence, strengths and creativity, remembering not to hide these qualities from ourselves and others. |
| 7) | We become willing to let go of shame, guilt, and any behavior that keeps us from loving ourselves and others. |
| 8) | We make a list of people we have harmed and people who have harmed us, and take steps to clear out negative energy by making amends and sharing our grievances in a respectful way. |
| 9) | We express love and gratitude to others and increasingly appreciate the wonder of life and the blessings we do have. |
| 10) | We learn to trust our reality and daily affirm that we see what we see, we know what we know and we feel what we feel. |
| 11) | We promptly admit to mistakes and make amends when appropriate, but we do not say we are sorry for things we have not done and we do not cover up, analyze, or take responsibility for the shortcomings of others. |
| 12) | We seek out situations, jobs, and people who affirm our intelligence, perceptions and self-worth and avoid situations or people who are hurtful, harmful, or demeaning to us. |
| 13) | We take steps to heal our physical bodies, organize our lives, reduce stress, and have fun. |
| 14) | We seek to find our inward calling, and develop the will and wisdom to follow it. |
| 15) | We accept the ups and downs of life as natural events that can be used as lessons for our growth. |
| 16) | We grow in awareness that we are sacred beings, interrelated with all living things, and we contribute to restoring peace and balance on the planet. |
The smallest effort is not lost. Each wavelet on the ocean tost aids the ebb-tide or the flow; Each rain-drop makes some floweret blow; Each struggle lessens human woe.
- Charles Mackay
Often the difference between a successful man and a failure is not one's better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on his ideas, to take a calculated risk-and to act.
- Maxwell Maltz
To succeed in life you need to be three main things - original, innoavative and creative.
- John Mamo
Happy is the man with a wife to tell him what to do and a secretary to do it.
- Lord Mancroft
My days of whining and complaining about others have come to an end. Nothing is easier than fault finding. All it will do is discolor my personality so that none will want to associate with me. That was my old life. No more.
- Og Mandino
Listening is a form of accepting.
- Stella Terill Mann
Women are repeatedly accused of taking things personally. I cannot see any other honest way of taking things.
- Marya Mannes
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.
- Maori proverb
Trust that still, small voice that says, "This might work and I'll try it."
- Diane Mariechild
Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
- Joshua J. Marine
Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen.
- Peter Marshall
One can go back toward safety or forward toward growth.
- Abraham Maslow
Few are they who have never had the chance to achieve happiness - and fewer those who have never taken that chance.
- André Maurois
One of the finest virtues is generosity - a quality characteristic of the person who thinks more highly of others than he does of himself.
- D. Malcolm Maxwell
Star The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.
- Benjamin Mays
The more noise a man or a motor makes the less power there is available.
- W. R. McGeary
You wouldn't worry so much about what someone else is thinking about you if you knew how seldom they do.
- Dr. Phil McGraw's Father
Yes, risk-taking is inherently failure-prone. Otherwise it would be called sure-thing-taking.
- Tim McMahon
One common mistake is to think that one reality is THE reality. You must always be prepared to leave one reality for a greater one.
- Mother Meera
You must govern the clock, not be governed by it.
- Golda Meir
If you have learned how to disagree without being disagreeable, then you have discovered the secrete of getting along -- whether it be business, family relations, or life itself.
- Bernard Meltzer
We cannot be happy if we expect to live all the time at the highest peak of intensity. Happiness is not a matter of intensity, but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.
- Thomas Merton
Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I accomplish.
- Michelangelo
God always provides what we need, but we must be ready to open our eyes and see it.
- The Midrash
It is not what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.
- Molière
Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.
- Alfred A. Montapert
not just to meetings, in all facets
of life.
be it work, family commitments,
or social activities.
becoming and remaining available,
responsible and accountable.
owning up to past mistakes;
making amends and becoming
tolerant and accepting.
being honest in all aspects of life.
using restraint when necessary
and being considerate of others.
for many of the most challenging
is growing up.
letting go selfish wants, instant
gratification and immature behaviors.
the old party lifestyle has stunted
emotional growth in many of us.
we can "mature out" of that phase,
if we remain teachable and trustworthy.
feeling a bit flat
there is no reason why
could it be a seasonal thing
or just memories of days gone by.
a stage of life for which
i'm somewhat unprepared
concern for my son and the
health of an aging dad
grateful for times and laughs
we've had
yet unable to escape feeling sad
looking back at so much my
affliction has caused me to miss
it can't be changed or erased
in any way
just amended by my actions,
living honestly & available
day by day
As a cure for worrying, work is better than whiskey.(Thomas Edison)
Writing is a job. A drunk writer is about as useful as a drunk surgeon. You can spend the rest of the day swimming in booze, but the hours you write should be sober and with purpose. (Steve Gilliard)
Better to sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian. ( Herman Melville)
There’s a lot to be said for the fellow who doesn’t say it himself. (Maurice Switzer)
You cannot get to the top by sitting on your bottom.
Parents can tell but never teach, unless they practice what they preach.
When we are happy we are always good, but when we are good we are not always happy. (Oscar Wilde )
The most important things in life aren’t things. (Anthony J. D’Angelo)
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. (Maya Angelou)
. The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do. (Walter Bagehot)
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. (Winston Churchill )
When it comes to staying young, a mind-lift beats a face-lift any day. (Marty Bucella)
Whatever you are, be a good one. (Abraham Lincoln)
Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. (Oprah Winfrey)
do you watch or play any sports?
what is your favorite genre of
music or artist?
do your religious beliefs complement
or conflict with spirituality?
how do handle stessfull situations?
who do admire most, in and out
of the rooms of recovery?
when did you first feel the obsession
lifted?
where is your favorite "get away
from it all" location?
why do fools fall in love? (lol)
it's just a matter of adding g's
to my attitude
God,
giving,
gifts,
growth,
grace,
gladness.
a sense of comfort in my own skin
the joy of giving back and paying
it forward
looking at what i have, and
not what i'm lacking.
knowing i'm making the most of
the cards life has dealt me.
letting go of pride and envy
the ability to feel satisfied with
what i have; fulfilling my needs
and lessening my wants
finally, thanking God, family,
friends and those i encounter,
for what they have given me,
past and present
A psychiatrist is a fellow who asks you a lot of expensive questions your wife asks for nothing.
Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
- Joseph Addison
Life brings simple pleasures to us every day. It is up to us to make them wonderful memories.
- Cathy Allen
Every truth has two sides. It is well to look at both before we commit ourselves to either side.
Never place a period where God has placed a comma.
- Gracie Allen
Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.
- Muhammad Ali
Life is a series of experiences...of beginnings. You are always in training for a time yet to come.
- Wally Amos
Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.
- Walter Anderson
I am responsible for my own well being, my own happiness. The choices and decisions I make regarding my life directly influences the quality of my days.
- Kathleen Andrus
Keep spiritually sound and be persistent. Persistence is the key. Just never stop believing in your dream.
- Deborah Aquila
One reason why I don't drink is because I wish to know when I am having a good time.
- Nancy Astor
Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.
- Richard Bach
There is a way to look at the past. Don't hide from it. It will not catch you - if you don't repeat it.
- Pearl Bailey
In the time we have it is surely our duty to do all the good we can to all the people we can in all the ways we can.
- William Barclay
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.
- Carl Bard
What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.
- J. Sidlow Baxter
Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing well those you do hold.
- Josh Billings, pen name of Henry Wheeler Shaw
if you could live somewhere
else, where would that be?
at what age did you first realize
you had a problem?
as time passes, do ever get
complacent or over-confident?
have you read the traditions;
how important are they to AA?
any of your meetings ever have
someone show up drunk;
if so how was it handled?
do you prefer sober activities,
or a mix of sober & social drinkers?
