I was in my SECOND F2F meeting today. After years of struggling to do this by myself in a variety of ways, this seems so logical! Again. If we're so weary we'll try anything, it's not a bad gig--and, for the first time in my life, I actually feel like I BELONG somewhere! That's weird--I likened it to, "The Island of Misfit Toys." Bunch of broken toys that actually have a home--and someone who loves them (Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer...).
But ANYhow, there was a reading about Happiness not being the ultimate goal of AA, but rather a by-product. Like contentment, peace, tranquility, humility, etc. Well DAMN! I've not been happier in a long time, and to belong to a group of such respectful, honest, caring people is truly something I've been searching for for a long, long time.
When you stop looking you'll find what you're looking for....
Right on skq! I'm happy for you. You seem to have found what works for you. Keep working your program...
one day at a time Cookster
one day at a time Cookster
Excellent news SKG, I felt the same way when I finally surrendered and started working the Program. Way to go!
Yeah, it is amazing what happens when you give up trying, I suppose that is surrender.
I think the whole happiness thing is a ploy coming from the ego in its perpetual search for salvation that doesn't exist. It cons us into believing happiness is the ultimate goal that one day we will attain and everything will be ok. Of course that one day never comes because there is always another 'one day' in the future. Where it is really at is the present but the ego can't handle that!!
I have been learning loads about the ego lately. It makes SO much sense.
The ego, the imposter pretending to be us, masking our true spiritual selves with its shadow of darkness.
If anyone is interested; read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle . It is an incredible book. I read it before when I was a drunk, it was great but I couldn't get it on an experiential level because my ego was too powerful and I didn't realise what was going on. After sobering up, I get it now and can put it all into practice. It really guides you to a connection with your real self. This is the only way true recovery can happen, just like they say in AA.
By the way what is F2F? I have come up with face to face!
I think the whole happiness thing is a ploy coming from the ego in its perpetual search for salvation that doesn't exist. It cons us into believing happiness is the ultimate goal that one day we will attain and everything will be ok. Of course that one day never comes because there is always another 'one day' in the future. Where it is really at is the present but the ego can't handle that!!
I have been learning loads about the ego lately. It makes SO much sense.
The ego, the imposter pretending to be us, masking our true spiritual selves with its shadow of darkness.
If anyone is interested; read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle . It is an incredible book. I read it before when I was a drunk, it was great but I couldn't get it on an experiential level because my ego was too powerful and I didn't realise what was going on. After sobering up, I get it now and can put it all into practice. It really guides you to a connection with your real self. This is the only way true recovery can happen, just like they say in AA.
By the way what is F2F? I have come up with face to face!
Thanks for the support and yes, F2F is Face-to-Face. I've grown more in the past couple days than all of the time I'd been trying to do it by myself, including on the www. It's a sense of peace, frankly.
I don't know about ego--we've all got one. I was always taught, "Pride goeth before the fall," by my mother and it became a lifestyle--martyrdom, pretend humility, putting everything else first. I'm learning that it's been almost a "Reverse Ego," whereby I tried to be everything to everyone and would drink after all the giving in selfish reflection. As I said, I'm putting my story together in pieces, but I'm not a wreck, self-loathing, depricating guy--I just play one.
:)
As I said before, I done more self-analysis to the point of paralysis. This week's been a journey into inner peace. I think this group I've found is more like a church congregation should be and it's certainly suits me more than any congregation I've ever been a part of. Ironic, really. I get more peace and tranquility with a bunch of broken toys who just want to be loved and love themselves than I EVER have with the charade called religion. I thank the BIGGUY for finally showing me.
peace.
I don't know about ego--we've all got one. I was always taught, "Pride goeth before the fall," by my mother and it became a lifestyle--martyrdom, pretend humility, putting everything else first. I'm learning that it's been almost a "Reverse Ego," whereby I tried to be everything to everyone and would drink after all the giving in selfish reflection. As I said, I'm putting my story together in pieces, but I'm not a wreck, self-loathing, depricating guy--I just play one.
:)
As I said before, I done more self-analysis to the point of paralysis. This week's been a journey into inner peace. I think this group I've found is more like a church congregation should be and it's certainly suits me more than any congregation I've ever been a part of. Ironic, really. I get more peace and tranquility with a bunch of broken toys who just want to be loved and love themselves than I EVER have with the charade called religion. I thank the BIGGUY for finally showing me.
peace.
Yep, SKG, I have that kind of ego too at times, and I've learned in AA that it is "pride in reverse", I'd never heard that before but once someone explained to me (like you shared in your previous post)...I thought, yep, that's what I do...glad you are into the meetings...it's a good gig.
I found this in a document:
"An oft-quoted sentence from the book Alcoholics Anonymous is: Self-centeredness . . . is the root of our troubles. And one of the earliest evidences of the basic change in the personality of the recovering alcoholic is the slow, hesitant, frightened, but persistent offering of himself to others. Alcoholics are numbered among the great gimmes of the world. Gimme a break . . . Gimme a chance . . . Gimme time . . . Gimme understanding . . . Gimme love. In
A.A., these self-same gimmes come to be numbered among the great givers, and lo, some of them even learn to want nothing in return."
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org...EyeviewofAA.pdf
Thought it was sort of fitting to this topic....
Peaceness!
"An oft-quoted sentence from the book Alcoholics Anonymous is: Self-centeredness . . . is the root of our troubles. And one of the earliest evidences of the basic change in the personality of the recovering alcoholic is the slow, hesitant, frightened, but persistent offering of himself to others. Alcoholics are numbered among the great gimmes of the world. Gimme a break . . . Gimme a chance . . . Gimme time . . . Gimme understanding . . . Gimme love. In
A.A., these self-same gimmes come to be numbered among the great givers, and lo, some of them even learn to want nothing in return."
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org...EyeviewofAA.pdf
Thought it was sort of fitting to this topic....
Peaceness!
Bump. A year ago...
