ha,ha,, now heres a new one Manon=
Im greatful to be greatful for all that I have !!!
If i were ungreatful theres hardly one or two things to be ungreatful for,,
but I have a very ,very long list of what I have to be greatful for,,
so yes,Im greatful for all that I have and also few things that I wnat but haven6 got yet cause I may not be ready for it !!
Why ask for something we arent ready for and then pray to have it removed ????
Im greatful for the knowledge that being greatful is the best way to live !!!

haha Anthony,,,,
Ive felt very down many times in recovery,,,
luckily someone reminded me
"This too shall pass"
the important thing for me is to know that Im feeling real feelings here,,, not just drug induced euphoria or withdrawl pains.
So each of those feelings get me more fixed in recovery,,,, i need to take both positive and negative into account !!

Hey here's something interesting and deep that I heard a very good member in our fellowship share at our home group's recovery meeting this week...

he shared "I used to be grateful FOR everything before. Now I don't. Today, I try to be grateful IN everything."

The moment I heard this, I felt so overwhelmed with gratitude and joy, even now, just thinking about this perspective moves me deeply... I'm grateful that I made this meeting and heard this shared by this member...

So true what you shared about the sharing in the meetings

When I was a few months clean, I heard a newcomer with a few days clean, a boy who was shelter-less and sleeping on the roads share in a meeting "When I come to these meetings and share, I don't see any of you sitting in front of me, I share with my Higher Power, and I'm sure my Higher Power is listening to what I have to share with Him."

That's one of the best messages that I picked up back then, and it came from a newcomer!

I must admit it's very easy for an addict like me to start judging others' shares as some grand show being played out, but with the help of the program, I have learnt to practice an open mind, and listen attentively to what is being shared at meetings by others. I have come to realize that my Higher Power gives me exactly what I need that day through any of the others who are sharing at a particular meeting I walk in or through a particular post here, irrespective of who this other member is. Here, practising the principle of anonymity while listening to others' shares has helped me focus on the message rather than on the messenger. Also, usually, silencing my mind and focusing on each and every word shared by another instead, taking it to be my Higher Power's message for me that day helps.

I have observed that when I try to practice these principles, who is sharing or my mind games about others and whether others share genuinely or not cease to matter. The truth dawns on me that what I hear being shared at a meeting or at this forum is exactly what my Higher Power wanted me to hear at that particular moment. And I also observed that when I have fallen prey to my tricky mind that makes me think that the other is trying to give a good speech at a meeting, mostly, it is so that I could not open my mind to what is being shared, and I attempt to dismiss it all as rubbish instead... lol... like when I first came to meetings and heard members share that they haven't used for so and so long or when I kept hearing about the miracles working the Steps have brought in others' lives. Clearly my denial at play...

There is a suggestion at the other 12-Step Fellowship that I am a part of for my relationship issues that goes, "When you are in doubt, instead of building a case, give the benefit of doubt to the other." It's a very simple, beautiful principle that has worked wonderfully for me in the last few years. I continue to practice this principle today in context with my mind playing tricks about others and their motives. Has been very rewarding everytime I have applied this principle, filling me with peace, harmony and love rather than being trapped by my indifference, case-building and hatred.

There are times when I do end up judging others' shares and shutting out my mind to what is being shared. There are times when I feel very inadequate while sharing at meetings depending on my spiritual condition at that point of time, where I do make an extra effort to sound more nice fearing that I might come out sounding very weird otherwise and that would cause me more embarrassment These are the moments where I know for sure that I'm an addict and that I'm no different from others, and that it's ok that I'm so at times. That is what makes me human and in more touch with what I suffer from - a dis-ease of mind, body and spirit.

Great topic it brought out what was inside my heart into the open and made me see myself more clearly in this aspect...

I'm grateful for pretty much everything today.  I have a job that I dind't lose when I relapsed, have a nice apartment, my son's here on weekends and will be regaining full custody by Christmas.  I'm grateful to have found an awesome home group, and wonderful, supportive, new friends.  Even though my husband is in prison for 7 more yrs, I'm grateful that he and I both lived through our addictions.  Even when work stinks and the tips aren't great, I'm grateful to just have that money coming in.  I don't have alot of the things I want yet, but sure have everything I need.  It will come.  It's all a process.  Theresa

Actually, I just started reading and posting on here a week or two ago.  But if it seems like it's been awhile, guess I should post more often, huh?  LOL  Still clean, still grateful!!