PROOF BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT – “Denial is the part of our disease that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for us to acknowledge reality.” “Always skillful at defending our actions, we refused to accept responsibility for the damage done by our addiction.” (It Works, How & Why, p. 4)
“Refusal to believe until proof is given is a rational position; denial of all outside of our own limited experience is absurd.” – Annie Besant (1847 – 1943) British philosopher & labor organizer
What spiritual tools have you used to face, self-deception or see your own self-defeating and negative attitudes, lately?
Black Planet – Sisters of Mercy (4:14)
12 Things You Don’t Know about Anne Besant (3:00)
Relaxing Ambient Sounds from Jupiter Meditation (7:18)
The Ant and The Cricket :
A fable is a story often with animals as characters that convey a moral. This poem about an ant and a cricket contains an idea of far-reaching significance, which is as true of a four-legged cricket as of a two-legged one. Surely, you have seen a cricket that has two legs!
A silly young cricket, accustomed to sing
Through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring,
Began to complain when he found that, at home,
His cupboard was empty, and winter was come.
Not a crumb to be found
On the snow-covered ground;
Not a flower could he see,
Not a leaf on a tree.
“Oh! what will become,” says the cricket, “of me?”
At last by starvation and famine made bold,
All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold,
Away he set off to a miserly ant,
To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant
Him shelter from rain,
And a mouthful of grain.
He wished only to borrow;
He’d repay it tomorrow;
If not, he must die of starvation and sorrow.
Says the ant to the
cricket, “I’m your servant
and friend,
But we ants never
borrow; we ants never
lend.
But tell me, dear cricket,
did you lay nothing by
When the weather was
warm?” Quoth the cricket,
“Not I!
My heart was so light
That I sang day and night,
For all nature looked gay.”
“You sang, Sir, you say?
Go then,” says the ant, “and dance the winter away.”
Thus ending, he hastily lifted the wicket,
And out of the door turned the poor little cricket.
Folks call this a fable. I’ll warrant it true:
Some crickets have four legs, and some have two.
(http://www.english-for-students.com/the-ant-and-the-cricket.html)
I am trying harder two face one particular reason I have West family member. it feels like more than just forgiveness is what is needed.
Good morning everyone + Happy Friday. Here is today’s thought. A fisherman goes out for the morning catch. The net is reeled in + it is full of all kinds of fish. Fish of all sizes, shapes, weights, + colors. The net holds fast + is not torn. It holds all of the fish. So it is with God’s love. His love holds us all, no matter what shape, size, weight, or color. Blessings. BB
Oftentimes I like to get immediate responses from my inquiries and when that doesn’t happen my default is think the worst. It’s mind reading. And mind reading with no evidence to support the conclusions I draw that rejection is soon to follow.
Powerlessness over time and patience are two concepts I still must work on in step 4
In a relationship, I was holding back because of assumptions I was making about the other person’s perception of me. When I brought it up they made it clear that it was not an issue. I felt silly and realized how self-defeating this was. And it can get in the way of really connecting with people. It actually hurt because I realized how bad I was treating myself.
This Trayvon Martin debacle has really been preying on my serenity lately. If I ruminate for too long I am quickly sent down a deep spiral of despair and anger that these attitudes feel as if they are on the rise. What I think I need to do is focus more on those that are a part of the solution and be grateful I live where I do and am part of organizations that are trying to make a difference.
When the leader at a Weight Watchers meeting said she could not have lost weight without her Higher Power, I knew she went to Overeaters Anonymous. Then I realized I could not leave my Higher Power out of any part of my life. My Sponsor later told me that I cannot remove my character defects alone. My path converges with the paths of others as I need to learn from them – as I need to hear the voice of my Higher Power speak through them. Ahh, my Higher Power: don’t leave home without Her.