I am responsible for my attitude, my thoughts, my posture, my disposition (phroneó).
“Pretending to be a nice person is a lot like being a nice person” — Bill Dogterom
I practice love and kindness, even when I don’t feel like it, regardless of who deserves it, with others best interests in mind and try to remember – it’s not about me.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” —Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
When my emotions start to flare up, for any reason, I will practice getting grounded, honest, own my part, fight ego with truth about who I am, and forgive myself and others.
My morning/daily routine:
- I wake up and immediately start praying to try to squash self ambition and vain conceit, often repeatedly and throughout the day:
- I read Psalms 1, 23, 46, 103, 119:105
- I read the bible “Verse of the day” and select “Read Full Chapter”
- I have this bookmarked: https://www.aahappyhour.com/aa-daily-readings/ and study all of the readings.
- I read the days reading: https://utmost.org/updated/today for some wisdom
- I read and meditate on this: https://geoffgaites.com/putting-on-phroneo/
- I meditate on what I am grateful for and compose a list and share it with my community of faithful partners.
- I work to monitor my attitude to maintain gratitude and humility and ask God for help to remain in that posture, I discuss my challenges with loved ones prayerfully and use breathing, writing, and grounding/meditation tools as often as possible.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,” — Philippians 2:3-5
“Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs.” — Big Book, Top of page 20
“There are two types of people in recovery: the “yeah, buts” and the “you bets!”” —Tony Fisher
”Would you rather be right, or would you rather be happy?” —Jim Foote
The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else. “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord”;… The Highest Good—The Pilgrim’s Song Book, 537 L