I have said many times that the way that I live my life is to work my program 24/7/365. To the best of my ability. The barrier to even trying this when new into the program, then even later upon occasion, was wondering how I could carry on with life. With my wife. Children. Neighbors. Coworkers. And other relatives and friends. And, at the same time, think that working my program was thinking ONLY about my alcoholism. My God. And attending meetings. This didn’t seem simple at all.
Wiser heads than mine finally prevailed. I came to understand that to just try to do the next right thing was working my program. This understanding came with the help of others in the program and my spiritual advisor. Didn’t have to constantly think that just one drink and all over. I know it! Just like I know that sticking my hand in a flame will burn it. Further more, just like I know that stepping in front of a truck will probably end my earthly experience. Just like I know that jumping from the roof of a tall building will not be assisted “Angel assisted.” Because no wings will magically sprout from my back. Simple but not easy!
I do not know these things because I read them in a text. Or heard them espoused by a professor or teacher. I must keep things simple to really understand. This is known because I can feel that it is true. How can I feel that it is true? Because I am a spiritual being. Living in a spiritual universe. That is governed by spiritual law. And have been blessed to have been shown this by loving mentors. Sponsors in the AA Program. Knowing this makes it very simple.
To maintain this is very simple. I must attend meetings. Get a sponsor. And not drink or drug. Advancement doesn’t come from only the number of meetings attended. It comes from taking part in the meetings that are attended. The objection to doing this many times is that one just does not seem to have the time to constantly pray and worship a Higher Power and go to AA meetings.
Emmet Fox answered this very well when he said this simple phrase. “Every thought is a prayer.” For some, knowing that every thought is a prayer is intimidating. Why? Because of the thoughts that occur upon occasion. For me it is refreshing because this means that I do not have to stop playing basketball to kneel and pray. Why? Because I use the shortened version of the 3rd Step regularly. “God Help Me.” Also the one used more often now, “Thank You God!” Then I move on with my life. This is how I can balance my simple life. With AA, Spirituality, recreation, career, family, and whatever else is jammed into my very busy life. And for this I am blessed! So, the only thing for me to do now is say “Thank You God!“
Please let us know what you think.
We can be reached at Spiritualityandrecovery@gmail.com or 810-965-6140 usually within hours.
More can be found on our other pages. We have an AA Zoom meeting, blogs, and a podcast. Also our Facebook page. They are updated regularly. We hope that you will join us on these sites. And please comment so that we can share with each other our experiences, strengths, and hopes. The Zoom meeting is every Monday through Friday, 3:00 PM EST. Meeting ID is 6035280704. Password 399778. It is simple to locate the blogs and Facebook pages. Just search @Spiritualityandrecovery. For the podcast, search Spotify.com for Spiritualityandrecovery. On iPhone say “Hey Siri, Play the podcast Spiritualityandrecovery.” Or, “Hey, Google. Play the Jim Boylan podcast.”
Simple Love