Our 11th Step suggests meditation.
In the beginning of my recovery and sporadically after that I tried over and over again to figure out how to meditate. I read lots of books, and listened to various people who tried, reading more than one book or listening to that teacher.
No matter what I tried, meditation seemed to be totally beyond me. I could rarely sit for five minutes, let alone the longer periods I heard others were doing.
It turns out I was missing a vital piece of information: it’s totally normal for our minds to drift when we’re meditating.
I thought there was something wrong with me because when I tried to quiet my mind it was only moments before it drifted to the laundry or the shopping or my latest love.
Somehow I had thought I had to clear my mind in order to meditate properly. One person told me my mind should be as blank as a TV that’s turned off. That may have worked for the person who told me about it, but I suspect I somehow misunderstood what he said.
Finally I was able to hear that it was expected my mind would drift; my job was to bring it back to what many Buddhists call the object of my meditation. Often that is just to be aware of my inhale and exhale, over and over again. [click to continue…]
Despite all the research into the causes and nature of addiction, we still don’t know much, not really.
Sure, there are often chemical imbalances, or what we think are imbalances in the brains of those addicted to substances.
And there is some evidence that there are similar imbalances with at least some of the behaviors that have their own 12 Step Program. But brain science still doesn’t have answers for the person who is hoplessly and helplessly trapped in an addictive cycle.
That said, there is at least one thing we do know and that’s true addicts to a substance or a behavior cannot stop the self-destructive behavior on will power alone.
That is, the experience of those who have recovered and those who haven’t make it clear that gritting our teeth or making promises or changing where we live, etc. etc. etc. won’t solve the problem. The true addict will return to the drug or behavior of choice no matter what. If they can’t get the drug or do the behavior they want they will get or do one that’s a close as possible. [click to continue…]
Ethan Persoff has a wonderful site of old comic strips, including this one which he titled: A complete set of the 1968-1974 Alcoholics Anonymous comic strips.
The strips are a hoot. I was married, had kids, drank a ton. I don’t remember seeing them, but at that point I was good at ignoring anything that might cause me to look at my own drinking.
As the notes on the first page indicate, the familiar AA inside a triangle indicates the strips were conference approved by Alanon. What isn’t clear is where these were printed… perhaps a booklet or maybe in a few newspapers or more around the country. I truly don’t know.
If you know, tell us about it. Otherwise, just enjoy and comment as you choose.
Love and blessings,
If you would take this