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Welcome to Bill's Place.
A collection of Friends In Recovery.
Featuring a weekly Step Study from various 12 Step Recovery literature.
With the occasional inspirational message or message pertaining to a broad spectrum of varied spiritual practices.
An open forum for discussion of the aforementioned Step Study and inspirational/spiritual practice messages.
"Dance like there's no one watching and love like you've never been hurt."
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BillsPlace/

Humility
~Ralph Marston~

In addition to persistent, ongoing effort, continued success requires humility. If you grow arrogant after a few accomplishments, you're not likely to have many more.

With each success you gain more confidence, and that's great. When you've done it before, you know that you can do it again.

Yet even as your confidence level grows higher and higher, do not make the mistake of discarding your humility. For humility keeps you reasonable, respectful, thankful, thoughtful and realistic, and those are all qualities essential for continued success.

Thinking that you're entitled to something just because you want it is a reliable recipe for failure and disappointment. Humility reminds you that in order to receive value, you must create value in equal measure.

While it is certainly possible to accomplish things without humility, those accomplishments will be empty and short-lived. Those people who enjoy meaningful success and fulfillment year after year and decade after decade are those people who know the value of humility.

Choose to be strong enough and smart enough to live with genuine humility. The rewards for doing so will show up throughout your whole life.

It Works How & Why
STEP SEVEN
"We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings."

In Step Four, we uncovered the basic defects of our character. In Step Five, we admitted their existence. In Step Six, we became entirely ready to have them removed so that we could experience continued spiritual growth and recovery. Now, in Step Seven, we humbly ask our Higher Power to remove our shortcomings. When we ask our Higher Power to remove these shortcomings, we ask for freedom from anything which limits our recovery. We ask for help because we cannot do it alone.

Through working the previous steps, we see that attaining humility is necessary if we are going to live a clean life and walk a spiritual path. An attitude of humility is not the same as humiliation, nor is it a denial of our good qualities. On the contrary, an attitude of humility means that we have a realistic view of ourselves and our place in the world. In the Seventh Step, humility means understanding our role in our own recovery, appreciating our strengths and limitations, and having faith in a Power greater than ourselves. To work the Seventh Step, we must get out of the way so that God can do God's work. Humbly asking for the removal of our shortcomings means we are giving complete license to that loving Power to work in our lives, believing that God's wisdom far exceeds our own.

Even though we now possess some measure of humility, many of us may be somewhat confused by the word "humbly." We may have taken it for granted that God would remove our shortcomings immediately upon request. Those of us with this attitude may have been surprised when our Higher Power didn't comply with our request. On the other hand, some of us tried pleading with God to remove our shortcomings, guessing that would be a demonstration of humility.

We tried so hard to get it right. We were tired of our shortcomings. We were worn out from trying to manage and control them, and we wanted some relief. Oddly enough, this is precisely the attitude we hope to demonstrate in Step Seven, the attitude of humility. We admit defeat, recognize our limitations, and ask for help from the God of our understanding.

Just For Today
Meditations for recovering addicts
October 14
The end of loneliness

"With the love that I am shown in Narcotics Anonymous, I have no excuse for loneliness."
Basic Text p. 262

Addiction is a lonely disease. We may be surrounded by people but, sooner or later, our addiction drives a wedge between us and even our closest loved ones. Many of us are driven to Narcotics Anonymous by a desperate loneliness.

Though we may approach the rooms of NA with caution and suspicion, we are welcomed with a hug, a smile, and a warm "keep coming back." This may be the first place where we have felt welcome in a long, long while. We watch other members talking and laughing, leaving the meeting in groups for more talk at the local coffee shop. We wonder if we, too, could become a part of this loving bunch.

Our pattern of isolation can make it difficult for us to join in. Over time, however, we begin to feel "a part of" rather than "apart from." Soon, when we walk into the rooms, we feel at home. We begin to make friends and our lives start to change.

NA teaches us how to overcome our isolation. Through our first tentative friendships formed in our home group, we start to find that making friends isn't hard. A sense of belonging comes when we share ourselves with others.

Just for today: I am thankful for the friendships my Higher Power has given me in NA. Because of them, I am lonely no more.

Receiving Higher Guidance
Meditation by Orin and DaBen

I take a deep breath in and relax my body. I imagine a golden light surrounding me. Any thoughts I do not want are leaving. My mind is filled with peace.

I am going within and experiencing my thoughts, imagination, and the serene inner core of my true Self.

I call back to myself any energy I have left scattered out in the universe. I feel more whole and complete within as I do.

I bring my awareness to the center of my being, a place of light, of love, and of peace and serenity.

As I go within I can experience the light of my soul simply by having the intent to do so. I allow my soul to surround me with its light.

From this place of inner serenity I can tune into whatever vibration I choose. I now choose to tune into the higher realms of light, love, and wisdom.

I now experience the vibration of healing that is always being broadcast from the higher realms. I receive healing into any part of my body, emotions, mind, or life that needs healing.

I think of some area of my life in which I would like to create a positive change.

I open to receive the broadcast of light from the Masters and Guides that will assist me in expanding my consciousness.

I open to new perspectives, insights, and wisdom. I open my heart and bring about changes in this area of my life. I receive this light now.

I think of something I would like guidance about. I ask the Guides and Masters for guidance. I open to receive their guidance now.

I affirm that I will honor and pay attention to the new ideas, insights, and revelations that come into my mind about whatever issue I have requested guidance.

I think of my higher path. I ask to receive the broadcast of clarity, wisdom, and light from the higher realms.

My next steps are becoming clearer to me. They reveal to me more about my higher purpose and path. I open to receive this guidance from the higher realms now.

I now focus my awareness upward. I receive guidance from the higher realms. I honor the guidance I receive and I act upon it. My life works in wonderful ways.

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The Message Is Hope, The Promise Is Freedom

Just for today, you never have to use again.

Alive and Free

Never Alone Never Again
(neveralone_neveragain)

"Dance like there's no one watching and love like you've never been hurt."

Jimmy K.

The message is hope. The promise is freedom. Just For Today, you never have to use again.

---
"We must love one another as God loves each one of us.
To be able to love, we need a clean heart.
Prayer is what gives us a clean heart.
The fruit of prayer is a deepening of faith and the fruit of faith is love.
The fruit of love is service, which is compassion in action."
~Mother Teresa~

Peace.
Bill

A Group of Recovering Friends
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BillsPlace/

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http://mysite.verizon.net/vze8nqeu/

My Homepage
http://www.angelfire.com/realm3/haven/index.html

Pics of Family and Friends
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ARNA Album
http://www.angelfire.com/realm3/haven/slideshow/ArnaAlbum/ArnaAlbumThumpageIntro.html

My Music Page
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MySpace
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MySpace Blog
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Put yourself on my map.
Let me see where you are.

http://www.frappr.com/?a=constellation_map&mapid=2215210

Agents of God Montage

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=1895873a7fa75330862d31&skin_id=0&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

To trust, have faith, is to know that whatever happens will be good.

Trust and Believe

Canookie Girl