PoM 76
“Any picture of the alcoholic which leaves out this physical factor is incomplete.”
Big Book
“Promoting our own physical well being is as much a part of recovery as reprogramming our past. We live in our bodies, after all, and the condition of those bodies either limits or expands our capacity for emotional management.”
DOH, DOJ
“Physical training should have as much place as mental training.”
“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
“As with the body, so with the Universe.”
Gandhi
These are from three of the wisest, most loving books I know…and they are all saying the same thing.
PoM 77
I had a dream:
There is a young girl, 13 to 17 years old, dancing on a labyrinth in the Black Forest in Germany.
The Labyrinth is in the shape of a half moon with 12 concentric crescents.
The girl is dressed in a pretty, but modest, flowing dress and is barefoot.
She dances the first dance in the first half circle passionately, freely, expressively.
And then moves to the next half moon circle improvising dance again.
She dances on all 12 crescents, one at a time until she completes her dance.
At the end…she sits down and is dissatisfied.
She thought that, through her beautiful dance through the 12 crescents, she could express herself and find peace of mind…but she could not.
But, in the end, she realized she had to have God’s help.
Dreams are utterly useless without interpretation.
Here is mine: The “soft tissue programs” like Al-Anon and Codependency Anonymous believe that you can’t control addicts but you can control your mind.
My experience is that great strides can be made through using the 12 steps…But ultimately, like the girl in the dream, it requires God’s help to find peace of mind, by finally admitting powerlessness…over my own mind.
PoM 78
Gummy is having a birthday this Wednesday.
We have invited several neighbors.
Four women and two men.
One of the women I invited said “ Well if my boyfriend doesn’t come…you are my date”.
I am utterly powerless over intrigue, intentional or unintentional, and I could feel the energy instantly.
But, like Br’er Fox, I know how to play dumb, when necessary…and just act like I didn’t understand.
I really believe in protecting my marriage, in thought, as well as deed.
PoM 79
For five weeks I have not written any new music because I have been focusing on running for speed, and then for distance.
I broke 10 miles today….only done that once in my life.
My need for self-esteem and my need for contentment felt noticeably met, and expanded into places within me that I have never felt before.
10 miles feels like an excellent limit for me, though, so I wrote for 1 1/2 hours tonight and my need for creativity was met, surprisingly and unexpectedly.
Ellen Bass, in the Courage to Heal, says, “When we are safe and our needs are met, we feel content.”
Go, Ellen!
PoM 80
I like people to think I am deep, meaningful and soulful…
I am thoroughly involved in inventory, prayer and service, every day…so, that is pretty serious stuff.
But, I have got to be honest…the most peace of mind I have felt today was when someone sent a very large check, not as part of the May or November Seventh Tradition drive, but just to say “Thank you” for our work.
One of my needs, as a human-type-person, is the need for financial safety and that was met amply today….and I am humbly grateful.
I suppose it just might be possible to be soulful …and have money, too!