Blog entry for:
Sun, May 8, 2022 08:51:42 AM
🤔 all the answers, 🤓
posted: Sun, May 8, 2022 08:51:42 AM
have yet to be revealed to me. those answers are not in my head, in my writings or floating in the ether that surrounds me. in fact, many of those answers are to questions i have yet to ask. as humbling as that notion may seem to me, it certainly does give me a minute to pause and reflect on what i do know, what i think i want to know, and certainly on what knowledge and wisdom that has yet to be revealed to me. living in that sort of world was not anything i ever believed would happen to me, after all, life held no mysteries when i was using. people were out to get me, and my best course of action was to strike first. i needed to take the edge off every day and getting started with a bong hit or two before my feet hit the ground, made me more social. love was for suckers and vulnerability was for the weak and feeble, so building walls around my heart was the only course of action that made any sense to me. yes, i was a sick pup, a little over nine thousand days ago.
fast forward to a few years later, after treatment and my first set of steps in the fellowship that has become my home. i thought i “knew” what was best for the newest of the new, the men i sponsored, the groups i served in and the fellowship in general. i did my best to “impose” that wisdom and in the end, ended up more confused and resentful than ever. who the F_CK did they think they were, to oppose my will, or even suggest that maybe i was missing some crucial piece of information. since my self-identity was based on my service to the fellowship, i took any deviation from what i saw as “the way” to go, as a personal attack on me and my defenses were on high alert. not exactly the most spiritual manner in which to sere, and i am grateful the fellowship survived my “reign.”
this morning, what i “heard” is that there is more happening than i can ever imagine. there are, however, some facts in my life, one of them is that i am an addict. the second being that IF i want the sort of life i have now, i have to keep living the program, as i am being taught to do. i am sure that i could be abstinent for a minute, if i chose to walk away. i might even be able to use socially for a minute, if i chose to use. all of that may be true, BUT, i am not in any hurry to return to being the miserable person who was dodging everyone, everything and swallowing any feeling that i deemed as unacceptable. to continue on this path, i “get” that there is a shit-ton of stuff i do not know and the the fact that may save my life today, may come from a source that is totally unexpected. that implies that IF i want to continue to live this program, i have to be okay with not knowing what i do not know, asking the questions that may arise and actually listening to the answers.
fast forward to a few years later, after treatment and my first set of steps in the fellowship that has become my home. i thought i “knew” what was best for the newest of the new, the men i sponsored, the groups i served in and the fellowship in general. i did my best to “impose” that wisdom and in the end, ended up more confused and resentful than ever. who the F_CK did they think they were, to oppose my will, or even suggest that maybe i was missing some crucial piece of information. since my self-identity was based on my service to the fellowship, i took any deviation from what i saw as “the way” to go, as a personal attack on me and my defenses were on high alert. not exactly the most spiritual manner in which to sere, and i am grateful the fellowship survived my “reign.”
this morning, what i “heard” is that there is more happening than i can ever imagine. there are, however, some facts in my life, one of them is that i am an addict. the second being that IF i want the sort of life i have now, i have to keep living the program, as i am being taught to do. i am sure that i could be abstinent for a minute, if i chose to walk away. i might even be able to use socially for a minute, if i chose to use. all of that may be true, BUT, i am not in any hurry to return to being the miserable person who was dodging everyone, everything and swallowing any feeling that i deemed as unacceptable. to continue on this path, i “get” that there is a shit-ton of stuff i do not know and the the fact that may save my life today, may come from a source that is totally unexpected. that implies that IF i want to continue to live this program, i have to be okay with not knowing what i do not know, asking the questions that may arise and actually listening to the answers.
∞ 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!
↔ a wonderful learning enviornment for me ↔ 283 words ➥ Monday, May 8, 2006 by: donnot↔ All i have to do is admit that i do not have all the answers, ↔ 325 words ➥ Tuesday, May 8, 2007 by: donnot
μ as a recovering addict and as a human being, i have much to learn. μ 265 words ➥ Thursday, May 8, 2008 by: donnot
μ the fellowship is a wonderful learning environment for the recovering addict μ 216 words ➥ Friday, May 8, 2009 by: donnot
∴ addiction is a great teacher, and if it teaches nothing else, it does teach me humility ∴ 549 words ➥ Saturday, May 8, 2010 by: donnot
∫ i have learned that it is okay to not know all the answers, ∫ 657 words ➥ Sunday, May 8, 2011 by: donnot
¤ as long as i remain teachable , 756 words ➥ Tuesday, May 8, 2012 by: donnot
∗ other addicts—and other humans — 728 words ➥ Wednesday, May 8, 2013 by: donnot
ƒ i will admit that i do not have all the answers ƒ 675 words ➥ Thursday, May 8, 2014 by: donnot
♠ i will look and listen to ♠ 781 words ➥ Friday, May 8, 2015 by: donnot
⫽ teachable ⫽ 742 words ➥ Sunday, May 8, 2016 by: donnot
✗ it is okay ✘ 588 words ➥ Monday, May 8, 2017 by: donnot
🎓 i have much to learn, 🎓 591 words ➥ Tuesday, May 8, 2018 by: donnot
📐 taking advantage 💬 576 words ➥ Wednesday, May 8, 2019 by: donnot
💩 the answers 💫 615 words ➥ Friday, May 8, 2020 by: donnot
🚘 traveling man 🚗 2 words ➥ Saturday, May 8, 2021 by: donnot
😎 tolerance 😎 418 words ➥ Monday, May 8, 2023 by: donnot
🤨 it took my very best 🤨 545 words ➥ Wednesday, May 8, 2024 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 2
2) Thus we may see,
Who cleaves to fame
Rejects what is more great;
Who loves large stores
Gives up the richer state.