I asked myself, “Why can’t the Twelve Steps work to release me from this unbearable depression?” By the hour, I stared at the St. Francis Prayer: “It is better to comfort than to be comforted.” Suddenly I realized what the answer might be. My basic flaw had always been dependence on people or circumstances toContinue reading “Free Of Dependence – As Bill Sees It #63”
Category Archives: Demand
Expectations – Just For Today Reflection July 29th
“As we realize our need to be forgiven, we tend to be more forgiving.” Basic Text, p. 39 ❖ Our behavior toward other people in our life is a mirror of our behavior toward ourselves. When we demand perfection of ourselves, we come to demand it from others around us, too. As we strive toContinue reading “Expectations – Just For Today Reflection July 29th”
Unacceptable – Grapevine Article October 2022 By Allen B.
Note – Allen B. is also Dr. Allen Berger the author of a number of articles in our Emotional Sobriety section of the website and the book ‘12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety’. I stood there in line growing more and more impatient. After all, I had important things to do. I didn’t have theContinue reading “Unacceptable – Grapevine Article October 2022 By Allen B.”
Basis Of All Humility – As Bill Sees It #139
For just so long as we were convinced that we could live exclusively by our own individual strength and intelligence, for just that long was a working faith in a Higher Power impossible. This was true even when we believed that God existed. We could actually have earnest religious beliefs which remained barren because weContinue reading “Basis Of All Humility – As Bill Sees It #139”
Humility – The Spirituality Of Imperfection (Extract From Chapter 14) By Ernest Kurtz
Humility as earthiness may be less a distortion than humility as groveling or timidity, but each of these modern interpretations misses the essence of this ancient, classic virtue. For humility signifies, simply, the acceptance of being human, the acceptance of one’s human being. It is the embrace of the both-and-ness, both saint and sinner, bothContinue reading “Humility – The Spirituality Of Imperfection (Extract From Chapter 14) By Ernest Kurtz”
The Power Of Pause … Finding An Unsuspected Inner Resource ….Your Second Voice – Mashup Big Book, Twelve & Twelve, Dr. Allen Berger, & IFS
One of the most powerful tools AA suggests for emotional sobriety is the power of pause or restraint when we find ourselves disturbed. This pause or restraint can give us an opportunity to find a conscious contact with a Power greater than ourselves. This article attempts to share some common ways to deepen the freedomContinue reading “The Power Of Pause … Finding An Unsuspected Inner Resource ….Your Second Voice – Mashup Big Book, Twelve & Twelve, Dr. Allen Berger, & IFS”
Growing Up Emotionally – 12 Smart Things To Do When The Booze And Drugs Are Gone By Dr. Allen Berger
Emotional sobriety doesn’t spontaneously appear. We have to work hard at growing up. Bill did. In addition to the time he spent working the Steps, getting spiritual direction from the Reverend Sam Shoemaker, spending time alone in contemplation, and working with others, he also sought out psychotherapy. His therapist was the famous Dr. Harry Tiebout,Continue reading “Growing Up Emotionally – 12 Smart Things To Do When The Booze And Drugs Are Gone By Dr. Allen Berger”
Self Acceptance And The Twelve Steps
THE PROBLEM The lack of self-acceptance is a problem for many in recovery . This subtle defect is difficult to identify and often goes unrecognized. Many of us believed that our using was our only problem, denying the fact that our lives had become unmanageable. Even after we stop using, this denial can continue toContinue reading “Self Acceptance And The Twelve Steps”
Developing A New Way To Relate & Respond To Pain – Stephen Hayes
Do you feel stuck ? Are you constantly battling with your thoughts and the conflicting noises in your head? Think of this article and the related video as teaching us how to move from that rigidity of the quicksand of being stuck to find a flexible ‘way out’ that can move us in an entirelyContinue reading “Developing A New Way To Relate & Respond To Pain – Stephen Hayes”
Holding Our Stories Lightly – The Wisdom To Know The Difference By Kelly Wilson
I love the Mark Twain quote “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”. This article can be very helpful in developing humility which is described as the “foundation principles of each of AA’s Twelve Steps”(12&12p.70) – Bruce M. Here’s a conceptContinue reading “Holding Our Stories Lightly – The Wisdom To Know The Difference By Kelly Wilson”