Gratitude Friday

Grateful:

• That it’s not snowing today and suppose to be over 50 degrees.
• That I saw 3 newcomers at a meeting last night that were excited about working steps and getting involved in recovery.
• That it took me 15 minute to hug everyone when the meeting was over.
• That my son told me he loved me last night out of the blue.
• That my fiance got to play Tooth Fairy last night.
• That I am in recovery today.

What are you grateful for this Friday?

Physical body - Physical shortcomings

The body is the ego’s projection.

Many of us are critical of our bodies. We perceive ourselves as too tall or too short, too fat or too thin. The list goes on. What we think, however, is what we get: our bodies reflect the message the ego dictates.

This can be confusing. But remember, we tend to focus on our imperfections, and the attention we give them strengthens them. So while we claim to want a better physique or a healthier body, we dwell on how our bodies disappoint us. In the process, we manifest those disappointments.

Stopping a particular thought pattern takes willingness. We need to change our perspective intentionally and radically and stop lecturing ourselves about how we should look. Aligning with the Holy Spirit rather than the ego diminishes the importance of how we look. The miracle is that how we look changes also.

My body is only as real as I make it today. I am free to think only love.

Today’s Meditation from:

Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course by Karen Casey. Get it Today!

It’s All Addictive

I came across a great article on addiction by Mark Smith from Family Tree Counseling this morning. He does a great job of approaching the disease of addiction with compassion and hope. Plus, he points out what many do not:

“While alcohol and drugs get much of the focus when discussing addictions, there are many substances to which human beings find themselves addicted: food, spending, rescuing, work, busyness, TV, exercise, approval, religion, shame, money, power, possessions, sex, relationships, smoking and prescription drugs to name just a few.”

My experience is that anything can be addictive if it interferes with my ability to participate in my own life. I can easily say today that I’m addicted to Web 2.0 Social Networking services. It was a great realization when I began understanding that addiction is not about one substance, but rather a whole way of thinking and behaving. There’s so much freedom that comes from applying spiritual principles to all areas of life.

I have no idea where Hamilton County is, but thanks Mark for shedding much needed gentle light on what truly is one of “the most important and destructive social issue of our generation.”

What strange addictions to you have? Leave a comment!