If you have difficult things you have to deal with today I can relate. I was so glad yesterday was over and to start over today. For me yesterday was not just one day at a time but one hour at a time. I read in the Daily Reflections the idea of writing a gratitude list of all the things you are grateful for that have nothing to do with you. Anyway I hope the day goes okay for you. I have heard that alcoholics have good and bad days even in sobriety. But one bad day does not have to mean a bad week.



Keep it Simple

From Allie

You helped me by writing all those things Bill...things I need to hear. Thanks.

To me the solution when things were rough was always "get out of my head", since that was where the danger and the pain was, my sponsor always used to send me to The Alano Club, and I'd be like "awww, do I HAVE to go down there and hang out with "The Grievers" and "The Relapsers" and he'd give me "The Look" (we all know the one) so off I'd go.....

I'd find a newcomer or a relapser and ask "Hey, How's it going?"

Problem solved

every time, I'd walk out of there with gratitude and realize all my problems were "in my head", as a matter of fact, viewed in a slightly different light, I began to realize all my "problems" were in fact "make believe", as in I literally made this shit up, I remember going to see my father after a break up and he said "Son, I love you more then anyone else in the whole world, you are my only son, but I have to tell you I derive some amusement seeing you walking around suffering so badly with a knife sticking out of your back you put there yourself, don't get me wrong, I love you and don't want to see you in so much pain, but when are you going to realize you make all this shit up in your head?"

Working with others gives ME the necessary perception to be able to tell when my problems are "real" or "make believe"

If I am not suffering intense physical pain, and the decision I make in the next 30 seconds isn't putting my life in danger, it's cake, anything else is make believe, not that that shit won't kill me, it's just it aint real, it's my "dis-ease" trying to make me so uncomfortable that taking a drink seems like a good idea, I stay in pain long enough thats what ends up happening

We get to choose our own reality to a large extent, I used to want to punch people who said that, F'ing Granola eating hippy christians, but turns out they were right, not that I don't still wander around suffering nobly with a giant knife in my back on occasion, just I know who put it there and that it's all make believe now

Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail. This is our twelfth suggestion: Carry this message to other alcoholics! You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when other fail. Remember they are very ill.

Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.

and none of the fears I held yesterday came into being. A lot of real stuff happened as it will but the fears around those and the fears around the unknowns didn't. I feel it's time to take advantage of the new found freedom of a solitary life and make plans. So it's me and my bike and in June a 9 day tour of the 4 corners of the compass in Scotland. In July the same in England for 7 days and in august the same in Wales for another 7. England and Wales will end on conventions. Got the routes planned. Now to plot the meetings and book the time off work.