Blog entry for:
Thu, Dec 25, 2008 09:17:01 AM
μ when i abandon my **know-it-all** pretensions and start recognizing the value of the experience of others, μ
posted: Thu, Dec 25, 2008 09:17:01 AM
i start living a life that is bigger than i am, that is more than just me, my name, myself -- i start living the principle of anonymity. well this is one day where i am hardly a faithful correspondent. i cannot make excuses for why i have or have not written across the course of time, nor i need to, i can say this:
MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!
okay the niceties are out of the way and time to move into the meat of my thoughts this morning. it came to me, as i sat and quietly contemplated, that i seem to read a different book than many of the people i know in recovery. i look around me at those who have more clean time and those who have less, and i seem to be on an entirely different page than many of them,. it is like i landed in a land where the language sounds like mine, but all the meanings of the words have shifted slightly, so what they say, sounds like what i am saying but what they mean is entirely different than i what i understand the meaning to be. it was like this once before for me, way back when i was first getting clean. i got from the morning meditation exactly what i got and it was often so out in left field that i would walk away from a meeting based on the reading scratching my head. i now know that i was incapable of really hearing what was being said, back then, because i was more concerned about looking like i was in recovery, than actually living a program of recovery. so based on that experience, as i think on what the state of namelessness means to me, on this bright and sunny morning, what i **HEAR** is that i am part of the whole, and it is important for me, to be a part of the process, not the driving force, nor even the squeaky wheel that needs to be oiled. i am responsible for my recovery, and part of that is to respect all of those with whom i come in contact whether they are just posing or not. i have experienced what it means to be a poser in recovery, and i understand how far it took me from where i needed to be. i also have experienced what it means for this addict to think he is a big fish in a very small pond, and that is a direction i need not travel again either. where i am going in the long run, is really irrelevant, where the fellowship is going in the long run is also irrelevant. my ideas, my passions and my energy will not be co-opted by someone with an agenda any more, i will add them to the mix, participate in the process and give freely of what i have, letting go of whether or not the gifts i am offering up are accepted by the greater whole.
i can contribute this morning without having to be recognized, i need not leave a mark on the world to feel better about myself, as i am coming to see that such marks are fleeting at best, and yes it is nice to be the **flavor of the month**, or the member everyone loves to oppose, but such antics are no longer appealing to me, at least this morning.
so i am certain i have rambled on about not much of anything for long enough, i do need to go burn off some holiday goodies, before and after the fact, so happey holidays all, and to all a good night.
MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!
okay the niceties are out of the way and time to move into the meat of my thoughts this morning. it came to me, as i sat and quietly contemplated, that i seem to read a different book than many of the people i know in recovery. i look around me at those who have more clean time and those who have less, and i seem to be on an entirely different page than many of them,. it is like i landed in a land where the language sounds like mine, but all the meanings of the words have shifted slightly, so what they say, sounds like what i am saying but what they mean is entirely different than i what i understand the meaning to be. it was like this once before for me, way back when i was first getting clean. i got from the morning meditation exactly what i got and it was often so out in left field that i would walk away from a meeting based on the reading scratching my head. i now know that i was incapable of really hearing what was being said, back then, because i was more concerned about looking like i was in recovery, than actually living a program of recovery. so based on that experience, as i think on what the state of namelessness means to me, on this bright and sunny morning, what i **HEAR** is that i am part of the whole, and it is important for me, to be a part of the process, not the driving force, nor even the squeaky wheel that needs to be oiled. i am responsible for my recovery, and part of that is to respect all of those with whom i come in contact whether they are just posing or not. i have experienced what it means to be a poser in recovery, and i understand how far it took me from where i needed to be. i also have experienced what it means for this addict to think he is a big fish in a very small pond, and that is a direction i need not travel again either. where i am going in the long run, is really irrelevant, where the fellowship is going in the long run is also irrelevant. my ideas, my passions and my energy will not be co-opted by someone with an agenda any more, i will add them to the mix, participate in the process and give freely of what i have, letting go of whether or not the gifts i am offering up are accepted by the greater whole.
i can contribute this morning without having to be recognized, i need not leave a mark on the world to feel better about myself, as i am coming to see that such marks are fleeting at best, and yes it is nice to be the **flavor of the month**, or the member everyone loves to oppose, but such antics are no longer appealing to me, at least this morning.
so i am certain i have rambled on about not much of anything for long enough, i do need to go burn off some holiday goodies, before and after the fact, so happey holidays all, and to all a good night.
∞ DT ∞
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.
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!
α selflessness and anonymity ω 126 words ➥ Sunday, December 25, 2005 by: donnot∞ the principle of selflessness does a lot more than just make me feel better -- it helps me live better. ∞ 301 words ➥ Tuesday, December 25, 2007 by: donnot
λ the word anonymity itself means namelessness λ 484 words ➥ Friday, December 25, 2009 by: donnot
∗ my drive for personal gain brought me and those around me so much pain in the past ∗ 797 words ➥ Saturday, December 25, 2010 by: donnot
¡ HIGHER POWER, please free me from self-will ! 578 words ➥ Sunday, December 25, 2011 by: donnot
£ when i practice anonymity, through the principle of selflessness £ 945 words ➥ Tuesday, December 25, 2012 by: donnot
♣ the less i try to run my life on self-will, ♣ 580 words ➥ Wednesday, December 25, 2013 by: donnot
× i start living a life that is bigger × 1006 words ➥ Thursday, December 25, 2014 by: donnot
❄ anonymity ❆ 610 words ➥ Friday, December 25, 2015 by: donnot
☃ seeking the power ✇ 694 words ➥ Sunday, December 25, 2016 by: donnot
🧠 more than 🤳 760 words ➥ Monday, December 25, 2017 by: donnot
🕴 more than 🕶 499 words ➥ Tuesday, December 25, 2018 by: donnot
🎅 the principle 🎅 564 words ➥ Wednesday, December 25, 2019 by: donnot
🚶 taking the first step 🚶 549 words ➥ Friday, December 25, 2020 by: donnot
🔎 power and direction 🔌 439 words ➥ Saturday, December 25, 2021 by: donnot
🚗 the drive 🏎 514 words ➥ Sunday, December 25, 2022 by: donnot
🎄 similar, 🎅 571 words ➥ Monday, December 25, 2023 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 1
2) Therefore when one is making the Tao his business, those who are
also pursuing it, agree with him in it, and those who are making the
manifestation of its course their object agree with him in that; while
even those who are failing in both these things agree with him where
they fail.