Step by Step May 22 2026

Today, I will reach into my past to measure the enormity of my present and try to grasp the scope of the life sobriety has given me. Whereas I once was helpless, hopeless, weak, apathetic, selfish and destructive – and pathetic – today I have hope, strength, selflessness, compassion, passion and the courage born of humility to treat sobriety with awe and respect. While I cannot and do not want to live in or return to yesterday, I also do not want to forget it; its lessons can steer me from the same mistakes today. And all I have left behind and gained what I have now is through sobriety and, therefore, my sobriety is my No. 1 priority for. Without it, I have nothing except for all that I pray is gone – just for today. And our common journey continues.

Step by step. – Chris, M., 2014

Fr. Leo's DAILY MEDITATION #essentialsofrec #frLeo #Acceptance

ACCEPTANCE

“All things are woven together and the common Bond is sacred . . . for they have been arranged together in their places and together make the same Universe.”

~ Marcus Aurelius ~

I said I was a nonviolent drunk. Today I am able to see I was sarcastic and verbally violent, and this was no less painful or destructive to the victim. A target for my anger and venom was the faith and beliefs of others, especially when those differed radically from my own. My alcoholism made me a prejudiced and bigoted person, a prisoner of my arrogance.

My sobriety teaches me to be accepting and tolerant of the views and opinions of others. A spirituality that embraces everyone, rather than a narrow and restrictive religion, is my prescription for life. I have exchanged bigotry for freedom, and I am happy in God’s world.

May my acceptance of others, regardless of culture or creed, lead to understanding. 

© 2008 Leo Booth

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As Bill Sees It #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Reason

28
March 

Keystone of the Arch, p. 87

Faced with alcoholic destruction, we became open-minded on spiritual matters. In this respect alcohol was a great persuader. It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness.

<< << << >> >> >>

We had to quit playing God. It didn’t work. We decided that hereafter, in this drama of life, God was going to be our Director. He would be the Principal; we, His agents.

Most good ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new triumphal arch through which we passed to freedom.

Alcoholics Anonymous
1. p. 48

2. p. 62

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Today's Gift #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Habits #Change

28
March
Changing destructive habits is what changes lives

People grow accustomed to habits even when they are self-destructive. We who have sought the help of Twelve Step programs were often caught in patterns of behavior that injured us or other people. We want help to change these habits or we wouldn’t be here now.

We learn at our first meeting that Twelve Step programs are both for the present day and for a lifetime. We are comforted and surprised by that. The comfort is in knowing help will always be available to us. The surprise is in having erroneously thought that we’d get “fixed” and not need the meetings forever.

It doesn’t take us long to realize the benefits of utilizing Twelve Step recovery in our daily lives. For years we repeated the same behaviors, expecting different outcomes, but that didn’t happen. Now we have a plan for living that includes Steps, slogans, friends, and support meetings – a host of new options for handling every detail of our journey. And we can see, even in a short time, that our lives are changing at last.

I can change my life if I have the willingness to use what the program is teaching me.

From the book:

A Life of My Own by Karen Casey

A Life of My Own by Karen Casey. © 1993 by Hazelden Foundation

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