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Post Info TOPIC: Today's Gift 01-01
Pythonpappy


MIP Old Timer

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Today's Gift 01-01
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The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.
--Albert Einstein

It's easy to live as though our problems will just go away. We say tomorrow, next month, or next year will be better. We keep some kernel of hope that things will change, even though we haven't done anything to change things. Herein lies a paradox. We need to be positive, to let go, and to live one day at a time, but we also need to be sensitive to points in our lives that require us to take action.

Before we can begin to get out of a rut, to make positive change, we need to acknowledge that a problem exists in the first place and that we are responsible for doing something about it. When we can pinpoint the problem, we create a new awareness. We're suddenly open to receiving information we previously blocked out. We reach a higher level of thinking regarding our situation.

Today on this New Year's Day I will actively seek information about how to help myself or others and will be open to different philosophies.

You are reading from the book:

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Letting Go of Debt by Karen Casanova

Letting Go of Debt © 2000 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden.

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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
justadrunk


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Thanks Rog - this pertains to me (our) and my spending problems. Last night my husband told me what he earned ($$) for the year, and I figured out what I did. Well, even though I didn't make much this year - we still had a very healthy income. One that we could easily support TWO farms/homes on, yet we are struggling to support this ONE> why??? Because we always say - next year will be better, and then buy whatever crap we think the animals need, or a new shed, or tractor or 4 wheeler.... or for me musical instruments or coach purse. It's ridiculous.

It feels like we'll never get ahead really, so we may as well just buy this whatcha-ma-callit and in doing so, we never get ahead.

So today, just now, as we read this together, after making yet another "pact" to be better this year (last night)- for the 8th year in a row - I think we finally see the problem in a wink. Start today. Everything matters. Each little thing. Just like in sobriety and in LIVING the principles in ALL your affairs.

Lovely and Happy New Year!

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Thanks for everything.  Peace and Love on your journey.  
Pythonpappy


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Morn'n Tasha, ... and Happy New Years day to you and family ...

In the book 'The Shack' ... we learn a truth in one of the passages ... "if anything matters, everything matters" ... true for both sobriety and life ...

You still have time to not repeat/make the mistakes I made along the way ... the 'Good Book' tells us to 'owe thou no man' ... meaning of course to live life without creating 'debt' ... and if you think about it, the only way to be truly free in life is to be debt free ... easy to say but very hard to do ... a few years ago, Ann and I went about setting a course to pay off all our debts and after about ten years had everything paid off except the house ... we are less than 5 years from having the house paid off ...

But life happens as they say and our son had his accident and the means to support him comes largely from us ... we had to go into debt again to buy his house, he could not afford it ... and the list of things he needed continued to grow and now our retirement is largely gone too ... But I am not complaining, God has seen fit to bless us with all we really need ... we have the love now that my sobriety has allowed to grow and we have each other ... we have all that really matters ...

Your post above takes me back a few years ... the years I bought stuff on a whim and false justifications ... did I NEED all that stuff, no ... and only now do I realize that I valued 'things' more than relationships ... I have learned now that 'relationships' are the corner stones of creating love ... they open the heart to not only receive, but to also give ... that is what matters to me today ... you have matured a great deal this past year ... I truly see the miracle of life and sobriety in the thoughts you so unselfishly share with us here ... and for that, I am truly grateful to the God of my understanding ...


I know you love me, but I love you more, HeeHee
Roger(Pappy)



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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Picaposie


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Happy New Year Paddy and Tasha!

Tasha, I live on a very limited income and I still do that on occasion. I have learned to ask myself, as I pick things up to buy, "do I really need this?" and if the answer is no I put it back. If I buy it and take it home and feel guilty about it, I take it back. I love the way Pappy put it in his last paragraph. It's right on!

Pappy, I love that book! It is an awesome read!

God bless you and change me!

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God bless you and change me.

Pass it on.... Robin
justadrunk


MIP Old Timer

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Roger - Now I suppose I have another book to read thanks ; )

Yes, I think to no longer feel 'hopeless anyway' is an amazing thing and as I see other areas change in that way, this seems like something that's possible to tackle too. We did the really silly or stupid thing of trying to get our home and everything paid off in 15 years. It makes everything really tight and it gets old, and some days I just want to say 'screw it' and just live and enjoy life! I sometimes think "well what if I don't live 15 yrs"!

As time goes on, and we get closer to being debt free (now at 11 yrs), it starts to seem closer and just in time to be able to afford college for the kids if that's their path. Some days I just want to pump every penny in it. Then I get frustrated and just go overboard the other direction.

I suppose like EVERYTHING - balance is key, and now I get to learn all about that through the program, so I am very grateful and to you for your posts and encouragement and words of wisdom.

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Thanks for everything.  Peace and Love on your journey.  
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