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”
Category Archives: Pause
Unacceptable – Grapevine Article October 2022 By Allen B.
Note – Allen B. is also Dr. Allen Berger the author of a number of articles in our Emotional Sobriety section of the website and the book ‘12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety’. I stood there in line growing more and more impatient. After all, I had important things to do. I didn’t have theContinue reading “Unacceptable – Grapevine Article October 2022 By Allen B.”
Acceptance Not Blaming Others Or Condemning Ourselves – Touchstone Reflection July 2nd
Fair play is primarily not blaming others for anything that is wrong with us.—Eric Hoffer As adults, we accept responsibility for our feelings and our circumstances. We haven’t chosen our own troubles, but we have the job of dealing with them. If a person falls and breaks a leg, he might say to someone, “It’sContinue reading “Acceptance Not Blaming Others Or Condemning Ourselves – Touchstone Reflection July 2nd”
Using Blame To Avoid & Distort Reality – Keep It Simple June 25th
When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that three of his fingers are pointing at himself.—Louis Nizer It’s so easy to blame others. Others are always making mistakes we can hide behind. That’s what blame is—hiding. When we blame others for our mistakes, we’re trying to hide our character defects.Continue reading “Using Blame To Avoid & Distort Reality – Keep It Simple June 25th”
Got A Pain In Your Feelings – Grapevine Article March 1950 By J.F.
Am I my own worst enemy? I’VE been in AA, and sober, for five years. But I still bruise easily–at times. Just when I think God is in heaven and the goose hangs high, something is said or done and–ouch!–I’ve got a pain in my feelings again! Ever have that happen to you, a painContinue reading “Got A Pain In Your Feelings – Grapevine Article March 1950 By J.F.”
The Power Of Pause … Finding An Unsuspected Inner Resource ….Your Second Voice – Mashup Big Book, Twelve & Twelve, Dr. Allen Berger, & IFS
One of the most powerful tools AA suggests for emotional sobriety is the power of pause or restraint when we find ourselves disturbed. This pause or restraint can give us an opportunity to find a conscious contact with a Power greater than ourselves. This article attempts to share some common ways to deepen the freedomContinue reading “The Power Of Pause … Finding An Unsuspected Inner Resource ….Your Second Voice – Mashup Big Book, Twelve & Twelve, Dr. Allen Berger, & IFS”
Accepting The Gift Of Now – Each Day A New Beginning April 15th
It seems to me that I have always been waiting for something better – sometimes to see the best I had snatched from me.–Dorothy Reed Mendenhall Gratitude for what is prepares us for the blessings just around the corner. What is so necessary to understand is that our wait for what’s around the corner closesContinue reading “Accepting The Gift Of Now – Each Day A New Beginning April 15th”
Discovering What I’m Missing – Touchstones Refection November 8th
Normally, we do not so much look at things as overlook them.—Alan Watts As we live our very busy lives, we might say, “How full and rich my life is!” But are we stopping long enough to look, to take in experiences, digest them, and grow from them? Or is our attention always focused onContinue reading “Discovering What I’m Missing – Touchstones Refection November 8th”
Finding Happiness Within – Each Day A New Beginning July 13th
The trouble is not that we are never happy–it is that happiness is so episodical. –Ruth Benedict Happiness is our birthright. The decision to be happy is ours to make, every day, when confronted with any experience. Too many of us grew up believing that life needed to be a certain way for us toContinue reading “Finding Happiness Within – Each Day A New Beginning July 13th”
How Meditation Can Move Us From Conscious Separation To Conscious Connection – Extracts From ‘Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself’ By Tracy Cochran
Wayne S’s meditation teacher, Tracy Cochran has written a beautiful book entitled ‘Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself’. There is a straight forward way to connect much of what Tracy outlines in her book to the spiritual practices we have in AA. I think a very useful theme to establish this connectionContinue reading “How Meditation Can Move Us From Conscious Separation To Conscious Connection – Extracts From ‘Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself’ By Tracy Cochran”