ABCs of Recovery

[MajestyJo]

A is for Apply. Apply the principles of the program to your daily life. Take the program out of the rooms of recovery, work the Steps and Traditions at home, at work, and in the Community.

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[MajestyJo]

B is for Boundaries. Set them, they are healthy. Reinforce them when needed, they are bound to get ignored or stepped on. Be kind to you, protect yourself with boundaries.

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[MajestyJo]

C is for Change. We need to change in order heal and get better. We are sick people, not bad people trying to get good. We need to change the old behaviours, habits, and ways of thinking.

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[MajestyJo]

E is for Emotions. For many years we didn't acknowledge them. We didn't allow ourselves to feel them and we used people, places and things to stuff them. In today, I take them to my HP, sponsor, and the people in my support group.

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[MajestyJo]

F is for Forgiveness. A gift you give yourself.

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[MajestyJo]

G is for Gratitude. Grateful that my computer is working tonight and I felt much better today and was able to post.

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[MajestyJo]

H is for Hunger. You have to want this program. You have to fill that void with spiritual things. Remember this disease is 4-fold, mental, emotional, spiritual and physical.

H.A.L.T. Hungry, angry, lonely and tired can lead you back to where you came from. I don't want to go there, using is not an option for me and I have to remember when.

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[MajestyJo]

I is for Intent. What is your motive and intent? When I have to come to a decision, I try to remember to ask myself this question. I need to use my intuition and connect with my Inner Self to find my God's Will for me.

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[MajestyJo]

J is for Jump. Jump for joy. Jump up and get involved in service. Jump up to help someone else. It is good to get out of self.

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[MajestyJo]

K is Kind. Be kind to yourself, give yourself a break. Remember you have a disease. You didn't get this way overnight, so it takes time to heal and change. Keep in mind that it takes honesty, open mindedness, and willingness to make it work.

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[MajestyJo]

L is for Love. Love yourself. Give yourself a hug and pass it on. You are lovable.

[MajestyJo]

M is for Money. It can't buy happiness. We thought it could when we were using, but our friend became our enemy. It can lead to greed and grief. Money is a great gift to be best shared with others, it lasts longer.

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[MajestyJo]

N is for Nothing. No one can make you do anything you don't want to do. Nothing can make you do anything as long as you are willing to stay clean and sober. It doesn't have the power. If we turn our prayers and ask our God for help, we are empowered to say, "No" and my surrendering we win. There is nothing in today that is worth me picking up a drink or a drug over.

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[MajestyJo]

O is for Opinion. Everyone has one and has the right to express it. I try to keep an open mind and try to find out where the person is coming from and remember that I haven't walked in their shoes and they haven't walked in mine.

As they say, Sobriety is a necessity. Serenity is an option.

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[MajestyJo]

P is for Power. Listen to your Higher Power instead of your Lower Power.

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[MajestyJo]

Q is for Quaint. The program my seem quaint because it was started over 80 years. It still works, so why quit it. Why fix what's not broke?

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[MajestyJo]

Q is for Quick. The program is NOT a quick fix. We didn't get this way overnight, so we don't get better over night. I found the best thing for me in recovery was to quickly make it to a meeting and call my sponsor, if I had any kind of chaos and disquiet in my life.

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[MajestyJo]

R is for Resentment. We only hurt ourselves when we carry them. When we allow others to rent space in our heads, they generally do so rent free. Pray for them, wish for them everything that you require and need for yourself. My sponsor use to say, "If you pray for them to have a spiritual awakening, they can't continue doing what they are doing" and we won't either

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[MajestyJo]

S is for Sanity. It says that God could restore us to sanity, it doesn't say He always would. When things get a bit crazy, I try to go back to Step Two. It says some times we have to take this Step a little at a time. Some days, I need to go back there and remember the ABCs of recovery. I can't, God can, just for today, I choose to let Him.

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[MajestyJo]

T is for Time. Make time for yourself. Time is a gift you can give to others. Top yourself up and give away the overflow.

T.I.M.E. = This I must endure. Using is not an option, if I am willing to endure and not pick up, I know the feeling and thought will pass, especially if I turn it over to my Higher Power.

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[MajestyJo]

U is for Utmost. I try my utmost, to work my program to the best of my ability. As they say, "Half measures availed us nothing."

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[MajestyJo]

V is for Verify. Verify what you hear, don't pass it on as gossip. When you don't understand, ask "This is what I heard you say. Is that what you said?" This is what I heard, I took it to mean 'this' is that what you meant to say?"

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[MajestyJo]

W is for Wait. Wait on your God, it is best left to His/Her Time. When I try to make things happen, I often question the results, wondering why things didn't work out.

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[MajestyJo]

X is for eXtend. EXtend a hand in friendship to the newcomers, they just may need a smile and a hug as well! I always ask, "Do you do hugs?"

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[MajestyJo]

Y is for Yet. You might not have done "It" yet, but if you go back out, you just might find yourself there. This is a progressive disease.

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[MajestyJo]

Z is for Zone. What zone are you in or are you zoned out? This is one day at a time program, and when I live life one day at a time, I am in a safe place.

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[dwmoeller]

A is for Avoid loneliness

[MajestyJo]

B is for Just Be. It is okay to just be, you don't always have to be doing. Take time for you and just be, then do the next best thing that comes your way.

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[dwmoeller]

C is for Count

Count your blessings. Open your heart and mind and you will see many things in your life to be grateful for.

[MajestyJo]

D is for Divine Orderly Good. When we turn our lives over the Care of our Higher Power, and we are open to His Divine Goodness, our live are enriched and truly blessed.

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[dwmoeller]

E is for Easy Does It!

[MajestyJo]

F is for Food. It can be an addiction. For me it is the thinking, I can look at myself and think I am fat and say, "I am already fat, what does it matter or think I am fat, so I'm not going to eat too much." It is the stinking thinking and I have to make an effort to change my attitude.

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[MajestyJo]

G is for Gratitude. Thanksgiving should be all year round, but it sure is nice to celebrate it once a year. A good remember when and lots to eat too!

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[MajestyJo]

H is for Honesty. Be honest and bring all things out of the darkness into the light. We are only as sick as our secrets. Honesty frees us from the fears and H*ll, of our past.

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[MajestyJo]

I is for Inch. Remember that old saying, "If you give someone an inch, they will take a mile." We are not asked to do miles, but if we work inch by inch, Step by Step, we do recover before we know it!

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[ifnotforgrace]

J = Joy which is a reward of living by program principles

[MajestyJo]

K is for Kin. Sometimes our kin, are the people in our home group. We don't have to be alone. We can be kind to others and invite them to help celebrate in a safe way and in a safe place.

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[MajestyJo]

L is for Live. Live one day at a time. Live and Let Live! Live your life and allow others to live theirs.

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[MajestyJo]

M is for More. It is part of my disease. When I start thinking 'more' I need to look at what is happening with me and turn my thought(s) over to the God of my understanding. Sometimes it is more attention, more praise and acceptance from others, more food to fill an inner hunger that can't really be found physically, but needs spiritual food instead. Sometimes it is more love because we can't find it within ourselves.

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[MajestyJo]

N is for Now. Be in the now, don't keep looking at the past and dragging it into today. Don't project into tomorrow, live in the now. Be present and live each day as it comes and know a new happiness and a new freedom.

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[dwmoeller]

O is for Open your mind and your heart to believe that your God is loving and trust that your God will do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

[MajestyJo]

P is for Purpose. What is your purpose in life? My primary purpose is to carry the message of recovery. I was told to share my experience, strength, and hope with others. If I didn't give away what I had, I couldn't keep it. Relapse is not an option for me, so it was important for me to do the do things suggested to me. I took them under perusal and took what was good for me and I was told to put the rest on a shelf. I found I needed things from that shelf, either for myself or to pass onto others.

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[MajestyJo]

Q is for Quiet. Listen in the quiet and in the stillness, say the Serenity Prayer. It is important for me to quiet my thoughts, how can I hear the God of my understanding if my internal chatter is overshadowing my thoughts from Within.

As they say, "Actions speak louder than words." There is no need for talking, when you do the actions. As the saying goes, "Don't tell me, show me."

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[MajestyJo]

R is for Remember When. Not only prior to recovery, but remember what it was like in early recovery. I know I never want to go through detoxing alone in a room with myself and unable to reach out for that crutch, to see me through the day.

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[MajestyJo]

S is for Some. Some is good, more is better is not recovery thinking, unless you apply it to spiritual things like going to meetings, calling your sponsor, reading recovery literature, etc. Once I pick up that some thing, some person, or go to some place to help me get out of Self, then I am using them to get out of Self because I can't be alone with me.

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[MajestyJo]

T is for Truth. Stand in your own truth. Make things right with your God, clean your side of the street, and trust that the program will work for you.

As they say, "The ball is on your side of the street," it is up to you with what you do with it.

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[MajestyJo]

U is for Understanding. I had to come to my own understanding. I could get feed back from others, but the ultimate decision(s) were mine. I found most of my understandings were old tapes, and I had to look at things in today and what they meant to me.

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[MajestyJo]

V is for Vow. Make a vow to stay clean and sober over the holiday. No matter what, I will not pick up a drug of any kind. I may have a lot of excuses, but no reason to pick up.

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[dwmoeller]

W is for Watch out...

Watch out for anger and resentments
Watch out for EGO = Ease God Out
Watch out for complacency

[dwmoeller]

X - eXtra time with God.

[MajestyJo]

Y is for You. Only you can decide if you are an alcoholic/addict. You must be willing to stop and find a new way of life without the bondage of your disease. You do have a disease, it is an allergy of the body and an obsessive, compulsive that affects the mind and it tells you that you haven't got a problem. It tell you that this time will be different. The insanity of the disease is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

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[dwmoeller]

Z is for Zip

Zip your lips and open your ears.

[MajestyJo]

A is for Attitude. What needs to be changed within me and my attitude to bring about and aid recovery.

Make sure you wear the right hat through the Holiday and take an open mind and a compassionate heart with you.

Remember that attitudes often need to be adjusted. I found the best way to do that is go to a meeting. It also helps to find some gratitude, it isn`t always about me, myself, and I. Actions speak louder than words

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[MajestyJo]

B is for Beautiful. See the beauty within. It shines through when you walk with the God of your understanding. Take a walk in the country or in a park and enjoy the beauty of His Creation. It is all around you, soak up the gift(s) that the Creator has given us.

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[MajestyJo]

C is for Clean. Just for today, I choose not to use. I had to cleanse my mind, my body, and my spiritual well being in order to recover.

I had to clean away the old to make room for the new. I had to do an inventory to see what was, and what needed to be changed.

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[MajestyJo]

D is for Divine Orderly Good. I can't do this program alone, I need Good Orderly Good from a group of drunks and drug addict to show me the way to stay clean and sober. Look for the Divine Orderly Good in things, stay in the positive instead of the negative.

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[MajestyJo]

E is for Easy Does It, but do it! The do it is what I need to address, I can do it easy in a day, but not always able to align body, mind, and spirit. As they say, the mind is willing, but the flesh is weak. Each day is a new beginning, so I get a new day to practice, practice, practice. Not doing doesn't make us bad, we are not bad trying to get good. We are sick from the disease of alcoholism, trying to heal.

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[MajestyJo]

F is for Friends. Be your own best friend. Friends are special, let them know it, don't take them for granted.

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[MajestyJo]

G is for Growth. Growth in our awareness and in our program as a result of working the Steps in our life.

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[dwmoeller]

H is for Have an escape plan. If you are going to an event that becomes hard for you to be there, have an escape plan to get out of the environment that is threatening your sobriety....for example: drive yourself so you can leave when you want or need to, call a friend to come get you, call a taxi, walk

[MajestyJo]

I is for Identify. Identify not compare. Listen for the feelings, they are a good indicator that you are on the same page and belong here.

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[MajestyJo]

I is for Insecurity. I can flush all my troubles down the drain and depend on my Higher Power or I can hang onto them and try to fix things myself. I can let things go or turn them over to my Higher Power and be secure in His love and protection.

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[MajestyJo]

J is for Judge. Judge not yourself or others. Don't play God with the lives of others or your own. Just remember, you are a Child of God. Just stay in the moment.

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[MajestyJo]

K is for Kindle. Kindle means to bring into being. When I picked up, I lost me along the way. Thanks to the program and the tools of recovery, I was able to put the fragmented soul back together again and become whole. I needed to find and rekindle the spark within.

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[MajestyJo]

L is for Listen. Listen to learn. Learn to listen. Meditation is a good way to practice on.

As they say in the rooms of recovery, "Take the cotton batten out of your ears and put it in your mouth. Shut up and listen.

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[ifnotforgrace]

M = Motives, if I check my motives I know whether or not I am moving in the proper direction

[MajestyJo]

N is for Nobody. Nobody can tell you that you are an alcoholic/addict, it is something you have to decide for yourself. No one can change you, you have to change yourself.

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[MajestyJo]

O is for Opinion. Everyone has one and has a right to their own, they don't have to agree with mine. I was told that my opinion didn't count and who asked for it anyway? In recovery, I found that I had a right to my opinion and I even had a right to express it. I also found out that there were times that I had to ask myself, "How important is it?" If it was going to cause waves and chaos, they were best left unsaid or just revealed to a select few.

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[MajestyJo]

P is for Prosper. When I look at where I was when I came into recovery and what I have in today, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically, I can't help but be grateful. I try to look at what I have, not at what I don't have. I no longer eat off borrowed dishes, sleep on a mattress on the floor, or put up with blowing fuses because of my two burner stove, wouldn't let me put a kettle on. Prosperity isn''t just measured in $s and cents. When I get needy, I get greedy.

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/octopus-animal-symbolism.html

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[MajestyJo]

Q is for Quick. This isn't a quick fix program. We didn't get this way overnight, so we don't change over night. What we need to do is to quickly get into the program. Go to meetings, get a sponsor, read the literature, work and apply the Steps and then you will find how quickly you change. Live doesn't always get better, but we become better equipped to handle it.

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[MajestyJo]

R is for R & R. Some days we do need that rest and relaxation to restore not only our bodies, but our mental, emotional and spiritual health and well being.

Busy and working too much can be addictions, especially when they fill our lives and we have no room for anything else. How can we hear God's Good Orderly Direction if we are too busy to stop and listen.

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[MajestyJo]

S is for Sobriety. My sponsor said that sobriety meant "Soundness of Mind." I also think it comes from a place of love. They say the longest journey we make is from our head to our heart.

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[MajestyJo]

T is for Tension. It can cause a headache. Give it to your Higher Power. If I have tension, it is generally because I am living in the past or future tense.

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[MajestyJo]

U is for Use. Just for today, I don't have to use people, places or things. Today I can utilize the wisdom of the people in the rooms to show me a new way of living.

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[MajestyJo]

V is for Victory. One day at a time, I have victory of this disease that is cunning, baffling and powerful. I can turn my dis-ease over to the God of my understanding and ask for His Help on a daily basis. As the song I use to sing in Sunday School many years ago said, "Victory in Jesus." Victory in the God of your understanding.

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[MajestyJo]

W is for be ever Watchful. Our disease can be cunning, baffling, and powerful. Just the fact that I lost all the pictures I posted has really begun to annoy me. I can accept it or continue to resent it. I need to watch out for my feelings, I have to remember that I don't have to act on them. As they say, "Watch, Listen, and Learn."

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[MajestyJo]

X is for X-ray. I have to get one tomorrow to get to the root of the problem. I am getting an ultra-sound on my hip and ankle. I never thought to ask the doctor to get a picture taken of my feet. I am not sure if the problem comes from the top or the bottom. As they say, "X" marks the spot, I hope they find it. :D

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[MajestyJo]

Y is for Yellow. Yellow is a sign for caution. You may be the only Big Book someone sees. When they look at you, do they see recovery???

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[MajestyJo]

Z is for Zero. As they say in AA, when our score card read zero, we reached out and asked for help. AA was the last house on the block. Even mental institutions seemed preferable to admitting we were an alcoholic. Alcohol is a drug. Heaven forbid! Not wanting to compute that, after all Jesus turned the water into wine. That justified everything, forgetting that we don't metabolize alcohol the way normal people can.

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[MajestyJo]

A is for Attitude. They often need adjusting. I take mine to my Higher Power and take myself off to a meeting. For me in today, it is either AA or Al-Anon.

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[MajestyJo]

B is for Boundaries. Set them for your own protection. They can be set near and far and often have to be rebuilt because people ignore or step over them.

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[MajestyJo]

C is for Copy. This is not a Cop Cat program. You need to find out what works for you. We share our experience, strength and hope. It is suggested that you take what you can and find what works for you. It isn't always good to copy someone's actions that you find in the rooms of recovery. They they be heading out the door instead of moving forward.

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[MajestyJo]

D is for D.O.G. Dog stands for Divine Orderly Good. It doesn't matter if you don't believe in the God that others believe in. All you have to do is find a Higher Power that you can come to believe in, as long as it isn't you.

http://angelwinks.ca/images/animal/animal38.jpg

http://www.lilytherese.com/POWER1.HTM#Prairie Dog's Message and Medicine

[MajestyJo]

E is for Everything. What do I need to change? Everything! Old patterns, behaviours, habits, and ways of living. I need to open my mind and be willing to accept other ideas and thoughts to enter my head and lower my expectations of myself and others.

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[MajestyJo]

F is for Forgive and Forget. We can forgive the person, even though it is often difficult to forgive and forget the action.

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[MajestyJo]

G is for Gratitude. Have it if you can. Just grateful to be sober is a good place to start. Gratitude is an action word, don't just say it, show it.

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Bear Industrious, instinctive, healing, power, sovereignty, guardian of the world, watcher, courage, will power, self-preservation, introspection, and great strength

[dwmoeller]

H is for HOW

Honest
Open
Willing

These are keys to sobriety. Use them on your journey.

[MajestyJo]

I is for It, what ever it may be. Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Love the ones who don't, just because you can. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Kiss slowly. Forgive quickly. God never said life would be easy. He just promised it would be worth it!

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SLIP! Sobriety Loses It's Priority!

[dwmoeller]

J is for Journaling. It is helpful to write things down as you continue on your journey instead of keeping all that stuff internally.

[MajestyJo]

K is for Keep coming back. I prefer to Keep Coming, so I don't have to come back. Back to meetings, back to working the program, keep reading the literature and keep up with prayer and meditation. Keep coming, there are no guarantees that you will live to come back.

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[dwmoeller]

L is for Let

Let go and Let God!

[dwmoeller]

M is for Maintain

Maintain a balance: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, and Mental

[MajestyJo]

N is for Nothing. Nothing must stand between my and my God. It becomes my new drug of choice and my 'god' of the day.

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[dwmoeller]

O is for Open your heart and your mind.

[MajestyJo]

P is for Promises. The 12 Promises of AA work. They kept me coming back. They gave me hope. When I practiced the program, they made a difference in my life and gave me hope for a better tomorrow one day at a time.

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[dwmoeller]

Q is for Quit trying to complicate things---keep it simple.

[MajestyJo]

R is for R & R. Relax and Restoration. Allow yourself time to heal. Ask for what you need, take away what you don't need, and you will be surprised how much your God can do for you. We didn't get this way overnight, so we can't expect a quick fix or even a "I did so now I don't have to do any more." This is a one day at a time program.

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[MajestyJo]

S is for Steps. Work the Steps into your life, one day at a time. It is a living program. Put one foot in front of the other, and take the Steps. Apply the spiritual principles of each step to take you to where you need to be in today.

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[MajestyJo]

T is for the slogan Think, Think, Think. Don't think too much of the past, unless it raises it's head in today. Think in today. One day's thoughts, actions, trials and tribulations, smiles and blessing. Think of the future. Think of what your goal is, don't set it too high, make sure it is attainable. Don't project into the future. Don't compare today and tomorrow to yesterday, because it is gone. We have God on our side who will see us through.

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[dwmoeller]

U is for Use

Use prayer and meditation.
Use the Serenity Prayer.
Use the 12 steps in all areas of your life.

[MajestyJo]

V is for Very. You will be doing yourself a very big favour if you make the decision to quit using people, places, and things. I was granted victory over my addiction by going to meetings and getting phone numbers and support from various people I met there.

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[MajestyJo]

W is for Welcome. Everyone is welcome. I went to AA because I was in denial about my alcoholism. I went there for almost 2 years not believing the words I said, "Hi, my name is JoAnne, and I am an alcoholic." I would feel guilty and I would say, "Alcoholic/Addict." I knew I was an addict. By going to meetings eventually the mind caught up with the body, and I knew that I was an alcoholic. I used alcohol like I used people, places, and things in my life. Alcohol was one of those things.

They made me welcome by saying, "Keep coming back." I came to believe, "Keep coming so you don't have to come back."

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[dwmoeller]

X is for eXtraordinary

The gifts and blessings that come with a life of sobriety are truly extraordinary.

[MajestyJo]

Y is for Yes. Say "Yes" to the goodness in your life, you deserve it. Don't say "Yes," when you mean "No." Yes there is a solution. The one that worked for me were the 12 Steps of AA.

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[dwmoeller]

Z is for get plenty of ZZZZ's

Getting a good night of sleep is important in recovery. Remember HALT: don't be too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, TIRED,