Friday Noon

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Fifth month,

Fifth Step,

The Daily Reflections

reading for this date

quoted from the

Twelve and Twelve

about how necessary

to longtime sobriety

and peace of mind

it is to complete this step. .

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Todays noon meeting of Let Go & Let Go group

took this reading and laughed their way through

the reflections of the character defects

that no one thought or knew that they had.

There were also a few remarks

in advance of Mother's Day where members

reflected on the patience of mothers and wives

who were kind enough to ignore the character defects.

As usual a great meeting

where all were grateful to be sober.

Many noted that there was real satisfaction

in working even the difficult steps four and five

when they were rewarded with a life

that was happy, joyous and free.

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ME

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Happy

Anniversary

to ME

4-28-1993 .

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A week late posting...

The Tuesday Promises Meeting was celebration day,

the last Tuesday in the month and there were two celebrants,

ME and a young lady celebrating 28 years.

Since I was the younger in years celebrating

I was elected to tell my story first.

I only lied a little.

Funny thing, it was the same story I told the last time,

in sobriety I can now remember all of the lies I told.

I am glad I went first because the young ladies story

is very strong and it would have been a hard act

for me to follow.

Even though the group had heard our stories before

they were still very attentive and told us

that they were appreciative.

We had a larger than average attendance,

not too sure if it was the speakers

or the pizza and cake

that brought them to the meeting.

I am making a promise to get current on the meeting reports.

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ME and the Boss

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Promises Group

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Tuesday,

5:00 PM

Spring Hill,

Florida

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Went to a meeting

and a bunch of drunks talked about

the fourth of the 9th step promises

found on pages 84 and 85 of the

Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

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"We will comprehend the word serenity

and we will know peace."

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Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly,

the group shared about when they first felt serene,

when they learned to quiet the noisy mind

and they found peace.

After doing the steps, mostly the fourth and fifth,

when the wreckage of the past was identified,

many first discovered peace and serenity.

For some it was following the ninth step,

when the amends were made,

when the guilt and shame were relieved

following the admission of errors

made while under the influence.

Many long timers noted that they

continue to come to meetings

because this is where they recharge their batteries,

where they connect with their program

and subsequently regain that feeling

of serenity and peace,

especially when life is throwing

lemons and bricks at them.

Love a good meeting, thanks to Bobby W. for chairing.

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ME

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Tuesdays Promises 4-3-15

The Promises Group

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Tuesday @ 5:00

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Ninth step promises,

#11 from page 84

of the Big Book.

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We will intuitively

know how to handle

situations which used to

baffle us.

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Great meeting as usual, lots of strength and hope

shared by all who participated.

The person who selected this promise related that

their sponsor had recently died but because of

what he learned in the rooms it was not a reason

to drink.

Many others who knew the deceased

praised his recovery and his example of how

the program should be lived.

Great to see a few new faces at the meeting.

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ME and the Boss

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Saturday

February 21, 2015

1: 00  PM

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A friend has recently started

a Saturday afternoon meeting.

A few of us are showing up regularly however,

more support will be needed to keep the meeting going.

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It only takes two to have a meeting

and we were fortunate to have more than a few attend.

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Great meeting with the topic of "One day at a time"

The sharing related stories when, as new comers,

the thought was not drinking one day at a time

and as the twenty four hours passed the program

worked its magic the thoughts become how to live

a life doing the will of a Higher Power

one day at a time.

Everyone shared positive messages

of experience, strength and hope.
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Keep coming back ...

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ME and the Boss

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Recovery...as this drunk sees it #4

   We are now going to assume that the individual presented to treatment or assigned to a self help group has successfully detoxified and it appears that they are not crazy.

At this stage of treatment detoxification still has two important influences on treatment.

Younger, more resilient bodies clean up in a hurry,

look great, feel great, what is the problem??,

I’m O.K. and I think I can go home now.

The patient has just awakened from a relatively long drug and alcohol induced stupor

and the guilt and shame

that is felt once they realize where they are is

too much to handle, time to leave.

   Most treatment facilities enforce a blackout of five to seven days after the patient has been committed to prevent the patient from trying to arrange transportation to “Get me out of Here.”  The excuses to leave are as varied and as creative as there are clients in every rehab center.  Most alcoholics have been rightly accused of lying once or twice in their lives and trying to flee rehab is a suitable challenge to any alcoholics creative story telling.

   The second thing that must be understood is that the entire cleansing of the body and mind usually takes a whole year and many times up to two years. Many recovered alcoholics will describe the experience of total detoxification as an event where at a given moment, a year or two after drinking has stopped, there is a feeling that a fog has lifted from their brain.

Now begins the most critical process of recovery treatment.

   Through the use of personal interviews and introduction into small group therapy sessions the counselor and the client must agree to be honest, trusting and to agree to thoroughly examine why the client is in treatment.

Self realization is the key to recovery.

There is very little emphasis on how much or what kind of alcohol was consumed, when the alcohol was consumed or where the alcohol was consumed. The emphasis is on the consequences of the drinking.

Most alcoholics agree that they rarely had trouble every time they drank, but when there was trouble it was usually because of drinking. The emphasis of the self education is to have the client understand, in their own words, what control the alcohol had over their actions.

As an example: I had only two drinks three nights ago, because I said I was only going to have two. I had only two drinks two nights ago, because I said I was only going to have two. Last night I said I was only going to have two, but I lost count.

Group therapy is one of the strongest forms of assisting the client to begin self realization. In the normal 28 day, 4 week treatment program, there are two clients who have three weeks exposure, two who have two weeks, two who have one week and two who are just out of detox, recently admitted. By sharing experiences and learning to identify with someone who has the same apparent problems, the client is guided to self realization. A peer group admonishment is not as damaging to the fragile ego as a direct condemnation from family or other authority figures. A good therapist asks questions and allows the group to provide an answer or explanation. Are you being honest?

Many of the best, one on one, client therapist discussions end with the therapist recommending the client take the issue to their group session. Most clients who do not like their groups are incapable of being honest and are having trouble facing reality.

The group does not like them either.

Admitting that there is a problem with alcohol is the springboard to the next step of the treatment program.

If the alcoholic is trying to sober up using the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, they have just completed step 1.

“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable”.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Michael_e

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Satisfaction

To pay the piper for the mindless actions,

the abuse of the body, and the torment of the soul,

caused by those wrongs we have done.

 Satisfaction is the payment of a penance

for the sins we commit.

 To the mind that thinks "it's all about me",

the mental hangover is the guilt and shame

caused by being selfish and self centered. 

To the body that abuses drugs, alcohol and food

the physical hangover is a warning  of pending doom.

 To the soul that must tolerate the mental and physical abuses, the hopelessness feels

like that of one who is adrift in the middle of an ocean on a raft with no sails or rudder.

 Forgive yourself and make the changes required to begin a better life.

  "It is of practical value to learn to like yourself. 
Since you must spend so much time with yourself 
you might as well get some satisfaction 
out of the relationship."   ~  Norman Vincent Peale

 Make restitution to others, one can not have committed mental and physical abuses

on ones self without hurting the family and friends who love us.

 Seek atonement from your Higher Power by doing the will of your Higher Power

from now and forever.

Your Higher Power has already forgiven you for all of your trespasses and your abuses.

Yesterday is history, what are you doing for yourself, others and your Higher Power , right now.

"There are some days when I think I'm going to die 
 from an overdose of satisfaction."                          ~ Salvador Dali

 Be kind, satisfaction being paid in advance. Be loving, satisfaction reciprocated.

 Be tolerant and patient, repayment of some abuses may take more than day or two.

 For those who cannot be satisfied by your efforts to do the next right thing, pray for them.

 Be the person your Higher Power wants you to be and know that satisfaction can also

be the fulfillment of a want or need.

 When you have peace of mind, improved health, and an ever increasing flow of spiritual energy,

you will have paid the piper.

Happiness is being satisfied.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

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ME and the Boss

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Challenges

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A challenge is

only as difficult

as you make it.

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"Out of clutter, find Simplicity.
From discord, find Harmony.
In the middle of difficulty lies Opportunity.” ~ Albert Einstein

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The challenge to having a healthy relationship and finding true love is to know
what lies in ones heart, not in ones head. The challenge is to know ourselves
before we can offer our true selves to a relationship. To know ourselves is to know
our feelings, and to understand that good feelings make for good relationships
and bad feelings destroy any chance for a mutual admiration society to exist.

Good feelings are born in ones heart through a good seed planted by a good example.

Good examples provide nurturing of the seed which allows the seed to grow in
the sunshine of trust, watered by the necessary faith, and given the nourishment of hope.

All of God's children are good seeds, some are just nurtured better than others.
The real miracle of living is that bad seeds can become good seeds, if they are willing
to learn to trust, have faith, and love themselves and others. There are also sick people,
trying to get well, who can fill their lives with meaning and purpose if they to can learn
to have trust, faith and love in their hearts.

Alcoholics and addicts are not bad people trying to get good,
they are sick people trying to get well.

The challenge for the good and the bad, the sick and the ugly, is to get out of their heads,
and learn to feel with their hearts.

To meet any challenge you must have a plan.
The plan must establish goals to measure progress.
We should not dwell on the final goal, the destination of life, but we must learn to
concentrate on the journey of our life, starting with today.

Trust in your Higher Power to give you a long and wonderful life, and if you put together
a long stream of good days in service to self, others and your Higher Power, the rewards
of having lived a wonderful life, happy, joyous and free, will be yours.

Have faith, even some bad seeds turn out to be beautiful wild flowers.

Trust in your Higher Power, know that all fruits and vegetables grow from a single seed.
Today, be the flower that bears the fruit to nourish the world.
Today, know that there are tomatoes, potatoes and roses and your choice should allow you
to be just as God wants you to be, not as what others expect of you.

Today, if you are a cucumber, do not get pickled, because once a pickle, always a pickle
and you cannot become a cucumber again.. Make sure "you" are healthy before you go
picking a soul mate. Seek out the flower of a healthy fruit, which is just like you, so that
together you may do God's will.

The challenge of life is to grow, enjoy the journey, and leave this world a better place
for those seeds which you have planted

Have faith, opportunities will appear if you allow your Higher Power to help you plan
to meet your challenges.

May your challenge for today be how to do all the good things
that love and kindness have given you the opportunity to enjoy.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

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ME and the Boss

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"Living Above The Problem"

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to work with alcoholics,

we can't afford

to become

emotionally involved

in their problem,

or we lose all of our

possibility for help.

You've got to stay above the problem.

Now it seems like, maybe, that would be a cold attitude. It is not.

You have to love more to stay emotionally uninvolved in the problem

than you do to become involved in it.

The answer is not in the problem; the answer is in the answer.

I worked on my problem for ten years, and the more I looked at the problem

and the harder I worked on the problem, the greater the problem became.

It was just like fertilizing and watering and cultivating a weed.

It grew out of all proportions.

I think we have to be able to live above the problem to be of value

to those that have it. We don't get emotionally involved in the problem.

It's not that we love less; it's that we love more.

I think it takes much more love to release

than it does to hold onto." .

(Chuck C.)

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