“Before we admitted the truth about our addiction, we knew only the darkness of denial. But when we surrendered  … a ray of light broke through the darkness, beginning our spiritual awakening.” (It Works, How & Why, p. 83)

Try and describe one of your own “ray of light” moments out of the darkness of your spiritual awakening?

Whispering Wind – Moby (6:06) 

*Pale Blue Dot – Carl Sagan (4:00)  

Ambient Flow in the Darkness of the Universe Meditation (9:50)

We grow accustomed to the Dark

– Emily Dickinson

We grow accustomed to the Dark –
When Light is put away –
As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp
To witness her Goodbye –

A Moment – We Uncertain step
For newness of the night –
Then – fit our Vision to the Dark –
And meet the Road – erect –

And so of larger – Darknesses –
Those Evenings of the Brain –
When not a Moon disclose a sign –
Or Star – come out – within –

The Bravest – grope a little –
And sometimes hit a Tree
Directly in the Forehead –
But as they learn to see –

Either the Darkness alters –
Or something in the sight
Adjusts itself to Midnight –
And Life steps almost straight.

Every Cloud Had A Silver Lining. :

Thick and dark clouds sometimes obstruct the sun. When it happens, the surroundings darken. It is not a pleasant sight. But if we look at the clouds carefully we can see that their edges are tinted with a silvery glow. This glow tells us that the sun is somewhere there behind the clouds. As time passes, the clouds will move off and the sun will come out of it. This clever metaphor is used in the proverb to denote that sorrows and calamities are only momentary. Wherever there is sorrow, happiness will be somewhere nearby. Whenever there is shadow, light should be nearby. And whenever there is darkness, the bright light is near.

The proverb teaches us not to lose hope in the hours of darkness and sorrow. It reminds us to be optimistic and hopeful. It tells us not to lose heart because it might be just when we are about to quit that victory reveals itself. Like the silver tint on the edges of the dark cloud, happiness always lurks behind the darkest hour. ‘The famous poet Shelley has expressed the idea in one of his poems – ‘The ode to west wind’ in which asks, ‘if winter comes, can spring be far behind?’