It's all about Attitude

There.  It's fixed.

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for my little mantra about having and keeping a positive attitude.  Find it on the top of the right-hand column.  It has served me well and I think it is important to show newcomers that it's possible to be Happy, Joyous and Free in sobriety.  This doesn't mean that I'm always having a Doris Day, but when I'm in our AA clubhouse, I do my best.

that my problems are so much smaller than most of the people with whom I am in contact.  However, they are still problems and they are still mine!

for solutions (I like to include this often)

for the simple fact that I'm still writing some sort of a gratitude list after 8 years of sobriety

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.

- Zig Ziglar

experience should not be discounted

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for a very inspiring AA discussion meeting about (of all things) -- failure. A concept many of us (certainly me) know about. We talked about a different attitude concerning failure. That there is no failure and no success -- only our experience. I've heard numerous times that all of my experiences (the good and the bad) make me who I am today. In that sense, failure becomes an asset. So what could have been a whiny meeting became very uplifting. Wow, I love my fellow alkies!

for an overall better attitude toward life than I had before I stopped drinking

for American Pickers, a show on The History Channel this year. It's about 2 guys who travel the countryside in their truck, stopping at old barns and farms to see what junk they might be able to buy and then resell for a profit. I love this kind of thing and would love to do something like that. I would not enjoy the process of having to sell all that stuff though. Maybe I'll just stick with watching them on the telly. LOL



Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
- Marianne Williamson

Taking action

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I got to learn more about a really cool young woman yesterday when she shared her alcoholic story with us. She is a frequent visitor from a European country but an alkie is an alkie.

to know that I know so little

for this little gem heard in a meeting ........
"My attitude is like a flat tire. If I don't change it, I won't get anywhere."

that I feel comfortable getting outside my comfort zone (sometimes) -- action outside the box!


Courage doesn't always roar.
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice
at the end of the day saying,
"I will try again tomorrow.”
- Mary Anne Radmacher

No regrets

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I choose NOT to get involved in the hatred of other peoples

for a good attitude - it will make a bad day better and a good day great!

for normalcy - whatever that is.

that I have a Valentine

He who spends time regretting the past loses the present and risks the future.
- Quevedo

For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, "It might have been".
- John Greenleaf Whittier

Regret is an appalling waste of energy, you can't build on it - it's only good for wallowing in.
- Katherine Mansfield

Simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
- don Miguel Angel Ruiz

Attitude

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes. . . . than what other people think. . . . . or say. . . . . . . . or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.

The remarkable thing is ….. that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day.

We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play the one string we have … our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. And so it is with you.
We are in charge of our attitudes!

Author unknown

Nature, naturally

This week I'll be posting some pictures of nature at work. Enjoy!!

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for a good attitude

that I never have to hit another alcoholic bottom; one was plenty!

for the honor of working closely, one-on-one, with 4 recovering alkies on a weekly basis

that a former sponsee is getting ready to celebrate 5 years of continuous sobriety; I am so happy for him!

that when I briefly became sick over the weekend, I took care of myself and limited my activities; it worked.


We may not always be aware of it, but we all create and repeat affirmations constantly. The problem is, we typically don't pay attention to exactly what those affirmations are saying. Often we go through the day giving ourselves all sorts of contradictory, or even negative messages. We may project confidence to the world around us, while our inner dialogue says... I hope this works. I am so nervous about this. I hope I don't blow it. Affirmations are self fulfilling prophecies. If we say, This is never going to work... then chances are excellent it never will.
- John Assaraf

out and about

(left) the coast of Morocco

(right) in Dakar, Senegal with 2 friends



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I got to lead my first Al Anon meeting last night; I brought up the topic of Attitudes. I shared honestly about my domestic problems and others shared too. I thought it went pretty well.

that my friend, Scott W. (Attitude of Gratitude) celebrates 7 years of sobriety today. Drop by and give him a kiss.

for the decade of foreign travel and living that was bestowed upon me. I got to spend 4+ months in over 20 countries and had the opportunity of becoming part of the culture of many African nations along with European and South American places.
These experiences have undoubtedly shaped my thinking forever.

that I live in Houston, Texas and have no desire to live anywhere else.


Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
- Mark Twain

tidbits

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I get to hear so much wisdom on a daily basis

for Step 6 - "Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character."

that when I'm "entirely ready" my life seems to run a lot smoother

for having the proper attitude -- it allows many good things to happen


A good life isn't measured in material goods. There is no quicker path to misery than coveting your neighbors' stuff.
~~ anonymous

The Promises

This is YOUR lucky day!! click here



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful for The Promises ...

... If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through (step 9).
... We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
... We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
... We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know a new peace.
... No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.
... That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
... We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
... Self-seeking will slip away.
... Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
... Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.
... We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
... We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.
- Brian Tracy

my mind was a terrible thing to waste

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

to know that spirituality is a gift, not an achievement

that I have a wild imagination and someone to settle it down

for the impact that people-in-recovery have on me

that Houston has caught up on our 2010 rain deficit

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.

~~ somebody

Attitude

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for a bit of a realization that the things that were happening in my life that led to my alcoholic bottom weren't really much different than the things in my life today. The difference is my ... attitude.

that I like the concept of fake it until you make it (I know many people don't ascribe to this, but that's not my problem).

for the beneficial effects of the Al Anon program for me

that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been contained, at least for now


The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes. . . . than what other people think. . . . . or say. . . . . . . . or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.

The remarkable thing is ….. that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day.

We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play the one string we have … our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. And so it is with you.
We are in charge of our attitudes!
Author unknown

picture this!

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for all of the choices I have in my sober life

for daily reminders (everytime I'm around an AA meeting) how easy it would be to lose those choices

that I have a changing attitude towards people with whom I may not agree -- I am learning that they have offered me more information about themselves

for a busy week, one in which my regular time schedule has been thrown waaaaaaay off - for no particular reason other than life happening. I made the adjustment better than I used to.

for friends who include me in their plans

that my beloved Astros won their first game of the young season. They are 1-8. arghhhhh!


Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.
- Motto of the Special Olympics

No Smoking on this blog

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I experience the freedom and happiness that comes from surrender -- every day

for Step 6 and those moments that I am entirely willing to give up any particular defect of character; this is big because that plays a big part in why I haven't started drinking or smoking again

for the intelligent order of the Twelve Steps and the ways in which they are all connected; this has become clearer as I continue in recovery

for my attitude (usually)


The world was made round so that we would never be able to see too far down the road.
- Isak Dinesen

reading between the lines

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that my attitude seems to have returned (the good and positive one)

for all my blogger and personal friends who have decided to stop writing their blogs; I will stop someday too, I just don't know when

for the changes that just seem to naturally happen when I work the recovery program I'm learning in Alcoholics Anonymous

Some pursue happiness, others create it.

If we are painstaking ...

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I know a new freedom and happiness
that I don't regret the past nor do I wish to shut the door on it
that I certainly comprehend the word serenity and I know peace
that I see how my experiences can benefit others
that feelings of uselessness and self-pity (sometimes) disappear
that I occasionally lose interest in selfish things a (lotsa work to do here) and usually have interest in my fellows
that self-seeking may one day slip away (hmmmmmmmmmm)
that my whole attitude and outlook upon life has changed
that my fear of people and of economic insecurity has lessened
that sometimes I intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle me
that a few times I've realized that my HP is doing for me what I cannot do for myself

If you fail to prepare, you're prepared to fail.
- Mark Spitz

smiling

Ping Pong Master


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that we aren't a glum lot
that we absolutely insist on enjoying life
that we try not to indulge in cynicism
that we think cheerfulness and laughter make for usefulness
that we have been given the power to help others
~~~ the above statements are all on page 132 of Alcoholics Anonymous, aka The Big Book

for a couple of hours spent being silly at The Galleria with some guys from Lambda


You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.
-James D. Miles

It's all about GREEN!

It was Green Day at Minute Maid Park where the Houston Astros play.
I got this nifty green Astros hat.

My life is now complete.


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I remember what I did last night and to whom I did it

that I shared on group level about one of my isolation triggers and how I tackled it. Basically, I made myself accountable to someone. I shared this in the hope that someone might benefit from my experience even though I felt it made me look very weak-minded. This is new stuff for me.

for the majority of the time when I can have a positive attitude

that I went to the baseball game last night with somone who was afraid to go by himself because he'd never been without drinking -- he did just fine and it was good to see someone tackle one of their fears

that I'm not afraid to try new things usually, except brocolli


There is no one luckier than he who thinks himself so.
-German Proverb

I've only just begun

video stolen from donated by Scott W

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for new behavior, backed by a better attitude

that I enjoy life as a sober person; I would NEVER have thought this possible

for patience that not only comes from serenity but enhances it

that I am now 5 years, 6 months and 1 day sober

that we've only just begun

for the PBS program last night entitled -- "Celtic Woman - The Greatest Journey" -- some beautiful music.


We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.
-Charles Kingsley

Here we go again

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for a really, really good discussion meeting about H.A.L.T.
(ther were a few other words/initials added during the discussion; if we'd had another 6 hours for that meeting, we could have done the entire alphabet)

that I got to hear Bob R. tell his story of Experiences, Strength and Hope over the weekend @ Lambda

that my fresh attitude is working well (most of the time)

that we are finally nearing completion on home (re)construction -- it's now all outside, at least

an outdoor kitchen is being built and the landscaping should be complete by the middle of this week

that we begin the Hurricane drill once again starting today

Here are the two best prayers I know: 'Help me, help me, help me' and 'Thank you, thank you, thank you.'
-Anne Lamott

I am now homeless (sorta)

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that we read "Physician, Heal Thyself" yesterday at the 6:30am meeting

for your comments yesterday about the term trigger; it's caused me to re-think about the use of that word as it relates to sobriety

for the HUGE attitude change I recognize in myself over the past 5 years; I wonder if it has anything to do with not drinking and then practicing a recovery program?

that I'm now moved out of the old townhouse; just have some tidying to do today

for a good friend who is allowing H & I to live in his spare bedroom; it's like a 4-star hotel (actually H won't be here until next week - he finishes school today in Trinidad)

that I got this laptop computer last month, otherwise, I would have had to move my desktop puter around like a laptop

"Self-acceptance comes from meeting life's challenges vigorously. Don't numb yourself to your trials and difficulties, nor build mental walls to exclude pain from your life. You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory."
-- J. Donald Walters