Blog entry for:

Sat, Aug 16, 2008 08:51:09 AM


∞ my only option is to actively participate in my program of spiritual growth. ∞
posted: Sat, Aug 16, 2008 08:51:09 AM

 

recovery is not fueled by wishing and dreaming, i have discovered, but by prayer and action. so yesterday was about unrealistic expectations about where i should be in recovery and today the topic turns to what i can do, if the progress of my recovery is not meeting my expectations. the ironic part is, if i am not actively working on my recovery, i have little know;ledge that i am not progressing. in fact i have no knowledge of the relative direction of my recovery progress until i end up stomping someone intro the ground. then it is oops, there i go again, what the fVck happened?
so the pair of these readings is especially poignant for me today, as i must place myself in a situation where i will be extremely uncomfortable and i will have to determine a manner of telling a fellow member that the are full of sh!t, in a loving and kind manner. it does not get any better from there, but it is what it is, and the time has come for me to stand up because i can no longer shut up. it is not their fault that i have reached his point, it is mine, because i have been avoiding certain aspects of my spiritual journey. but so it goes…
now that i have that land mine off the table, i can move in a direction that is a bit more palatable to me this morning. yes, i want all the gifts recovery can offer: loving equal relationships, the chance to pursue lost dreams, new dreams that were beyond my ken, and the chance to become a person i never thought would ever exist. those are gifts and not promises in case someone may be confused, and those gifts can only come if i work a program of recovery by actually participating in my recovery and my life, instead of blaming, rationalizing and justifying living by default.
what does that mean right here and right now? well for one, it means taking a day off from my workout because it is pouring rain. getting what i need to get done for my clients this morning. running to the PO BOX to take care of something i am trusted to do. and actively participating in a meeting that will be very unpleasant for me. and most of all accepting that these are the parts of life on life’s terms that i must deal with over the next eight hours or so. after that, we will see -- i can continue to dread this day or i can choose to look at it as a growth experience and the only way i am going to make it is to believe that all of this, is just what it is supposed to be, and all i have to do is walk through it with all the courage i can muster, and i will survive and even thrive on the other side. so off to face this day, life is still good and i am still grateful to be in recovery.

∞ DT ∞

 

djtConsulting Brand
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.

Another Look!

up or down 283 words ➥ Monday, August 16, 2004 by: donnot
∞ uphill journey ∞ 379 words ➥ Tuesday, August 16, 2005 by: donnot
↔ up or down -- it is one or the other, with very little in between, where spiritual growth is concerned. ↔ 351 words ➥ Wednesday, August 16, 2006 by: donnot
∞ my spiritual condition is never static; if it is not growing, ∞ 458 words ➥ Thursday, August 16, 2007 by: donnot
Λ if i stand still, my spiritual progress will lose its upward momentum Λ 544 words ➥ Sunday, August 16, 2009 by: donnot
¦ the STEPS are my road to spiritual growth ¦ 432 words ➥ Monday, August 16, 2010 by: donnot
⇓ this is my road to spiritual growth. i change every day ⇑ 555 words ➥ Tuesday, August 16, 2011 by: donnot
∂ the only constant in my spiritual condition is change ∂ 707 words ➥ Thursday, August 16, 2012 by: donnot
β i cannot rely on the program i worked yesterday β 557 words ➥ Friday, August 16, 2013 by: donnot
℘ my spiritual growth is not the result of ℘ 545 words ➥ Saturday, August 16, 2014 by: donnot
⇓ up or down ⇑ 465 words ➥ Sunday, August 16, 2015 by: donnot
✫ not the result  ✬ 517 words ➥ Tuesday, August 16, 2016 by: donnot
🏔 back to where 🏜 487 words ➥ Wednesday, August 16, 2017 by: donnot
🌄 not fueled 🌅 493 words ➥ Thursday, August 16, 2018 by: donnot
👍 wishing 👎 533 words ➥ Friday, August 16, 2019 by: donnot
👍 my spiritual condition 👎 440 words ➥ Sunday, August 16, 2020 by: donnot
🖖 is it 🙋 549 words ➥ Monday, August 16, 2021 by: donnot
🧞 my recovery 🧚 324 words ➥ Tuesday, August 16, 2022 by: donnot
🤝 a commitment 🤝 550 words ➥ Wednesday, August 16, 2023 by: donnot
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☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯

THE TAO TEH KING, OR THE TAO AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge

Book 2

3) He who acts (with an ulterior purpose) does harm; he who takes
hold of a thing (in the same way) loses his hold. The sage does not
act (so), and therefore does no harm; he does not lay hold (so), and
therefore does not lose his bold. (But) people in their conduct of
affairs are constantly ruining them when they are on the eve of success.
If they were careful at the end, as (they should be) at the beginning,
they would not so ruin them.