Originally posted by bettie… I am falling back into old bad habits and old bad patterns of thinking …
"God, Grant me the serenty……."
Dear Bettie,
Just as we can fall back into old habits we can also climb back up to the new ones that we are establishing. Alone the lines with your reference to "patterns of thinking", it is our thinking that will carry us to this higher place; we can change our ways of thinking, and or ways of acting upon the resulting more positive thoughts, so that our spiritual makeup will overcome the addictive part of our being.
With all the post and replies that you make here, I am thinking that you have read Harry’s welcoming to the new members also. But have you also planted his closing remarks in your mind to help you progress in your recovery. I might as well reinforce the fact now for you at what many refer to as another Day One after someone returns to gambling; recovery is a program based of progress not perfection; I personally see it merely as a "clean date", not Day 1 of our journey. Harry’s use of the quote in his signature closing is a reminder to all of us how strong and influential our thought just are: "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny".
You are already using parts of your spiritual being and character in the things that you do for others, the spiritual and positive characteristics that are manifested in your sharing your life with others, e.g. the kindness, generosity, honesty, and humility, but these high qualities also need to be allowed to guide you in your owe life; start "living" who you are, not just using it for the benefit of others, or for merely enduring the struggles of life’s everyday adventures. You have already surrendered to the powers of your addiction, now let yourself surrender to who you are. You have the Serenity to except what you cannot change, now use the Courage and Wisdom that we also prey for in our recovery and work toward in the GA Step 11. There is no reason to feel sorry for yourself and stay on the pity potty, "poor me, poor me" does not cut it, and does not proclaim the person that you are, nor is any reasons for your negative thinking represent what others see in you.
Keep working on your recovery, keep working the Steps, not working through them, but working and practicing them everyday, — "Follow the Steps in your daily affairs"; they are a guideline and a process to follow, not something to read through and check off after we make a list of how they might relate to us at a certain time.
If the typical candlelight ceremony in used at the closing of the upcoming Chicago Conference where each one steps forward and forms a circle begining with the one with the oldest clean date and ending with the one with the newest one, you will still be part of the circle. And when the candles are lit one at a time starting with the first person, yours will be part of the light that shines out to all. And when they are blown out in unison, it shows that no mater how much time it took for us to reach a certain point or to light our candle, we are all living gambling free One Day At A Time and are all just one bet away from being the last person in line; not one to look down on, but the person that completes the circle where there is no begining or ending..
God’s speed. Stay strong. See you in Chicagoland.
p.s. The thoughts expressed in the message sent out by Ken L also represents the need for positive thoughts and actions and provides us with the encouragement to move forward:
Today’s thought from Hazelden is:
Fantasies are more than substitutes for unpleasant reality; they are also dress rehearsals, plans. All acts performed in the world begin in the imagination.
–Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
Our minds mold who we become. Our thoughts not only contribute to our achievements, they determine the posture of our lives. How very powerful they are. Fortunately, we have the power to think the thoughts we choose, which means our lives will unfold much as we expect.
The seeds we plant in our minds indicate the directions we’ll explore in our development. And we won’t explore areas we’ve never given attention to in our reflective moments. We must dare to dream extravagant, improbable dreams if we intend to find a new direction, and the steps necessary to it.
We will not achieve, we will not master that which goes unplanned in our dream world. We imagine first, and then we conceive the execution of a plan. Our minds prepare us for success. They can also prepare us for failure if we let our thoughts become negative.
I can succeed with my fondest hopes. But I must believe in my potential for success. I will ponder the positive today.
Larry
Thanks to my Higher Power, My 3G’s – God, GA, and GT, "Day Two Is Another Day Behind" and with the help from all , I will continue to remain gambling free.
You are reading from the book:
Each Day a New Beginning by Karen Casey– 3/25/2012 2:56:59 PM: post edited by paul315.