Slogans
Keep It Simple
17/Jun/08
Before I got into recovery, it seemed there was
nothing simple about my life. Everything was
stressful, but I refused to accept that I was
under strain. As my denial broke, I became aware
that I was exhausted most of the time.
Then I heard the recovery slogan Keep It Simple.
I decided to let God deal with the complexities of the Universe and to tend simply to the few things that really had my name on them. What a relief! When I try to do to much, I become overwhelmed. When I keep it simple, things go much better.
Then I heard the recovery slogan Keep It Simple.
I decided to let God deal with the complexities of the Universe and to tend simply to the few things that really had my name on them. What a relief! When I try to do to much, I become overwhelmed. When I keep it simple, things go much better.
—Anonymous
Getting Ready
21/May/08
I know that I have character defects. I know the
pain and problems they have caused for me. The
Sixth Step will not rid me of these defects. It
only asks me to become ready. Am I ready?
Entirely ready? The answer must be, "Yes," if I
am to go forward in recovery. Entirely
ready is not conditional. I must be
completely committed to having God remove my
defects of character.
The slogan "Let God and Let God" is applicable to this Step. Letting go does not mean becoming passive or not continuing to learn and grow. It means giving up the struggle between my self-will and God's wishes for me and turning control of my life over to God.
The slogan "Let God and Let God" is applicable to this Step. Letting go does not mean becoming passive or not continuing to learn and grow. It means giving up the struggle between my self-will and God's wishes for me and turning control of my life over to God.
—Anonymous
Think
12/May/08
The simplest of the recovery slogans is
this—Think.
"Ah," you say, "We think all the time." Yes, we do, but what are we thinking about? Are we thinking about our troubles or our despair?
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians that they should think about "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, [whatever is] excellence and ... worthy of praise." If we are thinking along these lines, then we are likely to find God's peace before we take hasty action or speak hot words.
"Ah," you say, "We think all the time." Yes, we do, but what are we thinking about? Are we thinking about our troubles or our despair?
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians that they should think about "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, [whatever is] excellence and ... worthy of praise." If we are thinking along these lines, then we are likely to find God's peace before we take hasty action or speak hot words.
—Anonymous
My Own Business
05/May/08
Let's say that I want to focus on the meaning of
the First Step. If I push everything else out of
my mind, how might I rephrase it so that I could
understand it better?
Powerless over (in my case) alcohol causes me to wonder why, if I have no power over it, do I keep trying to exert codependent control over someone else's drinking. This thought leads me to wonder why I would want to hold on to the problem. Perhaps I should follow the advice of the slogan and "Live and Let Live." Perhaps I should just mind my own business and work my own program.
This does not mean that I no longer care for others. I should continue to pray for them, but I shouldn't try to run their lives. God cares for them as He cares for me.
Powerless over (in my case) alcohol causes me to wonder why, if I have no power over it, do I keep trying to exert codependent control over someone else's drinking. This thought leads me to wonder why I would want to hold on to the problem. Perhaps I should follow the advice of the slogan and "Live and Let Live." Perhaps I should just mind my own business and work my own program.
This does not mean that I no longer care for others. I should continue to pray for them, but I shouldn't try to run their lives. God cares for them as He cares for me.
—Anonymous
"Let Go and Let God"
15/Apr/08
To "Let Go and Let God" is the way we find peace
of mind. My stubbornness and self-will keeps me
from the working out of my problems.
When I finally persuade myself to let go of something that has been gnawing at me, solutions begin to unfold in ways that I could never imagine. This should convince me that there are things that are beyond my understanding. There are things that I'll never figure out on my own. I need God's help.
Seeing God work in loving but mysterious ways should teach me that He is in control and that I am not. The better I learn this lesson, the better the course of my recovery.
When I finally persuade myself to let go of something that has been gnawing at me, solutions begin to unfold in ways that I could never imagine. This should convince me that there are things that are beyond my understanding. There are things that I'll never figure out on my own. I need God's help.
Seeing God work in loving but mysterious ways should teach me that He is in control and that I am not. The better I learn this lesson, the better the course of my recovery.
—Anonymous
"Keep an Open Mind"
06/Apr/08
Twelve Step programs are full of helpful slogans.
One is "Keep an Open Mind." Now, that doesn't
mean that my mind has to be so open that my brain
might fall out, but I need to be open to the
guidance that the Holy Spirit provides. It will
often be found in the words and actions that I
find in my recovery group. It is less likely to
come from my own reasoning—after all, it was my
best thinking that got me in to the mess I'm in.
An old-timer puts it this way: "When I'm lost in
my own thoughts, I'm trapped behind enemy lines."
I need to remember the Eleventh Step and continue to pray for understanding of God's will for me. When I pray, "Thy will be done ... ," I must really mean what I say.
I need to remember the Eleventh Step and continue to pray for understanding of God's will for me. When I pray, "Thy will be done ... ," I must really mean what I say.
—John