This is so appropriate for all of us, but especially the newcomer.
A.A. Thought for the Day
I have got rid of most of my boredom. One of the hardest things that a new member of A.A. has to understand is how to stay sober and not be bored. Drinking was always the answer to all kinds of boring people or boring situations. But once you have taken up the interest of A.A., once you have given it your time and enthusiasm, boredom should not be a problem to you. A new life opens up before you that can be always interesting. Sobriety should give you so many new interests in life that you shouldn't have time to be bored. Have I got rid of the fear of being bored?
Please share the things you have done when you start feeling boredom in the program. for me, I have been so busy, much busier than when i was drinking, that boredom has not been a problem for me. i have gone back to school, and keep active with committments to my home group and church. thanks for being here. jj
Hey jj...Great topic. Had this topic in a meeting last week. I think this falls under the "Do you want to quit drinking for good or not category." There is so much you can learn about this program...It's endless. I shared in that meeting that when I was about a month sober, a guy came into a meeting and said he had 3 weeks sober. He was so bored that he couldn't stand it. But he had good news...He went out that day and bought a box full of DVD's and he was all set. I never saw that guy again. If you are new to AA and boredom is your problem...And watching movies is your answer. I'd say your chances are slim to none. You either want it...or you don't. I can think of 12 things that will keep you busy for awhile. You get out of this program what you put into it...I can't keep it any simpler than that.
Since getting sober a while back, and living the program, ... I don't have time to get bored ... even when I finally got caught up on a lot of things I let ride for a while, I find that sharing and reading on websites like this one keep me so busy, that I actually have to make myself turn this darn thing off and do my chores ... Heehee ...
If you're working the program, then you've plenty to keep you busy, either by gaining more wisdom by reading or by giving away what you've already learned ... if you have boredom now, then you're just not living the way the BB suggests ... or you've missed something and should be discussing this with your sponsor ... if you're doing this thing right, then you should be hard-pressed to find enough time to do the little things for yourself that you like to do ...
That's my opinion, and it oughtta be yours! ... HeeHee ... (I aways wanted to say that!)
Take Care and God Bless, Pappy
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
I once thought my pitiful life had been reduced to waking up, drinking coffee, saying a prayer, going to work, coming home, taking a shower, eating, going to a meeting, coming home, watching some tv, going to bed and .....waking up, drinking coffee, saying a prayer, going to work, coming home, taking a shower, eating, going to a meeting, coming home, watching some tv, going to bed and ... Where is the fun in a life like this, where is the excitement? How boringgggg!
Well, my life is so far away from being boring, inactive, lacking excitement. It is full of activity, color, sounds, events, and people. From the time I open my eyes, until I close them at night I live in a world that is full of life. Yes, there are some predictibles, but often I'm thrown a twist of activity that was no where in my plans for the day, twist that give me a new heart beat, that bring me to my highest good, things and people that take my smile from being a facial feature, to a place that you can over my mouth and it still shines through in my eyes... it comes from deep within....
Look at the video I made at the top of this board... what a blast I had making it.. riding my motorcycle, shooting pool... using video clips I took while I enjoyed the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia... the stuff I enjoy greatly!
I have restored several cars, customized motorcycles, opened recovery houses for group supportive living for alcoholics in the early stages of sobreity, gotten married, been separated, got a girlfriend, (which has brought its own twist of life into play that is anything but boring), I have spoken and told my story in front of small groups of not more than 10 people and spoken and told my story in front of large groups not smaller than 800 people. And I've been able to do this in cities and states thousand of miles from each other! And one of the most enjoyed parts of my life of 52 years, is building this site, right here - from the ground up without any prior knowledge of web site building!
I've had tons of work, and no work, lots of money and been broke, worried and prayed, laughed and cried, loved and been loved. I have been trusted and respected by a population of people that don't do either very easily with any one... alcoholics. I have made friends with people that live behind gated communities, and people who walk the streets panhandling.
I was once complaining about being bored in early recovery and my sponsor said,..."get use to it, one day you will recognize it for what it really is... serenity, peace, and contentment" its the very best thing this way of life will give you! Today I fully agree! I'm not bored at all...
Now if this is boring... I'll take a double dose of it! :)
The ability to be a good grandfather, and have such great grandchildren is not something I ever dreamed of, ... what a blessing!
I live 10 minutes from Wrightsville Beach, NC, right next to the awesome power of God, who keeps things in check and within their parameters,
I'm a amature photographer.. .well, I take a bunches of pictures anyways LOL
Yep, I think I will keep this beautiful life that has me...
waking up, drinking coffee, saying a prayer, going to work, coming home, taking a shower, eating, going to a meeting, coming home, watching some tv, going to bed and .....waking up, drinking coffee, saying a prayer, going to work, coming home, taking a shower, eating, going to a meeting, coming home, watching some tv, going to bed and ...
When I was born I looked a bit like this...
When I walked into the rooms of AA in the beginning I looked a bit like this...
Today thanks to a loving God, a program that gave me a life, with a little cooperation on my part.. I look a bit like this..
Yep, I think I'll keep this boring life, I like the serenity, peace and contentment that comes with it.
Great share .... I got all warm and cozy reading what you posted and then you hit me with the last pics and I lost it (the boob one anyway)... maybe I'm just tired, but I thought it was great and it soooo caught me off guard ... thanks man, ... I needed that!
Love Ya and God Bless, Pappy
-- Edited by Pythonpappy on Monday 28th of November 2011 04:30:46 AM
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
They say only boring people get bored, but I remember in early sobriety my imagination seemed to desert me. Having given up the old but not quite moved on to the new life, there was a bit of a blank spot. Being young and single and having lost everything I had no worldly distractions to keep me occupied so I had nothing to do but focus on getting sober and after a short time I had as much going on as I could handle. I wasn't working so I spent my days between 10 and 3 at the rooms, attending the lunchtime meeting. doin my 90/90. home for tea and then out for the evening meeting, then the meeting after the meeting, and then some nights I would be invited back to somone's house. Then on days when the rooms were shut I borrowed a car and went visiting, in those days you didn't need an appointment, and I could always find someone to have a coffee with or a chat. Then there were assemblies and out of town meetings where a few of us would go together. Then my sponsor had me pick up people and take them to meetings. So life was simple but full and big changes were happening, far from boring. Later still career, marriage, self employment, children, family, sailing, natural disasters, overseas travel, children starting careers, a life worth living! No time to be bored although I don't mind a snooze in the afternoon.
I haven't time to be bored. I need another three or so hours each day because there is always one more thing on the list. I really have NO idea at all where I found the time to sit around drinking.
in my drinking life, i was a very boring person. did not want to do anything but drink. it took me about a year to catch on that this is a program of action not of sitting around feeling sorry for myself or "waiting." LOL
Fyne Spirit said something that clicked in my early recovery that I wanted to share ... for those new to the program especially ...
After the first 30 or 60 days of not drinking, I found my self with more time than I knew what to do with ... so to stay busy, I started cleaning the house and making repairs that were long overdue ... It seemed as though I had all this new energy and I went looking for things to do to keep my mind from the 'old' thinking habits ... I am here to tell you that during this 'period' of time, I had the cleanest house on the block and my wife couldn't find a damn thing to complain to me about, heehee ... She loved it! ...
As my time in the program progressed, I became better able to help others going through the same effects of being sober ... so my 'busy' time shifted at some point from making 'busy work' to that of learning how to incorporate the AA way of life into my own ... and again at some point my life became consumed by living the principles of the program ... there has come the time where there's little room for anything else ... and for that, I am grateful ...
From a Happy Alcoholic, God Bless, Pappy
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Today we had a guy in our home group meeting (about 60 people, good sobriety) share that he went out after 9 months sober and he just got out of spending 5 days in the hospital. He said he has been in and out of AA for 10 years. He shared that he just found the steps were boring...I kid you not. Anyway...The meeting was anything but boring after that. I don't know. One guy shared that his sponsor had told him...That people have to die so we can stay alive...And people have to go out so we can stay sober. I think it was a long hour for this guy. I'll pray for him. And thank God for the help he gave me in taking and living these steps.
My career has taken off and I am taking classes to get licensed. This year I took a new job that has me working lots more, but was a huge raise. I have gotten very into fitness and will always "go work out" as something to do. I am sure I am addicted to working out now but it's always something to do and it is something that competes directly with my old lifestyle. I don't want to give up my fitness now. I have worked for that just like my sobriety (even though I know sobriety came first and it is foremost).
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
