Blog entry for:
Tue, Dec 17, 2013 07:46:05 AM
ƒ however, an unselfish desire to serve others ƒ
posted: Tue, Dec 17, 2013 07:46:05 AM
creates an atmosphere that is attractive to the addict who still suffers.
the reading talks about service work, and currently i am serving the fellowship in a felonious manner, on the down-low as it were, doing my best to serve without getting caught doing it. no titles, no praises and no recognition, if at all possible, and yet there is still a part of me, that wants to be in the mix of it all again, because that part of me desires the recognition that comes from serving the fellowship in a very visible manner. to say anything less, would be a lie. i have come to see, through readings like this one, that my motives for serving are very seldom, “pure.”
this current phase of my service career, is teaching me about motives, mine for instance and allowing me to suspect what the motives of others may really be. that little tidbit, i generally keep to myself, as more often than not, i am wrong, wrong and wrong, when ascertaining the motives of other people. hell, most of the time, i am wrong about mine!
the exercise of checking my motives to serve my fellowship, often leads me to checking my motives. for the other activities that are in my life, such as sponsorship, friendship, employment and social interaction. how pure are my motives when i am participating in any of those relationships? the truth? well i have always wanted to look better than i am. a better person,. more altruistic, better looking, richer, more self-confident and assured, just more. the part of me i call addiction, tells me, that no matter how hard i try, i will always be second best, so just quit while i am ahead and settle for second best, because in my experience i can achieve that with very little effort. the battle lines are drawn through how i think i look to others and what my expected return happens to be. service falls right into this war of wills, and only when i surrender to the higher ideal, of doing whatever it is i do, just to help carry the message to the still suffering addict, with no expectation of measurable, quantifiable return on my inventiveness, do i ever get to become more than i ever was. honestly, sometimes it feels good not to have to compete for attention and just be one of the crowd, no matter what the part of me i call addiction screams, and trust me in these situations that part of me is shrill, abusive and very, very loud!
anyhow, with motives in mind, and motive checking on the radar, the time has come to pack it up, head over to the west side of town for some voluntary torture called dentistry and see how it is to get a tooth crowned in a single sitting!
the reading talks about service work, and currently i am serving the fellowship in a felonious manner, on the down-low as it were, doing my best to serve without getting caught doing it. no titles, no praises and no recognition, if at all possible, and yet there is still a part of me, that wants to be in the mix of it all again, because that part of me desires the recognition that comes from serving the fellowship in a very visible manner. to say anything less, would be a lie. i have come to see, through readings like this one, that my motives for serving are very seldom, “pure.”
this current phase of my service career, is teaching me about motives, mine for instance and allowing me to suspect what the motives of others may really be. that little tidbit, i generally keep to myself, as more often than not, i am wrong, wrong and wrong, when ascertaining the motives of other people. hell, most of the time, i am wrong about mine!
the exercise of checking my motives to serve my fellowship, often leads me to checking my motives. for the other activities that are in my life, such as sponsorship, friendship, employment and social interaction. how pure are my motives when i am participating in any of those relationships? the truth? well i have always wanted to look better than i am. a better person,. more altruistic, better looking, richer, more self-confident and assured, just more. the part of me i call addiction, tells me, that no matter how hard i try, i will always be second best, so just quit while i am ahead and settle for second best, because in my experience i can achieve that with very little effort. the battle lines are drawn through how i think i look to others and what my expected return happens to be. service falls right into this war of wills, and only when i surrender to the higher ideal, of doing whatever it is i do, just to help carry the message to the still suffering addict, with no expectation of measurable, quantifiable return on my inventiveness, do i ever get to become more than i ever was. honestly, sometimes it feels good not to have to compete for attention and just be one of the crowd, no matter what the part of me i call addiction screams, and trust me in these situations that part of me is shrill, abusive and very, very loud!
anyhow, with motives in mind, and motive checking on the radar, the time has come to pack it up, head over to the west side of town for some voluntary torture called dentistry and see how it is to get a tooth crowned in a single sitting!
∞ 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!
↔ service work and motives ↔ 236 words ➥ Friday, December 17, 2004 by: donnot∞ motive check?reality check! ∞ 288 words ➥ Saturday, December 17, 2005 by: donnot
δ when i find myself with an especially strong urge to do or have something, δ 378 words ➥ Sunday, December 17, 2006 by: donnot
μ when i decide to serve my fellowship, i make a decision to help addicts find and maintain recovery. μ 208 words ➥ Monday, December 17, 2007 by: donnot
∞ my motives are often a surprise to me, even after a bit of time clean! ∞ 505 words ➥ Wednesday, December 17, 2008 by: donnot
± it is much easier to frighten away using addicts than to convince them to stay ± 428 words ➥ Thursday, December 17, 2009 by: donnot
… my service efforts must be motivated by the desire to more successfully … 740 words ➥ Friday, December 17, 2010 by: donnot
≅ i will check my motives for the true spirit of service ≅ 478 words ➥ Saturday, December 17, 2011 by: donnot
« it is particularly important to check my motives » 592 words ➥ Monday, December 17, 2012 by: donnot
→ everything that occurs in the course of service to this fellowship ↵ 621 words ➥ Wednesday, December 17, 2014 by: donnot
☀ service motives ☁ 458 words ➥ Thursday, December 17, 2015 by: donnot
🌎 the true sprint of service 🌎 502 words ➥ Saturday, December 17, 2016 by: donnot
🌊 motivated by the DESIRE 🌌 798 words ➥ Sunday, December 17, 2017 by: donnot
👁 what i really want 👁 625 words ➥ Monday, December 17, 2018 by: donnot
✓ checking my motives ✔ 724 words ➥ Tuesday, December 17, 2019 by: donnot
🗦 an unselfish desire 🗧 329 words ➥ Thursday, December 17, 2020 by: donnot
🦚 game-playing, 🦚 477 words ➥ Friday, December 17, 2021 by: donnot
🤔 the desire 🤐 438 words ➥ Saturday, December 17, 2022 by: donnot
😑 patience 😑 372 words ➥ Sunday, December 17, 2023 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 1
He who stands on his tiptoes does not stand firm; he who stretches
his legs does not walk (easily). (So), he who displays himself does
not shine; he who asserts his own views is not distinguished; he who
vaunts himself does not find his merit acknowledged; he who is self-
conceited has no superiority allowed to him. Such conditions, viewed
from the standpoint of the Tao, are like remnants of food, or a tumour
on the body, which all dislike. Hence those who pursue (the course)
of the Tao do not adopt and allow them.