The Tools We Use If We “want to Live in Peace and Harmony” – Step 7

"The process of the Seventh Step brings about a peace of mind that we never dreamed possible. We sense that what is present throughout our search for spiritual growth is our ability to feel our Higher Power's love for us." "It doesn't matter that  we will not attain a state of perfection or complete humility in our life-time." (It Works, How & Why, p. 53)   "Affirm divine calmness and peace, and send out only thoughts of love and goodwill if you want to live in peace and harmony. Never get angry, for anger poisons your system."  - Paramahansa Yogananda (1893…

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How We Tap Into the Ancient Wisdom of the Autumnal Season as it Unfolds – Step 7

OLD-TIMEY WISDOM  -  "Theirs is the quiet opinion, the sure knowledge and humble example that resolve a crisis."  "[T]hey lead by example. This is the experience which has led us to the conclusion that our group conscience, well-advised by its elders, will be in the long run wiser than any single leader." (12 &  12, p. 135) "Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials."  Lin Yutang (1895 - 1976) writer & inventor of the 1st Chinese typewriter   Bad Wisdom…

Continue ReadingHow We Tap Into the Ancient Wisdom of the Autumnal Season as it Unfolds – Step 7

“With this Faith We will be Able to Hew Out of the Mountain of Despair a Stone of Hope” – Step 7

"With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to trans- form the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. ... knowing that we will be free one day." Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968) "I Have a Dream" speech (1963)   The Edge of Glory - Lady Gaga (5:28) I Have a Dream (full speech - 17:27)   Religions of the World Meditation (7:16)   How have you contributed to the betterment of the human condition, lately?…

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This Grand, New Awareness Emboldens Us with the Sweet Breath of Everlasting Youth – Step 7

WERE YOU READY IN YOUR YOUTH?  "We have a right to expect more from life than mere survival.  [W]e are here because we are ready to heal. [W]e are ready to look at ourselves and our lives with new eyes. We are ready to become aware."  (How Al Anon Works, p. 26) "If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old.  You will just keep growing." - Gail Sheehy (1937 - ) U.S. author and Hilary Clinton biographer   Sweet Child of Mine - Guns & Roses (4:59) How to Sit Properly for Meditation or  Zazen (6:34) "Extremely…

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In a World Full of Mayhem, Maladies & Madness We May be Tempted to Ask Who or What is Really in Charge? Step 7

"The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we begin to see truth, justice, and love as the real and eternal things in life, we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the contrary that surrounds us in purely human affairs." (12 & 12, p. 105) "If you think you can win, you can win. Faith is necessary to victory." - William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830) English author    I Believe - Simian Mobile Disco (3:15) Creative Quotes by William Hazlitt (1:26) Taoist Verses from the Faith Mind Sutra (6:29) In what…

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It’s What Makes this Process both Beautiful and Sublime at the Same Time – Step 7

"WE ARE BEING CHANGED" - "It doesn't matter that we will not attain a state  of  perfection  or complete humility in our life- time.   The ability  to  contem- plate  this  grand  vision  and meditate  upon  it  are  rare and priceless gifts in their own right.   We are being changed."   (It Works, How &  Why, p. 53)   YOU CAN CALL IT "A PSYCHIC CHANGE" - " ... once a psychic change has occurred, the very same person who seemed doomed, who had so many problems he de- spaired of ever solving them, suddenly finds himself eas- ily able to control his…

Continue ReadingIt’s What Makes this Process both Beautiful and Sublime at the Same Time – Step 7

“I Believe in God, Only I Spell it, Nature” – Step 7

"We don't have to be religious to accept this idea." "We began to see evidence of some Power that could not be fully explained. Confronted with this evidence, we began to accept the existence of a Power greater than ourselves. We can use this Power long before we understand it." (12 & 12, p. 52)  "I believe in God, only  I spell it Nature."  - Frank Lloyd Wright (1869 - 1959) U. S. architect   God is a DJ - P!nk (3:44) The Homes of Frank Lloyd Wright (7:47) Divine Creator & Higher Self Guided Mediation (1:06:43)   In what ways…

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A Step Closer to Being the Type of Person We Always Dreamt We’d Be – Step 7 begins

What character building moments have you had lately where you had to make a fateful choice?   "Many of us have exclaimed, 'You mean I even have to tell the truth about that?' or 'If only I could still lie, steal, or cheat, it would be so much easier to get what I want.' "   (It Works, How & Why, p.47)   "People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built." - Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962) U.S. First Lady & ardent feminist   Imma Be Rockin' that Body - Black Eyed Peas…

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This is the How We Deal with Our Problems “in a Way that Allows a Solution” – Step 6

"The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action." (The Big Book, p. 17) "The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution."- Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970) British philosopher/mathematician   What were a problem you've had lately and the solutions you used to solve it?   Scream & Shout - will.i.am feat. Britney Spears Bertrand Russell on God (3:25) Zen Kokin…

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We can do Whatever We want as Long as We are Willing to Pay the Price – Step 6

What is an example of a price you felt you had to pay to make you feel wiser today, lately?   "... it may seem easier to manipulate outcomes or avoid consequences, [cuz] we know that we cannot afford the price we would have to pay.  The resulting shame, regret, and loss of spiritual contentment would far outweigh anything we might possibly gain by compromising our principles." (It Works, How & Why, p. 47) "Many of us had lived our lives up to this point with a secret feeling of shame ."  "Often this shame stemmed from unresolved guilt over…

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