“… he stands at the edge of new mysteries, joys, and experiences of which he had never dreamed of.” 12&12 p.110

Since my entry into the program, this new way of life has taken me on a magical journey like I could have never imagined. Graduating college, marriage, kids, a successful company, surfing adventures, the best friends in the world and so much more. Every day brings something new and wonderful into my life. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. And I believe that if I stay sober and really live the program, it will just keep getting better. ILML

– JamesQ

“If we live each day to the best of our ability, we will soon find we don’t have time to worry about the future or regret the past. We will be too busy enjoying life.” – Hope for Today

Life is awesome, but let’s get real: sometimes we run into uncomfortable situations. If difficulties appear in my day, I try to see them as golden opportunities to find solutions or practice acceptance, then move along making it the best day ever. Doing so allows me to walk through the rough spots while staying in gratitude. Life is abundant and I’m soaking it up. ILML!

– JamesQ

“Sometimes we hear an alcoholic say that the only thing he needs to do is stay sober… he is like a tornado roaring his way through the lives of others… We feels man is unthinking when he says that sobriety is enough… The spiritual life is not a theory, we have to live it”.
– Big Book p.82-83

I’ve heard AA’s say this and I’ve practiced half measures in AA and Alanon myself. I have roared through others’ lives and watched them roar through mine. Today I enjoy peace, serenity, love and kindness. To get those things I am giving them to others. I am working my program rigorously which empowers me to do so. This is the way that I am, right now, manifesting yet another amazing day. I hope yours is amazing too. ILML

“Let me make today the most fully alive day I have ever experienced!” – Courage to Change

Imagine waking up every day, throwing your arms in the air and saying “TODAY IS GOING TO BE THE MOST AMAZING DAY OF MY LIFE!!! Now imagine if you actually made it happen: every day better than the last.

Sound fantastic? It does to me. I invite abundance each morning, but starting today, I’m adding those words to my morning ritual. And then I’m going to make it happen. Join me in insisting that each day be better than the last. One day at a time, together, we’ll skyrocket our lives beyond our (already) wildest dreams. ILML

– JamesQ

“Of all the recovery behaviors we’re striving to attain, loving ourselves may be the most difficult, and the most important.” The Language of Letting Go

One of my past sponsors suggested I look into the mirror, specifically into my eyes, and say “I love you James”. He said if I can set a timer and spend 5 minutes every morning doing this, saying things like “you’re a good man, I’m proud of you, you rock, you’re handsome, you’re wonderful, I’m so lucky to be you, etc”, it would give me one of the greatest gifts in my life. He was right. I did it most days for the entire year he suggested, and I got the gift: I love being me. And that’s just one more reason why ILML!

– JamesQ

“When I feel far away from a Higher Power, I have to listen very carefully. I listen at meetings… to music… through our literature… I never know from where a message will come.” – Courage to Change

How do I know I’m far from my personal higher power? Easy. If I’m in self pity, blaming, negative, upset, scared, in a funk, or not taking care of myself or my responsibilities, I’m disconnected.

My old reaction to these feelings is to either confront the thing or person that I feel is responsible for my feelings, and attempt to change it or them. If only it or they would ——, I would feel better. Everything would be better. But that faulty thinking doesn’t work.

Of course, if I’m not taking care of my responsibilities, part of the solution is to step up to the plate and take care of them. And that’s true for any change I want to make in me and my attitudes, words or actions which I feel will help my situation out. However, when it comes to me thinking that I will feel better if I can only get a person, place or thing to be or act differently, that’s when it’s best for me to practice the following tool instead: Gratitude.

Gratitude is the tool I use to plug back in. It takes about 30 seconds of conscious gratitude to re-appreciate life and feel good again. The other stuff outside of me need not change in order to gain peace and get back into a positive place. All I need to do is spend a few seconds or minutes getting myself into the feeling of true gratitude for the amazing life I’ve been given and all the blessings I have.

This knowledge, if I simply use it, is the great gift. ILML!

– JamesQ

” The peace of God fills my soul. And I have no fear.” 12 Step Prayer Book

Bam! There it is in a nugget. Said in a million ways, in a hundreds of books and by a thousand gurus. Light casts out darkness. Love eliminates fear and anger. Invite in the Higher Power and the Lower Power leaves the room. This is how I extend periods of happiness and shorten those of discomfort. I become acutely aware of my feelings, especially those that don’t serve me. Then I practice tools that plug me into source, And just like that: I am uplifted. Gratefully recovering nicely from shoulder surgery and definitely, ILML!

– JamesQ

“almost the only scoffers at prayer are those who never tried it enough.” – 12 & 12

Not being religious, I was a scoffer for many, many years. One day, I said to my father, who was also in recovery at the time, “How do I believe in God? I want what others have, I just can’t believe.”

He suggested I pray each morning and evening. When I told him I could do it, but doing so would be sacrilegious, he suggested I try being sacrilegious for a week and see if I felt any differently. I asked him “How should I pray?”, and he said, “Simply saying thanks aloud for those things you are grateful for is a good start.”

Though I doubted deeply, I began the ritual the next day, feeling a bit silly and uncomfortable. What happened was that I started feeling better, happier. It took about 3 days of this for me to come to believe that this practice was something that worked for me.

Since that time, over 20 years ago, I have never stopped praying. A non-religious man that has a relationship with a Higher Power he doesn’t really understand and ritualistically prays each morning and evening. Yep, that’s me.

Prayer makes each one of my days considerably more enjoyable. It’s that simple. It’s my time to plug in emotionally and spiritually, and gratitude is the electricity that flows through and around me.

Were, or are you, a scoffer like me? Let me know.

I’m JamesQ and ILML!

“What price am I paying by holding on… this day is too precious… When I spend time wishing things were different, I know that serenity has lost it’s priority… I have to let go… if I want peace of mind.” – Courage to Change

Old behavior tells me to “hang onto” these feelings because I’m upset. But doing so only prolongs my pain, it never changes the situation, except to make it worse. Taking action by doing spiritual and recovery work leads me back to my HP, encouraging me to let go and focus back on gratitude. This is my path back to peace. ILML!

JamesQ