As I have alluded to in previous posts, tapping into our internal blueprint for living–God’s will if you prefer–requires quiet, thoughtful introspection. Just one issue with that, when I attempt to get quiet I notice that my mind typically doesn’t easily settle into a serene, introspective state. Instead there is chatter. Not one or two…
Of the myriad concepts, principles and practices thrown at a newcomer when first entering Twelve Step recovery, nothing creates more confusion than the suggestion to seek and do the will of a Higher Power. Personally, I struggled with this suggestion in the early years in pronounced fashion. It still crops up to throw me from…
“We tell lies when we are afraid … afraid of what we don’t know, afraid of what others would think, afraid of what will be found out about us. But every time we tell a lie, the thing we fear grows stronger.” – Tad Williams The recovery process is often summed up as “Trust God,…
Holding a large butcher knife, I staggered to the master bedroom, slammed the door and dramatically announced I was ending it all. At least that is what I was told. I was in a blackout much of my last drinking spree. I had been trying to stop drinking for fourteen years. When I actually did…
You, one of the (as of 11/13/2014) 12,985 visitors to this blog, might be hoping to find sublime insights into overcoming addiction and mental illness. I’m afraid you won’t find sublime here. That’s the deal with real life recovery; each recovery story looks a lot like the stories that come before. We get sane and…
All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. – Ralph Waldo Emerson Following the principle of acceptance, Step Two tells us we got to get a little faith. But faith in what? Faith that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Please note, however,…
Oh that my more horrific drunken escapades could have sufficiently chastened me that I would dare not pick up a drink again. Oh that I didn’t have to work steps, make meetings, get into service and otherwise maintain my spiritual condition so that I might get my daily reprieve. But such is not my lot.…
My wife and I are people watchers. It might be are favorite pastime. What I’ve noticed over time is that as crowds pass by on the street, people tend to act like the person a head of them. People are sheep. I too, am often a mindless sheep. “But Rick!” you say, “You have always…