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”

Accepting The Hardship Of Anxiety As The Pathway To Peace By Stephen Hayes

I believe this article does a great job of exploring the phrase we hear in the rooms ‘what we resist persists’ specifically in the context of anxiety. The long version of the Serenity Prayer includes the verse “accepting hardship as the pathway to peace’. You can use this article to explore how to apply theContinue reading “Accepting The Hardship Of Anxiety As The Pathway To Peace By Stephen Hayes”

In All Our Affairs – As Bill Sees It #94

The chief purpose of A.A. is sobriety. We all realize that without sobriety we have nothing. However, it is possible to expand this simple aim into a great deal of nonsense, so far as the individual member is concerned. Sometimes we hear him say, in effect, ‘Sobriety is my sole responsibility. After all, I’m aContinue reading “In All Our Affairs – As Bill Sees It #94”

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”

Practicing Metta/ Loving Kindness By Tracy Cochrane April 2nd Reflection

As some of you may know, Wayne S.’s meditation teacher, Tracy Cochran, is also an author who has published an excellent book entitled ‘Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself’. We used an extract of her book in the post ‘How Meditation Can Move Us From Conscious Separation To Conscious Connection’.  Wayne passed alongContinue reading “Practicing Metta/ Loving Kindness By Tracy Cochrane April 2nd Reflection”

The Goal Of Willingness – Get Out Of Your Mind And Into Your Life (Extract Chapter 9) By Stephen Hayes

The goal of willingness is flexibility. When you are able to be fully present in the here and now without being judgmental or without pushing away experiences (thoughts, feelings, emotions, bodily sensations, and so on) you have much more freedom to take needed steps to action. If you are willing to have an emotion, feeling,Continue reading “The Goal Of Willingness – Get Out Of Your Mind And Into Your Life (Extract Chapter 9) By Stephen Hayes”

The Untold Story Of Your Inner Critic By Jordin James

This article does a very good job of helping us understand the possibility of healing the inner voice you may hear which seems unrelenting in its criticisms and condemnations … what many call your inner critic. The section of the website entitled ‘Healing Our Jekyll/Hyde Divided Self’ begins to explore this area and help usContinue reading “The Untold Story Of Your Inner Critic By Jordin James”

Rationalizing Away Our Recovery – Just For Today March 6th p.68

“As a result of the Twelve Steps, I’m not able to hold on to old ways of deceiving myself.”  ❖ We all rationalize. Sometimes we know we are rationalizing, admit we are rationalizing, yet continue to behave according to our rationalizations! Recovery can become very painful when we decide that, for one reason or another,Continue reading “Rationalizing Away Our Recovery – Just For Today March 6th p.68”

Emotional Sobriety, Spiritually Speaking – Practice These Principles By Ray A.

The relationship between spiritual recovery and emotional sobriety is probably a gray area for most of us. There may be three reasons for this, all intimately related.  One, we are not clear on what, practically speaking, a spiritual awakening is. The very idea of the spiritual being practical sounds like a contradiction in terms. Two,Continue reading “Emotional Sobriety, Spiritually Speaking – Practice These Principles By Ray A.”