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Remember Mindfulness – relax your whole body gradually

Humour

American writer Kurt Vonnegut said that we should
stop being so serious: Jokes help a lot. And get a
dog, if you don’t already have one. Vonnegut
certainly knew a thing or two about recovery from
difficult situations – he survived the Dresden firebombing
during WWII because he was locked up
as a prisoner inside an insulated slaughterhouse. As
a professed ‘Christ-loving atheist’, his view of life
was to help each other as much as possible. Can I
keep an open mind and not take myself too
seriously?

There is not much to laugh about in the aftermath of
addiction, but in our grimmest moments we
sometimes turn to dark comedy, because horror and
humour are often two sides of the same coin. It is a
bizarre experience to recount one’s appalling secrets
to AA members who react with a nod of empathy
instead of a shriek of dismay. But how else should
we react to life’s great challenges? Absurdist
philosopher Albert Camus’ response was said to be:
Should I kill myself or have a cup of coffee? I’ll settle
for the coffee. Today I will take recovery seriously,
but not overlook humour.

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Step Six

Step Six is part of removing what doesn’t work for
us, to make room for new attitudes and ideas. It
follows on from Steps Four and Five where we
identify the defects we need to get rid of. It may all
sound quite neat but in reality, we are often reluctant
to remove bad habits. The softer, easier way may not
have worked but ‘softer and easier’ was a comfort
zone – it was a coping mechanism, albeit a
maladaptive one. We turn to our Higher Power at
this important moment because there must be no
compromises and we need guidance. Am I entirely
ready to go through with Step Six?

The French writer and critic Charles du Bos said:
The important thing is this: to be able, at any
moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we could
become. His use of the word ‘sacrifice’ is important
here, because it recognises how difficult it can be to
give up our old ways. To use another phrase that du
Bos would have recognised, ‘nostalgie de la
boue’ (the attraction of degradation) is hard to
remove. It is a process that may take time, but it will
be time well spent – another new experience for
some of us. Today I ask God for guidance as I work
to remove all my shortcomings.

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Asking for help

What is the point of reality, if you are not wanting to
live responsibly? Whether consciously or
unconsciously, this is the mindset of many addicted
people. When the real world is such a frightening
place, you might just as well be on the moon.
Unfortunately, the moon does not sustain life for
long and sooner or later, we have to come down to
earth. Our re-entry can be painful, some do not
make it. We will need help. Coming to our senses is
easier than learning to act sensibly. Acquiring good
habits takes time and application. Will I ask for
help?

In the Bible, the prodigal son spends his inheritance
on dissipation and riotous living, then ‘comes to
himself, realises his mistakes and returns home to
be welcomed by his father. Coming to myself means
living according to my better nature after years of
not doing so. The tale of the prodigal son is a
wonderful example of the goodness of human
nature. If I am to receive forgiveness, I need to show
honesty, humility and willingness to change, just
like the prodigal son in the Bible. Today I ask not to
forget that forgiveness puts a responsibility on me to do my best in return.