I’ll begin with a couple of reminders. First, progress not perfection … that true agency is a North Star I set my compass toward not a possession I’m expecting to acquire or achieve … I navigate with this aspiration not delude myself that it’s mine. Second, the Twelve & Twelve assertion “the more we becomeContinue reading “Finding True Agency & Empowerment ‘With God’ – April 24th 2026 Reflection By Bruce M.”
Category Archives: Insanity
Fear Of Financial Insecurity Will Leave Us – Twelve & Twelve Pages 120 – 122
One of the 9th step promises can be especially elusive for many of us …”fear of economic insecurity will leave us”. I believe the Twelve & Twelve actually goes into a very useful review about how this fear leaves us. It’s important to note that the promise isn’t that economic insecurity leaves us but thatContinue reading “Fear Of Financial Insecurity Will Leave Us – Twelve & Twelve Pages 120 – 122”
The Individual’s Rights – As Bill Sees It #134
We believe there isn’t a fellowship on earth which devotes more care to its individual members; surely there is none which more jealously guards the individual’s right to think, talk, and act as he wishes. No A.A. can compel another to do anything; nobody can be punished or expelled. Our Twelve Steps to recovery areContinue reading “The Individual’s Rights – As Bill Sees It #134”
Facing Our Darker Side – The Language of Letting Go By Melody Beattie April 2nd
“Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” – Step Four By the time we get to the Fourth of the Twelve Steps, we are ready to face our darker side, the side that prevents us from loving others, from letting others love us, and from enjoying life and ourselves. The purpose of StepContinue reading “Facing Our Darker Side – The Language of Letting Go By Melody Beattie April 2nd”
Pain, Resistance & Suffering – Suffer Like A Marine By Arthur Brooks
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”
Perfectionism – Seeing & Responding With Emotional Sobriety Video By Allen Berger
Below is an excellent 30 minute video that explores how perfectionism amplifies self hatred. The video also explores how we can learn to respond differently to the ‘should monster’ of our idealized false self we’ve created to be loved, accepted and have a sense of belonging. And, in this new response, we learn how toContinue reading “Perfectionism – Seeing & Responding With Emotional Sobriety Video By Allen Berger”
If You Spot It You Got It – How We Distort Reality With The ‘Blind Spot’ Of Our Projections
This article is a good follow up to a post I entitled ‘Changing The Way We See’. The articles ‘Revolutionary! How Step 10 Suggests A Novel Response Ability When We’re Disturbed’ as well as ‘Make A U-Turn As We Seek To Understand Our Part(s) In A Disturbance’ are also quite relevant to this topic ofContinue reading “If You Spot It You Got It – How We Distort Reality With The ‘Blind Spot’ Of Our Projections”
Living With Our Conscience – A Spiritual Principle A Day December 19th
“In the end, we are the ones who must live with our conscience. In order to do so comfortably, we must decide what is, and what is not, morally acceptable in our lives.” It Works, Step Ten Page 365 There’s some irony in the fact that self-centeredness can make it difficult to stay in ourContinue reading “Living With Our Conscience – A Spiritual Principle A Day December 19th”
Fear, Faith And The AA Perspective – 12 Step Philosophy Blog By Steve K.
I find this article quite helpful and complimentary to some key topics explored in the gugogs.org website such as emotional sobriety, toxic shame, and healing our jekyll/hyde divided self. I’d like to offer a few specific articles as complimentary resources/background to this excellent article by Steve K. Healthy Fear & Unhealthy Self Centered Fear SelfContinue reading “Fear, Faith And The AA Perspective – 12 Step Philosophy Blog By Steve K.”
Applying The St Francis Prayer To Our Inside Job Of Reconciliation & Healing By Allen Berger
As many of you know, Allen Berger is a leader in Emotional Sobriety. His book 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety is featured prominently in the Emotional Sobriety section of the gugogs.org website. He is a Gestalt therapist with over 50 years of sobriety. Very recently Dr. Berger gave a very powerful talk about how to apply the St.Continue reading “Applying The St Francis Prayer To Our Inside Job Of Reconciliation & Healing By Allen Berger”