Agnostic, Atheist, or Not. It works.

God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. 

- Voltaire

This God thing. I think that most of us, even most societies, are hard wired have some form of a god.  Looking back into history, men have been killing each other, and driving them selves to drink over "The God Concept".  Both sides "KNOW!  That They're Right".

But as someone trying to help another drunk find his or her sobriety, I know that if I get caught up in this debate, I might loose someone to John Barleycorn. We need to find common ground.

"Stress the spiritual feature freely. If the man be agnostic or atheist, make it emphatic that he does not have to agree with your conception of God. He can choose any conception he likes, provided it makes sense to him. The main thing is that he be willing to believe in a Power greater than himself and that he live by spiritual principles." -   From Chapter 7, Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous 

Bill W. Says it well. And it keeps the program simple.  I don't have to worry if someone is a Muslim, Jew, Baptist, Atheist, or any any of the other many -eist's or -ic's or... the list goes on.

There has been a rich atheist that had simply believed that the IRS (yes, the Tax Man) was the only power grater then themselves when he had first come into the rooms of AA. But it worked for him.

Today, I must not forget that even "baby steps" are steps in the right direction.

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Disclaimer, this blog is not an official blog of AA or any other organization, it's simply a fellowship of sharing experiences, strength and hope.   We encourage you to comment or to share your own experiences.    Sign up to our email list to get these postings in your inbox. 

Knowing when it's time to quit.

“Darkness reigns at the foot of the lighthouse”
Japanese Proverb

Sometimes it feels as if there is no hope. We're alone. No one understands us. We're either to smart, or to stupid. To Drunk, or Not Drunk enough. Living our life at the extreme ends of the galaxy. 

For me, it was looking at a group of people, and thinking they they were going to be lucky, and not drunk that night like I was.  Huh? What did I just say to myself?  "Those people over there are lucky that they will be sober in 4 hours, and can go to work if they wanted to!?!"

That's when the light was coming on in my head saying that I was getting sick and tired of being sick and tired. That maybe, JUST maybe, I ought to think about not drinking... But after I finish this 12 pack.  It was maybe another year, before I made it to my first AA meeting.  But I'm so glad that I did. 

"When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous, find out all you can about him. If he does not want to stop drinking, don’t waste time trying to persuade him. You may spoil a later opportunity. This advice is given for his family also. They should be patient, realizing they are dealing with a sick person." - Chapter 7 of the Big Book of AA.

Today, I'm glad that I don't have to be sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Do you have any stories of when the "light went on" in your head?  

If so, Please leave a comment!

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Help someone else, help yourself.

"It is often in the darkest  skies that we see the brightest stars."
— Richard Evans

I don't know about you, but if I find myself with some stinking thinking, I know I need to find someone to help.

To Quote Bill W. From Chapter 7 of the Big book. "Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics." And further on in the chapter he says. "Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends - this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it."

Today I'll do my best to lend a helping hand,  if called upon, as it really is myself that I'm helping. 

Bill & Friends On Twitter...

On some days, Such as today. I might not have the time to do a Proper post, or have much in my own head worthy of sharing.  So, I'll make a quick post of another AA or Recovery site that might be worth Checking out.

Today,  if you're on Twitter you might want to follow @BillandFriends

Bill & Friends
@Billandfriends
A collection of recovery quotes from Bill Wilson and friends. Anyone trudging the road of recovery is welcome.

The Toothpick Bridge Contest.

"Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across."
— Sun Tzu

When I was in grade school, we had a bridge contest, the idea was to build either a bridge for beauty, or for strength. The idea is an intriguing one to me today even.  To build something like a bridge out of toothpicks. You've got these little slivers of wood, that you have to carefully glue (no, you can't slather the whole thing with glue, silly) together to hold weight over a 12" span. 

But Regular bridges aren't to much different if you consider the scale. 

There are so many metaphors when it comes to building bridges that pertain to real life. 

“A bridge, in terms of its function, connects or reduces the distance between two points. In other words, it makes it easier for you to get from here to there. Sounds reasonable, don’t you think? But what I find most interesting is the word applies equally to physical and non-physical worlds.”  

-Robert Hruzek

I don't want to forget that it's better to build bridges then to burn them. Being sober allows me to do that. 

Uncertain Future.

"The future is no more uncertain than the present."
- Walt Whitman

Worry is a common enemy of recovery. When we were numbed up in the head, we didn't have to think strait, or we could blame it on the alcohol if we didn't. Sober we don't get that option. We're still messed up upstairs. Hence the need to work on our steps.  We can worry about the future... Of Everything. Mostly it's money that we worry about. Isn't it? It is with me. Money problems are also the cause for many a divorce. Money problems are worrying about the future.  Will we have a job?  Will I be able to pay my bills on time?  Those kinds of thing are worry about the future. Aren't they?  Ready or not whether we like it or not, tomorrow will come. We don't need to worry about it. 

 Today, I can give my worry to my Higher Power. 

When You Can Identify...

                                It's the one shoe kicked off that I can identify with.

I'd like to thank Randy N for asking me to join in posting to Sober Days And Nights 24/7.  I"m grateful that I've found another soul as a Driver (caps intended) who I can identify with.

When I found myself driven from a drink to a drink on a daily basis I had to admit that I couldn't do it.  I couldn't live with it nor live without it.  The one shoed girl was me.  I could care less how I looked to my family.  I'd race to the house for that bottle.  Once I had it cradled in my hands and pouring, I lost all caring about anything.

I had tried to stop and found I couldn't.  I had nothing to fill the hole that is left in us when we remove our addiction.  Nature abhors a vacum and when you stop an active addiction you better have something in it's place.  I had to change and I had not....result....back to drinking.  Plain, simple and truth.

Seeing the Poster struck me in the gut.  I had arrived at that point in recovery where it was time to be truthful or time to drink.  I had done the 12 Steps and was doing them again.  I had arrived at the point of action.  The point where resting on my laurels was all I was doing.  It was a repeat of what happened over 20 years ago and I knew exactly where that lead too.

I could identify....

And the Girl with the Big Book?  I wanted what she has....
I could identify there too.

When you see your life mirrored in the lives and art of others....

I can identify there...

Being Sober is not easy for a "normal" person....an impossibility for an Alcoholic.
But, with help and love from others it is simple.

Yeah, When I can identify I don't have to be the one shoed dude....just some one who cares.

Thanks Randy

Walt
aka Heydriver