Attitude of Gratitude

2009-07-03T09:21:00.000-05:00

07.03.09

2009-07-03T09:13:00.000-05:00

Life is too short to spend it miserable. An excellent way to abate misery is to look at what you are blessed with. Unclench your angry fist, hold it up, and use your fingers to name five things you are grateful for. (P.S. we mean now!) ~Pocket Sponsor

Today I am grateful...

that these days I can act responsibly in public
for endless new music
for the creativity of human beings. I am constantly astonished.
that I can have my cake and eat it too, providing I have done the next right and loving thing, stayed spiritually fit and thanked my Higher Power
that this weekend we celebrate the birth of the United States of America. You can read her astrological chart here. Very interesting.

Today I am an alcoholic. Tomorrow will be no different. My alcoholism lives within me now and forever. I must never forget what I am. Alcohol will surely kill me if I fail to recognize and acknowledge my disease on a daily basis. I am not playing a game in which a loss is a temporary setback. I am dealing with my disease, for which there is no cure, only daily acceptance and vigilance. ~Daily Reflections

Happy Birthday, Bill!

2009-07-02T07:55:00.000-05:00

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It's birthday time on Planet Bill!!!

07 + 02 = 09

2009-07-02T07:53:00.001-05:00

In our illness, we were out of control. This was because we wouldn't live from moment to moment. ~Keep It Simple

Today I am grateful...

that it's my friend Bill's birthday!
that I did get some sleep, although it was more elusive last night than it has been in a long time. My mind was quiet, I was comfortable, but Morpheus was busy elsewhere I reckon.
that The Fashion Show is finally getting interesting. Issac and Kelly are just so boringly monotone.
for the memories of 33 years ago this weekend when I was in NYC with Frances and Curtis to celebrate the Bicentennial. We had such fun.

Avoid the tendency to presuppose that things will turn out for the worse. Thank you for helping me keep an open mind so that I am able to see other solutions to my situations and then give me the determination to make a difference when I can. We take for granted so much of what God has planned for us. May I have sufficient preparation to meet the challenges of today and rejoice in the person that I am. ~Daily Inspiration

I haven't a clue...

2009-07-01T07:57:00.000-05:00

07.01.09

2009-07-01T07:55:00.000-05:00

Learning when and how to say no is a very important part of our recovery. Most often, the person we need to say no to is our self. ~Food for Thought

Today I am grateful...

for a good nights rest
that I got some stuff cleared up yesterday that was keeping me in fear and anxiety
that I did not get sick after eating some freshly bought ham that I noticed after I had eaten several pieces was severely discolored on one side and although it didn't taste nasty, it was scary looking. Since I am not able to throw up at will, I had to pray when I went to bed to not get sick. I am hoping I am in the clear now.
that I was able to make a lab and a follow-up appointment this morning. There have been no available appointments for weeks.
that we have a dynamic speaker for today's Hump Day meeting

Stretch your arms. Push the lid off the box. Get out into the world. Walk around. Move about. See the hills, the lakes, the forests, the mountain peaks, the valleys, the rivers. See how big your world can be. See how connected everything is. See how connected you are, too-- to all that is. Make yourself comfortable, wherever you are. Make yourself a home and be at home in the world. God, help me relax and make myself at home in your beautiful world. ~The Language of Letting Go

2009-06-30T07:45:00.000-05:00

06.30.09

2009-06-30T07:43:00.000-05:00

The clouds will clear and the way will lighten. The path will become less stony with every forward step I take. ~Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Today I am grateful...

for a great birthday yesterday. Two naps, a meeting, lunch / fellowship, iced coffee, popsicles, cards & sussies, dinner with my old gang, two hours of True Blood, prayers and restful sleep.
to thank you all for the good wishes
that we did get a little break last night, it rained maybe 15 minutes
for the love and joy in my life

Forget your old ideas. Forget the lies they told you. Forget them all, and you will begin to remember. ~Marianne Williamson

My First Birthday Cake

2009-06-29T08:53:00.000-05:00

06.29.09

2009-06-29T08:51:00.000-05:00

We then start the lifelong job of letting them (our shortcomings) go. To accept our human limits leads us to our Higher Power. We see how we need a guide in life. ~Keep It Simple

Today I am grateful...

for 55 years in this body
that I seem to have mostly gotten to the other side of the fear and mental racing of the past few days. It feels, in many ways, a breakthrough of sorts. Sharing yesterday at the group level really let me cast those fears to the side.
for friends who listen
for the sounds of Liam (landlady's son) playing in the back yard. We now have a full-fledged playground out there.
that Belle's obsessive ball behavior seems the perfect foil for a 2-year-old's energy
that I have more than I need today
that in all my years in this body, the last one has been the best

We must make many choices in our recovery. Some of these will strengthen our character, for they will be hard to make and sometimes even harder to accept. One of the most meaningful sayings in our program is Let go and let God. We understand its true meaning when we are faced with adversity and we feel needlessly hurt.

If we are to let go of a problem, we must feel in our hearts that no matter what the outcome, our Higher Power has a special purpose for us. We may not be able to see that purpose now, but if we let our Higher Power guide us, we will be guided down the right path. If we do our best to detach from our pain and try to see a more peaceful future, we will feel secure in God's hands. Given this security, we'll be free to direct our energy toward positive, healthy choices that will bring us more of the happiness we deserve. ~Today's Thought

2009-06-28T09:01:00.000-05:00

06.28.09

2009-06-28T08:57:00.000-05:00

When we are tempted by the bait, we should train ourselves to step back and think. We can neither think nor act to good purpose until the habit of self-restraint has become automatic. ~Bill W

Today I am grateful...

that today's meditations are just what I needed
for prayers to be shown the next right and loving thing
for Boston's call last night which took me right out of my self
for the program of AA. It works!

We need to practice being human. Humans aren't perfect. In Steps Six and Seven, we face our human limits and our shortcomings. We then start the lifelong job of letting them go. To accept our human limits leads us to our Higher Power. We see how we need a guide in life. Our Higher Power makes a perfect guide. ~Keep It Simple

2009-06-27T08:23:00.001-05:00

06.27.09

2009-06-27T08:19:00.000-05:00

We neither ran nor fought. But accept we did. And then we were free. ~Bill W

Today I am grateful...

that the events of yesterday will push me into action about a situation that needs to be resolved
that I am uncomfortable emotionally at this moment, but nothing I cannot deal with. I meet with my sponsor this morning.
that the past week is coming to a close. Life stuff, this oppressive heat, the weirdness of what's being broadcast on TV. It has all been surreal and uncomfortable.
that a painting will go home today with its Mystery Date
that life can be real and surreal, ugly and beautiful, scary and healing...all at the same time

Learning acceptance in sobriety is part of the growing-up process. Along with learning to accept things we cannot change, however, we learn there are some things we don't have to accept. Living sober gives us the power and confidence to make such changes. ~Walk in Dry Places

2009-06-26T07:59:00.000-05:00

06.26.09

2009-06-26T07:57:00.000-05:00

Sending love ahead to everyone you will meet and everything you will do can ensure that your day is suffused with grace. ~Daily Om

Today I am grateful...

that I chose a life of quiet over the glare of fame or publicity
that sometimes in meetings the disease is screaming so loudly for attention it almost knocks me down, so I just sit there and let it race around the room
that in sobriety I have a place in life
that today I am not afraid to stand in my place, to voice what is my truth
that more than likely today I will have enough
for the sustaining power of God

Our mental and emotional garbage takes the forms of bad memories, festering resentments, and useless regrets. We waste time berating ourselves and others about bad decisions and experiences that are behind us. The magic of the 12 Step program is that we can use it to transform this mental garbage into useful experience. A past mistake can become as asset when we share it with others. Pain and suffering can teach a lesson that helps all of us to grow. ~Walk in Dry Places

The Virus Houses

2009-06-25T08:31:00.000-05:00

12" x 12", acrylic on canvas

2009-06-25T07:45:00.000-05:00

06.25.09

2009-06-25T07:43:00.000-05:00

It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters, in the end. ~Ursula K. LeGuin

Today I am grateful...

that whatever it is I don't have to do it all today
that lately, though it's been hard to continue, I keep blogging. I am a bit burnt out for the past few days.
for the bliss of air conditioned interiors. I cannot believe this heat.
that I have enough for today--have always had enough for every day.
for continued prayers to have my thoughts rearranged today, from those of a crazy drunk to those of a sober man in recovery. My mind desperately wants to agitate me today with its thoughts.

Progress, not perfection. No matter how long you have been in recovery, no matter how long you have worked the steps, you will never raise above the level of human being. ~Pocket Sponsor

2009-06-24T08:17:00.000-05:00

06.24.09

2009-06-24T08:15:00.000-05:00

Whatever we do, one thing is sure -- if we turn to our program, we'll see how beautiful the world is. ~Keep It Simple

Today I am grateful...

to have celebrated a close friend's freedoms last night
for good examples
that last night was the first time someone has asked me, "You can't even have just one drink?" Then I had the pleasure of saying "No."
that I have been given time and experience
that gratitude keeps my head above water

Today I see my value. Sobriety has restored my dignity. Today I am in touch with that part of me that is noble. Today in my sobriety I am a spiritual somebody, not a nobody. ~Fr Leo

2009-06-23T07:47:00.001-05:00

06.23.09

2009-06-23T07:45:00.000-05:00

Enough willingness, enough open-mindedness--and there it is! ~Bill W

Today I am grateful...

for sobriety and serenity. In that order.
to have more at my disposal than I ever dreamed
that a life filled with gratitude reveals a life of abundance
that being kind and gentle makes my life a whole lot easier
that I am hard headed and my Higher Power somehow managed to crack my thick skull

I am not a victim of others, but rather a victim of my expectations, choices and dishonesty. When I expect others to be what I want them to be and not who they are, when they fail to meet my expectations, I am hurt. When my choices are based on self-centeredness, I find I am lonely and distrustful. I gain confidence in myself, however, when I practice honesty in all my affairs. ~Daily Reflections

2009-06-22T08:09:00.000-05:00

06.22.09

2009-06-22T08:07:00.000-05:00

What upsets you is not what happens. What upsets you is your response to what happens. ~Ralph Marston

Today I am grateful...

to continue to send prayers for my nephew, who just keeps on fighting his disease
that I finally--FINALLY--found it easier to surrender than to keep the fight going
that this heat wave will pass, but in the mean time, it's difficult
for smiles that start in the heart
that everyday I am given a reprieve
that all my old thoughts of my drinking days, those thoughts about alcohol and maintaining have been replaced with thoughts of recovery
that in sobriety I have a place in life

The only way to keep calm in this troubled world is to have a serene mind. The calm and sane mind sees spiritual things as only temporary and fleeting. That sort of mind you can never obtain by reasoning, because your reasoning powers are limited by space and time. ~Twenty-Four Hours a Day