All my changes are easy to make

In order to change my life outside, I must change inside.  The moment I am willing to change, it is amazing how the universe begins to help me.  It brings me what I need.

Every problem brings a gift...

There is a solution to every problem and, to me, now I seie that every problem truly is an opportunity of some kind.  We create habits and problems to fulfill a need.  When I can find a positive way to fulfill the need, I can release the problem.

Perfection Procrastination

A common trait of alcoholics is perfection procrastination.  That is the illogical idea that we need to do things perfectly and we will only do these things if we can do them perfectly.  As a result, we procrastinate. We put it off until we feel ready.  Now, I just do it! I begin! This is why I believe strongly in the statement by Goethe when he says "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, BEGIN IT!!! Boldness has genius, power and magic it it!

Madiba Nelson Mandela's Birthday today

Today is Nelson Mandela's 92nd Birthday. South Africa celebrates by giving a National Day of Helping Others. Recently, I finished a book On Mandela's Way - 15 Lessons. They are the following:

1. Courage is not the absence of fear.

2. Be measured.

3. Lead from the front.

4. Lead from the back.

5. Look the part.

6. Have a core principle.

7. See the good in others.

8. Know your enemy.

9. Keep your rivals close.

10. Know when to say NO.

11. It's a long game.

12. Love makes the difference.

13. Quitting is leading too.

14. It's always both.

15. Find your own garden.

It is only a thought and a thought can be changed.

The thoughts I choose to think and believe right now are creating my future. These thoughts form my experiences tomorrow, next week and next year!

Spain Wins 2010 World Cup South Africa

Yesterday, Spain won the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. They beat the Netherlands 1-0 in overtime. This accomplishment is a wonderful thing for Spain. I remember when France won in 1998, it was a much needed victory after a difficult period of economic crisis and economic malaise.

Gratitude for Spiritual Assistance

Saying Thank You  - Trusting Spiritual Assistance

When we connect to higher energies for help, it is much like a phone connection which needs to be closed at the end.  We may have become accustomed to asking for help from the unseen world - whether from angels, guides, or ancestral spirits - but sometimes we may forget to close our connection afterwards with a thank you. When we connect to these energies for assistance, it is much like a phone connection. Forgetting to close the conversation with a proper "goodbye" is like not hanging up. While that line is still connected, others can have trouble getting through, while in the meantime, batteries are being drained. Saying "thank you" is a way of releasing our concerns into trusted hands and getting out of the way so that the universe's divine order can work on our behalf.

As spiritual beings, we may talk about staying connected, but our connection needs to be with our source. We can plug in and recharge, but we run on batteries in between, and every connection we make utilizes some of our personal power. Even being surrounded by people that energize us has its limits, and at some point we will feel ready to go off on our own to do what is ours to do. Instead of trying to be constantly connected, we can turn to these beings for help in a way that is more like placing an order. We contact them, ask for what we need, and then say thank you and goodbye.

Beings of light do not require our gratitude; it is an energetic acknowledgement of trust and release that benefits us. When we bring ourselves to a sense of being grateful, we affirm that what we have asked is already done. Then we can move forward with confidence to do the things we are meant to do, while knowing that all will be well.

Absolute Freedom 2010

I remember celebrating Independence day drunk.  I remember independence day sober.  I remember independence day sailing out on Lake Michigan and I remember it in federal prison.  I never knew true freedom until I had none.  I never knew true freedom when all I could control was my attitude...and then I knew I could always be free.  I celebrated July 4, 2010, training for the Chicago Marathon 10-10-10 and running for GUA Africa, for people who do not know freedom.  I am so grateful for my freedom and will cherish it always!

I am humbled by my need

Humility is one of the most important virtues in sobriety and often one of the hardest virtues to practice because it can also be mistaken by false pride. We know that the opposite of humility may be egoism or hubris. But often self-depreciation is seen as humility and it is not. If I think I am humble, I am automatically not. However, I know that I am humbled by my need, by my need for God, my need for a fellowship and my need to be sober.

We become such better persons in our Adversity than in our Prosperity

We are all seeking happiness, comfort, success, pleasure and security. Yet, these things only improve how we feel for a period of time. They do not build character, strengthen our minds or bodies and we gain little by comforts and luxuries. However, we learn so much about ourselves through our challenges and adventures. Adversity