Recovery ABCs
 

A is for Action. I have freedom of choice. I can choose to apply the spiritual principles of recovery to my life or I can choose to stay in my old patterns and habits. I can take action to change, but turning things over to my Higher Power or I can choose to try to FIX things on my own. My way didn't work. They got me to the doors of recovery. I don't want to go back out. Each day I start my day with the Serenity Prayer. Sometimes, the action I need to take is none at all, especially if it is about using and going back to my old ways of living.

Each day is a new beginning, so have a great one. The Steps I need to take are those that originated with AA.

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B is for Boundaries. Boundaries are set for our health and well being. They can be set at varying degrees. They are often overlooked, trampled, ignored, and when reinforced respected. They often have to be reconstructed in a way that both parties know the limits as to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.

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C is for Change. Nothing changes if nothing changes. As the old AA joke goes: What do you get when you sober up a drunken horse thief? A horse thief.

Unless there is a spiritual experience and new awareness, he will not see the error of his ways and want to stop what he has been doings. Like the expression goes, "I have been doing this for many years why should I change now? Why not? Why continue to act out in your dis-ease?

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D is for Daily Meditation

There is a lot of daily readings available: Daily Reflections, Just for Today, 24 Hours A Day, Each Day a New Beginning, Keep It Simple, Stools and Bottles, A Day at a Time, In God's Care, Easy Does It. You could also read the Big Book.

E is for Each day is a new beginning. You can also read: The Language of Letting Go, Courage to Change, One day at a time, Hope, As Bill Sees It, Thought for Today from OA, and so many more. We can find our own personal preference and see which books speak to us and aid us in our recovery. It may change over the years and we need to find other material to feed our soul and enrich our lives.

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F is for Frog. F.R.O.G. means "Fully Relying On God." I found that I needed to cleanse my body, mind and spirit and be open to new things.

I can't, my God can, just for today, I choose to put my life into His Care for safe keeping.

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G is for Green. Think green. This applies to your food amongst other things. Lots of green vegetables makes for a healthier way of life. The foods that come in this colour help to heal our bodies and allows us to grow into a spiritual being in a healthy body.

Green also stands for go. Go to meetings. Go talk to newcomers, make them welcome. Go talk to your sponsor. Go work on the Steps. Someone once asked me, "What Step are you on in today?" My reply was, "Some days I need all 12."

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G is for Good. God is good. Good is God. When I come from a place of Love, goodness abounds in my life. Even when things are not so good, I know my God is there.

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H is for Hope. I had hope today when I saw my sister. I talked to a friend last night and she shared that her sister had the same thing. She was in the hospital for 5 months and lived, so hopefully my sister will be out sooner than that. As her husband said tonight, now the work begins. With my God, there is always hope. What I need is acceptance and allow things happen from there.

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I is for Integrity. Walk your talk. Do your words reflect your actions? Do you remember to take your God with you?

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J is for Judge. Judge not lest you be judged. Who am I to judge another when I can't manage my own life, except through this program with the help of my Higher Power. My God didn't judge me, He is loving and forgiving, so why should I project judgment instead of love and forgiveness that my God gifted to me.

I just have to remember that the other person is in their dis-ease, what ever it may be.

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K is for Know

Know that its okay to be human...just don't drink over it.

Know that no matter what your problems, someone's had them before. Don't be afraid to share, as a problem shared is one 1/2 solved.

Know that if your insides match your outsides, everyone looks good.

Know that you are not alone, that's why the "We" in the steps.

Know that no matter how bleak and dark your past may be, your future is clean, bright, and clear if you don't drink today.

L is for Leave. Leave everything in your God's Hands. He is much better equipped to handle things than we are. Leave your past in your past. It has no business being in today, so ask it to leave.

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M is for Miracle. I believe in miracles, I am one! I have seen people heal and change as a result of this program. They like me, should have been dead, but instead they are working a living program, through the Grace of God.

Make someone happy, pay forward this hug from me to you.

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N is for Now. All I have is now. In this moment, when I am balanced and centered in living in my God's Care, I am better equipped to handle things as they come my way. If my space is cluttered with thoughts of yesterday and tomorrow, it doesn't leave much room for today and how can I hear, with all that noise going on.

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O is for Open

Open your ears and listen and learn how to live a life of sobriety. Keep an open mind and heart and don't forget the Serenity Prayer.

P is for Practice. This is a program of practice, practice, practice. Practice these principles in all our affairs. The program isn't just for the rooms of recovery, they need to be taken with us to practice at home, at work, and in the community.

Principles of the Twelve Steps
1. Honesty2. Hope3. Faith4. Courage5. Integrity6. Willingness7. Humility8. Brotherly Love9. Self Discipline10. Perseverance11. Ever Presence of God12. Service to Fellowman,
Principles of the Twelve Traditions
1. Unity2. Direction3. Recovery4. Understanding5. Sharing6. Simplicity7. Independence8. Selflessness9. Service10. Survival11. Self Reliance12. Humility
Principles of the Twelve Concepts
1. Responsibility2. Reliance3. Trust4. Participation5. Democracy6. Accountability7. Balance8. Consistency9. Vision10. Clarity11. Respect12. Spirituality

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Q is for Quit

Quit trying to complicate things. Keep it simple!

R is for Rest. Don't rest on your laurels, this is one day at a time. Rest in the arms of your Higher Power, He/She will restore you mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Lean on Him/Her and ask for renewal and clarity of thought and action.

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S is for Serenity. I didn't know what it was when I first felt it. I questioned my spiritual adviser and told him about my strange day and he said, "Do you think you just might have found some Serenity?" I had never felt that way before but liked it and was quite happy for it to happen many times over since that time in my first year of recovery.

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T is for Try

Try to turn your life and your will over to your Higher Power

U is for Unity. This is a "WE" program and we all come together to do what I couldn't and what I can't do in today.

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V is for Volunteer

For example: Make coffee for the meeting, pick up chairs after the meeting, give someone a ride.

W is for Walk. If your thinking is stinking, don't walk, run to the nearest meeting. Walk your talk. Carry a clean message. If I am saying one thing and doing another, I am not carrying a message of recovery. Watch your words, do they match your footsteps.

X is for Spend eXtra time with God/your Higher Power.

W is for Willing. If you can't find it within yourself, pray for the willingness to be willing.

W is for Whoops, I went backwards instead of forwards. So here I am posting another W. Just because I made a mistake doesn't mean I am one. I still don't like having egg on my face for something I didn't pay attention to, yet just maybe the words needed to be said for me, or hopefully another alcoholic or addict.

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Y is for Yet. I may not have done it yet, but if I continue on in my disease, I will surely get there. I have seen it too many times. Too many people yield to temptation because they do not have a strong spiritual defense against that first drink or drug, what ever form it takes.

Won't you be my honey? Addiction can be to relationships and looking for a honey in their lives or they can be addicted to the food.

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Z is for Zest. Do you have a zest for living? If not, ask yourself why. You have been given a second chance at life, celebrate and enjoy. What do you need to put some zest in your step? Perhaps go back and take an inventory and find out what is missing and your score card reads zero.

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A is for Abstinence - "One Day At A Time"

Today, I choose not to drink!

B is for Big. Think big, we only get out of our recovery what we put into it. A big hug from me to you.

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C is for Cherish

Cherish is the word I say about my recovery. I cherish the gift of sobriety that I have been given.

D is for Denial. Sometimes we pull on the blanket of denial because we are not ready to face our issues. We are only as sick as our secrets and it is good to get them out into the open, whether you talk to a sponsor, a minister, a counselor, or a close friend that you trust. Denial can keep you sick and send you back out. My denial kept me sick for two years until I finally took steps to share my inner most secrets.

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E is for Effort

The program works if we work it. It takes effort on our part to follow our program of recovery in every aspect of our lives.

F is for Forgiveness. Not only others, but forgive ourself too.

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G is for Gratitude. Grateful that I didn't have to go to the hospital yesterday, even though the medical student at my doctor's office told me I should have gone.

Old tapes GOT in the way, I was dressed and ready to go out the door and got no further.

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H is for Help

Help is just a phone call away. Don't be afraid to call someone when you need help. If you don't have a phone list, ask for one and use it when you need it.

I is for Isms. The ISMs of my disease is I, Self, and Me. After me, you come first. I had to change that to "First things first" is recognizing my disease and doing what ever it takes to stay clean and sober.

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J is for Justification. Justification is a part of my disease. Justifiable anger does not make it right. Anger is anger and a danger to my recovery. I don't have to justify my existanc any more, it is okay to be me.

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K is for Kind. Be kind to yourself. Give to yourself what you give to othes. Keep making healthy choices. Get in touch with nature. Give yourself some TLC.

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