Latest / Sober Readings / A Word To Drop: Blame
Transcript
- Scott Hayes: Welcome to Sober Readings. Today is Saturday, the 11th of April. Let's begin with the Serenity Prayer. God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference. All right, let's get started with Daily Reflections for April 11. A word to drop, blame. To see how erratic emotions victimized us often took a long time. We could perceive them quickly in others, but only slowly in ourselves. First of all, we had to admit that we had many of these defects, even though such disclosures were painful and humiliating. Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word blame from our speech and thought. And that's from 12 Steps and 12 Traditions, page 47. When I did my fourth step following the big book guidelines, I noticed that my grudge list was filled with my prejudices and my blaming others for my not being able to succeed and to live up to my potential. I also discovered I felt different because I was black. As I continued to work on the step, I learned that I always had drunk to rid myself of those feelings. It was only when I sobered up and worked on my inventory that I could no longer blame anyone. Today's reading from 24 Hours. April 11, AA Thought for the Day. In that alcoholic world, one drink always leads to another and you can't stop till you're paralyzed. And the next morning it begins all over again. You eventually land in a hospital or jail. You lose your job. Your home is broken up. You're always in a mess. You're on the merry-go-round and you can't get off. You're in a squirrel cage and you can't get out. So ask yourself, am I convinced that that alcoholic world is not a pleasant place for me to live in? The Meditation for the Day. must learn to accept self-discipline. I must try never to yield one point that I have already won. I must not let myself go in resentments, hates, fears, pride, lust, or gossip. Even if discipline keeps me separated from some people who are without discipline, nevertheless I will carry on. I may have different ways and a different standard of living than some others. I may be actuated by different motives than some people, but I will try to live the way I believe God wants me to live, no matter what others say. Today's prayer for the day. I pray that I may be an example to others of a better way of living. I pray that I may carry on in spite of hindrances. And today's final reading is from As Bill Sees It. Today we're reading from page 270. Honesty and Recovery. In taking an inventory, a member might consider questions such as these. How did my selfish pursuit of the sex relation damage other people and me? What people were hurt and how badly? Just how did I react at the time? Did I burn with guilt? Or did I insist that I was the pursued and not the pursuer, and thus absolve myself? How have I reacted to frustration in sexual matters? When denied, did I become vengeful or depressed? Did I take it out on other people? If there was rejection or coldness at home, did I use this as a reason for promiscuity? And that's from the 12 and 12 pages 50 to 51. Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family back. His recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God. however he may define him. And that is from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 99 to 100. So that's it for today's episode of Sober Readings. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed the show, please do me a big favor and hit the like button. Also, share this episode with someone who you think might need it. Drop a comment and let me know what you think of the show. And make sure you're following or subscribed so you never miss the next episode. And if you're someone who loves reading sober literature and would like to be a guest reader on the show, I'd love to have you. Just shoot me an email at soberreadingswithscott at gmail.com and we can make that happen. And if you'd like to drop a dollar in the virtual donation basket, just go to soberreadings.com and click the donate button. So again, thank you so much for listening. Stay sober, keep reading, and I'll catch 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.