It’s funny, but my wandering through these Traditions lately had me trip over the Eleventh Step. The fact of continual entry into the spiritual way of life. It is such a powerful path into our staying sober. Never want to forget that.
One of the things, which hit me earlier today was continuing to attempting to enter into meditation. For me that’s two-fold. The first is to stop and think and write it down. I have to do that, because when I want to meditate with thoughts, I could find myself wandering off all over the place. If I stop and write my thoughts down, I can remain focused on what it is I want to do.
But there is another form of meditation I started to learn a long time ago. I know it is one of the most difficult forms, but has seemed to have worked from time to time. It’s called contemplation. That is to learn to attempt to focus on stilling my mind into silence. A kind of form of what meditation is like for so many trying to live a spiritual way of life. After all, as I learned a long time ago, prayer is talking to God, and meditation is listening to God. How can I listen, if I’m talking to myself?
So, from time to time I try to go back and attempt to be quiet. Totally silent. Not all that easy. I mean I can work my way into staying “quiet”, but not really silent. Hard to explain. I mean I know that if one is practicing contemplation on a regular basis, each and everyday, such as being in a religious way of life, that individuals become capable of living this way of life. But, for a mind wandering individual like myself? Not easy.
Anyway I have from time to time been able to acquire something like this. Enough of my thoughts for now. I’m just grateful that from time to time I’m able to acquire enough silence, which helps me to take the time I need to be able to attempt to do this. To “listen”. To what? Silence. To get out of my own way. I never ever want to pretend that I’m “hearing”. Like I said, being quiet enough to listen.
Just stopping to take the time to be quiet and practice spirituality and stay sober a day at a time. Makes me grateful that we’re given the opportunity to do this. To be free of alcohol at the present moment. Gives me peace of mind and heart. Grants me the new freedom and happiness we’re promised in here.
That and many more gifts in here. The restoration to sanity and spiritual awakening among other things. Got to be grateful and need to give thanks. And part of that being grateful and thanking, comes when we’re able to reach out and freely given to others, what was freely given to us.