Mr. SponsorPants

things

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

keep...positive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

if I can stay sober for 24 hours

 

 

 

 

As my dead sponsor (he who's wise counsel I miss every single day) once told me,

"If you can stay sober for 24 hours you can do anything for 24 hours."

That's gotten me through a lot of "bad" days.

Funny thing about those bad days is, sometimes, after you get through them, you find out they weren't bad at all.

Sometimes, yes, they were, and no amount of perspective shift or passing time will change much about them... but in (for me, many) other cases it turns out that they were exactly the right thing at the right time -- I just couldn't see it yet.

Take heart.  If it's a bad day, you can get through it.

And maybe after you do, you'll discover something good was in play all along.

 

 

a standard of Grace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

overvalue / undervalue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

two ways to listen

 

 

There are

only two ways

to listen

to someone:

Trying to hear them,

to really understand,

or

formulating a rebuttal;

seeking to prove them wrong

(even if only a little)

or me clever.

Strategizing my reply.

 

God,

help me

practice the former.

Sometimes

the latter

comes

all

too

easily

to me.

 

Dot was a mean drunk, but a great wit. And with wit often comes sharp insight.

 

 

we can choose to live in joy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

when I get a little too lost in comparing myself to others and their abilities or accomplishments...

 

 

 

When I get a little too lost in comparing myself to others and their abilities or accomplishments I remember this cartoon:

 

 

Really gives me perspective.

Sometimes in life I'm a penguin taking a tree climbing exam.

you just use the future

 

 

 

 

 

 

A provocative thought.

 

I think this might be true of me sometimes -- as an addict I am wired to escape or check out.

But I also believe that AA has given me powerful tools to remain in the present -- and deal with it.

 

In so doing, I have learned that while I may not be able to choose what happens TO me, I can make decisions about what happens IN me.

 

Once I get a measure of emotional and spiritual sobriety I have the chance to govern my reactions without losing my authentic feelings (as opposed to getting mired in what I think I should be feeling).

So I gain some clarity, eventually leading me to escape less and

be

here

now

more.