Tag Archives: Recovery Journey

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 16th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly


Connection


Prayer is a multipurpose tool. Spiritual teacher
Anthony de Mello told the story of the poor farmer
who found himself stuck in the remote countryside
without his prayer book. The simple man could not
remember any prayers from the book, so he made this
simple offering: Lord, I am without my prayer book
and my memory is so bad that I cannot remember
any. So, I will recite the alphabet five times very
slowly and you, to whom all prayers are known, can
put the letters together to form the prayers I want
to say, but can’t. In other words, sincerity and
connection are more important than mere words.
Whatever my concept of a Higher Power, I need to
establish lines of communication. Do I
understand that in spiritual matters, words are less
vital than communication?


A rich businessman living in London some years ago
would keep a permanently open telephone line to his
mother in Italy so they could chat whenever they
felt like it. Prayer does not have to be a ritual, it
can happen at any time, but the more
permanent the connection, the better. Today I
will establish an open connection with my
Higher Power.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 15th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment


Recovery requires maintenance


We’re not in Kansas anymore.
The Wizard of Oz.
Indeed, we are not. We are in recovery and Oz is our
Rehab. The cyclone that threw little Dorothy into a
whole new world has been likened to the storm
created by addiction. The Scarecrow that she meets
(who needs a brain), the Tin Man (who needs a
heart) and the Lion (who needs courage) remind us
of the essentials required for change to happen.
The Wicked Witch is of course, our addiction. On
this day in 1939, The Wizard of Oz premiered in
Hollywood. I don’t know why so many children’s
stories seem to be metaphors for addiction, perhaps
it is in the eye of the beholder. Am I grateful today
that I can reflect on stories of all kinds without any
negative feelings?


Many things require maintenance including
physical health, relationships and beliefs. I must
maintain my recovery seriously. The Wicked Witch
may not get me if I don’t, but addiction certainly
will. Today I ask God for the wisdom not to minimise the need to maintain my recovery.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 14th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – sit comfortably


Power of example


Richmond Walker wrote the Twenty-four Hours a
Day AA meditation book, published in 1954. It has
sold over ten million copies. Richmond was a
member of the first AA group in Boston, USA and died
in 1965 after twenty-two years of sobriety. An artist and
a poet as well as a dedicated family man, he is a great
example of service freely given. The Little Black
Book, as it is known, was officially published by the
Hazelden Foundation in an amicable arrangement
with Alcoholics Anonymous. Richmond did not profit
financially, and his name did not appear as author.
Am I ready to do service unselfishly?


The writer of the Little Black Book continues the tone
set in the AA Big Book, first published some fifteen
years earlier: This is what I found, this is what I did,
do you wish to do the same, with God’s help? The
book does not advocate any specific religion. If I
wish to grow spiritually, then there could hardly
be a better method.. Today I give thanks for the
power of example in my recovery.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 13th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly


A day at a time


‘A Day at a Time’ is the best-known slogan in the
Twelve Step movement. It goes right back to the
beginnings of AA when Bill W and Dr Bob visited
a hospitalised alcoholic in 1935, soon after Dr Bob
himself sobered up. The ‘third man’ was called
Bill D. Talking together, they agreed that anyone
could quit for twenty-four hours. That’s what we’re
talking about, just a day at a time, said the two
founders. Bill D would reminisce about the
moment years later, in happy sobriety. He never
drank again after that first meeting. The slogan
refers not just to staying sober ‘a day at a time’ but
to living one’s life on that basis. Am I living my
life ‘a day at a time?’


If I take things a day at a time, I can do away with
all the remorse and resentment of the past and I can
avoid anxiety about tomorrow. Today is
manageable because I know that I will get
through it, whatever happens, with guidance
from my Higher Power. Today I give thanks for
the wisdom and example of so many brave
men and women who showed me the way, a day
at a time.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 11th by Chris B

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Giving up control

The Twelve Steps are a list of positive actions designed to retrain us in a certain way. They do not demand virtuous feelings or qualities such as honesty, gratitude, empathy, love and understanding – it’s taken for granted that these will come into our lives if we work the Steps diligently. God is mentioned three times, as is the term ‘Power greater than ourselves’. The wording of Step Twelve highlights the probability that anyone completing the Steps will experience a spiritual awakening as a result. This should not alarm anyone sincerely wanting change, because it is only through embracing new ideas that change happens. Am I sincere in my wish to change?

The idea of letting go of control over one’s life can be frightening but, as an addicted person, I have already lost control – my addiction has taken over. Accepting this, I feel relief. But, by handing over to my Higher Power, I will gain something better – guidance.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 10th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Power of example

The characters in the Winnie the Pooh books make a good therapy group. It’s quite a well-known view that they all present with some form of diagnosable mental illness: Pooh (ADD), Tigger (ADHD), Rabbit (OCD), Roo (Autism), Eeyore (Depression), Piglet (Anxiety) and Christopher Robin (Schizophrenia). This anthropomorphic cast and their stories are a brilliant allegory of real life and also a great learning tool for anyone with social awkwardness or anxieties. The characters interact with each other naturally and are ready to listen and to learn. As a collective example of honesty, openness and willingness to change, they take some beating. They also demonstrate how a therapeutic community heal its members through power of example and unconditional positive regard. Can I learn from the example of others?

Promise me you’ll always remember you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh. That is quite a good description of the Serenity Prayer’s message. Today I give thanks for the healing power of the example of others.

Daily Read8ng from Recovery Days August 7th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Awareness

Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful in your life.
Mark Twain.

We are what we think – every day, the thoughts that arise in our minds become our awareness. Thus, it makes sense to spend some time at the start of each day in composing ourselves into a peaceful frame of mind, where we recognise the gratitude for our lives and review our expectations for the day ahead. Will I make time each day to compose my thoughts and review my attitudes and expectations?

Self-awareness leads to self-knowledge. I watch how I react to other people. If I become angry, I ask myself: why? If I am anxious, I explore the reasons. Gradually, I start to identify feelings that have been distorted by my thinking. A farmer once put an eagle’s egg into a chicken coop and the bird grew up thinking that it was a chicken. One day, another eagle flew high overhead and the eagle-chicken thought to itself: I wish I could do that, but I’m just an ordinary chicken. It never learnt to fly. Anon. We are not chickens. Today I will use the powers of understanding that have been given to me, so that I will recognise reality in my life.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 4 by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – relax your whole body gradually

Love

Much has been written about love over the centuries, yet it remains partly a mystery. Is it a feeling or an activity, dependence or nurture, selfless or selfish? It has been described as mutual therapy and also as a mutual torture. Most of us long for it and much of mental illness is said to consist of the absence of love. It is also said that therapy works best where the therapist gives unconditional love. The Twelve Steps are a form of therapy, so it is just as well that love plays a big part there. An even greater force for AA’s unity is our compelling love for our fellow members and for our principles. Bill W. Do I feel the love that exists in the fellowships?

There is contemplative love and love in action. When I work the Twelve Steps, I experience both – the service I do, the amends I make to those I have hurt and the message I carry to struggling people are all examples of love in action, whereas my relationship with my Higher Power is usually love in contemplation. Both have their important place in my recovery. Today I give thanks for the love that I find in the fellowships.

August 3

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Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly

Relationships

Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly Relationships Self-discovery and interpersonal skills can be learnt in many ways. Most addicted people fail to learn these skills naturally because their addiction takes over. They are often advised to start by building a relationship with an animal. With animals present, the interaction is a metaphor. People’s everyday struggles with themselves and other human relationships are replicated. Different behaviours – trusting, asking for help, showing assertiveness and respect are important life skills that can be practised. Do I recognise the need to practise interpersonal skills before embarking on serious relationships?

Love instead of selfishness, connection instead of escapism, acceptance instead of perfectionism. These are some of the attitudes that I need to adjust to. I must put in the work because they won’t just happen by themselves. My relationships need to be compatible with my own values and principles, so it is in my best interests to make them right. I must learn to trust others, to ask for help when in need and to give to others when asked.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 1 by Chris B

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Balancing needs

If you have been addicted and thus, someone who puts themselves first all the time, you will likely have caused a lot of damage to others. Steps Eight and Nine are about making amends. You identify those you have harmed. Then, in Step Nine you first divide that list into people that you can approach and those that it would be better not to contact because it would reopen old wounds. At this important moment you should consult your sponsor or a person you trust, for guidance. In your new-found zeal you may have difficulty balancing the cost to others against the desire to relieve your conscience. In some cases, more time may be needed. Do I accept that I must balance my needs with those of others?

The Twelve Steps are a blueprint for a happy life. These two Steps help us deal with the past, and teach us the importance of treating other human beings with the love, respect and consideration they deserve. Everyone has their own story with their own strengths and frailties which we need to recognise. Today I ask God for the wisdom to balance my own needs with the needs of others.