I was talking to a number of people this week, who have their own difficulties. In fact, my experience told me, we will probably have all of these at some time or another in our lives. I know I have and that there is an answer we need to deal with. And it started way back for me in that Second Step.
That was the beginning of a spiritual life. Like it said to me and helped me to open the door, that I would either live a spiritual life or die an alcoholic death. I had already been at the door to the last one, so I chose to open the door to the spiritual way of life. And it worked.
Part of that was the beginning to have my Higher Power in my life. It changed this way of life for me. It helped me to begin working these Steps in here. And the combination of the human life in what I was doing, and the spiritual life helped me to start to change.
And prayer and meditation, and limiting my living a sober life down to a day at a time, helped me to change my thinking and my emotional life. When fear and anxiety began I could change by asking for help and staying in the day. No projecting into the future. That last part would drag me down into darkness, rather than the peaceful way I was given, when I prayed and asked for help…and stayed in the now.
I know I have gone through all kinds of phases in this life. Financial and having to deal with relatives in illnesses, whom I had to care for. And a lot of this had to do with being able to grow along in faith, hope, and compassion. That also helped me to step back from getting into anger. I had to learn how to deal with others in a new way of thinking and dealing with them.
The spiritual life led me to begin to learn what was in the BB and the 12&12. Not just the thoughts, but the prayers in these, which helped me to change my thinking. I had to stop and really think about this, when I began to read and pray some of these prayers. They helped me to change into a better way of living. Peace and happiness no matter what.
That doesn’t mean that I haven’t hit the rocks sometime, but I learned from my old sponsor and others how I’m to change my way of thinking. I had to get honest and not think and live like I did while I was out there drinking. I had to do what so many others did in here. Not just to pray and meditate, but to share with others, and then listen to them.