It is untamed experience that threatens to undermine peace of mind with wild imaginings, making us feel very powerless indeed.
Knowledge IS a way of becoming Aware, but lasting progress in any program of recovery requires regular practice and review (i.e. Taming).
One of the most important things I have learned in finding 12-step support is this: Just like me, somewhere in the world someone I do not yet know is praying themselves into Awareness and Acceptance. "I am not alone," is a powerful program principle indeed.
A Higher Power is always Available. And I can make that important first effort to make myself Available to my HP, by keeping simple literature at my fingertips, or reading and sharing on one of my program's daily readings.
When my life feels "unmanageable," I can literally "touch base with the wisdom of the program the minute I lose perspective."
Even a newcomer with no literature can avail themselves of this powerful program at any time, just by asking themselves, "Can I apply one 12-step principle to a challenging situation, today?"
That's when slogans like "I Have a Choice" become your own. When a difficult family situation unravels your serenity, do you remind yourself that you have your HP's permission to admit powerlessness, and the Choice to "take time" and step outside for a moment of privacy?
After I survive a challenge or crisis, I can Choose to be in one-on-one fellowship, using our phone list. I can talk over my success (no matter how limited) with an EA or Al-anon partner. In this way I deepen my practice, and help myself apply these tools with more confidence.
Knowledge IS a way of becoming Aware, but lasting progress in any program of recovery requires regular practice and review (i.e. Taming).
One of the most important things I have learned in finding 12-step support is this: Just like me, somewhere in the world someone I do not yet know is praying themselves into Awareness and Acceptance. "I am not alone," is a powerful program principle indeed.
A Higher Power is always Available. And I can make that important first effort to make myself Available to my HP, by keeping simple literature at my fingertips, or reading and sharing on one of my program's daily readings.
When my life feels "unmanageable," I can literally "touch base with the wisdom of the program the minute I lose perspective."
Even a newcomer with no literature can avail themselves of this powerful program at any time, just by asking themselves, "Can I apply one 12-step principle to a challenging situation, today?"
That's when slogans like "I Have a Choice" become your own. When a difficult family situation unravels your serenity, do you remind yourself that you have your HP's permission to admit powerlessness, and the Choice to "take time" and step outside for a moment of privacy?
After I survive a challenge or crisis, I can Choose to be in one-on-one fellowship, using our phone list. I can talk over my success (no matter how limited) with an EA or Al-anon partner. In this way I deepen my practice, and help myself apply these tools with more confidence.
But I don't have to wait for a crisis; I can Choose to use my tools in the company of program buddies, or by myself. Day or night.
I can visit Step One, knowing that each new choice I make in my thinking, can "bring the most unmanageable situation into perspective."
Let me remember that "prayer is available any time, any place." My spiritual practice is one that need not draw attention to itself. Step Eleven is always there as a touchstone, an invitation for prayer and meditation. Those can be expressed in my yearning for peace of mind, or in heartfelt thanksgiving for my HP's guidance in my need for change.
Today achieving contact with my HP comes as I am more conscious of my feelings, and allow myself to express gratitude for each unmanageable situation. With grace, I am a work in progress when I turn my fallibilities over to the care of my HP (Step 6 and 7).
Yes, I can remember that my Higher Power is present all the time for me to seek.
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