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PRINCIPLES: THE ADDICTION & RECOVERY NEWSLETTER |
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=====TABLE OF CONTENTS===== =====EDITOR'S COMMENTS =====EDITOR'S COMMENTS===== PLEASE NOTE: "Principles" looks at recovery through the lens of an "eastern" perspective, which fits nicely with 12-step programs' spiritual underpinnings--that is, if you're willing to read it that way. PRIVACY: I will never publish, give, loan, or sell your email address to anyone. Never - Ever - No way - No how. DISTRIBUTION: God willing, Principles hits cyberspace once a week - sometime between Thursday evening and Friday morning. Find Subscribe & Unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of this page. Thanks...Charles Roper =====RECOVERY THOUGHT===== We need not treat our character defects as enemies. Rather, we can recognize them as some of our strongest allies in our journey through spiritual recovery. They challenge our assumptions, our expectations, and our beliefs. They force us to view things from a different perspective. They are our cherished teachers. Read more below...in RECOVERY TALK =====READERS' COMMENTS===== Jim H. writes: "I just wanted to comment on your Eastern perspective column. It is good to know that there are other areas of help on recovery, and I feel it is essential to have a well-rounded perspective on what others do to handle the stress of not drinking, drugging, smoking etc. I have just recently begun to 'know' when I eat and 'know' when I walk and 'know' when I sit. It is a wonderful accompaniment to my sobriety." From Editor: I'd love
to hear your comments, questions, & ideas. I don't answer every
email, but I do read every one, and I answer many. Please email your
comments & questions to: =====RECOVERY TALK===== From last week's Recovery Talk: ...When we take our personal inventory, we are told to be searching as well as fearless. That challenges us to be just as thorough and fearless in confronting and accepting our basic goodness as we are in confronting and accepting our defects... To continue...Peggy U. replies: Left to its own devices, my ego has no problem with thinking "highly" or "negatively" of myself. Both represent different sides of the same coin, which is self-centeredness. So for me, the intent of Step 4 is ego deflation - that is, a lessening of self-centeredness. My ego will take any opportunity to exploit a so-called positive trait and trick it into overshadowing the humility that I get from looking at my resentments, fear, and problems with relationships - those objects of the inventory process. At the same time, though, I don't think of the 4th step in terms of self-criticism. Inventory work simply helps us find the humility to close the gap between us, our Higher Power, and our fellow human beings. I think that if Bill W. and the other early AA's intended for us to "be self-critical" or "list our positive attributes," they would have said that. Instead, they said we "don't dwell in morbid reflection" (self-criticism, beating ourselves up) because it minimizes our effectiveness. They also said we don't grovel when we make amends, which tells me again that we don't beat ourselves up. The word they use is "fact-finding" when describing what an inventory is. It's not about how we "feel." I appreciate that because it focuses on my behavior and thoughts - the things that get me in trouble. It's my actions and thoughts that need changing. When my thoughts are Higher Power inspired, the "positive" attributes follow naturally. [Thank you, Peggy. Very nicely said.] =====NEWSLETTER SPONSOR===== "...inspiring and thought-provoking...challenges (my) understanding of recovery...makes me want to dig deeper." --JW High Bottom Drunk: A Novel...and the Truth about Addiction & Recovery, by Charles N. Roper, PhD. Order High Bottom Drunk directly from the publisher, through the http://www.highbottomdrunk.com website, and receive two free gifts (modest but useful) with each copy. http://www.highbottomdrunk.com
=====LINK OF THE WEEK===== This week's featured link is: Substance Abuse: Alcohol. An exhaustive index of online resources. Visit the site at: =====PURE BOLOGNA & HOGWASH===== A man comes home from work, plops down on the couch in front of the television, and tells his wife, "Get me a beer before it starts." The wife sighs and gets him a beer. Fifteen minutes later, he says, "Get me another beer before it starts." She looks angry but fetches another beer and sets it down next to him. He finishes that beer off quickly and says, "Quick, get me another beer; it's going to start any minute." The wife glares at him and yells, "Is that all you're going to do tonight? Drink beer and sit in front of that TV? You're nothing but a lazy, drunken, fat slob, and furthermore..." The man sighs and says, "It's started." =====SUBSCRIBE / UNSUBSCRIBE===== To SUBSCRIBE to this
publication, send any e-mail to: To UNSUBSCRIBE from
this publication, send any e-mail to: ========================== Till next week, do us all a favor and keep it simple. Charles Roper, Editor Alcohol & Drug
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