Mysterious Paradoxes – They Do Not Compute

And why don’t they compute? Because you’re an alkie!!!

And so am I…

Our brains get in the way of sensible, responsible and mature computing because we “looooooove” negative thinking. We “looooooove” negative thinking because we are self-centered in the extreme! So self-centered that we’ll walk into a meeting late, shuffle around noisily making our coffee while disrupting the meeting, park our a**es and immediately raise our hands making a seriously self-centered statement like “Sorry I’m late and didn’t hear your qualifications but…” followed by some inane comment having nothing to do with anything other than our self-serving agenda (although we “think” we have it disguised as recovery).

Happens everywhere, not just on Long Island.

Which is why I believe today’s reflection is paramount.

“Mysterious Paradoxes”

Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one’s old life as a condition for finding a new one.

Personally, I don’t believe that whether you have 1 year, 10 years, twenty years, or whatever, sober in AA that you are avoiding the inevitable if nothing changes. The inevitable? Well, the longest I’ve heard in meetings is someone with 37 years drinking again. Damn right – that’s the inevitable! We are doomed to drink again! Unless…

“this person can experience an entire psychic change there is very little hope of recovery.”

My goal, yes – goal, is to die sober. And today’s reading goes a long way towards achieving that goal.

“What glorious mysteries paradoxes are! They do not compute, yet when recognized and accepted, they reaffirm something in the universe beyond human logic. When I face a fear, I am given courage; when I support a brother or sister, my capacity to love myself is increased; when I accept pain as part of the growing experience of life, I realize a greater happiness; when I look at my dark side, I am brought into new light; when I accept my vulnerabilities and surrender to a Higher Power, I am graced with unforeseen strength. I stumbled through the doors of A.A. in disgrace, expecting nothing from life, and I have been given hope and dignity. Miraculously, the only way to keep the gifts of the program is to pass them on.”

The only way to keep the gifts of the program is to pass them on!!!

From pg. 164 – “The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven’t got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us.”

The lack of humility described by Mike above has an inevitable conclusion. The exact moment is unknown. It is my responsibility to do whatever I can to carry the message and also to pray this person has a moment of clarity and gets back on track, then passes the information along. I’d love to suggest to you that if you find yourself in a meeting with this type, lose your fear and carry the right message – “when I face a fear, I am given courage.”

[P.S. - This is a quick note to my troll "buddy" David/Mickey/whatever. Each time you attempt to post another comment it goes into moderation and is then reported to Aksimet as spam - by me Enjoy trying to extract yourself from that mess.]