“Many people, nonalcoholics, report that as a result of the practice of A.A.’s Twelve Steps, they have been able to meet other difficulties of life… They see in them a way to happy and effective living…” – 12&12, p. 16 

I love AA and AlAnon. They’ve changed my life and brought me so much joy. The steps, traditions, tools, meetings, fellowship, spiritual component, and lessons of living I’ve learned all contributed to me loving life. Isn’t it about time that others who don’t qualify for our programs can receive some of these gifts? I think so, and I’m trying to make these life loving gifts more accessible to anyone with the desire to love their life more. Like the 11th step prayer says “… make me a channel of thy peace.” I love doing anything I can to bring happiness to others. And, ILML!

– JamieQ

“Getting angry can sometimes be like leaping into a wonderfully responsive sports car, gunning the motor, taking off at high speed and then discovering the brakes are out of order.” — Maggie Scarf, Touchpoints

I had the pleasure tonight of getting upset. Someone who owed me money said he wasn’t going to pay, ever. Instead of saying thank you and hanging up, I let him take away my serenity for 45 minutes and ended up missing my favorite Maui AA meeting. I say pleasure though because I learned from it. My answer to his “unfairism” is now to send him a card that says “Thank you anyway and I wish you the very best in life.” Being loving – especially in these types of situations – is always the right thing to do because I feel better. I’ll send the letter tomorrow, but I already feel great knowing my resentment is gone. ILML!

– JamieQ

“… there is always a sticking point, a point at which we say, “No, I can’t give this up yet.” – 12&12 p. 66

Someone struggling with weight ask me “How do you stay trim and fit?” I told him I exercise regularly and gave up eating all grain, beans, potatoes, and all types of oil. He said “I need to lose about 60 pounds but I can’t do that.” I completely understand. We are only ready when we are ready. When we are sick and tired of being sick and tired we put down that which is hurting – or killing – us. With regard to booze and drugs, I’m grateful I put them down before they killed me because really, truly, ILML! 

– JamieQ

” We may think it isn’t manly to be afraid, so we become afraid of our fear! At these times, we need to turn to our Higher Power for guidance.” – Touchstones

I believe this applies equally to men and women. I used to think that to be strong meant I had to hide fear. But I’ve learned that when I supress my fear and push it down into my gut, it cooks in there at around 97-99° and turns into anger. Then, at the very worst moments, it comes out of my mouth, hurting me and those I love. I’m so grateful to have a sponsor and trusted program friends to talk honestly with about my fears. They help me transform them into faith, which reminds me that everything is okay and ILML!

– JamieQ

“… we’re only an instant away from peace…” – In God’s Care

The human breath is a magical thing. Not only does it invite life into us, but it also can bring us peace in moments of turmoil. In the midst of discomfort I simply take a deep breath in, hold it for just a second or two and then slowly breath out. If I’m still uncomfortable I’ll do it a couple more times. Inevitable this always calms me down and puts me at-ease where just a moment before I was in dis-ease. Try it – take a deep breath right now and exhale slowly. See what I mean? Just another simple, yet effective, way that ILML! 

– JamieQ

“I will discipline myself.” – 24 Hours a Day

It’s funny how important this is to me today, considering how opposed to discipline I’ve been my entire life. I fought being disciplined by parents, teachers, bosses and others. But now I’ve come to realize that the more disciplined I am in my approach to accomplishing things I like, the better chance I have of being successful. So if discipline is the gateway to success, bring it on. Today I’ll stay organized, efficient and disciplined so that I can feel great about all of my accomplishments yet to come. ILML! 

– JamieQ

“… no situation is really hopeless.” – AlAnon Suggested Welcome

There usually comes a point in everybody’s life where we hit a wall. Something happens that seems so overwhelmingly difficult, that we think perhaps we’ll never get through it. Yet, when we reflect – in retrospect – upon our past struggles, we always got through them – and often things got even better. So from now on when I run into a problem I’ll say “Hello Problem. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to grow and triumph over this difficulty.” Then I’ll walk through to the other side, where I’ll be even stronger emotionally!” In this way, no matter what comes my way, ILML! 

– JamieQ

“If you want to enjoy your power in life, you must have a plan for your physical body. One, you must follow the plan. ” – Until Today

Physical well-being plays a huge part in my ability to love my life. Sometimes, when I want to exercise, I can’t because my back or my neck hurts. It took me many years to realize that back and neck pain is because I don’t regularly stretch and exercise my abdominals, legs and upper body.  And each day I skip stretching and exercising is like saying ‘I’m okay being in pain again – if not today, one day soon’. Therefore, each day for the rest of my life I commit to keep my body strong by stretching and exercising – even if I have to do it right before bed, no matter how tired I am. I plan, and will take the daily action, to be healthy and pain-free at 100. ILML! 

– JamieQ

“Only when we willingly experience God’s lessons with trust and faith, and see them as blessings, are we able to wholeheartedly join in the stream of life.” – In God’s Care

When things happened that were not to my liking, it was just a bummer. When others failed to live up to my ‘reasonable’ expectations I was always disappointed. This old way of thinking kept me imprisoned in unhappiness, resentment and self-pity. I lived through years with this attitude until I recognized that I was tired of being miserable. Now I choose to view everything that happens in life as an opportunity for me to grow into a better person, and in doing so, to invite more abundance (and joy) into my life. As an added bonus I now play much better with others! This new approach, embracing life as it unfolds, allows me to recognize how much ILML! 

– JamieQ

“Being brave isn’t supposed to be easy.” Sam Burns – TedTalk at http://youtu.be/36m1o-tM05g

Watching Sam talk about happiness really puts my life into perspective. His bravery is commendable, but the takeaway is that whenever we choose to focus on ‘the good’ we are being brave. Our default is to get caught up in the less than 1% of life that’s problematic – in other words, those things that fall short of our expectations. By consciously shifting my focus to gratitude whenever I’m in a funk, I get to stay in a place of peace, happiness and contentment more often. And when I’m in that zone, ILML!