1. Have I experienced a spiritual awakening? Yes. I feel peaceful much more often than I used to. I am often filled with love. I have better boundaries. I stay out of God's way with other people's lives. I pray for guidance and wait until something feels right. I am learning to respond to my own intuition. I feel the presence of God much more strongly. I focus on myself and my own improvement/growth. I engage in less of my defects such as fits about traffic, complaining, blaming, obsessing, anxiety=future tripping, lack of self control, need to control others.
2. In what ways do I downplay my spiritual growth? What can help me to acknowledge it? I don't feel like I downplay my growth.
3. What have I received from Al-Anon that I would most like to share! The peace that comes from knowing that I do not have to do it all without help. I cannot fix all problems.
4. What are the different ways I can carry this message to others? I can lead by example. If I am loving and peaceful, work hard to be a blessing to everyone each day, stop obsessing about time and problems, it is something others will want. I can continue to attend several meetings and share what helps me and be there to listen to those in pain. I can do some service work. I can use the principles in all my affairs - bringing serenity to my family and friends. I can be a sponsor. I can provide some financial support of the program. I can tell others visiting their loved ones in treatment about this program.
5. Did I see a friendly face early in my recovery? Yes - many! What can I do to be a friendly face to others? I can put on a welcoming face and give words of welcome and support. I can share how it felt to be new and how I feel now.
6. What is the difference between carrying the message and giving advice? I have no business giving advice because my solutions may not be someone else's. I can tell what I have learned and how I have coped and tell them to talk to many people about the program as it helps to hear the message from many and just encourage to keep coming back and working the program.
7. When trying to carry the message, what have I experienced? It feels good to share something that may help someone find his/her own way to recovery and a more peaceful state of being. By helping another, it helps me as I learn something from that person as well.
8. How can I recognize a cry for help without meddling in others' affairs? I can see pain and just be there to listen. I can talk about the program tools. I can say that all will be revealed. The solutions will come if follow the steps and use the tools. I cannot force Al-Anon on someone if they don't want it/aren't interested. I can continue to be loving and encouraging. My getting better may be what helps others be better.
9. How can I practice these principles in my job? Is my job merely a means of earning money or an opportunity to practice my recovery? I absolutely am working to apply these principles to my job. I am working on seeking the best in others and retaining peace and joy regardless of what happens. I am seeking to pull back from fixing or doing something for my students. I am looking for ways to empower them rather than to enable them to do nothing. I seek daily to be a blessing. I have changed my attitude from the job being something to be endured to looking for all the joy there is in working with that age group. I seek to be more honest and try to work out mutually beneficial solutions and look for reasons when I start to feel that pinch in my stomach that signals a battle of wills.
10. What does the Twelfth Step say to me about service work? I must be accountable for helping others find what I found. That means I need to give back in some way whether it be just going to meetings and helping set up or providing an opportunity for a retreat or an actual service position.
11. What part has service to Al-Anon played in my recovery? Maintaining that commitment to meetings and to time with my sponsor has assisted me with contining to work the program. I could have been lazy sometimes, but remembering that I have a responsibility to the group keeps me on track and continually working on growing and improving my attitude.
12. What would change if I viewed service as my goal in every area of my life? This is my ultimate goal. It takes the focus off me and my problems. I was so caught up in myself and worry that I didn't enjoy each day. I often didn't observe anything around me because of these obsessions and self pity. Service gets me out of myself and helps me to be a better person. I feel rewarded when someone smiles because I exist.
13. What are "these principals"? They are the steps, traditions, and concepts of Al-Anon - a blueprint for living life in a positive and healthy manner.
14. How can I apply them in my daily life? I can study the program materials, talk to others in the program, and see ways to use this program as my blueprint for a life well lived.
15. In what areas of my life do I need to apply these principles? What can I do this week to make a beginning? I can apply them to relationships, my job working with teens, and my hiking group. Basically, all areas of my life benefit from my following this way of life. An area where I could improve is in doing more program calls besides just the ones to my sponsor or my neighbor. A beginning would be to set a time to do one extra call per week.
16. How am I living the message of the program? I follow the guidelines and study daily to stretch myself into a better person. I have become grateful for each day. I am doing better at letting go and letting God. My defects are lessening. I intend to be in this for life - growing until the die I die. The serener and more joyful I become, the more people want to be around me and will want to know my secret :D.
17. How am I a good example of Al-Anon recovery? I am learning not to overreact anymore. I have learned to lessen complaining, judging/being critical, gossiping, developed an attitude of gratitude, am overcoming my obsessing with time and not being so resentful of interruptions. I am becoming more flexible and willing to do things for others without taking on responsibility for their lives. I am letting their problems be their programs and realizing that problems are there for growth. I cannot deprive someone of an opp for growth.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Step 11 Pathways
Step 11 Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
1. How do I define the difference between prayer and meditation? Prayer is my talking to God. Meditation is taking the quiet time to listen for answers. Can I talk to sponsor or other Al-Anon friends about the difference? Yes.
2. Am I willing to try prayer and meditation today? I do this as often as possible. Sometimes I am not consistent enough about a daily routine as I believe starting and ending my day with consciously giving time to these two activities would be of immense help to me.
3. What can I do to add prayer and meditation to my life today? I can make the decision to set aside time each day at the exact same time to engage in both activities for at least 15 minutes at the beginning and end of the day.
4. Do I have a special time and place to pray and meditate? Think about it each day and set the time as sitting in front of someplace beautiful and quiet such as my window overlooking the lake (at home), campsite, or window at Sequim. I need to get up at 6 and give 15 minutes to this; each night after dinner another 15 minutes.
5. How have I sought to improve my conscious contact? I talk to God throughout the day and listen to spiritual music, soak up God's beauty, and listen to CDs in the car that talk very Al-Anon type talk - Joel and Joyce. It helps me reprogram my thoughts and win the battle of the mind. I can stay more upbeat by focusing on those words. Have I sought out help from my group? I have reached out to some members and am planning a retreat with them. I hope to establish an even stronger relationship and spend more time on retreats like this.
6. What personal spiritual experiences can I draw on to help me improve my conscious contact with God? I have felt his peace and answers come to me, I saw Jesus and felt his warmth, and I have had many experiences where the solution to the problem was right there.
7. What does it mean to me to pray only for God's will and not my own? I may not know what's best for me so it is best to ask for guidance and not specifics as perhaps what I want isn't really good for me right now. I need to trust that I am where I am supposed to be. How can I distinguish between God's will and my will? Usually God's will comes to me when I am quiet and receptive. I know exactly what I want so I can usually tell when it's my will. I get a good feeling when it's right.
8. How have I been mistaken about God's will? How has my self will caused me difficulties? I can't think of an instance of being mistake, but I do know that I am not always sure about the answer - is it me or God? I do know that I lived my life without asking for help or guidance and made a pretty good mess of it and lived down and discouraged - not what I want for myself.
9. How am I willing to be guided today? I usually ask for patience and to be a blessing to others each day. I also ask for guidance about specific situations facing me. However, I could ask for guidance much more - before every decision. I could also talk to Al-Anon members about those things. These days I tend to do and say nothing because I would rather do that than mess things up further.
10. Is something blocking me in this step today? What is it? I tend to be inconsistent. What steps can I review to help me feel connected today? Steps 1-3, 6-7, 10 work help me to refocus. 10 in particular is one I'd like to do everyday as I have a check in list as to how the day went.
11. What do I need to have the power to do this step? Mainly I need courage and consistency. Have I asked God for that power? Yes, I have. I also repeat to myself that "I will not fear" as well as other helpful slogans.
1. How do I define the difference between prayer and meditation? Prayer is my talking to God. Meditation is taking the quiet time to listen for answers. Can I talk to sponsor or other Al-Anon friends about the difference? Yes.
2. Am I willing to try prayer and meditation today? I do this as often as possible. Sometimes I am not consistent enough about a daily routine as I believe starting and ending my day with consciously giving time to these two activities would be of immense help to me.
3. What can I do to add prayer and meditation to my life today? I can make the decision to set aside time each day at the exact same time to engage in both activities for at least 15 minutes at the beginning and end of the day.
4. Do I have a special time and place to pray and meditate? Think about it each day and set the time as sitting in front of someplace beautiful and quiet such as my window overlooking the lake (at home), campsite, or window at Sequim. I need to get up at 6 and give 15 minutes to this; each night after dinner another 15 minutes.
5. How have I sought to improve my conscious contact? I talk to God throughout the day and listen to spiritual music, soak up God's beauty, and listen to CDs in the car that talk very Al-Anon type talk - Joel and Joyce. It helps me reprogram my thoughts and win the battle of the mind. I can stay more upbeat by focusing on those words. Have I sought out help from my group? I have reached out to some members and am planning a retreat with them. I hope to establish an even stronger relationship and spend more time on retreats like this.
6. What personal spiritual experiences can I draw on to help me improve my conscious contact with God? I have felt his peace and answers come to me, I saw Jesus and felt his warmth, and I have had many experiences where the solution to the problem was right there.
7. What does it mean to me to pray only for God's will and not my own? I may not know what's best for me so it is best to ask for guidance and not specifics as perhaps what I want isn't really good for me right now. I need to trust that I am where I am supposed to be. How can I distinguish between God's will and my will? Usually God's will comes to me when I am quiet and receptive. I know exactly what I want so I can usually tell when it's my will. I get a good feeling when it's right.
8. How have I been mistaken about God's will? How has my self will caused me difficulties? I can't think of an instance of being mistake, but I do know that I am not always sure about the answer - is it me or God? I do know that I lived my life without asking for help or guidance and made a pretty good mess of it and lived down and discouraged - not what I want for myself.
9. How am I willing to be guided today? I usually ask for patience and to be a blessing to others each day. I also ask for guidance about specific situations facing me. However, I could ask for guidance much more - before every decision. I could also talk to Al-Anon members about those things. These days I tend to do and say nothing because I would rather do that than mess things up further.
10. Is something blocking me in this step today? What is it? I tend to be inconsistent. What steps can I review to help me feel connected today? Steps 1-3, 6-7, 10 work help me to refocus. 10 in particular is one I'd like to do everyday as I have a check in list as to how the day went.
11. What do I need to have the power to do this step? Mainly I need courage and consistency. Have I asked God for that power? Yes, I have. I also repeat to myself that "I will not fear" as well as other helpful slogans.
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