Latest / The Daily Ripples Podcast / May 5 – Seeing Clearly

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May 5 – Seeing Clearly · The Daily Ripples Podcast

• 0:02
  Hey guys, this is May 5th.
• 0:05
  I got my friend Paris with me and this is Corey.
• 0:08
  Paris has been on this thing before and like Mike says, Mike is out for the next four days.
• 0:16
  And yeah, so me and him are going to do a couple of these.
• 0:20
  And so we're going to start May 5th seeing clearly.
• 0:23
  The stone.
• 0:25
  When emotions run high, perspective narrows.
• 0:28
  I can become so focused on the immediate problem that I lose sight of the bigger picture.
• 0:34
  Ripple one practical.
• 0:35
  Today, when I feel overwhelmed or frustrated, I'll pause and seek wise counsel.
• 0:39
  I don't have to figure everything out alone.
• 0:42
  A trusted voice can help me see what I cannot see in the moment.
• 0:47
  Ripple two spiritual.
• 0:49
  The Father often brings clarity through others.
• 0:52
  As I walk in the humility of Christ, the Holy Spirit uses community to guide and correct my thinking.
• 1:00
  Over time, I learned that wisdom grows not just in solitude, but in shared insight.
• 1:09
  And what he talks about up here, man, it says, when emotions run high.
• 1:15
  And I talk to a lot of people about this stuff.
• 1:18
  the only place that it says these two words together emotional sobriety in any of the literature
• 1:26
  and the thing we're a part of is on step 12 or the first page of step 12 and it says here we begin
• 1:34
  to practice all 12 steps in the program in our daily lives so that we and those about us may find
• 1:41
  emotional sobriety so when i think about emotional sobriety has nothing i thought this whole 12 step
• 1:47
  process was about me so i could get better so i could feel better and all that but for some reason
• 1:54
  when i go in that direction it does this opposite effect it puts me in a hole it puts me where i
• 2:01
  can't like i can't move because like you know my only out of doing this i guess that's why i mean
• 2:07
  it makes sense it's in step 12 right because it's carrying this message so when i carry this message
• 2:13
  for some reason I get the byproduct of emotional sobriety.
• 2:19
  My emotions come at ease.
• 2:21
  And I think we could keep on connecting it,
• 2:23
  but what was your first thought on all this?
• 2:26
  Well, you know, when I first started,
• 2:30
  when emotions were high,
• 2:32
  I had that kind of feeling of emotions not too long ago,
• 2:38
  dealing with things that I thought was immediate problems.
• 2:43
  like it says in a stone.
• 2:46
  And it made me, you know, lose that big picture.
• 2:49
  You know, why was I doing this work?
• 2:51
  Why?
• 2:52
  And, you know, that's what made me think about, you know,
• 2:55
  like it says on Into Action, you know, on page 72 in the big book.
• 3:00
  It was talking about we having to try to get a new attitude.
• 3:04
  See, with that, you know, I got to change.
• 3:06
  So we're working on my change.
• 3:09
  You know, I have to do something different than what I'm used to doing.
• 3:13
  You know, because I could be easier to go get mad or, you know, fuss and fight.
• 3:21
  But what is all this work?
• 3:22
  Just, okay, I can put this in reference to me cooking.
• 3:26
  Okay, when I'm cooking a meal, you know, I got to prep it out before I just put the steak on the grill.
• 3:32
  You know, I got to get all my side items together.
• 3:35
  I got to put everything together.
• 3:36
  They're going to take time.
• 3:38
  Time to time with prayer and meditation.
• 3:39
  I do that daily, so my rest of my day can go back smooth.
• 3:43
  Yeah, and that doesn't bring me think up
• 3:46
  for the first part of the stone.
• 3:48
  You know, when you said that, you know, on page 80,
• 3:51
  and so y'all know, I'm Paris' sponsor,
• 3:54
  and when I, the sponsor, guys, we go through the big book,
• 3:58
  and I think it's very good for people to understand
• 4:02
  what's in the basic text of our literature,
• 4:05
  especially if you're in that kind of program.
• 4:08
  So we'll probably be talking back and forth a lot
• 4:11
  about what's in this big book.
• 4:14
  But you were saying something,
• 4:16
  and it made me think of,
• 4:19
  on page 85 of the big book,
• 4:21
  it says,
• 4:22
  it's talking about,
• 4:24
  we're,
• 4:26
  Stella,
• 4:27
  we have a baby with us too,
• 4:28
  so just,
• 4:29
  that's okay too.
• 4:31
  It says,
• 4:32
  instead the problem has been removed.
• 4:33
  It does not exist for us.
• 4:35
  We are neither cocky,
• 4:36
  nor we are afraid.
• 4:37
  This is our experience.
• 4:40
  That is how we were at.
• 4:41
  so long as we keep in a fit spiritual condition.
• 4:45
  Well, when I think about fit spiritual condition,
• 4:47
  like what does that mean to me?
• 4:48
  Well, I work out, right?
• 4:50
  Like, so it took me to get some time to just get fit.
• 4:55
  Well, then it takes, I mean, that takes extra more work
• 4:58
  to stay fit and stay in condition, right?
• 5:02
  So that's a lot of work.
• 5:03
  And I don't think, you know, it is a lot, I know,
• 5:07
  because I could say I don't think, but I know.
• 5:10
  You know, I try to act like that.
• 5:12
  But, you know, I know for me, if I just went to meetings and I just did the bare minimum of what I got out of this program, I wouldn't be here.
• 5:23
  You know, it says half measures availed us nothing.
• 5:25
  I think that means nothing.
• 5:26
  It doesn't mean a little bit.
• 5:27
  It means nothing.
• 5:29
  So when I think about fit spiritual condition, I do think about, you know, how do I start my day?
• 5:35
  Well, what am I doing in my day?
• 5:37
  You know, and I've been at this place lately where, and I was talking to my sponsor about it, you know, we're going to kind of go for a little ride on this.
• 5:48
  But so on page 130 in the big book of the Alcoholics Anonymous, it says something about it.
• 5:58
  It says, those of us who have spent much time in the world of spiritual mate believe have eventually seen the childishness of it.
• 6:05
  The dream world would have been replaced by a great sense of purpose accompanied by a growing consciousness of the power of God in our lives.
• 6:15
  We have come to believe He would like us to keep our heads in the clouds with Him, but then our feet ought to be firmly planted on earth.
• 6:25
  And I've been kind of playing with some thoughts with that because I think, and we're kind of off topic a little bit, but that's okay.
• 6:34
  So when it says spiritual may believe, right?
• 6:38
  Well, my spiritual may believe before and today is two different things.
• 6:43
  So if you think about the way the book is set up, there's a lot of things that emphasize up into page 88 the thought of helping somebody.
• 6:52
  You know, it says we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we could help.
• 6:55
  You know, and it says some other things about, you know, that's how ex-problem drinkers survive is the constant thought of another person, right?
• 7:03
  So these thoughts, even in the sick man prayer, how can I be helpful to him?
• 7:08
  It doesn't say, what am I going to do for him?
• 7:09
  How can I be helpful?
• 7:11
  It's just a constant thought.
• 7:12
  But it's weird how the big book is outlined because up into page 88, and then when he hit 89, that's the direct interaction with another person.
• 7:21
  Then that's actually the action, the approach.
• 7:23
  What do I do to help another person?
• 7:25
  And for some reason in there, it doesn't say Corey's going to be a counselor.
• 7:28
  But, you know, it's telling me how exactly word for word, how to interact with another drug.
• 7:36
  To take thought to action is a whole other ballgame, right?
• 7:40
  Because that takes work.
• 7:42
  I don't know.
• 7:42
  I was just.
• 7:43
  I mean, no.
• 7:44
  I mean, I'd agree with that.
• 7:45
  But like you just said, you know, and I can look at this spiritual part of it, man, when it says the father brings clarity through others, you know.
• 7:53
  And that's the point of having a sponsor in the program, Alcoholics Anonymous.
• 7:57
  And that's just, you know, of recovery.
• 8:00
  But I can also relate this to, you know, as I got closer to my God, you know, I can go to Proverbs 3 and verse 5.
• 8:11
  It says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
• 8:17
  And when I read that, you know, I had to understand that, you know, what it's saying, you know, you have to get wise counseling.
• 8:25
  Like, you know, I have to practice these things, you know, just to think of it or do it in a different way.
• 8:33
  Like, I can't my willpower.
• 8:35
  You know, I heard that we say that a lot about willpower.
• 8:40
  But words I don't have there.
• 8:41
  My willpower is not there, you know, so I have to depend on God all the time.
• 8:47
  You know, and especially for, you know, just to guide me and what you said about the means.
• 8:52
  Man, my mama told me every day, you know, she was like, man, why you always on the go?
• 8:56
  You know, because I'm never sitting home.
• 8:58
  You know, I'm like, I'm either working with somebody, you know, I'm out at different meetings or I'm doing service work.
• 9:05
  You know what I mean?
• 9:06
  Like the other day, we went to, you know, we did the service work with a group of guys, you know, you know, things.
• 9:11
  It's just I'm always in this room of recovery.
• 9:16
  You know, I can't, I don't want to just, I got to take this as serious as possible.
• 9:21
  And another thing, you know, and I can relate, like you said on page 130, I like how you said, but that our feet ought to be firmly planted on earth.
• 9:30
  Meaning that our time on earth is, you know, just this time on earth.
• 9:34
  It's there is eternity.
• 9:36
  This is just, we're vessels of this.
• 9:38
  You know, we're just here for right now.
• 9:41
  But I can't, I don't want to go with too much religion because I have, you know, there's something different.
• 9:45
  No, yeah, but that's what we're talking about in it too, dog.
• 9:47
  Yeah.
• 9:48
  We're talking about, yeah, you know, that's what we can talk about that because that's like, that's the cool thing about this mixture.
• 9:55
  Yeah.
• 9:55
  And I think, you know, man, I'll tell you like, you know, with the religious aspect of it, you know, and you think about like Jesus Christ and this and this and this.
• 10:05
  And, you know, I remember my sponsor sent me this.
• 10:10
  It was like a picture of a book.
• 10:12
  When I think about that, for me, it made sense because, like, this is the soft—well, it wasn't the softer way, but for me to have a relationship with my higher power, I had to be at the bottom, right?
• 10:26
  And I had to be able to relate with you.
• 10:28
  Well, good thing we related right here at this kitchen table over mounds of powdery substances in the past, right?
• 10:35
  So I know you, man.
• 10:37
  And so that was the coolest thing about this and how, but like, you know, then it goes on to say, you know, our greatest defect is to become our greatest asset.
• 10:46
  Today we help guys, man.
• 10:47
  I mean, we talked about that before, right?
• 10:49
  You know, we sit and read books together.
• 10:51
  But you know what I mean?
• 10:52
  We pray together.
• 10:53
  You know, these things, you know, are things that like God is the only thing that could ever make something like that possible with two people that used to sell bags and do all sorts of crazy stuff in their life.
• 11:04
  Man, you're talking about crazy stuff.
• 11:05
  Think about this.
• 11:06
  Because, you know, it's made feel for, like, what's that Cinco de Mayo?
• 11:10
  So, what we used to do on Cinco de Mayo.
• 11:12
  Yeah, right.
• 11:13
  We used to want to go out and get part of, you know, turn up, you know, do whatever.
• 11:17
  Once we get the bottom, we're going to get the bag next, you know.
• 11:20
  And that's what, but today, it's a different, it's like a switch.
• 11:25
  Right.
• 11:25
  You know, I just came out there to TCYPAA, my first TCYPAA thing, you know.
• 11:29
  That's a TCYPAA Tennessee Conference of Young People, I call it, it's anonymous.
• 11:35
  And just going to that, it's like, man, this stuff really works once you put the work into it.
• 11:41
  You know, I'm going to read this in the Mark, Mark chapter 5, verse 19.
• 11:50
  It says, Jesus did not let them, but said, go home to your family and let them know how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.
• 12:03
  So when I think about what that is, it's kind of like a testimony, right?
• 12:07
  Like, go home to these people and tell them what Jesus has done for you.
• 12:12
  And I think about that because, like, we kind of do that in a lighter version, right?
• 12:17
  We do that, well, we do it, you know, our experience, strength, and hope.
• 12:21
  People overuse those three words, I think, very too much in AF.
• 12:25
  And the reason I think that, Paris, is because, you know, Michael's going to think this is funny
• 12:30
  because, you know, we're just going back and forth in this book.
• 12:32
  But, you know, on page 58, it says, are stories disclosed in a general way?
• 12:42
  So general is important because the reason we're in the fifth month
• 12:46
  and we're going to be talking about a fifth step in the next couple episodes,
• 12:49
  but in a general way is because you know my story.
• 12:53
  I know your story.
• 12:55
  You know, me and you have lived a life of a little bit of crime too, right?
• 12:59
  But when I go in around some people, right, and they're like, man, I got a DUI.
• 13:04
  And in my head, I'm like, man, I'll relate to you.
• 13:07
  But the thing is, man, my ego does that, right?
• 13:09
  That's my ego.
• 13:10
  And the reason the fifth step is so important, because I need to drop the ego.
• 13:15
  I need to be one and one with another man.
• 13:18
  No better than, no less than.
• 13:20
  And so when I think about, so it says right here, it says,
• 13:24
  are stories disclosed in a general way
• 13:27
  what we used to be like,
• 13:30
  what happened,
• 13:31
  and what we are like now.
• 13:33
  That's the same thing it's talking about.
• 13:34
  Hey, go show these people
• 13:36
  what this has done for you.
• 13:39
  You want to say this prayer?
• 13:40
  Yes.
• 13:41
  Prayer.
• 13:42
  Father, give me the clarity
• 13:44
  when my vision is clouded
• 13:46
  through Your Spirit.
• 13:47
  Guide me to wise counsel
• 13:50
  and help me walk in truth,
• 13:51
  humility, and understanding.
• 13:53
  Amen.
• 13:54
  Amen.