Translated by Coleman Barks This being human is a guest house.Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness,some momentary awareness comesas an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all!Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,who violently sweep your houseempty of its furniture,still, treat each guest honorably.He may be clearing you outfor someContinue reading “The Guest House – By Jalaluddin Rumi”
Category Archives: Relationships
4th Step/10th Step Emotional Sobriety Worksheet By Dr. Allen Berger
Introduction – Bruce M. This post introduces a worksheet that Dr. Allen Berger uses in his book 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety. As you may know, Dr. Berger has over 50 years of sobriety and is a Gestalt therapist specializing in addiction and recovery. You can find other articles from Dr. Berger in theContinue reading “4th Step/10th Step Emotional Sobriety Worksheet By Dr. Allen Berger”
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.”
My Best Friend – Grapevine Article March 2025 By L.G.
Once alone and full of self-pity, she made a decision to let Step Three introduce her to a partner for life When I came into AA, my will was pretty much dead. I didn’t want to quit drinking and definitely didn’t want to be an alcoholic, but that was where I fit, on the bottomContinue reading “My Best Friend – Grapevine Article March 2025 By L.G.”
How Our Character Is Revealed By Our Emotions – Practice These Principles By Ray A.
Our moral inventory as laid out in the Big Book is an examination of our character flaws as they relate to three emotions. These are anger, resentment, and fear. We make a list of the people we are angry at and note next to each the “cause” of our resentments (our perception of what theyContinue reading “How Our Character Is Revealed By Our Emotions – Practice These Principles By Ray A.”
4th Step Inventory – Phase 1 – Flaws & Assets Evaluation By Bruce M.
Let’s begin the 4th step inventory process with a focus on the big picture before we get down into the many details this process suggests. This is consistent with the instructions in the Big Book to ‘first, we searched out the flaws in our make-up which caused us failure’ (BB p.64). AA Big Book pagesContinue reading “4th Step Inventory – Phase 1 – Flaws & Assets Evaluation By Bruce M.”
Getting To Know Our Differentiated Self – 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety By Dr. Allen Berger
I think there is a strong connection between this article and what I like to call the ‘mini-steps’ suggested as responses to a spot inventory of what disturbs us. These mini-steps are suggested in the Twelve £ Twelve in Step 10. Specifically, I see this article as very prescriptive when I find myself taking thingsContinue reading “Getting To Know Our Differentiated Self – 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety By Dr. Allen Berger”
Step 3 From Right Dependence We Gain True Freedom – Practice These Principles By Ray A
On page 552 of the Big Book, we find this provocative assertion “The only real freedom a human being can ever know is doing what you ought to do because you want to do it.” For me , my often unconscious, unquestioned belief is in freedom through my self will and the delusion that “IContinue reading “Step 3 From Right Dependence We Gain True Freedom – Practice These Principles By Ray A”
AA Principles & Purpose Are Portable – A Spiritual Principle A Day December 12th
“Being able to focus on a primary purpose and work creatively toward it is so much part of our way of life that we may not realize how valued that is in the world at large.” Living Clean, Chapter 5, “Bridging Two Worlds” The idea that what we learn in recovery applies outside AA isContinue reading “AA Principles & Purpose Are Portable – A Spiritual Principle A Day December 12th”
What Is Priceless About Our Struggles – Poem You, Too, Must Weep By Anonymous
I recently attended the funeral of a friend who lived a life filled with giving unconditionally to those in need, often in desperate situations. His family found many copies of this poem in his home. I had never heard it before and found its message piercing, moving, powerful. It offers a perspective on the valueContinue reading “What Is Priceless About Our Struggles – Poem You, Too, Must Weep By Anonymous”