How To Use Spirituality Everyday
And Enjoy Life Too
“Spirituality is great for the AA Program but it might hinder my enjoyment and ability to carry on my everyday life.” “Do you expect me to think about Spirituality all day long?” “Thinking about Spirituality takes the fun out of everything.”
These and more similar thoughts were front and center of my mind when I came into the program. I had no background in this type of thinking, either religious or spiritual, so I really didn’t know how to act around it.
And besides, whenever something stressful comes into my life, how can an invisible power possibly help me? I decided to go with the flow and ideas given to me by my sponsors who said “Fake it till you make it.”
I had known these people before they stopped drinking and they were very similar to me in our madness days — a hard-drinking, hard-fighting, hard-everything bunch.
I had fought with some of them “In the day” while pulling them out of bars and alleys in Detroit and was amazed and impressed by their lives now. They were genuinely Happy, Joyous, and Free and I was the exact opposite — miserable, sad, and imprisoned by my alcoholism.
I began by realizing that there was a Higher Power of some kind “out there” because something had to get all of this created and started and keep it going.
Something had to be changing the seasons, allowing me to breathe and think that there is probably a Higher Power responsible for all of this and more.
I have a pulse without even thinking about it, and something was completely changing these people I was coming across in meetings from being miserable just like me to being happy individuals.
Step 3 says “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
I heard that if I were ready to go to any lengths to get it, I would see. So, I “faked it” and very soon I made it. I then looked into Step 3 and said, “OK, it is starting to show me that it works so why not?” and I turned it over.
I heard that a paraphrase for Step 1 is “I can’t,” Step 2 is “He can,” and Step 3 is “So, I let Him.” Almost immediately the relief came. We are only as sick as our secrets and this was the first step in bringing my secrets into the daylight.
Carrying the load was not so heavy anymore because I was being assisted with the load by my Higher Power who was working through the others in the meetings.
I have an addictive personality so I wanted more, much more, and so continued talking with my Higher Power and asking for more help. I never thought of asking for help with anything before because I thought that it would make me look weak.
As soon as I admitted that I wasn’t strong enough by myself, I became stronger. How and why? I don’t even care because it worked and still does.
Do you want to be Happy, Joyous, and Free? I can’t and won’t try to tell you how to do it but this is what worked for me and if you want to copy it or take it, go right ahead. This program is just like love — I can’t keep it unless I give it away.
Don’t be afraid of living. Be happy with the fact that you can now truly live and enjoy life. If you didn’t drink or do drugs today, you now have choices, maybe for the first time.
Do you choose to be miserable or do you choose to be Happy, Joyous, and Free? The choice is yours and nobody else’s. Choose wisely!
Thank you, God!
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