Thoughts To Help You On Your Recovery Path

[MajestyJo]

I Will Try

I will Try no matter How hard I have to.

I will Try even if Life crushes me down.

I will not Give up & Try N Try to rise high.

I will Try to Fly & Touch the Sky, even if the world says U don't have the wings & you cant fly.

I will Try to win, even if am Losing.

I will Try to have Hope, even if there is None.

I will Try always to Smile, even if I m Crying.

I will Try to Sing, even if my Voice is dying.

I will Try to be Positive , even if I m surrounded in Negatives.

I will Try to reach for the Heaven, even if I m in Hell.

I will Try to Love , even if I have a Broken Heart.

Even if my Fate defies me and my Luck betrays, In the darkest days with no Sunrays, I will Try and do nothing else till I've achieved my dreams & won't give up.
As winner I wish to live , who fights till the last breath...

And I will Try to Live even If I'm about to Die.

- unknown

From my site The Angel of Health

[MajestyJo]

"Words of Wisdom..."

1. No one can ruin your day without YOUR permission.

2. Most people will be about as happy, as they decide to be.

3. Others can stop you temporarily, but only you can do it permanently.

4. Whatever you are willing to put up with, is exactly what you will have.

5. Success stops when you do.

6. When your ship comes in.... make sure you are willing to unload it.

7. You will never "have it all together."

8. Life is a journey...not a destination. Enjoy the trip!

9. The biggest lie on the planet: "When I get what I want I will be happy."

10. The best way to escape your problem is to solve it.

11. I've learned that ultimately , 'takers' lose and 'givers' win.

12. Life's precious moments don't have value, unless they are shared.

13. If you don't start, it's certain you won't arrive.

14. We often fear the thing we want the most.

15. Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you have to say. Best friends listen to what
you don't say!

16. Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints.

17. Look for opportunities...not guarantees.

18. Life is what's coming....not what was.

19. Success is getting up one more time.

20. Now is the most interesting time of all.

21. When things go wrong.....don't go with them.

22. Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the same side.

23. God can mend all broken hearts. You just have to give him all the pieces.

24. A person who asks a question might be a fool for five minutes, but a person who doesn't ask, is a
fool forever...

25. A best friend is like a four leaf clover... hard to find, and lucky to have.

26. A friend is someone who reaches for your hand but touches your heart.

27. A coincidence is when God performs a miracle, and decides to remain anonymous.

28. I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

29. Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace... and your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.

30. Our eyes are placed in front because it is more important to look ahead than to look back.

[MajestyJo]

Noah's Ark Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark .

ONE: Don't miss the boat.

TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat!

THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

SIX: Build your future on high ground.

SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage.. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile.

TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

My instructions were to send this to the people that I wanted God to bless and I picked you. Please pass this on to people you want to be blessed.

(Give it!! Don't just get it.)

Most people walk in and out of your life.......but FRIENDS leave footprints in your heart

[MajestyJo]

Have seen this many times but I am always blessed when I re-read it, original source unknown:

Cake



Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve
this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?" Here
is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is
going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend
broke up with her and her best friend is moving
away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks
her daughter if she would like a snack, and the
daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."

Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother
offers. "Yuck" says her daughter.

"How about a couple raw eggs?"

"Gross, Mom!"

"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking
soda?" "Mom, those are all yucky!"

To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those
things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are
put together in the right way, they make
wonderfully delicious cake!

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why
He would let us go through such bad and difficult
times. But God knows that when He puts these things
all in His order, they always work for good! We just
have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all
make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers
every spring and a sunrise every morning.

Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can
live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your
heart.

If you like this, send this on to the people you
really care about. I did.

I hope your day is a "piece of cake!"

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but
while we are here we might as well dance.

[MajestyJo]

My favorite slogan is "Let it begin with me."

It reminds me that my recoveryis about me and not about the other person. No matter what someone says or does, it is about me, my thoughts and my actions.

The slogan that has probably helped me the most and has helped me to change my old habits and behaviors is "Hesitate and Meditate." Stop before I think and react.

With it goes the slogan "Listen to Learn, Learn to Listen." It was always about me and what I needed. I had to learn to stop and listent to others and to what they had to say. Sometimes the best way you can help somone is to just listen to them.

But for the Grace of God - I would not be here. My name in real life means God's Gracious Gift. I did not think it was so for many years. I used and abused myself and allowed others to do so. I had to come to realize that I was loved, that this second chance at life was given to me, it was up to me to give back to others, the special gift that I had been given.

We can`t compare this Christmas with Christmas past if we stay clean and sober. We have a Higher Power, hopefully new friends and acquaintances. We can go to meetings and connect with others, we are no longer alone.

[MajestyJo]

My favorite slogan is "Let it begin with me."

It reminds me that my recovery is about me and not about the other person. No matter what someone says or does, it is about me, my thoughts and my actions.

The slogan that has probably helped me the most and is "Hesitate and Meditate." Stop before I think and react.
has helped me to change my old habits and behaviours
With it goes the slogan "Listen to Learn, Learn to Listen." It was always about me and what I needed. I had to learn to stop and listen to others and to what they had to say. Sometimes the best way you can help someone is to just listen to them.

But for the Grace of God - I would not be here. My name in real life means God's Gracious Gift. I did not think it was so for many years. I used and abused myself and allowed others to do so. I had to come to realize that I was loved, that this second chance at life was given to me, it was up to me to give back to others, the special gift that I had been given.

A slogan that I have problems with is "Easy Does It...but do it!" I seem to always go gung-ho at anything I do (except dishes), and I put all my energy into it, and then after go, go, going, I crash and go boom.

Today I took the bus downtown and back. I didn't do a lot more than what I needed to do and didn't even check out the whole market, only went to where I needed to go. I was grateful that the elevator was working and I didn't have to take the ramp. Yet for all of that, I came home and just had to go and have a lay down. My son called and woke me up, tried to stay up but just couldn't. Today I did after having a reasonable night sleep. I went the other day with just a couple of hours sleep and yet I had the same results.

So it is easy does it, do what you need to do when you need to do it! Many times, I would go so easy, I wouldn't get it done! I have never been good at doing things a little at a time. I don't even like to put a book down after I start reading it.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

I was broke and needed fixin' and my God and I are still working on it!

You can learn two things at a meeting. How to work your program and how NOT to work your program! Just because someone is in the rooms of recovery doesn't mean have it all together. A long-timer can hurt just as much as a newcomer. This is a 'One Day At A Time' program.

There are many slogans, I always looked at them as mini-steps. There are many of them besides the original one from AA and many have been added to the list by alcoholics and addicts.

Live and let live.
But for the grace of God...
Keep It Simple
Let go and let God
One day at a time
First Things First
Think, Think, Think
Easy Does It...but do it!
Just For Today
Use it or lose it
Utilize NOT criticize
Each day is a new beginning
and the list goes on and on...

[MajestyJo]

Today, I will try to become ready for the help and change I most need in my life.

From Touchstone

This reminds me of the five As of change. I have to be aware of the problem, then I need to admit to myself, to God, and to another of that awareness, then I have to follow up with acceptance of what is in the moment. It is what it is and knowing that it is subject to change if I am willing to follow through with the action to change my attitude that has blocked me in the past from dealing with the issue. In can be an attitude of denial, indifference, not worthy, not important, or what ever else within me, blocked me from taking the action to change. The action can take many forms, prayer, giving it over to my Higher Power, It is important that I do the footwork and leave the results up to Him. Sometimes it involves an amend, for my part in the situation. It generally always means forgiveness, especially of myself.


Posted on JoAnne's Recovery Road

[MajestyJo]

Changing destructive habits is what changes lives.

People grow accustomed to habits even when they are self-destructive. We who have sought the help of Twelve Step programs were often caught in patterns of behavior that injured us or other people. We want help to change these habits or we wouldn't be here now.

We learn at our first meeting that Twelve Step programs are both for the present day and for a lifetime. We are comforted and surprised by that. The comfort is in knowing help will always be available to us. The surprise is in having erroneously thought that we'd get "fixed" and not need the meetings forever.

It doesn't take us long to realize the benefits of utilizing Twelve Step recovery in our daily lives. For years we repeated the same behaviours, expecting different outcomes, but that didn't happen. Now we have a plan for living that includes Steps, slogans, friends, and support meetings - a host of new options for handling every detail of our journey. And we can see, even in a short time that our lives are changing at last.

I can change my life if I have the willingness to use what the program is teaching me.

You are reading from the book:

A Life of My Own by Karen Casey

[MajestyJo]

Today's Reminder from Courage to Change:

My thoughts are my teachers. Are they teaching me to love and appreciate myself and others, or are they teaching me to practice isolation? Today I will choose my teachers with great care.

"Live and let live" sets us free from the compulsion to criticize, judge, condemn and retaliate...[which] can damage us far more than those against whom we use such weapons. Al-Anon helps us to learn tolerance rooted in love.

- This Is Al-Anon

This was today's reading and gave me pause for thought. My thoughts are energy and what I think, I put out to the Universe. What I put out comes back to me.

So much of it calls for good motive and intent. Do I have good intentions towards myself and others. What is my motive for saying and doing what I do (did)?

All pause for thought!

When I re-read the quote, the thought that came to mind was, "Just because I had a feeling or a thought, didn't mean I had to act on it. That was something I had done wrong all of my life. I would see or hear and would immediately presume you were looking or talking about me and often in defense, I felt like I had to retaliate.

There was very little stop before you speak. I would hear things and perceive them as derogatory and hurtful, and would either want to pay you back or would burst out in tears and role play to the hilt. All in response to "It is your fault, look at what you made me do, if you hadn't done that, I wouldn't have...."

I took everything personal. I used my thoughts to beat myself up royally and I used your words as I perceived them to be, which were never validated, to put myself down, or I would hit back and put you down to make me feel better.

An ugly world, an unkind place, and I am glad I don't have to go there any more. I don't have to buy into other people's game and I don't have to role play and be someone I am not.

I had to heal those thoughts. I had to change the thinking. I had to allow myself to heal and forgive myself. Often it was my disease acting out. Many times it was all I knew and what I heard growing up and didn't know my thoughts were outdated.

I had to learn to allow others to have their thoughts. I just had to learn not to buy into them and give them power over me. It was important to not give up my own power. Empowerment that I didn't know I had.

ave found over the years that I have learned to hesitate and meditate before I speak. That is a real departure from the old me, even in recovery, I wanted to tell people, who it should be done!

For me to walk away and not react was and is a big step for me. I still may come back and share my own experience, strength, and hope. It just won't be done with resentment and anger. I have always been a person who has believed in standing up for what she believes in. For too many years, mum was the word and it all festered inside, only to explode in anger and hate. I am a firm believer in it isn't about what you say, it is about how you say it. When you let go of the anger and always having to be right, things can be stated in truth. Agreeing to disagree was a wonderful tool in recovery.

Put your thoughts, dreams, and ideas out to the Universe and see what you get back.

[MajestyJo]

Today's Reminder - November 21, 2010

In handling my difficulties, what's important isn't how much time I have in Al-Anon but how willing I am in implement the tools of recovery. While Al-Anon doesn't grant immunity from problems, it does offer a healthy way to deal with them.

"Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better things." H. W. Beecher

From Courage to Change (Al-Anon)

90 TOOLS FOR SOBRIETY

1 ) Stay away from that first drink, taking the 1st step daily.
2 ) Attend AA regularly and get involved.
3 ) Progress is made ONE DAY AT A TIME.
4 ) Use the 24 Hour plan.
5 ) Turn your "dis-ease" to a sense of ease. Picture yourself as "recovered."
6 ) Do first things first.
7 ) Don't become too tired.
8 ) Eat at regular hours.
9 ) Use the telephone. (not just after the fact but during too.).
10) Be active - don't just sit around. Idle time will kill you.
11) Use the Serenity Prayer.
12) Change old routines and patterns.
13) Don't become too hungry.
14) Avoid loneliness.
15) Practice control of your anger.
16) Air your resentments.
17) Be willing to help whenever needed.
18) Be good to yourself, you deserve it.
19) Easy does it.
20) Get out of the "IF ONLY" trap.
21) Remind yourself HOW IT WAS. Your last drunk, the feelings etc. Picture better alternatives.
22) Be aware of your emotions. Reason about them.
23) Help another in his/her recovery, extend your hand, listen.
24) Try to turn your life and your will over to your Higher Power.
25) Avoid all mood-altering drugs, read labels on all medicines.
26) Turn loose of old ideas.
27) Avoid drinking situations/occasions.
28) Replace old drinking buddies with new AA buddies.
29) Read the Big Book.
30) Try not to be dependent on another (sick relationships). Be independent or inter-dependent.
31) Be grateful, and when you're not, make a GRATITUDE list.
32) Get off the "Pity Pot"...the only thing you'll get is a ring
around your bottom if you don't.
33) Seek knowledgeable help when troubled and or otherwise.
34) Face it! You are in control of your destiny.
35) Try the 12 and 12, not just 1 and 12 or 1, 12 and 13!
36) Let go and Let God.
37) Use the "God box." (Write down your worries and problems. Put them in the God box. Once you've done so, you can no longer think about them for that day. Use God's answers: yes, no, or wait, I have something better in store for you. Don't forget to say thanks.
38) Find courage to change through the example of others who have.
39) Don't try to test your will power. When in doubt, DON'T. (Or don't, yet.)
40) Live TODAY, not YESTERDAY, not TOMORROW - projection is planning
the results before anything even happens.
41) Avoid emotional involvements the first year - you end up putting
the other person first and lose sight of "your" program.
42) Remember, YOU ARE NOT YOUR DIS-EASE. So, take it easy on yourself.
43) Rejoice in the manageability of your new life.
44) Be humble--Humility is not in thinking of yourself more, but in
thinking more of yourself less often. Watch the ego.
45) Share your experience, strength and hope as much as possible and as creatively as possible.
46) Cherish your recovery.
47) Dump your garbage regularly - GIGO = Garbage In Garbage Out.
48) Get plenty of "restful" sleep.
49) Stay sober for you - not someone else - otherwise it won't work.
50) Practice rigorous honesty with yourself and others.
51) Progress is made ONE DAY AT A TIME, not 10 years in one day!
55) Make no major decisions the first year.
56) Get a sponsor and use him/her.
57) 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.
58) Strive for progress not perfection.
59) When in doubt ask questions. The only stupid question is the one
not asked.
60) Use prayer and meditation.
61) Maintain a balance: spiritual, physical, emotional and mental.
62) Don't use other substances as a maintenance program.
63) Learn to take spot check inventories.
64) Watch out for the RED FLAGS ... things that give excuses for poor
behavior and inevitable relapse.
65) Know that its okay to be human ... just don't drink over it.
66) Be kind to yourself; it's about time, don't you think?
67) Don't take yourself so seriously - take the dis-ease seriously!
68) Know that whatever it is that's causing pain - it shall pass.
69) Stay as far away from the DRY DRUNK SYNDROME as humanly possible.
70) Don't give away more than you can afford oo, your sobriety comes
first and must be the number 1 priority. Protect it at all costs.
71) Take down those bricks from the wall around you; you'll be able to
see the daylight better. Let people know who you are.
72) Get a home group and attend it regularly.
73) Know that the light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming
train, but actually a ray of hope. Drop the negativity.
74) Know that you are not alone, that's why the "We" is in the steps.
75) Be willing to go to any lengths to stay and be sober.
76) 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.
77) Stay out of your own way.
78) Don't be in a hurry--remember "TIME = Things I Must Earn".
79) Watch the EGO. "EGO = Ease God Out".
80) Protect your sobriety at all costs. Keep the light on you.
81) Learn to listen, not just hear. Be open-minded and nonjudgmental.
82) Know that if your insides match your outsides, everyone looks good.
83) If the rest of the world looks bad, check yourself out first.
84) Gratitude is in the attitude.
85) When all else fails ... punt! Up the number of meetings!!!
86) Remember FEAR = FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL!
87) If they knew better, they'd do better. Think about letting things go.
88) Handle what you can and leave the rest, don't overtax yourself.
You can only accomplish so much in a given 24 hours.
89) Honesty and consistency are key factors in recovery.
90) Let the little kid in you out - learn how to laugh from the gut.

-adapted from ideas by Bob

Sometimes when I am caught up in life, it is sometimes difficult to realize what is happening and takes a while to recognize something for what it is like self-pity and resentment because they are familiar feelings and places I have found myself in far too many times. The nice thing is I recognize them much quicker and don't stay stuck in the feelings. Even nicer is the fact that I can feel the feelings so that I can let them go instead of stuffing them.

Even in today, after several 24 hours of recovery, I still need to pick up the phone and call my sponsor. The special person that allows me to share and be myself.

What I needed to recognize was that things are different in today. Today I take my Higher Power with me into situations and I no longer walk with fear, I don't have to figure things out by myself. I am granted freedom of choice. The greatest choice is to change my mind and choose again.

[MajestyJo]

But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and unbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting; for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

- James I: 5-8

The only way to find true help and support is to take things to my Higher Power.

Turn things over and leave them there, walk in faith.

I was so fragmented and broken when I came into recovery. Slowly but surely, I changed and became whole. What it took in early recovery is not what I need in today. What I need to do in today is maintain my sobriety. At the beginning I was search for it and looking for what I need. Yet having said that, "I also need to look at what I need in today. What I thought I needed, may have changed. Just because it is something that served me for several years, doesn't mean it is still what I need in today. As you say, "I may have gotten comfortable, maybe something has worn out, not only it's welcome but it's use and needs to be replaced."

If I have a fear in today, it is that I won't notice. If I find a fear, like I faced three days ago, I know to take it to my God. I know that whatever happens will happen, fear or no fear. Best I think of goodness and draw it to me that to think the worst and attract it to me. I am a firm believer in the Power of Prayer.

Fearing change....

I love the acronym: F.E.A.R. = False Evidence Appearing Real

[MajestyJo]

Principles For Better Living

Keep it simple.
Stop trying to please everybody.
Start pleasing yourself.
Cultivate gratitude.
Carve out an hour a day for solitude.
Don't be afraid of your passion.
Cherish your dreams.
Express love every day.
Keep your house picked up.
Don't over schedule.
Strive for realistic deadlines.
Never make a promise you can't keep.
Allow an extra half hour for everything you do.
Create quiet surroundings at home and at work.
Go to bed at nine o'clock twice a week.
Always carry something interesting to read.
Breathe -deeply and often.
Move -walk, dance, run, find a sport you enjoy.
Drink pure spring water. Lots of it.
Eat only when you are hungry.
It it's not delicious, don't eat it.
Be instead of do.
Set aside one day a week for rest and renewal.
Laugh more often.
Luxuriate in your senses.
Always opt for comfort.
Let Mother Nature nurture.
Don't answer the telephone during dinner.
Stay away from negative people.
Don't squander precious resources: time, creative energy, emotion.
Nurture friendships.
Approach problems as challenges.
Honor your aspirations.
Set achievable goals.
Surrender expectations.
Savor beauty.
Create boundaries.
Don't worry, be happy.
Remember: happiness is a living emotion.
Care for your soul.
Search for your authentic self until you find him/her.
Begin and end each day with prayer, meditation, or reflection.

Author Unknown

[MajestyJo]

An act of overindulging; indulgence in too much; pleasure or consumption taken in excess of what is satisfying or necessary.

Wiktionary


Had this thought when I was posting in the OA and realized how much it applies to all addictions.

I had no knowledge of the fact that I didn't metabolize alcohol like normal people do. I didn't know that when I had that first drink, it stuck around and was there when I had my second and third and what I got was compounded interest.

The first time I drank socially, I went to the Trinidad Club in Toronto and had eight rum and coke. I was happy-go-lucky. Danced down the walkway to my friend's house, walked a straight line and if I remember rightly, I was singing. I was 21 years old. When I came into recovery, I was told that eight drinks wasn't social drinking. That social drinking was only one or two! I had no concept of this. Over the years, it took more and more to bring me up to where and what I thought I need to function. It was my coping tool. It was my best friend, only to become my enemy and my worst nightmare.

In the end, my social drinking became, "If you are going to have a drink, so shall I! In fact, most times I didn't wait for you to indulge, I was quite happy to start without you.

[MajestyJo]

Will you walk with me?

My friend could you always be?

Will you take my hand ?

When times are tough,can you take command?


Will you laugh with me,

And share in my glee?

Will you be at my side at every turn,

Teaching me the things I need to learn?


Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall,

Will you be with me to share it all?

As we walk together year after year,

Our friendship only will grow more dear!

Author unknown

Drugs were my best friend, or so I thought. They helped me to cope with life. Then they became my enemy, I got to a place where I no longer wanted to live.

Today I have a life. Just for today I choose not to use people, place and things. Just for today, I choose to utilize the people, place and things that my God puts in my path to show me the way to stay clean.

[MajestyJo]

Words to Live By

Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

Eat a live toad in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day.

If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

If you lend someone $20, and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

Never buy a car you can't push.

Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you don't have a leg to stand on.

Nobody cares if you can't dance well. just get up and dance.

The early worm gets eaten by the bird, so sleep late.

When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live.

Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them?

If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?

You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened. We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors but they all have to learn to live in the same box.

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.

Have an awesome day, and know that someone has thought about you today.

Think this is a rerun but definitely a good reminder...