Blog entry for:
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 06:46:13 AM
× i will strive in some small way to ×
posted: Mon, Jun 18, 2012 06:46:13 AM
make my community a better place in which to live. it is true, that when i was out there, the last thing on my mind was the damage i was doing to society in general. the symptoms that i knew that i was doing harm were there. rationalizations, justifications and denial, followed by a heavy dose of chemical bliss. as i mentioned to my brother yesterday, if one has to make a rationalization, one already knows that they are doing wrong. good deeds, stellar behavior and the next right thing do NOT require justification.
among my amends on that very first list was society in general and that amends has been made, and in fact is still being made today. each day i stay clean, i make a small difference in the world around me. each day i practice an active program of recovery, i increase that small difference for the better. i know that in the big scheme of things, i am just a small part, but as one draws their vision min to the local environment, i do make a bigger and bigger difference. it does not, however, really matter if i make a difference or not. after all, doing the next right thing for recognition and reward, stripes it of its spiritual character. oh the act itself, does good, but when i expect, or demand recognition, than i am stepping out of humility and into pride and ego. which was part of my problem to start with, and some days continues to be.
so where am i at today? well i may or may not be seeing a sponsee this afternoon, after work, i have to call and see. i am writing that dreaded FOURTH STEP and am smack dab in the middle of my second resentment, which is far more heinous and insidious than i ever believed it was. my instinct is to put it down and run quickly away from doing anything else in this area. my head and my heart tells me, however, that IF i want healing, THAN the path to take is to persevere through the ugliness, which i will attempt to do this evening. anyhow, time to start my drive into Denver, as they do not pay me, if i do not show up and give them eight hours of productive work!
among my amends on that very first list was society in general and that amends has been made, and in fact is still being made today. each day i stay clean, i make a small difference in the world around me. each day i practice an active program of recovery, i increase that small difference for the better. i know that in the big scheme of things, i am just a small part, but as one draws their vision min to the local environment, i do make a bigger and bigger difference. it does not, however, really matter if i make a difference or not. after all, doing the next right thing for recognition and reward, stripes it of its spiritual character. oh the act itself, does good, but when i expect, or demand recognition, than i am stepping out of humility and into pride and ego. which was part of my problem to start with, and some days continues to be.
so where am i at today? well i may or may not be seeing a sponsee this afternoon, after work, i have to call and see. i am writing that dreaded FOURTH STEP and am smack dab in the middle of my second resentment, which is far more heinous and insidious than i ever believed it was. my instinct is to put it down and run quickly away from doing anything else in this area. my head and my heart tells me, however, that IF i want healing, THAN the path to take is to persevere through the ugliness, which i will attempt to do this evening. anyhow, time to start my drive into Denver, as they do not pay me, if i do not show up and give them eight hours of productive work!
∞ 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!
once more with gusto 128 words ➥ Friday, June 18, 2004 by: donnotα i am giving back to the world around me rather than taking α 429 words ➥ Sunday, June 18, 2006 by: donnot
∞ today, with the love and guidance of members in the fellowship, ∞ 350 words ➥ Monday, June 18, 2007 by: donnot
↔ when i used, i allowed nothing to stand in the way of that next high. as a result … 469 words ➥ Wednesday, June 18, 2008 by: donnot
μ when it came time to make amends through my Ninth Step μ 457 words ➥ Thursday, June 18, 2009 by: donnot
℘ i found, when it came time to make amends, that there were many people i had victimized … 635 words ➥ Friday, June 18, 2010 by: donnot
¶ indirect amends are necessary where direct ones ¶ 747 words ➥ Saturday, June 18, 2011 by: donnot
¹ am i making my community a better place to live? ¹ 690 words ➥ Tuesday, June 18, 2013 by: donnot
ℜ i will make indirect amends ℜ 389 words ➥ Wednesday, June 18, 2014 by: donnot
⇐ i do not always know ← 404 words ➥ Thursday, June 18, 2015 by: donnot
🌞 indirect amends 🌝 710 words ➥ Saturday, June 18, 2016 by: donnot
⪏ giving back to ⪐ 631 words ➥ Sunday, June 18, 2017 by: donnot
🚖 allowing nothing 🚘 831 words ➥ Monday, June 18, 2018 by: donnot
😳 these nameless amends 😶 467 words ➥ Tuesday, June 18, 2019 by: donnot
🌀 making my 🌈 397 words ➥ Thursday, June 18, 2020 by: donnot
🥺 allowing nothing 🥳 589 words ➥ Friday, June 18, 2021 by: donnot
🚧 a better place 🛑 373 words ➥ Saturday, June 18, 2022 by: donnot
🌑 grace gets 🌚 416 words ➥ Sunday, June 18, 2023 by: donnot
😟 how am i 😟 555 words ➥ Tuesday, June 18, 2024 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 2
3) Hence he who (relies on) the strength of his forces does not conquer;
and a tree which is strong will fill the out-stretched arms, (and
thereby invites the feller.)