One of the great diseases of our culture is self-loathing. Many of us internalize an “inner critic” who is never satisfied with our behavior, our accomplishments, or even our thoughts and feelings. This negative self-belief is behind the crippling depression and anxiety that permeate Western society. Mindful self-compassion is an antidote to this disease. MindfulContinue reading “Mindful Self Compassion – Buddhism And The Twelve Steps February 10th Reflection By Kevin G”
Category Archives: Resilence
Convey Not Convince – Emotional Sobriety Podcast – Dr. Allen Berger
In our February 2026 Emotional Sobriety Series, we’ve discussed how the power of pause can help us discover how ‘the best in me can lead the rest in me’. We discussed how this ‘best in me’ discloses itself when I find a ‘position of neutrality’ which has no agenda to produce some desired outcome. WeContinue reading “Convey Not Convince – Emotional Sobriety Podcast – Dr. Allen Berger”
A Fellowship Of Giving And Getting – Each Day A New Beginning February 1st
You were there when I needed you. You stood above all of the others with your strength and you guided me. To each of you I offer my being, my love and all that I am.–Deidra Sarault Each of us is guided while we act as guides to one another, throughout the day, throughout ourContinue reading “A Fellowship Of Giving And Getting – Each Day A New Beginning February 1st”
How Can You Roll With A Punch? – As Bill Sees It #71
On the day that the calamity of Pearl Harbor fell upon our country, a great friend of A.A. was walking along a St. Louis street. Father Edward Dowling was not an alcoholic, but he had been one of the founders of the struggling A.A. group in his city. Because many of his usually sober friendsContinue reading “How Can You Roll With A Punch? – As Bill Sees It #71”
Recovery As A Heroic Journey By William White
In his classic work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell described a dominant myth pervading the world’s cultures. Campbell noted that, in spite of their myriad variations, mythic stories of the heroic adventure shared a common structure: the hero’s departure, the hero’s transformation by great trials, and the hero’s return. Campbell’s portrayal of theContinue reading “Recovery As A Heroic Journey By William White”
FEAR (Face Everything And Recover) – Touchstones January 28th Reflection
To perceive is to suffer. — Aristotle In this program, we have given up our compulsive escapes from life. Our escapes may have been through dependent relationships with others, or with money, sex, food, drugs, work, or emotional binges. But now we are learning to live without them, and this has brought us in touch withContinue reading “FEAR (Face Everything And Recover) – Touchstones January 28th Reflection”
Cultivating Gratitude and Joy – Guidepost #4 From The Book ‘Gifts Of Imperfection’ By Brené Brown
Earlier I mentioned how surprised I was to see certain concepts from my research emerge in pairs or groups. These “collections of concepts” have created major paradigm shifts for me in terms of the way I think about my life and the choices I make every day. A good example of this is the wayContinue reading “Cultivating Gratitude and Joy – Guidepost #4 From The Book ‘Gifts Of Imperfection’ By Brené Brown”
The Joy Of Living By Rabbi Simon Jacobson
This short reflection is a great way to deepen our understanding of what Bill W in the Twelve & Twelve (p.106) describes as the theme of the Twelfth Step ‘the joy of living’. He also uses a phrase I love to describe our experience in this joy as ‘life is not a dead end, notContinue reading “The Joy Of Living By Rabbi Simon Jacobson”
Relational Sponsorship – 12 Step Philosophy By Steve K
In the context of 12 Step recovery “relational sponsorship” is an ongoing recovery-based relationship that supports humility, accountability, and spiritual discernment through honest dialogue rather than authority or instruction. It’s a form a sponsorship that sometimes follows an initial introduction to the 12 Steps. It’s not written anywhere within the literature of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)Continue reading “Relational Sponsorship – 12 Step Philosophy By Steve K”
From Loneliness To Solitude – Daily Meditations January 4 -6 By Henri Nouven
Henri Nouven, in his classic book Reaching Out, has a powerful way of describing the new ‘response ability’ we can experience ‘with God’ as we encounter our loneliness. He outlines what he describes as this movement from loneliness to solitude. These three daily meditations along with their reflection questions may be a good way toContinue reading “From Loneliness To Solitude – Daily Meditations January 4 -6 By Henri Nouven”