ABCs of Thanksgiving
 

A is for Awareness. Many times I have to pray and ask for new awareness. If something doesn't seem to be working like it use to, it just may need to be changed. Awareness is the first step towards recovery and change. I can't know something needs to be changed if I keep pulling on the blanket of denial.

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B is for Boundaries. They are not only set for my protection, but that of others too. ;)

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C is for Clarity. This is a disease of perception. I pray each morning or before a situation for clarity of thought. On the medicine wheel, all new beginnings start in the east. Each new day brings clarity and illumination, that is why it is so important to live in today.

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D is for Dry Drunk. If you don't apply the spiritual principles to your life, you end up being a dry drunk. Just putting a plug in the jug is not enough. As the AA joke says, "If you sober up a drunken horse thief, what you have left is a horse thief, unless he choses to change.

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E is for Easy Does It...but do it! That is what I need to do. I need to wake up and do my laundry. I have been easy doing it in my mind, but haven't followed it up with action. So today I hope to do it. Follow thought with action, not always easy for me to do.

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F is for First Things First. The first thing that I need for recovery is to not pick up that first drink. First things first is my sobriety, without it, I have no defense against a relapse. I need a spiritual defense against the stinking thinking that my disease sends my way to try to tempt me back into my old ways, even if I don't pick up a drink, I can relapse spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.

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G is for Gratitude. Something we need all year round. Always try to remember to thank my God for another day and all that goes on in it.

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H is for HONESTY. I had to get HOnest with my Higher Power before I could get honest with myself or with others.

LIN

I is for Insanity. When I look at my life, it can still happen in today. I generally cal it a JoAnne thing."

It says that God could or would if he were sought, there is no promise He will restore me to sanity. If I am not mistaken, it is something I am still working on in today. So glad it is a 'One Day At A Time' program.

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J is for Justification. It was one of my worst defects of character. Because of the old tapes growing up, I felt like I had to justify my very existence. I was asked, "Who asked for your opinion? What makes you think I wanted to know your two cents? What makes you think that your opinion mattered? Who asked for it? I certainly didn't. I believed them and had no or very little self worth, self esteem and just thought I was worthless and didn't think I was worthy of recovery. It wasn't until an Indian woman said to me, "Didn't you know that God doesn't make no junk?

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K is for Kinship. Each man and woman are a part of the Fellowship of the Spirit. They are our brothers and sisters, walking the same recovery road. They may have walked a different road to get to where they are at in today, but in today, they are looking to be clean and sober. Our common goal is sobriety (soundness of mind).

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L is for Love.

I am thankful for the love in my life...my family, my friends, my Higher Power (God).

M is for Motive. When in doubt, ask yourself "What is my motive." Is it for the Higher Good of all or for my own selfish desires. Is it God given or am I acting out in my dis-ease.

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N is for Nature

I am grateful that sobriety has opened my eyes and my heart to see all of the wonders of nature....sunrise, sunset, a flock of geese flying in a v formation, bees and flowers, robins in the Spring, snow, rain, thunder and lightning, I could go on and on.

O is for Open. Open your eyes, your mind, your heart and behold the beauty around you. It can be a single rose, a new leaf sprouting to say it is spring. Today I was walking to the bus stop, before it started snowing, and thought of the May flowers and Violets that grow under a hedge at one of the houses. I always liked going by there and when they are gone, the black=eyed Susan's appear.

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P is for Promise. I made a promise to myself to try to be here every day. For me, this is my meeting place. Without you, there is no me. Together we travel this road together and I pray that we help each other along.

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Q is for Quiet time. I'm thankful that I can take a little bit of time from my busy life to have a quiet time to relax, meditate, pray, read, etc. My goal is to give myself a "quiet time" every day. It will be good for me mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

R is for Room. Do you go into a meeting room just before the meeting starts? Do you leave the meeting as soon as the meeting finishes. Do you just occupy a chair or are you active in service. There is no room for complacency. We need to remember, it is a one day at a time program. I need to practice the program every day, there is no room for error. I know for me to use is to die. I don't want to go back to where I came from.

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S is for Seek Professional Help

I am thankful that instead of killing myself in late October 2010, I sought professional help and went into treatment on Nov 1. It was the start of my journey out of severe depression and alcoholism and the day that my new life began! My journey continues one day at a time.

T is for Tip. As they say, what you see is generally the tip of the iceberg. Recovery is a process, and as we work through the Steps, we become more aware, we learn and we grow in the Fellowship of the Spirit. One day at a time we do get better. Listen to those who went before, they will have a few tips as to what worked for them. That doesn't mean it will work for you, but you can take what you need, and leave the rest, just for today.

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U is for Undo. We don't have an undo button, and we can not undo the past, but we can make for a better today, if we change the old habits and behaviors and unite with our God and with those who have gone before us. We are no longer alone.

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V is for Victory

I am thankful that there is victory in recovery with the help of God (as we understand him).

W is for Wrong. Practice what you preach. Better still, don`t preach, walk your talk. This is a program of practice, practice, practice, and just for today, I will try to get it right. There is no right way or wrong way, it is the way that works for us.

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X is for Xenophobia. The fear of strangers and aliens. I was the alien, scared of myself. Didn't like what I saw in the mirror.

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Y is for Your

I am thankful for your support in my sobriety journey. I couldn't do it without you.

Z is for Zest. Have a zest for living. We are given a second chance at life. As the dictionary said, "relish, gusto." Relish the opportunity to do things differently this time and do it with gusto.

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A is for Action. Gratitude is an action step, don't just say it, show it. For me action was getting involved in service. First at the group level, then at two years, I started going to the local jail, detox, treatment centers, and sharing my story at meeting; then I got involved in the community. I don't think I would be sober in today if I hadn't gotten involved in service. They say "act as if," didn't like that term, because for me, carrying the message of recovery gave me a reason for being.

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B is for blessings

I am thankful for all the blessings that I have received in my sobriety and all the blessings yet to come.

C is for Calling. AA gave me a calling and a purpose for being. It asks me to carry the message to the alcoholic/addict who still suffers. There are many ways to do this. Get active in your home group, arrive early and help set up or stay late and help clean up. After two years, you can get active in work outside of your group, like going to your local jail, detox, treatment center, and other meetings and when people see you attending meetings, and see you walk your talk, they will ask you to share your story at their meeting.

Remember hugs not drugs. You are only half of a hand shake.

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D is for Denial. Whenever I didn't want to look at something, I would put on the blanket of denial. It was my protection until such a time as I was willing and able to deal with my issues. Many times I found myself at a stage where I had to pray for the willingness to be willing to take it off and open my mind to accept some Good Orderly Direction to help me deal with what was/is in the moment.

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E is for Eating.

I am thankful that I have food to eat. I try to eat healthy food. My food budget is not large so I get stuff that is on sale, buy store brand most of the time to save money. Be careful because some store brand products are crap. Some don't have food in the cupboard and the fridge...so I am thankful that I am not starving.

F is for friends

I am so thankful for all of my friends who support me on my sobriety journey. I couldn't do it without you!

G is Glad. I am glad to have this site to come to each day, even if I am late. I am glad of the support here and the people I have met too.

It gladdens the heart to know you are not alone. Glad you are here too. Without you, there is no me.

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H is for H.O.W. How the program works, honesty, open mindedness, and willingness.

Unless I could get honest with me, I couldn't stay clean. If I didn't open my mind to new things, my best thinking got me to the doors of recovery. I had to be willing to go to any length to stay clean and sober. Using was not an option. I had to get honest and accept the fact that for me, to use is to die.

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I is for Identify your triggers.

I am thankful that I have the tools of recovery to use to identify the triggers I have and have methods to deflect them and keep me from taking that first drink.

J is for Just for Today!

Just for today (and every day), I am thankful to be alive and sober!

K is for Kit. There are recovery tools that I need to pack in my kit bag to take with me throughout the day. The song is old, from WWI, pack up your troubles in your old kit bag.... We have freedom of choice. It is up to us as to whether we pick up those troubles from yesterday or you can let them go. If they want to follow you, give them a kick back into yesterday, and live in today.

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L is for Learn. I am thankful that I am continuing to learn new tools of recovery each day. I am thankful that I learn in AA meetings if I keep an open heart and mind as I listen as others share their experience, strength, and hope.

M is for More. My drug of choice was more, so I had to change my attitude and my way of thinking. I had to think, "Call your sponsor more often. Go to meetings more often. Pray more, remember your God answers knee-mail.|

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N is for Near.

I am thankful that there is a weekly AA meeting near me. The meeting is at the hospital in town which is only 3 blocks from my house. If there wasn't a meeting here in town, I would have to drive to Grand Forks (approx. 40 miles) or Fargo (approx. 60 miles) to get to a meeting.