In early recovery, we often find ourselves going from unrealistic, grandiose self-perception to believing we are the worst person in history. It’s that familiar addict pendulum swing–from one extreme to the other (with an optional sound effect): I’m a spiritual giant deserving of high praise–WHOOSH!–I’m a worthless piece of trash. I’m the hottest person here–WHOOSH!–I’mContinue reading “Humility Is Living In Reality – A Spiritual Principle A Day September 9th”
Category Archives: Ego
Telling The Worst – As Bill Sees It #311
Though the variations were many, my main theme was always “How godawful I am!” Just as I often exaggerated my modest attainments by pride, so I exaggerated my defects through guilt. I would race about, confessing all (and a great deal more) to whoever would listen. Believe it or not, I took this widespread exposureContinue reading “Telling The Worst – As Bill Sees It #311”
Don’t Drink, and Change the Rest of Your Life – Grapevine Article December 1995 By Anonymous
STEP 12: Having bad a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. “There are only two things you have to do to stay sober,” the old-timer with the gravel voice told me. “Don’t drink one day atContinue reading “Don’t Drink, and Change the Rest of Your Life – Grapevine Article December 1995 By Anonymous”
Emotional Sobriety In Relationships – Recovery Today March 2015 By Allen Berger
In the Twelve & Twelve, we are presented with this possibility that we are not clear on how to practice partnering with others. On page 53, we read: “But it is from our twisted relations with family, friends, and society at large that many of us have suffered the most. We have been especially stupidContinue reading “Emotional Sobriety In Relationships – Recovery Today March 2015 By Allen Berger”
Tough Love – Grapevine Article April 2022 By Pat K.
A member shares her thoughts about applauding when people come back from multiple relapses I recently attended the memorial for a woman who I had sponsored on and off for about eight years. Although she went to meetings pretty regularly over that time, when she died she was not sober. As I listened to theContinue reading “Tough Love – Grapevine Article April 2022 By Pat K.”
Emotional Equilibrium Welcoming But Not Clinging – Daily Meditation August 17th 2025 By Father Richard Rohr
Father Richard Rohr describes the necessity of attending to our emotions while not clinging to them. You may also find his reflection on how the Twelve Steps address our Stinking Thinking helpful. Emotions are necessary weathervanes, in great part body-based, that help us read situations quickly and perhaps in depth. But they are also learned andContinue reading “Emotional Equilibrium Welcoming But Not Clinging – Daily Meditation August 17th 2025 By Father Richard Rohr”
Imaginary Perfection – As Bill Sees It #181
When we early A.A.’s got our first glimmer of how spiritually prideful we could be, we coined this expression: “Don’t try to be a saint by Thursday!” That oldtime admonition may look like another of those handy alibis that can excuse us from trying for our best. Yet a closer view reveals just the contrary.Continue reading “Imaginary Perfection – As Bill Sees It #181”
You Are Not Your Mind – The Power Of Now By Eckhart Tolle
Chapter 1 Extract – THE GREATEST OBSTACLE TO ENLIGHTENMENT Enlightenment — what is that? A beggar had been sitting by the side of a road for over thirty years. One day a stranger walked by. “Spare some change?” mumbled the beggar, mechanically holding out his old baseball cap. “I have nothing to give you,” saidContinue reading “You Are Not Your Mind – The Power Of Now By Eckhart Tolle”
Freeing Yourself From Your Mind – The Power of Now By Eckhart Tolle
Many years ago I found the book ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle an outstanding practical way to take my ‘monkey mind’ of endless thoughts of past and future and use it to discover a stillness, peace and power in the present moment … what I like to call ‘the Present of the present’.Continue reading “Freeing Yourself From Your Mind – The Power of Now By Eckhart Tolle”
Accepting Ourselves As Works In Progress – A Spiritual Principle A Day August 8th
“A spiritual understanding of self-acceptance is knowing that it is all right to find ourselves in pain, to have made mistakes, and to know that we are not perfect.” IP #19, Self-Acceptance, “The Twelve Steps are the solution” “Change is a process, not an event,” we often say–because we find it to be true! TheContinue reading “Accepting Ourselves As Works In Progress – A Spiritual Principle A Day August 8th”