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Post Info TOPIC: Gratitude for your life


MIP Old Timer

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Gratitude for your life
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Someone stated they disagree with discussing gratitude for life.  I don't.  I love meetings where the topic is gratitude.  Prior to recovery I was a negative person, a complaining person, and due to filtering the world through that mindset, I had incredible cravings and a desire to get hammered every day to make the world tolerable. 

I firmly believe the best gift of recovery is that it actually gives you a LIFE and CHOICES.  I wanted to ask you guys what you are doing with your life that you never thought possible prior to recovery?  How did it set you free?

I do love that I can choose to be fit, advance in my career, have relationships based on health and not need, responsibly take care of pets.  I could not do any of that prior to AA.  So I am grateful today for these freedoms and I do not believe it is "crap" to share such things. 

The 9th step promises state "we will know a new freedom and a new happiness."

So folks that have been around a while:  What's your new freedom and your new happiness?  I would love to hear actual experience, strength, and hope on the topic.  Plus it would be an honor to get to know some of you better if allowed.

 

 



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MIP Old Timer

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:)

Beautiful sunsets,


Magical symphonies, the space to dream peacefully ----------------- now my mind doesn't freeze



Turning the corner,

With a smile on my face, looking into his eyes -------------------- finding healthy escapes





One morning I woke,


A child in my arms, I lay there to cherish ----------------- not check last nights harm






Father called to say hi,



I was quiet and calm, The boasting and searching -------------------- the need had fell down





Someone gave me a chance,



And I was graceful and sweet, And I found out my true self ---------------------- had never been beat





This day is new,



I'll give it my heart, I'll silently pray ---------------------------- we all take fresh starts





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Senior Member

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I guess I'm grateful for the will and the vision to fight other "demons" that have been making my life a mess for so long. I had to drop out of sight for a while, went into seclusion. Except for one A.A. member/friend, nobody knows where I am .To plan something and to have it actually work out even better than expected is almost overwhelming. A.A. will remain the keystone in my journey toward betterment, and for that I'm thankful.

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MIP Old Timer

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Great topic PC!  Love it.  Can't get enough of it in meetings.  I have a long list of things that I thank God for every day.  While it would take a really long time to share the list with you folks, I'll just say that I feel so happy that I have usefulness and purpose in my life.  As you might guess, that wasn't the case back in the past.  The Steps brought me to the God who gave me a brand new life with a new happiness I never imagined.  There's far more to the Promises than are spelled out in the Big Book.

Blessings, Mike D.



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MIP Old Timer

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So, what am I grateful for? Good question. In my opinion, the list is endless. However, I can't begin to describe how I feel, today, without first telling you my story. In a nutshell, I drank too much, way too much, but you already know that. After numerous attempts at sobriety; I soon realized my mistakes. I never put enough effort into getting sober to realize my full potential. In order to sustain any quality of life I had to first give recovery an honest try. When I did, nothing was off limits.
 
The truth is, I've never been at a loss for words and today is no different. I've been able to achieve more accolades in life, today, then I had in 25 years of active drinking. For the first time in 25 years; I finally had a reason to live. I felt free as a bird and the skies were blue with envy. The truth is, nothing could compare to the joy I had found. Well, maybe not at first. There were a couple of hiccups along the way, but in the end I would not change a thing. Maybe a couple of things, but who's counting.
 
As far as a list goes, well, it's pretty extensive. Career wise; I have nothing to complain about. There have been many opportunities along the way, some more lucrative than others. I had been an independent writer for many years before the paper industry went belly up. After that I fought tooth and nail for any opportunity that would come my way. Now that I am sober, more doors started to open for me. I do some consulting work for a couple of online forums, and I also supplement my income through various revenue streams, including; proofreading medical journals, doing computer repair work, day trading stocks and options, and even buying and selling on eBay. There's a whole list of ideas floating around my head, but you need to know your limitations. The truth is, I have enormous potential, but staying sober will always be my first priority. Without that, where would we be? 
 
Speaking of which; I also have a list of accomplishments related to sobriety. For some people; they may seem less than stellar compared to my career accomplishments, but to me they mean a great deal. For example, I was able to make amends to my 2 ex-wives over the span of 10 years. That admission has now blossomed into a wonderful friendship that has stood the test of time. I was able to make amends to my daughter as well, even after she disowned 10 years ago. You could only imagine the look on my face when she showed up at my 50th birthday party family in toe. The tears flowed for hours. 
 
There's the spirituality aspect as well, which some people may have trouble with, not me though. I made a real commitment to stay sober over 13 years ago and that same commitment extends to my church family as well. It's something we have to experience for ourselves before we can fully understand the word 'faith', in its entirety. Other blessings include; family time, leisure time and hobbies, and of course helping others. That's what drives this alcoholic today, and I hope it inspires others as well. Onward...
 


-- Edited by Mr_David on Saturday 20th of September 2014 03:00:51 AM

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