A Vision For You – Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

“There was always one more attempt and one more failure.”

I tried to quit drinking thousands times and hundreds of different ways. This is not an embellishment. 25 years of daily drinking and using adds up. There were many mornings filled with regret, shame and the empty promise that I would not drink tonight. That promise usually was made during my morning shower and broken by the afternoon. So soul crushing.

I read many self help books. I started (but never finished) many exercise programs. The only thing that kept me sober for more than a week between the ages of 13 and 37 was a jail cell. At least until I found the program of alcoholics anonymous.

“The most satisfactory years of your existence lie ahead”

This has become true for me. I lost almost everything in sobriety. The first 3 years were just brutal, as I was trying to learn how to live without drugs and alcohol. I was finally growing emotionally after being stuck at 13 years old emotionally for 25 years. I lost my marriage, almost all of my friends, my business and ended up with over $100,000 worth of debt.

8 years later, I’m in a very healthy relationship, a beautiful daughter, healthy relationships with my children and family, a new successful business and best of all – Serenity.

I help others. I am no longer a liability to my friends, family and community. I am an asset.

Step 10 – 12 Steps and 12 Traditions

AA 12 and 12

“Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.”

Promptly admitting we were wrong. Such a great life lesson and practice that I’ve undertaken over the last 8 years. When I was drinking and using, I never meant “I’m sorry”. I never learned how to apologize until working the 12 steps.

I’d make plenty of empty apologies, but those were expressed just to get someone off my ass while I continued my bad behavior.

Now, when I’m wrong or exhibit bad behavior I have the self awareness to apologize and correct my actions immediately. This has saved me a bunch of heartaches and headaches.

“For the wise have always known that no one can make much of his life until self-searching becomes a regular habit…”

When I was out drinking, self-searching wasn’t even on my radar. I just wanted to numb myself into oblivion most nights.

In sobriety, I no longer have that option. In order to maintain some sort of emotional balance I NEED to do a depth of self-searching activities. These include other 12 step programs.

My wife pokes fun at me for needing 3 hours of self care each morning before work. My routine consists of breath work, meditation, yoga, running, weightlifting and a cold shower. Even with all these activities, my mind can still be a scary place to live at times.

I like to say that AA did not solve all my problems, but it opened up the doors to things that did.

At 5 years sober, I hit an emotional bottom. I was sharing about this experience at a meeting and a beautiful soul pulled me aside and told me I should look into the program of Adult Children of Alcoholics. That program saved my relationship and has kept me emotional sober. Absolutely life changing. I’ll dive into that experience at another time.

I’ve also successfully used therapy in conjunction with 12 step.

“It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no what the cause, there is something wrong with us. If somebody hurts us and we are sore, we are in the wrong also.”

This one is deep…and usually true. If we are in balance spiritually, physically, emotionally and mentally, another person’s words or actions should not be able to negatively affect us.

I agree it’s difficult to alway maintain that kind of balance, but it is possible.

There are always exceptions: Dealing with narcissists and the failure to create and maintain healthy boundaries to name a few.

Otherwise, it’s always a useful exercise to ask “why” when another person upsets us.

Book Recommendation: “We” by Robert Johnson

Just finished up Robert Jordan’s book on the psychology of romantic love, “We“. I’ve been hit with a nasty flu bug that’s been around. Not fun, but I had a chance to catch up on some reading.

If you’ve ever been in love, currently in love, addicted to love or searching for love, I couldn’t recommend this enough.

The author writes about the psychology behind a mythological story centered around the fate of two lovers, Tristan and Iseult.

Johnson connects the myth’s symbolism in relation to our Western culture’s obsession with romantic love. And how our understanding of romantic love in the West is not sustainable for healthy human relationships.

Instead, Johnson recommends looking upon the simplicity of romantic relationships with love that is built upon commitment and loyalty rather than the addictive qualities of falling in love. This type of perspective on relationships is sustainable.

A self-proclaimed Jungian, Johnson has written two other companion books to “We“. Aptly titled “He” and “She“. I’ve read all three and they’re all worth a read. “We” was my favorite though.

Have any good book recommendations? Contact me or leave a comment below.

The Beginning of Love

“The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. If in loving them we do not love what they are, but only their potential likeness to ourselves, then we do not love them: we only love the reflection of ourselves we find in them”

― Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island

The beginning of love is such a powerful experience. The feelings and thoughts that usually occur during this time can be life-altering. I’m grateful to have experienced it a few times in my life. I learned many lessons from each experience. I took those lessons into the next relationship and cultivated a deeper and truer love each time. I have much more love to give if there’s another chapter in my romantic life. My love is more agape and unattached than at previous times in my life. Time will tell if and when I get to share this through romantic channels. For now, I’m content sharing it with my family and friends.