Been reading the board for a few weeks , posted couple of times and thought I should introduce myself. I am a 44 year old male living in Johannesburg, South Africa and a gratefull member of AA. Been sober for 15 months and am unbelievably gratefull. I am one of the fortunate ones who got it through my thick skull that I've lost the choice to drink before I'd lost much other than my self-respect, and the respect of my wife. I was, however, on the very edge of total self-destruction and would no doubt have ended up with nothing and/or dead had I not stopped. The progressive nature of the disease alcoholism is a very scary reality indeed! Had it not been for the fellowship and programme I would not have been able to pick up the pieces and start recovery and rebuilding the mess I had made of myself and those closest to me.
Welcome to MIP, Eugene. Great to have you here. I'm glad you've started your own thread so you can enjoy your greet & get planted in.
The loving yourself part ~ Keep an open mind & stay willing. This may mean different things for different people & at different times. I know for me I'm falling out of love with myself when I'm getting overly self critical & living in my head, pointing out all my faults, inadequacies & shortcomings or wishing I had more sobriety skills like, yesterday. Loving myself is tuned closely with my Higher Power. When I'm having quiet time with the God of my understanding I get graced with more patience, tolerance & gentle selflessness.
AA has been a lesson in unconditional love & I've very much felt like it's given me the space to grow, feel loved & at the least accepted even when I haven't had these things for myself so in that way AA is a Higher Power to me too. It's loved me as an exemple & so taught me how to do the same for myself. Ironically, it's these lessons that have taught me to love others more too & I remember the old adage which used to infuriate me that we can't love others until we learn to love ourselves.
Mother Theresa said 'If you judge others you have no time to love them' . I've found that any judgements I make of others I've often ended up turning onto myself so this is another way of loving myself & making efforts to Live & Let Live. I'll leave this brief cuz I got to go but Enjoy MIP, Eugene. Lovely to have you, Danielle x
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Progress not perfection.. & Practice makes Progress!
Welcome, Eugene!!! I feel so much like you expressed in your heartfelt introduction. Were it not for this beautiful design for living called AA, I would be dead or incarcerated for a very long time. I am so eternally grateful for all that AA has given me, and I could never repay it back in full.
Welcome to the family here, and I look so forward to us getting to know you, and vise-versa!!
Joni from Akron, OH U.S.A.
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~~"It's hard to be hateful when you're grateful."~~
Hi Eugene Thanks for posting...It is great to meet you and I hope you stick around and share with us!!!! Im too am new and greatful for the blessings of AA!!!!
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"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. "
My names Pam P. It's very nice to meet you. I am here in N. California where it is blasting HOT. Our temperatures have been in the 100's this weekend. So we will venture out tomarrow to Church but no place else unless it's an air conditioned, maybe go to the theater.
