Recovery Is Possible

18/11/2023

Sober Time's message of the day: Determination gives you the resolve to keep going despite the roadblocks that lie before you.

15/10/2023

15/10/2023

"Daily Reflections
October 15
MY CHECKLIST, NOT YOURS

Gossip barbed with our anger, a polite form of murder by character assassination, has its satisfactions for us, too. Here we are not trying to help those we criticize; we are trying to proclaim our own righteousness.
-TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 67

Sometimes I don’t realize that I gossiped about someone until the end of the day, when I take an inventory of the day’s activities, and then, my gossiping appears like a blemish in my beautiful day. How could I have said something like that? Gossip shows its ugly head during a coffee break or lunch with business associates, or I may gossip during the evening, when I’m tired from the day’s activities, and feel justified in bolstering my ego at the expense of someone else. Character defects like gossip sneak into my life when I am not making a constant effort to work the Twelve Steps of recovery. I need to remind myself that my uniqueness is the blessing of my being, and that applies equally to everyone who crosses my path in life’s journey. Today the only inventory I need to take is my own. I’ll leave judgment of others to the Final Judge–Divine Providence."

08/06/2023

Daily Reflections
June 7
LONG-TERM HOPE

Since most of us are born with an abundance of natural desires, it isn't strange that we often let these far exceed their intended purpose. When they drive us blindly, or we willfully demand that they supply us with more satisfactions or pleasures than are possible or due us, that is the point at which we depart from the degree of perfection that God wishes for us here on earth. That is the measure of our character defects, or, if you wish, of our sins.
— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 65

This is where long-term hope is born and perspective is gained, both of the nature of my illness and the path of my recovery. The beauty of A.A. lies in knowing that my life, with God's help, will improve. The A.A. journey becomes richer, the understanding becomes truth, the dreams become realities — and today becomes forever. As I step into the A.A. light, my heart fills with the presence of God.

🙏🏼GOD MORNING 🙏🏼

27/05/2023

"Daily Reflections
May 24
“HAPPY, JOYOUS AND FREE”

We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free. We cannot subscribe to the belief that this life is a vale of tears, though it once was just that for many of us. But it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn’t do it. Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate His omnipotence.
-ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 133

For years I believed in a punishing God and blamed Him for my misery. I have learned that I must lay down the “weapons” of self in order to pick up the “tools” of the A.A. program. I do not struggle with the program because it is a gift and I have never struggled when receiving a gift. If I sometimes keep on struggling, it is because I’m still hanging onto my old ideas and ” … the results are nil.”"

23/04/2023

A spiritual principle a day

8 MAY

Tolerance and Toxic Relationships

Another member found that amends meant not tolerating abuse anymore,
and felt she finally had permission to step away from a destructive
household.

—Living Clean, Chapter Five, “Family”

Preparing to make meaningful amends includes plenty of heavy lifting in Steps One through
Eight. These Steps give us a new perspective on our place in the world, a better
understanding of ourselves, and a conscious contact with a Higher Power. We gain courage
and self-respect along the way; these will be vital assets for us as we make our amends. A
sponsor’s guidance and the experience of other members shape our approach. With their
input, we decide what our direct amends will look like in each situation and how we can
avoid “injuring them or others”—including ourselves. The same network of friends and
mentors reminds us to put our name on that list.
Family dynamics and a lifetime of baggage can complicate some of our amends. Our
support group reminds us that holding ourselves to account does not mean tolerating
mistreatment. In some cases, we can protect ourselves from harm by setting limits; healthy
boundaries make for healthy—or at least healthier—relationships. In other relationships,
the toxicity continues to be intolerable, and the amends process often reveals a need for
greater distance. We can stop giving headspace to those who disregard our needs and
forgive ourselves for tolerating what was never okay. As part of our amends to ourselves,
many of us reevaluate how we use our time and energy.
Making our way through a list of amends brings clarity. Protecting ourselves by setting limits
of what we will and won’t tolerate is often part of the amends we make to ourselves. We
take responsibility for our own beliefs, feelings, and actions. Not every relationship can or
should be rebuilt, but the one with ourselves is definitely worth the effort.

23/04/2023

Sober Time's message of the day: Life will always try to make things difficult for you, but every time you overcome obstacles, you come out stronger..

23/04/2023

🔹Just For Today🔹
April 8, 2023

*HAPPINESS*

"𝙒𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢."
𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘛𝘦𝘹𝘵, 𝘱. 91

𝖨𝖿 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗉𝗉𝖾𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗍 𝗍𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺𝗌𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗒, 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝖺𝗒? "𝖶𝖾𝗅𝗅, 𝗀𝖾𝖾, 𝗅𝖾𝗍'𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝖾... 𝖨 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾, 𝖿𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖿𝗋𝗂𝗀𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗈𝗋, 𝖺 𝗃𝗈𝖻, 𝗆𝗒 𝖼𝖺𝗋 𝗂𝗌 𝗋𝗎𝗇𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀... 𝖶𝖾𝗅𝗅, 𝗒𝖾𝗌, 𝖨 𝗀𝗎𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝖨'𝗆 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗒" 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗆𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗉𝗈𝗇𝖽. 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝗎𝗍𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝖾𝗑𝖺𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗈𝖿 𝗎𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝖺𝗌𝗌𝗈𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌. 𝖶𝖾 𝗈𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗍, 𝗁𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋, 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗂𝖼𝖾; 𝗇𝗈 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗎𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗒.

𝖧𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗂𝗇𝗏𝗈𝗅𝗏𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖭𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗈𝗍𝗂𝖼𝗌 𝖠𝗇𝗈𝗇𝗒𝗆𝗈𝗎𝗌. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗐𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝖺 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝖼𝗎𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗇 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝖽𝖽𝗂𝖼𝗍 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗌𝗎𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖾𝖽. 𝖶𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗐𝖾 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝗁𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗋𝖾𝗌, 𝗐𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝖾 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝖼𝗎𝗌 𝗈𝖿𝖿 𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗅𝗏𝖾𝗌. 𝖠𝗌 𝖺 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗎𝗅𝗍, 𝗐𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖺 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽, 𝗁𝖺𝗋𝗆𝗈𝗇𝗂𝗈𝗎𝗌 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾. 𝖨𝗇 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗌, 𝗐𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽𝗌 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝖿𝗎𝗅𝖿𝗂𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖽.

𝖧𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌. 𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗍, 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒? 𝖶𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝖺𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗌𝖿𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇. 𝖡𝗈𝗍𝗁 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝖾𝖾𝗆 𝗍𝗈 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗎𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗐𝖾 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆. 𝖠𝗌 𝗐𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗒, 𝖼

15/07/2022

I want to tell you something — You have an appointment. ��I’m talking to somebody who has an appointment, but you’ve been disappointed. What happens in our hearts is that we get disappointed in our circumstances. We get disappointed in the people that don’t help us along the way. But just because you’re disappointed in people, don’t jump off the ship and drown in the sea. Did you hear me? Just because people let you down, don’t give up on God, who never will.

Just because you lost a job, don’t stop trusting that God is your provider. Jehovah Jireh. That’s still His name. Jehovah Ropheka. He’s still a healer. You’re still gonna get there. You’re still going to make it because you have an appointment by God. Some of the stuff that you’re going through right now is getting you to the places that you asked God to take you. Just because you don’t like how you’re getting there, don’t give up on it.

By faith, go ahead and say it right now.

30/06/2022

: Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

Never take for granted the value of each day. Life is short and unpredictable. The fact that we are alive is something we must thank God for and use our days wisely. LIFE is built around:
L - Loving Others
I - Investing time in people
F - Faith in God
E - Emerging into Purpose
Jesus never taught men how to make a living. He taught men how to live. We get so consumed with making a living that we have forgotten how to live. No matter what you facing, always remember that you were made for a greater destiny and purpose than what we face. Don't allow todays setbacks to blur the vision of tomorrow's promises, but rather allow them to push you towards your destiny.

You were made in the image of God. No one else comes even close to you in your personality and character mix. Each moment of Your Life is a gift of God - so treasure them all by making the most of loving God and others. Your Life stretches beyond earthly bounds into eternity. Living in light of eternity makes your Life valuable and changes your perspective. So don't judge your days by what you going through but rather by the seeds you planting because that is the harvest you will be reaping tomorrow. So plant wisely today and you will reap rewards for eternity. God bless.

: Father, I crown you King Of My Life. Help me to live a life that honors you, values others and fulfills destiny. Amen.
Have a blessed day Ahead

Please Forward/SHARE/Like to bless others

23/06/2022

Good Morning!!!



God grant me the Serenity

to accept the things

I cannot change;

Courage to change

the things I can;

and Wisdom

to know the difference.

Thy will, not mine, be done.

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*

June 23, 2022

TRUSTING OTHERS



But does trust require that

we be blind to other people’s motives or,

indeed, to our own?

Not at all; this would be folly.

Most certainly, we should assess

the capacity for harm

as well as the capability for good

in every person that we would trust.

Such a private inventory

can reveal the degree of confidence

we should extend in any given situation.



AS BILL SEES IT, p. 144



I am not a victim of others,

but rather a victim of my expectations,

choices and dishonesty.

When I expect others to be

what I want them to be and not who they are,

when they fail to meet my expectations, I am hurt.

When my choices are based on self-centeredness,

I find I am lonely and distrustful.

I gain confidence in myself, however,

when I practice honesty in all my affairs.

When I search my motives and am honest and trusting,

I am aware of the capacity for harm in situations

and can avoid those that are harmful.



**********************************************

Admitted to God............



Provided you hold back nothing in taking the Fifth Step,

your sense of relief will mount from minute to minute.

The dammed-up emotions of years

break out of their confinement,

and miraculously vanish as soon as they are exposed.

As the pain subsides, a healing tranquility takes its place.

And when humility and serenity are so combined,

something else of great moment is apt to occur.

Many an A.A., once agnostic or atheist,

tells us that it was during this stage of Step Five

that he first actually felt the presence of God.

And even those who already had faith

often become conscious of God as they never were before.



12 & 12, p. 62

As Bill Sees It, P. 126
© 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous

® World Services, Inc



*******

Grapevine quote of the day



"AA's greatest power is not in the program itself,

but in the examples of the men [and women]

who have followed it."



Walla Walla, Wash., February 1955

"Prisoner AA,"

AA Grapevine

© AA Grapevine, Inc. 1944-2014



***************************************************

PICKING A SPONSOR

The vital strands of spiritual influence and help

that went into the making of our Fellowship

were woven almost entirely by non-alcoholics.

The way glasses affect vision depends on

whether we wear them or drain them.



Many people say that sponsorship

is the backbone of Alcoholics Anonymous.

A sponsor is a member who agrees to guide you

through the Steps of A.A.,

answer questions and generally be there for you

as you travel through recovery.

Sponsors are Alcoholics Anonymous mentors

and can serve as a great addition to your Program.

You can find your sponsor at A.A. meetings

since a good sponsor will be active in recovery.



1. Get an A.A. sponsor within

the first thirty days of your recovery.

If you find down the road

that you have trouble talking to that person,

you can always change sponsors.



2. Go to as many different meetings

as you can when you are looking for a sponsor.

Many A.A. members with time in the program

only go to one or two meetings a week.

They also have a home group that they attend weekly.

3. Listen to people when they share in meetings.

Watch how they act around others before and after the meeting.

4. Ask others whom you have met how they found a sponsor.

It is also appropriate

to ask for recommendations from friends

or others whom you like and respect.



5. After a meeting,

ask the person you have targeted as a sponsor

to speak privately with you.

Make your proposal.

If he agrees to sponsor you,

follow this person's advice from that point on.

If you are rejected, thank the person and keep looking.

Source unknown

A poor drunk was despondent

was thinking of su***de

but couldn't figure out a way of doing it

without hurting himself.

A.S.A.P.
Always Say A Prayer



*******

Just considering................



"If we examine every disturbance we have, great or small,

we will find at the root of it some unhealthy dependency

and its consequent unhealthy demand.

Let us, with God's help,

continually surrender these hobbling liabilities.

Then we can be set free to live and love;

we may then be able to twelfth-step ourselves,

as well as others, into emotional sobriety."



Bill. W.,

AA Grapevine, January 1958

c.1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 288



Thought to consider..........



Sobriety is a choice and a treasure.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I shall tell you a great secret, my friend.

Do not wait for the last judgment,

it takes place every day.

–Albert Camus



"I believe in God, but not as one thing,

not as an old man in the sky.

I believe that what people call God

is something in all of us."

–John Lennon



**********************************************

Peace with the Past

Even God cannot change the past.



—Agathon

Holding on to the past, either through guilt,

longing, denial, or resentment,

is a waste of valuable energy

– energy that can be used

to transform today and tomorrow.

"I used to live in my past," said one recovering woman.

"I was either trying to change it,

or I was letting it control me. Usually both.

"I constantly felt guilty

about things that had happened.

Things I had done; things others had done to me –

even though I had made amends for most everything,

the guilt ran deep.

Everything was somehow my fault.

I could never just let it go.

"I held on to anger for years,

telling myself it was justified.

I was in denial about a lot of things.

Sometimes, I'd try to absolutely forget about my past,

but I never really stopped and sorted through it;

my past was like a dark cloud that followed me around,

and I couldn't shake clear of it.

I guess I was scared to let it go,

afraid of today, afraid of tomorrow.

I've been recovering now for years,

and it has taken me almost as many years

to gain the proper perspective on my past.

I'm learning I can't forget it; I need to heal from it.

I need to feel and let go of any feelings I still have,

especially anger.

"I need to stop blaming myself

for painful events that took place,

and trust that everything has happened on schedule,

and truly all is okay.

I've learned to stop regretting,

and to start being grateful.

"When I think about the past,

I thank God for the healing and the memory.

If something occurs that needs an amend,

I make it and am done with it.

I've learned to look at my past

with compassion for myself,

trusting that my Higher Power

was in control, even then.

"I've healed from some of the worst things

that happened to me.

I've made peace with myself about these issues,

and I've learned that healing from some of these issues

has enabled me to help others to heal too.

I'm able to see how the worst things

helped form my character

and developed some of my finer points.

"I've even developed gratitude

for my failed relationships

because they have brought me

to who and where I am today.

"What I've learned has been acceptance –

without guilt, anger, blame, or shame.

I've even had to learn to accept the years I spent

feeling guilty, angry, shameful, and blaming."

We cannot control the past.

But we can transform it by allowing ourselves

to heal from it and by accepting it

with love for others and ourselves.

I know, because that woman is me.

Today, I will begin being

grateful for my past.

I cannot change what happened,

but I can transform the past

by owning my power,

now, to accept, heal, and learn from it.



*******

ALKIESPEAK – Book – Quote



I didn’t know how you could see

that I was a newcomer.

The fact that I’d been wearing

the same dress for a week

might have been a little tip-off.

And that I came in festooned with jewelry,

and had gobs and gobs of make-up on –

which I didn’t take off at night –

I was like Elizabeth the First,

I just put more and more on every day.



– Lorna K.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Survival is nothing more than recovery.



–Dianne Feinstein

*******

HEARD AT AA MEETING



Hang around the barber shop,

and sooner or later you'll get shaved.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I faithfully, trustfully, have acceptance for God’s will,

and I therefore find serenity.



–Shelley



I must respect the opinions of others

even if I disagree with them.



–Herbert Henry Lehman



**********************************************

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \ (AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Meetings
^*^*^*^*^

Through going to meetings and listening,
and occasionally speaking,
through doing Twelfth Step work,
whereby in helping others you are both the teacher
and the student,
by making many wonderful AA friends,
I have b

28/05/2022

May 28, 2022
As we understand
Page 154

"We examined our lives and discovered who we really are. To be truly humble is to accept and honestly try to be ourselves."

Basic Text, p. 36

As using addicts, the demands of our disease determined our personality. We could be whoever or whatever we needed to be in order to get our "fix." We were survival machines, adapting easily to every circumstance of the using life.

Once we began our recovery, we entered a new and different life. Many of us had no idea what behavior was appropriate for us in any given situation. Some of us didn't know how to talk to people, how to dress, or how to behave in public. We couldn't be ourselves because we didn't know who we were anymore.

The Twelve Steps give us a simple method for finding out who we really are. We uncover our assets and our defects, the things we like about ourselves and the things we're not so thrilled about. Through the healing power of the Twelve Steps, we begin to understand that we are individuals, created to be who we are by the Higher Power of our understanding. The real healing begins when we understand that if our Higher Power created us this way, it must be okay to be who we really are.

Just for Today: By working the steps I can experience the freedom to be myself, the person my Higher Power intended me to be.