Monday, July 18, 2011

Setting the tone for the week




todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for spiritual progress, not spiritual perfection .........

I hear some people (in recovery) use this phrase as an excuse for inappropriate behavior. Their thinking seems to be that it's OK to do the next wrong thing because their behavior is not as bad as it was when they were drinking.

I could not disagree more. I do not believe this is what Bill W. had in mind when he wrote this phrase. I think we're supposed to be the best we can be and not beat up on ourselves when we fall short. Today, I strive for excellence, knowing I am not a perfect human being. No one is.

My own spiritual progress has been amazing, considering I had virtually no idea of a spititual life in 2003 when I stopped drinking. Today, I do my best to follow a set of spiritual principles every day of my life.


Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.
- John F. Kennedy

6 comments:

Mary Christine said...

Thank you for this. I agree wholeheartedly.

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

Good stuff! thanks dAAve! :)

Carol said...

Yes! I don't like to hear that 'ah, gosh' type of excuses for bad behavior, either.

JeremyRT said...

I very much agree! Thank you for posting this!

steveroni said...

I also like, "Some of us are sicker than others!" How would anyone really know that?

But...here is the one I have recently learned.

Sponsor says to pigeon:
"Do not work YOUR program.
Do not work MY program.
Work T H E Program!"

Syd said...

I hear progress not perfection to mean something other than that of the spiritual realm. Leaving spirituality out means to me that I am not making any progress.