Hey! it is exactly one week before Thanksgiving here in the United States. Plus today is exactly 40 days until Christmas, yikes! Ever heard the phrase “Failing to plan is planning to fail?” While we know this holds true for budgeting money, food, time, and work projects what about our emotions? Family gatherings around the…
Recovery
Step 12: Only the Beginning of Your Journey to Freedom
Pain normally starts most people on the 12 Step Path. There is no light, no perception of the end when we start, only promises from others. At the beginning, it is hard to imagine the 12 Simple Steps will start you on a journey to freedom. Want to talk with others who are choosing a Journey…
Sober On Purpose Podcast
Real life for real families. This is crazy right? I mean launching the Sober on Purpose podcast on top of a blog. Nope! Actually, it is perfect. What better way to get to know all of you. I’ll go first. This is us! Jerry, Elijah, Tanya, Wesley; the Joyous Bear family! I think Goldie Locks is the…
What Does Prayer and Meditation Do For Me? AA Step 11
Direct your thoughts and your actions will follow a great phrase for meditation. The elegance of Step Eleven lines us up with true north. A trinitarian grouping of three distinct actions. Prayer and meditation Improved relationship with God Knowing and Doing His will for me Oddly, making sure my husband, kids, and community do the right…
How to Continue Daily Serenity/Step 10
Is the goal for your life daily serenity–living in peace with yourself and others. Facing the world with the understanding that failure and mistakes are part of the human experience. How we choose to handle mistakes and failures in our lives develops our character. Does a problem, failure or mistake keep us from behaving with:…
How To Make An Amends/Tackling Step 9
So far, peeling the onion of your life really only involved you. Striping away the layers of hurt, habits and hang-ups requires dedicated introspection. Making amends stretches our faith and trust in our Higher Power. Up until now, our work is mostly private. Maybe our friends and family have noticed a change in our behavior…
How To Make An Easy Step 8 Amends List
In making an amends list, we review our humble willingness to make a real life change. Just like Step 4, Step 8 requires putting pen to paper. Making the Amends List is separate from actually making amends to people you have harmed. What is the difference between “making an amends” and saying “I am sorry”? I am…
Humility: How Do You Practice It?
Humility does not rob us of our hard-won self-esteem, or remove our need to further accept ourselves as we are– defects and assets alike. In Reinhold Niebuhr’s full version of what is now known as the Serenity Prayer, the theme of humbleness runs through it. Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as…
How Ready Are You to Remove Character Defects-Step 6
Ready, set, stop. Sigh, I find myself here a lot. I think I am ready. I made plans; I check out the outcomes and possibilities. I set my goals, then hit the pause button or the procrastination button. If I despise my character defects, seeing clearly after working the first 5 Step how they are holding me…
My Instant Gratification Monkey Meets Dr. Gabor Mate
OK, maybe I am late on the scene. I just watched the Tim Urban TED talk on procrastination. This is a must see into the amazing mind of a master procrastinator and his instant gratification monkey. (Please watch the 13 minute video. Without it the next 3 articles will be a challenge, plus its funny.)…
