Forget your BRAIN (and all those 'clever' little ideas). Just follow what WORKS.
Although I LOVE the 'roadmap' the Big Book offers us, I think the MANY !!!! References to 'feelings' as being arbiters of spiritual fitness, guide me VERY CLEARLY to the 'wisdom of my feelings' as a rough guide to my current level of spiritual fitness.
What I'm saying is that I like to 'take my thinking out of the way' sometimes, and just be 'taught' by WHAT WORKS.
Don't analyze, don't cross reference various doctrines. Just follow what works. And don't follow the stuff that doesn't work.
Its like taking a mini-holiday from thinking. Its very humbling, because it removes all the opportunities for RATIONALIZATION, EXCUSES, and various other forms of ALCOHOLIC DOUBLE THINK that we ferret out to JUSTIFY and explain our way out of BAD behavior, BAD decisions, or entrenched prejudices and pet theories.
Looking at the results alone as a judge of the approach I am using is a VERY TOUGH doctrine. For me anyway. It cuts through all the crap. Removes ALL my excuses. (They no longer count).
Follow or Be guided by:
What WORKS
What is the most HELPFUL
What makes you feel COMFORTABLE. (Short term AND long term)
Do more of what works. Do less of what doesn't.
If it makes you feel good, do it more. If it makes you feel bad, do it less.
These are the kinds of questions I ask myself when I am using this method. (notice there is NO reference to ANY book, idea, teaching, what's 'right')
Who is this helping?
Is it helping me?
Is it helping anyone else?
Which would be MORE helpful? Choice A, or choice B?
Which would be MORE helpful to myself? Choice A, or choice B?
Which would be MORE helpful to this other person? Choice A, or choice B?
Which feels more COMFORTABLE? Choice A, or choice B?
By the way, when I say comfortable, I do not mean 'permanently blissful'. What I mean more is CONTENTMENT. Which is very like acceptance, or peace of mind. Its when I am not 'fighting' life. Accepting life on life's terms. It is a 'place of rest' amid the storm, as opposed to getting caught up in the storm.
But what I'm saying is that just following what creates those feelings in my body is a very advanced practice. In my opinion. I think feelings are FAR more 'informed' than our intellect. My emotions 'understand' my situation in ways that my mind simply cannot grasp. Basically, the heart is VERY wise. And it's great because I get to take a holiday from thinking. Which is very refreshing. So leave your brains at the door sometimes, and just be 'taught' by the unflattering !! results of your day to day habitual choices.
By the way this does NOT mean that I endorse never thinking or studying books. Reading and study have their place. I could not recover without the use of my mind, but you need to bE able to do both. Use your mind and have a rest from thinking.
Just so you know: this guidance stems from the instruction regarding (what I see as) gods will in the Big Book where it says:
"We are SURE God wants us to be happy joyous and free" p133.
Have a nice Monday!
About Me
- An Irish Friend of Bill
- I have recovered from the disease of Alcoholism. I believe there is only one person really,.. everybody. And that peace of mind is everything. -So treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself, because your neighbor IS yourself. I think most of recovery is what I would call common sense, but that learning to be ordinary is a true gift very few people acquire. My ambition is to accept everything unflinchingly, with compassion, and therefore be intrinsically comfortable in my own skin, no matter what. I am comfortable being uncomfortable and am willing to go to any lengths to improve my life. I believe the Big Book was divinely inspired, and is extraordinarily powerful. Unfortunately AA's best kept secret a lot of the time. (In my opinion). I just try to do what works, no matter what it is.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Some days I feel so limited in what I can offer my sponslings when they're on a rant. I've always learned "Feel the feelings first" with sponslings then get them on with the business looking at their part in things. Today is one rough day in that respect. My main job as a sponsor is to redirect people toward the steps when the going gets tough. This probably has nothing to do with your post, but I needed to rant anonymously! PS I really get a lot out of reading books. Sometimes years later I'm still quoting from them.
Post a Comment