That which is lacking in the present world is a profound knowledge of the nature of things.—Frithjof Schuon Most of us have very narrow, limited ways of understanding what happens to us. We are generally practical and if something goes wrong we immediately begin to think of how to fix it. We take a cause-and-effectContinue reading “Realizing We Know But A Little – Touchstone Reflection October 30th”
Category Archives: Maturity
The Art Of Listening – Grapevine Article November 2024 By R.G.
Thanks to a good sponsor he stayed and kept an open mind. It was now his turn to give back I’m having a good time being sober. It wasn’t always like that. In early sobriety, I read a passage in the story Doctor Paul wrote in the back of our Big Book, but I didn’tContinue reading “The Art Of Listening – Grapevine Article November 2024 By R.G.”
When Conflict Mounts – As Bill Sees It #289
Sometimes I would be forced to look at situations where I was doing badly. Right away, the search for excuses would become frantic. “These,” I would exclaim, “are really a good man’s faults.” When that pet gadget broke apart, I would think, “Well, if those people would only treat me right, I wouldn’t have toContinue reading “When Conflict Mounts – As Bill Sees It #289”
Live Your Wounds & Befriend Your Pain – Henri Nouwen Daily Meditation October 9th, 10th
I love these two short daily meditations from Henri Nouwen. I see so much of what drives my addiction as an unhealthy response and relationship to pain. I have been a pain killer and am now learning, with the help of a Higher Power and my A.A. community, to be a pain healer. That transformingContinue reading “Live Your Wounds & Befriend Your Pain – Henri Nouwen Daily Meditation October 9th, 10th”
The Fine Art Of Alibis – As Bill Sees It #279
The majority of A.A. members have suffered severely from self-justification during their drinking days. For most of us, self-justification was the maker of excuses for drinking and for all kinds of crazy and damaging conduct. We had made the invention of alibis a fine art. We had to drink because times were hard or timesContinue reading “The Fine Art Of Alibis – As Bill Sees It #279”
Toxic Shame, Character Defects & Out Of Proportion Reactions
A few weeks ago, we read the short reflection entitled ‘The Trance Of Unworthiness’. That reading is a poignant reminder of how many of us lose proportion and consciousness when we’re triggered and believe we’re under attack by this toxic shame and painful experience of our unworthiness. We seem to shut down and enter intoContinue reading “Toxic Shame, Character Defects & Out Of Proportion Reactions”
Shame And The Meaning Of Being Human – Shame & Guilt By Ernest Kurtz
AA teaches that there is a wholeness in limitation. This understanding echoes an ancient tradition of wisdom, which saw being human as being caught in the middle, containing a contradiction. To be human, according to this tradition, means to sustain the tension of always being pulled in two opposite directions: to be more than humanContinue reading “Shame And The Meaning Of Being Human – Shame & Guilt By Ernest Kurtz”
Self Acceptance – Let Us Love You Until You Can Love Yourself May 2014 By Tony A.
Self-acceptance. This has been one of the most challenging, albeit powerful, achievements in my life to date: learning to accept and love myself as I am, period! All of my life I had been plagued with feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, fear, inferiority and worthlessness. From the age of seven or so, I felt aContinue reading “Self Acceptance – Let Us Love You Until You Can Love Yourself May 2014 By Tony A.”
Perception – Any Way You Slice It – Grapevine Article January 2024 By Claire S.
When I was about 6 years old, I distinctly remember placing my sandwich order with my mom and specifically asking for the jelly to be on the bottom and peanut butter on the top. While I closely supervised her preparation, I was horrified to see she hadn’t followed my directions, not even a little, andContinue reading “Perception – Any Way You Slice It – Grapevine Article January 2024 By Claire S.”
What Is Toxic Shame – Healing The Shame That Binds You By John Bradshaw
John Bradshaw was one of the most influential writers on emotional health in the twentieth century as selected by his fellow mental health professionals. He was also an alcoholic in recovery. His areas of expertise include addiction, co-dependency , trauma, emotional instability , and abuse. This extract is the preface to the original edition ofContinue reading “What Is Toxic Shame – Healing The Shame That Binds You By John Bradshaw”