When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it: this is knowledge.
— Confucius
How is it we can hear so much better after we have worked our Steps? Does someone clean the wax out of our ears at night? We find ourselves able to listen to what people are actually saying, not just what we think they are saying. Our Program teaches us not to judge words before or after they are spoken. We leave judging to God. We try to learn from everybody, for each person we meet has knowledge.
Knowledge has become available to us as never before. We no longer fear new ideas and opinions which are not our own. Our recovery becomes deeper each moment we open our minds to new ideas.
Knowledge is freely offered. In turn, I keep myself growing and accepting the knowledge that comes my way.
When I don’t know something, I admit it. Knowing that I don’t know is also knowledge.
From the book:
Easy Does It © 1999 by Hazelden Foundation
Do not look for innate knowledgeIn the mind that has already gone astray. Look for it in the mindBefore it has gone astray. The essence of mind is our trueNature. We cannot departFrom our true nature. So how can mind get lostAnd go astray? When we say we have lost it, It means it is frantically Pursuing things.— Qian Dehong (1495-1574)
Until man looks upon the face of God, he cannot – with his limited faculties – know God. We can and do not know some of His attributes as He has disclosed them to us in the world.We can, however, study ourselves. We can cultivate those good qualities we discern and we can eradicate the bad. We do know many of the attributes of God and we can emulate them. We can aspire to Godlike virtues and, if we then do not know God, perhaps God will know us.
Hazelden Foundation
KNOW GOD; KNOW PEACE
It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. . . . But with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p 66Know God;
Know peace.
No God;
No peace.
HE USED TO DEMONSTRATEPeople often say that when they first came to the knowledge of truth it seemed that miracles happened almost every day. Negative conditions of long standing disappeared. Then, they say, a sort of slump seemed to set in, since which they have never been able to do so well.
Now why should this be the case? The explanation is that what demonstrates is an expansion of consciousness. When people first learn of the omnipresence of God, they experience such an expansion. Then the tendency is to rest upon the first knowledge acquired, and to make their early realization serve over and over again. This will not do. It is only today's realization that will demonstrate, never yesterday's or last year's.
God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Matthew 22:32).
Talking little, and with the low, tender part of our voices, as in nodding to one who already knows what you mean.
–Tess Gallagher
Once there was a small child whose only word was no. When she wanted to indicate yes, she nodded her head emphatically. What she liked to do instead of talk was play. She liked to play outside in the meadow with the bugs and rocks and plants.
The mullein was her favorite plant. She rubbed the soft, furry leaves across her cheek. Her mother told her that in the old days, American Indians used these leaves as bandages. Several years later, Lucy picked a mullein leaf and took it in the house to her mother. “Look, Mama. Indian owee.”
We, too, can remember some surprising things from the dim past, before we could talk or understand all that went on around us. Communication does not always depend on words alone but on the tenderness with which they are spoken. Walking through the world in a tender, loving way is a form of communication that goes beyond words to our deepest feelings.
What are some of the ways we show our love without words?
INSUFFICIENCY OF KNOWLEDGEKeep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).Most people, and learned people especially, have all kinds of knowledge thatdoes not in the least affect or improve their practical lives. Doctors know allabout hygiene, but often live in an unhealthy accumulated wisdom of the ages,and assent to most of it, continue to do foolish and stupid things in their ownpersonal lives. Now, knowledge such as this is only opinion, or headknowledge, as some people call it. It has to become heart knowledge, or to beincorporated into the subconscious, before it can really change one. The modernpsychologists in their efforts to “re-educate the subconscious” have the rightidea, though they have not yet discovered the true method of doing so, which isby single-minded prayer, or the Practice of the Presence of God.Jesus, of course, thoroughly understood all this, and that is why he stressesthe fact that we have to be pure in heart.© 1931 by Emmet Fox
When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it: this is knowledge.
— Confucius
How is it we can hear so much better after we have worked our Steps? Does someone clean the wax out of our ears at night? We find ourselves able to listen to what people are actually saying, not just what we think they are saying. Our Program teaches us not to judge words before or after they are spoken. We leave judging to God. We try to learn from everybody, for each person we meet has knowledge.
Knowledge has become available to us as never before. We no longer fear new ideas and opinions which are not our own. Our recovery becomes deeper each moment we open our minds to new ideas.
Knowledge is freely offered. In turn, I keep myself growing and accepting the knowledge that comes my way.
When I don’t know something, I admit it. Knowing that I don’t know is also knowledge.
From the book:
Easy Does It © 1999 by Hazelden Foundation
INSUFFICIENCY OF KNOWLEDGE
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).
Most people, and learned people especially, have all kinds of knowledge that
does not in the least affect or improve their practical lives. Doctors know all
about hygiene, but often live in an unhealthy accumulated wisdom of the ages,
and assent to most of it, continue to do foolish and stupid things in their own
personal lives. Now, knowledge such as this is only opinion, or head
knowledge, as some people call it. It has to become heart knowledge, or to be
incorporated into the subconscious, before it can really change one. The modern
psychologists in their efforts to “re-educate the subconscious” have the right
idea, though they have not yet discovered the true method of doing so, which is
by single-minded prayer, or the Practice of the Presence of God.
Jesus, of course, thoroughly understood all this, and that is why he stresses
the fact that we have to be pure in heart.
© 1931 by Emmet Fox
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To know all things is not permitted.
~ Horace ~
In recovery, we give up trying to be perfect. We give up trying to know everything. We work at coming to know and accept our short-comings. In Step Four and Five, we look at our good points and our bad points. In Step Six, we become ready to have our Higher Power remove our “defects of character.” Then in Step Seven we ask our Higher Power to remove our “shortcomings.”
Recovery is about coming to accept that we’re not perfect. We admit that trying to be perfect got in the way of being useful to ourselves, our Higher Power, and those around us. Pretending to be prefect doesn’t allow us to be real. It’s also boring and no fun – you never get to mess up.
Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, You will let me know what I need to know. Allow me to claim my mistakes and shortcomings.
Action for the Day:
I will work at being okay today. Not perfect, just okay.
© 1989 by Hazelden Foundation
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Sound, smell, taste, image, touch, sleep.
Can you think without clinging to these forms?
A thought without shape is rare,
Knowledge of Tao rarer still.
Our mind needs to cling to some object in order to function in its usual modes. If you look at your memories, you will find that most are tied to some sensory image. The thought of being in the country brings up a certain fragrance. You “see” relationships in a certain way. We may do math problems, or compose something to say to our companions, but we will still think in numbers and words.
Some people make the mistake of rejecting this type of thinking, but we need to use these modes in order to function in the everyday world. When it comes to knowing Tao, thought tied to sensory images is not enough to bring complete realization. Dualistic thinking cannot be used to know Tao. But don’t discard it as long as ordinary functioning in the world is necessary.
When one meditates, one must use an aspect of consciousness that does not cling to external forms. This type of consciousness is beyond the senses. Some call these states of mind superconsciousness, samadhi, nirvana, or enlightenment. These are mere names. All that matters is getting to these states. Then all labels fall away.
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ACT AS IF . . .
In the arena of human life the honours and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities in action.
~ Aristotle ~
The only way we get what we need is to “act as if . . .” we have it. The key word for us is “act.”
We have discovered that knowledge often follows action rather than vice versa. When we fake it in our early days, we find ourselves making it in later days.
In the beginning, we are asked to “act as if” we are following instructions, trusting the Program, listening to sponsors, and coming to believe. The amazing thing is that soon we were doing those very things.
We were never able to think our way into recovery. Our minds created a tremendous amount of trouble for us. We needed to turn our minds down (not off). We soon discovered the difference between doing and thinking.
The key to “acting as if . . .” is faith. With faith, the Promises will come true for me. The way to faith is through my fears. I turn fears over to my faith and simply “act as if . . . .”
©1990 by Anonymous. All rights reserved. Published by Hazelden®.
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The willingness and courage to trust and accept our feelings brings peace of mind and the knowledge that all is well.
~ Abby Warman ~
There is no shame in whatever we feel. Our feelings are products of our thoughts. If our feelings are uncomfortable, perhaps we should consider monitoring our thoughts. We can always change them if they’re causing us pain. It’s important to remember that our feelings serve as signals of who we are at the moment and what we think about others. They serve us like friends, even when we don’t like what they tell us.
We came to this program for help to stop using chemicals. But that’s only the beginning of the help we are receiving. The other women at meetings and the literature suggested as resources for growth help us understand how lucky we are to have an illness we can recover from and a program that guarantees our well-being.
I will appreciate my feelings today. Whatever they are, I know that all is well.
© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation
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~ SELF KNOWLEDGE
We’re our own dragons as well as our own heroes
and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves.
Tom Robbins
I always tried to do my best in everything I did. Studies, school, and managing my own family are some good
examples. Being in control made it seem as though I always did as I was told, but I had a very difficult time Being on
my own and thinking for myself. The talent I was born with gave me a good start at being an artist, but I couldn’t seem
to make a successful career out of it. I was scared and shy and didn’t dare be on the forefront of making this talent
into what I wanted it to be.
When I started on my path to Recovery, I found that I was being too much of a perfectionist. I was always told to do
things perfectly and I tried and tried but never seemed to satisfy my parents or the god of my childhood. So when I
grew up I was so hard on myself that I lost the creativity I was born with. Creativity can’t thrive in a hostile environment.
One day while reading an author I liked, I read that I had to “get out of my own way”. I was a dragon trying to do
something creative and it didn’t work. I have to learn to “rescue myself from myself” so I can do my art with the talents
that are God-given.
One day at a time … I realize that if I want to see myself as I really am,I cannot stand in my own shadow.
~ Myrlene ~
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Life is
Beauty,
Terror,
Knowledge.
A crucial part of following Tao is seeking knowledge. All the efforts of self-cultivation are meant to make us a fit vehicle for that search. Sometimes what we learn is not pleasant. With learning, we glimpse life as it really is, and that is difficult to bear. That is why spiritual progress is slow : not because no one will tell us the secrets, but because we ourselves must overcome sentiment and fear before we can grasp it.
There is an underbelly of terror to all life. It is suffering, it is hurt. Deep within all of us are intense fears that have left few of us whole. Life’s terrors haunt us, attack us, leave ugly cuts. To buffer ourselves, we dwell on beauty, we collect things, we fall in love, we desperately try to make something lasting in our lives. We take beauty as the only worthwhile thing in this existence, but it cannot veil cursing, violence, randomness, and injustice.
Only knowledge removes this fear. If we were shown the whole truth, we could not stand it. Both lovely and horrible details make us human, and when knowledge threatens to show us our follies, we may realize that we are not yet ready to leave them behind. Then the veil closes again, and we sit meditating before it, trying to prepare ourselves for the moment when we dare to part the curtain completely.
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When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it: this is knowledge.
— Confucius
How is it we can hear so much better after we have worked our Steps? Does someone clean the wax out of our ears at night? We find ourselves able to listen to what people are actually saying, not just what we think they are saying. Our Program teaches us not to judge words before or after they are spoken. We leave judging to God. We try to learn from everybody, for each person we meet has knowledge.
Knowledge has become available to us as never before. We no longer fear new ideas and opinions which are not our own. Our recovery becomes deeper each moment we open our minds to new ideas.
Knowledge is freely offered. In turn, I keep myself growing and accepting the knowledge that comes my way.
When I don’t know something, I admit it. Knowing that I don’t know is also knowledge.
From the book:
Easy Does It © 1999 by Hazelden Foundation
Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery
In our drinking days, we had sufficient knowledge to know that there was a better way of living. But it was beyond our wildest imaginings that such a life was possible for us. An idea that sprang from the imagination of Bill and Dr. Bob took root in our minds, and we became possessed of the knowledge that enabled us to convert our lives into lives beyond the limits of our imagination.
Hazelden Foundation
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Reflection For The Day
Very few of us know what we really want, and none of us knows what is best for us. That knowledge is in the hands of God. This is a fact I must ultimately accept, in spite of my rebelliousness and stubborn resistance. From this day forward, I’ll limit my prayers to request for guidance, and open mind to receive it, and the strength to act upon it. To the best of my capability, I’ll defer all decisions until my contact with my Higher Power has made is seemingly apparent that the decisions are right for me. Do I “bargain” with my Higher Power, assuming that I know what’s best for me?
Today I Pray
May I not try to make pacts with God. Instead, may I be a vessel, open to whatever inspiration He wishes to put into me. I pray that I will remember that God’s decisions are better for me than my own fumbling plans, and that they will come to me at the times I need them.
Today I Will Remember
I will not bargain with God.
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The great end of life is not knowledge but action.
—Thomas Huxley
Sometimes we have good ideas about how to make things better. We might know we need to spend more quality time with others. We might know it would be better if mealtime was not so hectic and really became a time for sharing the day’s events. Knowing what needs to happen is part of the process of change. But we have to put that knowledge into action.
All our good intentions, no matter what they may be, do not really mean anything until we move into action. A hug is better than a thought of love; a story read together is better than a wonderful vacation that did not get past the planning stage, just as a finished house is something we can live in, while the blueprint is soon forgotten. When we act on our ideas, we put ourselves into the world as a force for change.
What change can I set loose in the world today?
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Don’t go out looking for good deeds to do,
But if one comes your way, do not refuse.
If you meet someone who is suffering,
You must help them.What good is self-cultivation and wisdom if you just keep it for yourself? Knowledge is meant to be used, and if you can use it on behalf of others, you should.There was once a man who prayed daily to a particular god among many in the temple. Eventually, he noticed that the incense he lit drifted over all — other gods were getting the benefit of his efforts! He built a paper cone over the incense burner so that all the smoke would be directed right at the nose of his god. Unfortunately, this turned the face of his god black with soot.Those who follow Tao believe in using sixteen attributes on behalf of others : mercy, gentleness, patience, nonattachment, control, skill, joy, spiritual love, humility, reflection, restfulness, seriousness, effort, controlled emotion, magnanimity, and concentration. Whenever you need to help another, draw upon these qualities. Notice that self-sacrifice is not included in this list. You do not need to destroy yourself to help another. Your overall obligation is to complete your own journey along your personal Tao. As long as you can offer solace to others on your same path, you have done the best that you can.
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