Being grateful brings me immediate release from any stresses that may be starting in my life. It makes me Too Blessed To Be Stressed. I say starting because that is as far as they get anymore. Gratitude has made me literally too blessed to be stressed. Once in a while, something will surprise me and I momentarily start to fret. But very quickly, just by using the shortened version of the 3rd Step – God Help Me, I realize the futility of it and return to being Happy, Joyous, and Free. If I awaken and start to feel stressed, all I do is ask my Power for help AND I GET IT! What do I feel grateful for? When I started this part of my Spiritual journey beginning with newfound sobriety, I was physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually bankrupt. As we will bring out, once started on the spiritual journey, my life just keeps on getting better. If I could start on this journey coming from the depths of my miseries, I believe that you can also. How, you may ask? If you are addicted to any mind-altering substances at all, including alcohol like me, I heartily suggest that you give AA a try and follow the suggested guidelines so that you can happily join others. This, my friend, will make you grateful into your innermost depths. How do I know this? When I started this journey, I was a 36-year-old Detroit Police Officer who got started, after leaving the US Army, as a bouncer in a locally notorious bar. I then became a copper when I noticed that, although we never called the police when the brawls were becoming too wild, someone usually did. I saw that the coppers that arrived at the bar got reimbursed by the city whenever they had a shirt ripped from their backs or were injured in a brawl and had the same “fun” that I did because of the action. I was also addicted to the adrenalin rush. They also were able to help people. From this “Great Start,” from the outside, it appeared that I was moving up quite rapidly but, in fact, emotionally and mentally was digging my hole deeper by the moment. Divorce, death of a child soon after birth, a son in prison for a long stretch, mixed in with professional advances and squandered opportunities, throat cancer, Internal Affairs investigating me, and a host of other misfortunes gave me a bit time case of “poor me.” Enter Sobriety with its recovery, acceptance by truly decent and loving people who did not judge me but genuinely loved me, and still do. I am here today hoping and praying that I can help someone else, not only to do the same but also to do it better so that I, too, can have someone/something to aspire to. As it says in the 2nd paragraph of How it Works “If you want what we have and are willing to go to any lengths to get it, then COD,” come on down. I am so grateful today because I am now truly Happy, Joyous, and Free and you can be too – but only if you are ready. If you are ready and willing, we are ready, willing, and able to do whatever we can to help you, too, be truly Happy, Joyous, and Free.