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Dennis Merritt Jones asks a question that I have also wondered about for a long time. “You may hear fine but how well do you listen?” I have been talking with people and will ask a question. The response sometimes is “What?” or something completely off topic. This happens during both one on one discussions… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Listen and Not Just Hear

One topic has seemingly brought all parts of the world into thinking and in many cases obsessing about the same thing at the same time – coronavirus. How do you deal with it? This has brought many into a state of panic. Tried buying a package of toilet paper early in the pandemic? Fear of… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Deal With Everything Outside of Ourselves

What is Affirmative Prayer? Dr. Ernest Holmes, the founder was The founder of Science of Mind. He said that Affirmative Prayer is when we pray, we should pray believing. What a concept! It is based on the principle of oneness. There is no separation between you and Spirit. You and God. Or Allah. Or Buddha.… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Best Use Affirmative Prayer

Stress is real. Real as a heart attack! Stress can be all consuming. Stress is also an indication of fear. The Big Book lists fear as the core of ALL character defects. “I’m not afraid for me but I am for my family.” “I have always done it myself. Now I am not allowed to… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Successfully Handle Stress Situations

The Depression Season is the time of year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. While the media is full of mentions of joy, peace, and happiness, there are many who, due to their own circumstances, can not bring themselves to feel these emotions. They have lost a loved one, a family, a job, a relationship, are in… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Win During The Depression Season

With no religious or spiritual background upon coming into the program of AA, I didn’t think much of or about it. My prayers were limited to “God get me out of this and I will never do it again.” He would get me out of it and I would chump him or he wouldn’t and… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Believe That It Works For Me

The 1st Step states: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. This is definitely a two part step. As newcomers, many of us had a problem with admitting that we were powerless over anything, let alone something we merely ingested from a glass or bottle. In our heart… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Get A Great Start

“Resentment is the “number one’’ offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.”  (p.64, of The Big Book) So, what… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Properly Handle Resentments and Forgiving

Recently, at one of our meetings, the thought of CBA started rattling around in my head. This, of course, is Conceive, Believe, and Achieve. I believe that the most powerful parts of our makeup are our thoughts and, since we are always thinking, we are always creating. This is why it is so important for… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Best Utilize CBA. Conceive. Believe. Achieve.

One topic has seemingly brought all parts of the world into thinking and in many cases obsessing about the same thing at the same time – Pandemic. This has brought many into a state of panic. Many still are extremely unsettled. Look at those emptying grocery store shelves. Mass shootings, terrorist activities, you name it.… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Thrive in Today’s World

In the Bible Book of Matthew 21 it says “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Isn’t this a beautiful thought? This is the forerunner of “Fake it till you make it.” This sayings is one of the best pieces of advice that I ever received from my original AA… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Obtain and Maintain Belief

When I entered this amazing program, I was advised quickly that it is not a religious program but is a deeply spiritual program. It was not a temporary stop gap. It is a way of life! My first thoughts were “Sure, like there is a difference.” I, like some other newcomers to the program, had… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Utilize It So That Life Just Continues Getting Better

As was said recently, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a time when depression is at its ugliest and most widespread. We are all children of our Higher Power. As such, all were born perfect and also gifted with free will. This can be a wonderful thing or it can be our mad world.… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Be Happy, Joyous, and Free in a Seemingly Mad World

I don’t believe that I have ever seen an alcoholic who was not very intelligent. In the case of Alcoholics, intelligence has nothing to do with formal education. I know and have known alcoholics that run the gamut in schooling and the one thing that they all have in common, besides their addiction, is their… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Survive In Today’s World

I remember the confusion that I had when new to the AA Program. Had no background in religion. I didn’t know what to believe. The Spirituality guided mentors that greeted me upon my entrance heard this. I was quickly advised that this was not a religious program but was deeply Spiritual. Of course, I thought… Continue reading Spirituality How to Know The Difference between It and Religion

Prayer was not even part of my thinking when I was introduced to the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Meditation was something that was just something that I read about that “those people” did. It contained snakes coming out of baskets and a flute playing in the background. Upon entering AA, I was quickly advised that… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Learn Just What Prayer Is

Have you ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? As you neared the end, the big picture was probably in sight. You got to near or at the last piece and looked at the puzzle and felt gratitude knowing that there was only one more thing to do and it would be complete. I feel the… Continue reading Spirituality and Gratitude and How To Express It

We sometimes cross a barrier in our lives and came out feeling much better. We once called the time when we did that a “Come To Jesus” Moment. The Urban Dictionary explains this moment as: moment of realization. an aha moment. moment of decision. moment of truth. critical moment. moment of reassessment of priorities. turning point.… Continue reading Spirituality and Obtaining a “Come to Jesus” or Aha Moment Right Now

The time between Thanksgiving and New Years is generally called the Holiday Season. Many eagerly await this time of year and probably just as many dread it. This is the time of year where depression is at its deepest and ugliest.  The commercials and chatter on media are extolling the virtues of family togetherness during… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Deal With This Holiday Season

FACT: We are all born spiritual beings. This is always true. No matter if we turn into Saints or terrorists, we are spiritual beings. We are living in a spiritual universe. This universe is governed by spiritual law. Now, one may wonder why, then, do some act so wretched? When our Creator made us he… Continue reading Spirituality and How to know that it has really helped when I needed a boost

We start with AA’s beginning. Step 1 states: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol. That our lives had become unmanageable. I came into the Program knowing only that something was wrong in my life, horribly wrong. Since I didn’t know what was wrong, Didn’t know how to fix it. I didn’t know what an… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Begin Winning with Steps 1-3

Thanksgiving is a wonderful day in which we are conscious of all that we have gratitude for. This holiday arrives one day every year. Then, it is back to the “rat race” of life. On this day, we feel good for our assets and don’t pay much attention to our deficits. This is just the… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Feel and Show Gratitude To Yourself and Others

How does one deal with inspiration? Short answer. Any way that you choose. Long answer. What is this inspiration that you say you may have? Is it pointing toward something that is not pleasant? Then don’t call it inspiration. Call it what it really is. Namely, a continuation of your negative thinking. Did a thought… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Deal with Newly Found Inspiration

I had heard about the stages of grief after suffering significant loss. Kubler-Ross had studied and written about this. I had only thought about it the same way as I had thought of other topics that I had studied in school. That way was usually superficial. It was only “crammed” into my skull in order… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Handle Loss of Something or Someone That Had Been Close

When new to the Program, I felt overwhelmed with new, to me, information on how to live a life that is Happy, Joyous, and Free. I was at an all-time low in feeling that I was completely lost. Was not a happy camper in any stretch of the imagination. There was no balance in my… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Balance a Busy Day With Staying Sober

How many of you can relate the first reaction to being startled or surprised , especially if hungry or tired, with Anger? That was and, upon occasion, still is with me. The saving grace for me is that when it happens now, it is really short lived. I get over it quickly when I discover… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Replace Anger With Gratitude

I searched for seemingly forever for an easy, softer way to live. Life was just so darn hard and tough. The only places that I could seem to find solace was either in my basement. Then wrapped around a jug. Or at the bar. Or anywhere else where I could find others who were just… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Find the Easy, Softer Way

People who feel like many of us did before entering the amazing program of AA have a common feeling. “I am a victim.” Everything bad was caused by someone or something else outside of us. “Not my fault, man!” How many times have you heard this in so many words? Or said them? “Yes, I… Continue reading Spirituality and Enough With Being The Victim

I firmly believe all beings have a message that everyone would gain a lot from hearing right from birth into this human experience. How do we discover just what our message is? It may start out as I’m hungry. I am in pain. Happy. I am afraid. Finally evolve to I love you. It can… Continue reading Spirituality and How To Discover Your Message

Just what do you desire your day to be like? “What kind of a question is that? We can’t possibly control what kind of day we will have.” I totally disagree. Do bad things happen to and around us? Of course they do. Is everyone friendly when they are with me? Oh, no! Can I… Continue reading Spirituality and How to Choose a Day You Desire For Today