His Holiness the Dalai Lama often talks to me about pain and suffering, but he doesn’t use the terms interchangeably. On the contrary, he teaches that they exist together in the following way: Suffering = pain x resistance Pain can be physical or mental, and happens to you because of an outside stimulus—you slam your hand inContinue reading “Pain, Resistance & Suffering – Suffer Like A Marine By Arthur Brooks”
Category Archives: Freedom
A Fellowship Of Giving And Getting – Each Day A New Beginning February 1st
You were there when I needed you. You stood above all of the others with your strength and you guided me. To each of you I offer my being, my love and all that I am.–Deidra Sarault Each of us is guided while we act as guides to one another, throughout the day, throughout ourContinue reading “A Fellowship Of Giving And Getting – Each Day A New Beginning February 1st”
How Can You Roll With A Punch? – As Bill Sees It #71
On the day that the calamity of Pearl Harbor fell upon our country, a great friend of A.A. was walking along a St. Louis street. Father Edward Dowling was not an alcoholic, but he had been one of the founders of the struggling A.A. group in his city. Because many of his usually sober friendsContinue reading “How Can You Roll With A Punch? – As Bill Sees It #71”
The Faith To Believe In What Is – Grapevine Article July 1972 By J.W.
Faith must be structured in the bright light of truth as we see it THERE IS a joke which tells of God’s decision to grant a personal interview to one member of the world press. The duly elected representative departs, and all the luminaries of church, state, and the communications media gather to await hisContinue reading “The Faith To Believe In What Is – Grapevine Article July 1972 By J.W.”
The Light Of Rigorous Honesty Overcomes The Darkness Of Victimhood
I found the article below very helpful in understanding why ‘How It Works’ (BB p.58) describes rigorous honesty as a recovery demand in this way: “Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honestContinue reading “The Light Of Rigorous Honesty Overcomes The Darkness Of Victimhood”
Truth, the Liberator – As Bill Sees It #70
How truth makes us free is something that we A.A.’s can well understand. It cut the shackles that once bound us to alcohol. It continues to release us from conflicts and miseries beyond reckoning; it banishes fear and isolation. The unity of our Fellowship, the love we cherish for each other, the esteem in whichContinue reading “Truth, the Liberator – As Bill Sees It #70”
FEAR (Face Everything And Recover) – Touchstones January 28th Reflection
To perceive is to suffer. — Aristotle In this program, we have given up our compulsive escapes from life. Our escapes may have been through dependent relationships with others, or with money, sex, food, drugs, work, or emotional binges. But now we are learning to live without them, and this has brought us in touch withContinue reading “FEAR (Face Everything And Recover) – Touchstones January 28th Reflection”
Bedevilments Are Transformed Into Promises – Big Book Awakening By Dan Sherman
On page 52 of the Big Book, we have a description of what has come to be known as the ‘bedevilments’. The bedevilments are fundamental life problems many of us were unable to solve in our active addiction and perhaps in our dry drunk state of abstinence without the practice of the Twelve Steps. DanContinue reading “Bedevilments Are Transformed Into Promises – Big Book Awakening By Dan Sherman”
The Joy Of Living By Rabbi Simon Jacobson
This short reflection is a great way to deepen our understanding of what Bill W in the Twelve & Twelve (p.106) describes as the theme of the Twelfth Step ‘the joy of living’. He also uses a phrase I love to describe our experience in this joy as ‘life is not a dead end, notContinue reading “The Joy Of Living By Rabbi Simon Jacobson”
From Loneliness To Solitude – Daily Meditations January 4 -6 By Henri Nouven
Henri Nouven, in his classic book Reaching Out, has a powerful way of describing the new ‘response ability’ we can experience ‘with God’ as we encounter our loneliness. He outlines what he describes as this movement from loneliness to solitude. These three daily meditations along with their reflection questions may be a good way toContinue reading “From Loneliness To Solitude – Daily Meditations January 4 -6 By Henri Nouven”