Good in all

Good in all,
In the satisfaction and aplomb of animals,
In the annual return of the seasons,
In the hilarity of youth;
In the strength and flush of manhood,
In the grandeur and exquisiteness of old age,
In the superb vistas of Death.

Wonderful to depart!
Wonderful to be here!
The heart, to jet the all-alike and innocent blood,
To breathe the air, how delicious!
To speak! to walk! to seize something by the hand!
To prepare for sleep, for bed?to look on my rose-coloured flesh,
To be conscious of my body, so amorous, so large.
To be this incredible God I am,
To have gone forth among other Gods?those men and women I love.

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

If there be a God let him show himself

Although he didn't believe in God, although he believed only in the power of his own mind, he found himself begging God for help. "If there be a God let him show himself" he cried. The response was amazing. "Suddenly my room blazed with an indescribably white light. I was seized with an ecstasy beyond description. Every joy I had known was pale by comparison," he wrote later. "Then, seen in the mind's eye, there was a mountain. I stood upon its summit where a great wind blew. A wind, not of air but of spirit. In great, clear strength it blew right through me. Then came the blazing thought, 'you are a free man.' "

I am at peace in the midst of this divine-order day.

Whether I find myself in a busy home or a thriving workplace, my environment may seem chaotic at times. If I feel stress building within me, I know my perspective needs adjusting. I take a deep breath and quiet my thoughts. As I become centered, I am able to see my experiences differently. I look at my life and the world around me with fresh eyes.

I see divine order at work in the system of life and activity that is flourishing around me. And I am divinely equipped to do what is mine to do. I have the time, talent and resources I need to contribute in meaningful ways. I am centered and calm, peaceful and poised, in the midst of this divine-order day”.

Down at the very bottom of the social scale of AA society are the pariahs, the untouchables, and the outcasts

Down at the very bottom of the social scale of AA society are the pariahs, the untouchables, and the outcasts, all known by one excoriating epithet-relatives. I am a relative. I know my place. I am not complaining. But I hope no one minds if I venture the plaintive confession that there are times, oh, many, many, times when I wish I had been an alcoholic. By that I mean that I wish I were an AA. The reason is that I consider the AA people the most charming in the world.
Such is my considered opinion. As a journalist it has been my fortune to meet many of the people who are considered charming. I number among my friends stars, and lesser lights of stage and cinema; writers are my daily diet. I know the ladies and gentleman of both political parties; I have been entertained in the White House. I have broken bread with kings and ministers and ambassadors and I say after that catalog, which could be extended, that I would prefer an evening with my AA friends to any person or group of persons I have indicated.
I ask myself why I consider so charming these alcoholic caterpillars who have found their butterfly wings in Alcoholics Anonymous. There are more reasons than one, but I can name a few.
They are imaginative, and that helps to make them alcoholics. Some of them drank to flog their ambition on to greater efforts. Others guzzled only to black out unendurable demons that rose in their imagination. But when they have found their restoration, their imagination is responsive to new incantations, and their talk abounds with color and light, and that makes them charming companions too.

It makes you know that God, Himself, is really charming, because the AA people reflect His mercy and His forgiveness.

The AA people are what they are, and they were what they were, because they are sensitive, imaginative, possessed of a sense of humor and awareness of universal truth. They are sensitive, which means they are hurt easily, and that helped them to become alcoholics. But when they have found their restoration, they are still as sensitive as ever; responsive to beauty and to truth and eager about the intangible glories of this life. That makes them charming companions.


They are possessed with a sense of humor. Even in their cups they have been known to say damnable funny things. Often it was being forced to take seriously the little and mean things of life that make them seek escape in a bottle. But when they have found restoration, their sense of humor finds a blessed freedom, and they are able to reach a godlike state where they can laugh at themselves, the very height of self conquest. Go to the meetings and listen to the laughter. At what are they laughing? At ghoulish memories over which weaker souls would cringe in useless remorse. And that makes them wonderful people to be with by candlelight.

And they are possessed of a sense of universal truth. That is often a new thing in their hearts. The fact that this at-one-meant with God's universe had never been awakened in them is sometimes the reason why they drank. The fact that it was at last awakened is almost always the reason why they were restored to the good and simple ways of life. Stand with them when the meeting is over, and listen while they say the "Our Father." They have found a power greater than themselves which they diligently serve. And that gives them a charm that never was elsewhere on land or sea. It makes you know that God, Himself, is really charming, because the AA people reflect His mercy and His forgiveness.

Want to Change the World? Own Up to Your Fear

It's essential that anyone committed to a path of enlightened partnership is also committed to his or her own emotional healing and purification. If not, unconscious fears will start running the show.The tipping point for successful co-creation is the ability to maintain a state of caring and affinity, especially during difficult times or upsets. What could undermine your ability to do this? The answer is clear. It is fear. Fear of being hurt, again. Fear of being used. Fear of being judged. Fear of losing. Fear of being misunderstood. Fear of being wrong. Fear of losing respect. The fear can be so big that it clouds your good judgment.f you want to stay on a path of cooperation, collaboration and co-creation you have to find the courage to stand up to your own inner demons. If you don’t, the chances you will have the “intestinal fortitude” to stand up to the big demons in the outer world are pretty slim. Making the world a better place is especially challenging for the half-learned because there is usually such a wide gap between their ideals and the reality of their life. It is important for those who step on the path to be committed to fully learning to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. We think that is what Gandhi meant by “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Contributing to the conscious evolution of our world is a heroic path requiring courage and impeccable self-honesty. It’s not going to happen if people simply mouth the words of co-creation but are unable or unwilling to employ the necessary skills.Some people say they want to help make the world a better place. Many believe they can. Are you such a person? If so, be sure you tend to the place in you that undermines your ability to maintain an open heart and mind during times of dissonance. Identify your fears, and learn to calm yourself in times of stress so that the fear doesn't overtake your nobler impulse to love.

Preacher, I need you to pray for my hearing

The Preacher says,

"Anyone with needs to be prayed for, come forward to the front, at the altar!"

Leroy gets in line, and when it's his turn, the preacher asks: "Leroy, what do you want me to pray about for you."

Leroy replies:
"Preacher, I need you to pray for my hearing."
The preacher puts one finger in Leroy's ear, and he places the other hand on top of Leroy's head and prays and prays and prays he prays for Leroy.
After a few minutes, the Preacher removes his hands, stands back and asks,"Leroy, how is your hearing now?"





Leroy says, "I don't know, Reverend, it ain't until next Wednesday."

A straight look about some crooked feelings,We've all felt the giddy flutter of excitement when our new lover walks into the room.

We've all felt the giddy flutter of excitement when our new lover walks into the room. Waited by the phone, changed our plans...But are we in love, or is there something darker at work? In Desire: Where Sex Meets Addiction, Susan Cheever explores the shifting boundaries between the feelings of passion and addiction, desire and need, and she raises provocative and important questions about who we love and why.
Elegantly written and thoughtfully composed, Cheever's book combines unsparing and intimate memoir, interviews and stories, hard science and psychology to explore the difference between falling in love and falling prey to an addiction. Part one defines what addiction is and how it works -- the obsession, the betrayals, the broken promises to oneself and others. Part two explores the possible causes of addiction -- is it nature or nurture, a permanent condition or a temporary derangement? Part three considers what we can do about it, including a provocative suggestion about how we describe and treat addiction, and a look at the importance of community and storytelling.
In the end, there are no easy answers. "A straight look about some crooked feelings," Desire shows us the difference between the addiction that cripples our emotions, and healthy, empowering love that enhances our lives.

How I came to write a biography of Bill Wilson (2004)

About five years ago Time Magazine asked me to write a profile of Wilson, the cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous. I was amazed to find that although there had been some books about Wilson including his own and his wife Lois' autobiographies, there had never been a proper, fully documented biography. Bill Wilson is one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, a man who founded a movement which changed all of our lives. I felt he deserved the best biography I could write. I began the book respecting him as a teacher and a writer. By the time I finished that respect had doubled and redoubled. I hope that my book does justice to this extraordinary man and gives some sense of his amazing life story.