Latest / Sober Readings / Learning To Love Ourselves
Transcript
- Scott Hayes: Happy Friday everyone, welcome to Sober Readings. Today is the 24th of April. Let's begin today with the Serenity Prayer. God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Alright, today's reading from Daily Reflections for the 24th of April. Learning to love ourselves. Alcoholism was a lonely business. even though we were surrounded by people who loved us. We were trying to find emotional security either by dominating or by being dependent upon others. We still vainly tried to be secure by some unhealthy sort of domination or dependence. That's from As Bill Sees It, page 252. When I did my personal inventory, I found that I had unhealthy relationships with most people in my life. My friends and family, for example. I always felt isolated and lonely. I drank to dull emotional pain. It was through staying sober, having a good sponsor, and working the 12 steps that I was able to build up my low self-esteem. First, the 12 steps taught me to become my own best friend, and then, when I was able to love myself, I could reach out and love others. Today's reading from 24 Hours, April 24, AA Thought for the Day. It's been proved that we alcoholics can't get sober by our own will. We've failed again and again. Therefore, I believe there must be a higher power which helps me. I think of that power as the grace of God. And I pray to God every morning for the strength to stay sober today. I know that power is there because it never fails to help me. So ask yourself, do I believe that AA works through the grace of God? The Meditation for the Day Once I am born of the Spirit, then that is my life's breath. Within me is the life of life, so that I can never perish. The life that down the ages has kept God's children through peril, adversity, and sorrow. I must try never to doubt or worry, but follow where the life of the Spirit leads. How often, when little I know it, God goes before me to prepare the way, to soften a heart or to overrule a resentment. As the life of the spirit grows, natural wants become less important. the prayer for the day. I pray that my life may become centered in God more than in self. I pray that my will may be directed toward doing His will. And for today's final reading, go to page 277 in As Bill Sees It. To lighten our burden, Only one consideration should qualify our desire for a complete disclosure of the damage we have done. That will arise where a full revelation would seriously harm the one to whom we are making amends, or, quite as important, other people. We cannot, for example, unload a detailed account of extramarital adventuring upon the shoulders of our unsuspecting wife or husband. It does not lighten our burden when we recklessly make the crosses of others heavier. That's from the 12 and 12, page 86. In making amends, we should be sensible, tactful, considerate, and humble without being servile or scraping. As God's people, we stand on our feet. We don't crawl before anyone. That's from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous, page 83. So in this last reading, they're obviously talking about steps eight and nine from the 12 steps. And for those that may not know, Step 8 is made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. And then Step 9 is made direct amends to such people wherever possible except when to do so would injure them or others. And in the summary reading of Step 9 from the 12 and 12 book, it says, peace of mind cannot be bought at the expense of others, and also readiness to take consequences of our past and to take responsibility for well-being of others. is the spirit of step nine. And I can't stress the importance of having a sponsor enough with this step, because I can tell you that when I did step nine, I made a list of a bunch of people, and my sponsor went through it with me and actually took people off of that list because it was unnecessary. I just wanted to go on this apology tour and make amends to everyone, when, number one, when it wasn't necessary, and number two, when it would have harmed those other people. And speaking of the 12 steps, since we are in the fourth month, I have not recorded step four yet. So I plan on doing that within the next couple of days. So watch out for that recording. But if you would like to read through step four with me on the podcast, you can send me an email at sober readings with Scott at gmail.com. And I would love to have you as a guest reader. So that's it for today's episode of sober readings. If you enjoyed the show, please do me a huge favor. and hit that like button and share this episode with someone you think might need it. Also drop a comment, let me know what you thought. If you'd like to drop a dollar in today's virtual donation basket, just go to soberreadings.com and click that donate button. So thank you so much everyone for listening. Stay sober, keep reading, and I'll see you in the next episode. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other and remember, just for today, don't drink, go to a meeting, and keep coming back. Have a great day, and as my friend Larry says, best day ever.