Topic of the week, words that begin with the letter "A"

[MajestyJo]

A is for Acceptance. Accepting what is in the moment. I can't move forward and make changes in my life until I can find that acceptance. It doesn't mean I have to like it, it just means I have to accept it as it is in this moment, knowing it is subect to change. It doesn't mean things will change right away, often it is a process.

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[dwmoeller]

A is for Attend AA meetings: listen, be open-minded and non judgmental.

[MajestyJo]

A is for Attitude. When it needs adjusting, I go to a meeting. I often have to take action to change my attitude, or change my attitude so I can take action.

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[MajestyJo]

A is for Awareness. How can we know to change things if we don't make ourselves aware of what is going on around us and within us?

I have some quotes by Gary Zukav and Linda Francis about emotional awareness that I plan to copy in the inspirational section.

This looks like happy, happy, happy to me!

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[dwmoeller]

A is for Avoid:

Avoid loneliness

Avoid drinking situations/occasions.

Avoid emotional involvements the first year - you end up putting the other person first and lose sight of "your" program

[MajestyJo]

A is for Action. Doing the next right thing. Being in the moment, and doing what is right in front of you, remembering "First Things First." I can have a thought but not follow up it up with action, it doesn't get me too far. A thought can be a prayer with the right intent and motivation, and doing nothing is an action in and of itself. The action I have to take each day is the 1, 2, 3 Waltz. I can't, my God can, just for today, I choose to let Him by turning my life over in today into His Care. Generally, anything that follows that is bonus.

Hug is an action word!

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[MajestyJo]

A is for Awareness. I have to be aware of something before I can take the action to change the situation. I have a friend who is a perfect mirror for me as we have a lot of the same issues. It is a standing joke between us, "Is this your stuff or mine." Generally it is applicable to both of us if we are willing to be honest.

Being aware of the little things makes for a blessed day. God is there, doing for me what I can't do for myself. I need to be aware of Him/Her, who ever your God may be.

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[MajestyJo]

A is for Admit. I have to admit to myself, get out of my denial. I have to admit to my God, even though He knows, it is giving up of my will and a willingness to do His Will and who He would have me be in today. Admit to you, to show my honest and integrity. It is important to walk my talk.

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[MajestyJo]

A is for Anonymity. Who you see here, what you hear here, let it stay here.

Respecting someone in the program, it is not my job to tell everyone who is in AA. I was known for a 50 mile radius when I was using, so I don't mind if someone breaks mine, but I will keep your anonymity.

[dwmoeller]

A is for Abstinence - One Day at a Time.

[MajestyJo]

A is for Attitude. This was one of the topics at my group today. Whenever I hear the word, I think, "It takes one to know one." It is about recovering. If we don't change our attitude, we do not recover. Abstinence alone does not bring about sobriety.

[dwmoeller]

A is for Avoid

Avoid Isolating.
Avoid taking inventory of others,
Avoid drinking situations/occasions.
Avoid pity parties.

[MajestyJo]

A is for Acceptance. Acceptance is the key to all my problems today. It is applicable to all areas of my life, not just my alcoholism.

[MajestyJo]

A is for Aware. Be aware of where you are at in your journey. Life comes full circle. Within each circle is a circle. Everything begins in the east. It is a time of clarity and illumination. Often within a lesson is another lesson, and we become aware of who we are and how far we have come.

[MajestyJo]

A is for Abode. Where we live and play need to change in recovery. We need to make our space safe. If we can't move, we need to set boundaries, so we have our own safe place just for us. I had a chair, table and light, with a book case and then I added my desk. God said, "Abide with me." I needed a place were I could meditate and connect with him.

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[MajestyJo]

A is for Answers. My co-sponsor use to say, "You have the answers. They are within." My reply was, "Yes, but I don't know what the questions are." Thanks to the program, I know what questions to ask. Am I sober today? Am I still clinging to old patterns, actions, and behaviors? What do I need to let go of? What do I need to fill this void? What is this energy around me? Is it for my Higher Good?

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[dwmoeller]

A is for Alcohol

Remember that we deal with alcohol....cunning, baffling, and powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power...that One is God. May you find Him now! (Big Book pages 58-59)

[MajestyJo]

A is for Again. When you get to Step 12, go through the Steps again. This is a one day at a time program. For me the program is Steps 4-9. When something new comes up, especially from my past, I apply those Steps again. Step 10 is maintenance and for daily living, but I like the other Steps for heavy duty things. At all times, I can go to my God and ask for help.

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[dwmoeller]

A is for Armed

Armed with the tools of recovery, I don't have to face the day alone.

[MajestyJo]

A is for Armor. Put on the whole armor of God. He will fight this disease with us. We are no longer alone.

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[MajestyJo]

A is for Acceptance. Acceptance is the key. I need to lower my expectations and raise my level of acceptance. Without it, I stay stuck in my dis-ease. When I find some level of acceptance, surrender to the program and my God, I am empowered to do what I need to do for my recovery.

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[MajestyJo]

A is for Action. Gratitude is an action word. Don't just say it. Show your gratitude all year around. Take the words off the pages of the literature and apply it to your life. This is a living program.

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[MajestyJo]

A is for Align. Align your will with God's Will for your life. I questioned my mere existence and why me, there are people so much more in need and worthy of recovery. It was the 3rd and 5th Traditions that helped me to see purpose in my life.

Who would have thought that I would get to a stage in my life that there are not enough hours in a day. The longer in recovery, the more I want longer days and little sleep, but there are days I want a bigger sleep, and feel bad that I allowed it to intrude into my days. Go figure.

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[MajestyJo]

A is for Awareness. We can't change what we don't know. We can only turn a blind eye to things before they catch up to us. My God brings me to it, and if I don't become aware and not willing to change, He will bring me back to it again, and again.

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[MajestyJo]

A is for Alcohol. Alcohol is cunning, baffling and powerful. It tells me that I don't have a problem and this time it will be different. Alcohol lies.

Alcoholism is a disease. An allergy and an obsession of the mind that is just waiting for me to give it an inch so it can take a mile.

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[dwmoeller]

A is for Avoid

Avoid emotional involvement the first year - you end up putting the other person first and lose sight of "your" program.

[MajestyJo]

A is for Alter. Alter your attitude so it aligns with your Higher Power's wish for you in today. Don't always try to buck the system and do things your way. As it says in the Big Book, we need to alter our attitude in today, to aid our recovery.

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