“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!

“We live in a society of instant gratification… Recovery is a process…” – Courage to Change 

When I first heard about recovery, it applied just to sobriety. But later on I realized that sobriety is only one step in recovering all the great things I had lost up until that point in my life. Things like a passion for living life, loving myself, a desire to help others, my self-esteem, peace, serenity, willingness, an open mind, an ability to have healthy relationships with others, having enough self-respect to walk away from harmful situations and people, and the ability to take responsibility for my actions. Today I understand that it takes time, consistency and diligence to do the work to recover and keep those things in my life, and I’m willing to take the daily actions necessary to do so. It’s a brave New Year and I have the courage to embrace it – however it may turn out – with an open heart. ILML! 

– JamieQ

“… tell yourself the best is coming, the very best life and love have to offer… Then open your hands and receive it.”

One definition of affirm is to state something as a fact. By practicing daily affirmations out loud like “I love my life!’ and “I open myself up to abundance!” and “I will have an amazing day today!”, we invite our minds to see those affirmations as facts. I often tell my Sponsees “be careful of what you tell yourself, your mind is listening”. The opposite can be just as true, “make sure you’re telling yourself great things, your mind is listening.” As I enter the New Year I publicly affirm that each day I’m alive will just keep getting more wonderful. Hard to believe when my life is already so amazing, but it’s a fact. Just like it’s a fact that ILML! Happy New Year! 

– JamieQ

“We can make it a habit to leave the outcome of the things we do to the higher power. We can go along through life doing the best we can, but without a feeling of urgency or strain.” — 24 Hours a Day 12/26

These are simple words yet a great reminder that if I am feeling anxious, worried, angry, or strained in anyway then I have steered away from my program and my higher power. When I feel these things, I am out of faith. I can be serene no matter what the situation is in my life through the steps, and daily spiritual actions. I am so grateful that this program has given me the tools to stay out of my self will and live a life of abundance and usefulness. ILML!

– JasonW

“All the prayer and meditation in the world will not help me unless they are accompanied by action.” – Daily Reflections

Going from a place of not loving oneself or one’s life to becoming a full fledged life lover who looks in the mirror and absolutely loves the person reflected doesn’t happen by wishful thinking. My success in pursuit of that goal has come from daily, dedicated, consistent action. I spend well over an hour each day using life-loving tools to become a man that I’m proud of and to keep my focus on the attitude of gratitude. The reward is an abundance of wonderfulness beyond my wildest dreams. Happy Christmas Eve Day! ILML! 

– JamieQ

“I learned not to react… My level of acceptance profoundly impacts my serenity.” – Hope For Today

Many years ago, a friend of mine who is not in the program was told by his doctor that if didn’t eliminate stress he would die soon. His ulcers were that serious. So he made a decision to not take things too seriously anymore, just like that. He also decided that, when someone said or did anything upsetting, he would take a deep breath and then exhale it slowly before speaking. I’ve witnessed him do this many times and can see how much kinder his responses are.

This holiday season I’ll take his suggestion and breathe deeply before I speak, thus avoiding having to make amends later. Almost done shopping, on the way to a Life Lovers meeting and ILML!   

– JamieQ

“It is unreasonable and unhealthy to expect one person to be the source for meeting all our needs.” – The Language of Letting Go 

Can you imagine having to meet every single need of someone else? If you’ve raised kids, you don’t have to imagine, you’ve been there and done that. But when it comes to intimate relationships, being with someone (or being that someone) who has frequent expectations & demands is exhausting – in fact, it’s the quickest way to sap all the romance out of a coupleship. Healthy relationships exist when each person gives what they can and is grateful for what the other can give. By taking steps to lower my expectations, practice acceptance and stop making unreasonable demands on my wife, I fall deeper and deeper in love with my her. And the more I love my wife, the more ILML! 🙂

“almost the only scoffers at prayer are those who never tried it enough.” – 12&12 p. 97
It is often said that the simplest and most profoundly effective prayer is “Thank you.” I believe this to be true because at its fundamental core, prayer to me is the dedicated practice of setting aside time for the specific purpose of re-minding myself of how grateful I am. When I get into a comfortable position reserved for plugging into goodness (aka, God) and say the words “thank you” over and over again, I am filled with an abundance (overflowing feeling) of gratitude. Take a moment now to close your eyes and slowly say “thank you” about 20 times. For each “thank you” spoken, think of a blessing in your life. How does that feel? Practicing these spiritual secrets is one more reason why ILML! 

– JamieQ

“… walk day by day  in the path of spiritual progress…” Big Book AA

Imagine you’re in jungle: beautiful but dense. There are many paths to choose from, each marked with a sign. One leads up a steep mountain and is marked “Path of Spiritual Progress.” It looks like there may be some waterfalls up there but it’s steep. The Path of Spiritual Progress that I’ve chosen takes a lot of work. It requires dedication, consistency, and perseverance every single day of my life. But the rewards are well with the effort. I’m constantly growing into a better version of me. Not only is my life great, but I meet  others like you on the path who constantly enrich it. ILML! 

– JamieQ