The best illustration of gratitude I know lies in the story of Louis Braille. Louis was the son of a French shoemaker. One day, his father, working at his bench with Louis underfoot, dropped a sharp instrument known as an awl from the table. It hit the boy in the eye and caused him toContinue reading “Learn To Use Misfortune – Grapevine Article April 1984 By W.J.”
Category Archives: Surrender
Pause And Surrender – Why Getting Derailed Might Be the Point By Barry Michaels
Let’s be real, we have all been interrupted…especially when you’re in the middle of something important. During those moments most of us want to explode, especially on the person or situation that has broken our flow. As humans we struggle to embrace unexpected demands. On a deeper level, it is safe to say, our egoContinue reading “Pause And Surrender – Why Getting Derailed Might Be the Point By Barry Michaels”
Find Your Friend Within – Breath; Wake Up To Life By Prem Rawat
I love the reflections on breath from this book written by Prem Rawat. When first sober and very defiant in my agnosticism, I was able to find a way of relating to a Power greater than myself as breath. I knew my breath was absolutely essential to my life yet something I was being given eachContinue reading “Find Your Friend Within – Breath; Wake Up To Life By Prem Rawat”
Step 4 From Awareness To Admission – Chapter 3 Of ‘The Prep Steps: Setting Up Action In A.A.’ By Rick W.
Click to read more from Rick W and see articles about Step 1 and Step 2 . I find Rick’s short articles about what he calls the preparation steps from his excellent book ‘The Prep Steps:Setting Up Action In A.A. full of insights and extremely helpful – Bruce M. Step 4: The Preparation for StepContinue reading “Step 4 From Awareness To Admission – Chapter 3 Of ‘The Prep Steps: Setting Up Action In A.A.’ By Rick W.”
Membership Rules? – As Bill Sees It #41
Around 1943 or 1944, the Central Office asked the groups to list their membership rules and send them in. After they arrived we set them all down. A little reflection upon these many rules brought us to an astonishing conclusion. If all of these edicts had been in force everywhere at once it would haveContinue reading “Membership Rules? – As Bill Sees It #41”
The Need to Go Deeper – Grapevine Article August 2012 By Richard D.
Uncovering all the harm he caused in his drinking days restored his compassion for others STEP EIGHT: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Looking back, it is probably safe to say that I harmed many people whom I came in contact with duringContinue reading “The Need to Go Deeper – Grapevine Article August 2012 By Richard D.”
How To Surrender Step By Step – Take The 12 Blog July 13th 2024 By Rick W.
How To Surrender Step By Step Each of A.A.’s 12 Steps calls the person taking them to become willing to surrender something. While this is not an exhaustive list, it represents a really great place to start and singularly, one member’s experience. (Use this as a litmus test for yourself to gauge the quality of yourContinue reading “How To Surrender Step By Step – Take The 12 Blog July 13th 2024 By Rick W.”
When We Stop Negotiating With Reality – Take The 12 Blog May 2026 By Rick W.
Step One, Acceptance, and the Freedom Found in Surrender One of the most exhausting things an alcoholic ever does is negotiate with reality. We negotiate with consequences. We negotiate with truth. We negotiate with our own patterns, our own pain, our own powerlessness. We say things like: And perhaps the most dangerous negotiation of all: “IContinue reading “When We Stop Negotiating With Reality – Take The 12 Blog May 2026 By Rick W.”
Learning To Support Not Punish Ourselves By Dr. Kristin Neff
The most important boundary I have is with myself. It is not OK for me to condemn or hate myself. Instead of believing and accepting that judgment; I can pause and gets curious about this reaction of so much hate and disgust for myself. What I usually find is that I’m believing a bunch ofContinue reading “Learning To Support Not Punish Ourselves By Dr. Kristin Neff”
God In Each Other – Just For Today Reflection July 7th
We’ve heard it said that we often see God most clearly in one another. We see the truth of this when we practice our Twelfth Step. When we carry the recovery message to another, we sense the presence of a Power greater than ourselves. And as we watch the message take hold, we realize somethingContinue reading “God In Each Other – Just For Today Reflection July 7th”