The wisdom of the rooms is dedicated to collecting and sharing some of the best 12-step quotes and saying that are heard in the rooms of recovery from around the world. 

The Wisdom in these quotes are part of our "collective experience" as we work the spiritual program that is the 12-Step journey. 

Today's quote includes a concept that helped me so much in early recovery, and continues to serve me today.  And that's the concept of Contrary Action.  I'm sure many of you know it well.  The quote is, "There are only two times when you should go to a meeting: when you feel like going, and when you donât feel like going." 

This quote can be found in my first book of weekly quotes, called, The Wisdom of the Rooms, A Year of Weekly Reflections. 

By the way, my publisher and I are working on the updated, second edition of this book and I have just ordered my last 50 copies of the 1st edition.  This will become a collector's item one day, so if you're looking to get one, I'd urge you to order your copies from my website soon.  

Also, one other announcement before I get to the quote.  If you are in the Los Angeles area, or will be on the weekend of June 7th, please come and join me at the book store the "12N12" on Santa Monica Blvd and Bundy for a Wisdom book signing and reading.  It would be great to meet you and the store is really wonderful.  I hope to see you all thereâ

OK, onto today's quote which is:

 
"There are only two times when you should go to a meeting - when you feel like going, and when you don't feel like going."
 
It's hard living with a disease that tells me I don't have it. When I'm in between meetings and life is busy, it's easy for me to think of going to a meeting as an imposition. "I'm fine. I don't want to drink or act out, haven't in years, and I'm too busy for a meeting!" That kind of thinking can get me into big trouble.
 
One of the most valuable lessons I've learned in the program is to take contrary action to what my head is telling me. In fact I've learned that when my head is telling me I don't need a meeting, it actually means that I REALLY need one. And without exception, I always feel better when I go.
 
The only thing an alcoholic or addict does in moderation is work the steps. It's cunning, baffling and powerful when my head tells me not to do something that makes me feel better. This is why I just have to take the action and do it anyway.

So for me, there are two times when I should go to a meeting - when I feel like it and when I don't.

I hope you have enjoyed today's quote and I'd like to thank you all for joining me.  Once again be sure to visit my website â to sign up for your free weekly wisdom quotes.  By signing up you'll receive a free Wisdom Quote each Monday morning.  It's a wonderful way to begin your week. 

Also, please send me some of your favorite 12-Step quotes.  Just email them to me at: MichaelZ@thewisdomoftherooms.com and please put the word wisdom in the subject line. 

Once again, thank you for joining me today, and I hope you enjoyed this week's Wisdom Quote.  I encourage you to subscribe to this podcast and please tell a friend. 

I look forward to next week and hope you will tune in again, and once again I encourage you to place your orders for the remaining 1st Edition copies of  "The Wisdom of the Rooms: A Year of Weekly Reflectionsâ"

The wisdom of the rooms is dedicated to collecting and sharing some of the best 12-step quotes and saying that are heard in the rooms of recovery from around the world. 

The Wisdom in these quotes are part of our âcollective experienceâ as we work the spiritual program that is the 12-Step journey. 

Todayâs quote comes is one of my very favorites and it is: âThe Power behind me is bigger than the problem in front of me.â  This quote can be found in my first book of weekly quotes, called, The Wisdom of the Rooms, A Year of Weekly Reflections. 

By the way, my publisher and I are working on the updated, second edition of this book and I have a limited number of first edition copies available.  These books make wonderful gifts for people you know in and out of recovery and if youâd like to have a signed, 1st Edition copy, youâd better hurry and order your copies as they will soon be gone foreverâ

Also, one other announcement before I get to the quote.  If you are in the Los Angeles area, or will be on the weekend of June 7th, please come and join me at the book store the â12N12â on Santa Monica Blvd and Bundy for a Wisdom book signing and reading.  It would be great to meet you and the store is really wonderful.  I hope to see you all thereâ

OK, onto todayâs quote which is:

"The Power behind me is bigger than the problem in front of me."
 
Before recovery I faced life alone. It was up to me to manage all of life, to try to arrange things to get what I wanted, and to solve the problems I encountered. This was an exhausting task and at times the mere thought of my current problems, or problems unforeseen, would overwhelm me leaving me depressed and listless. "How can I keep getting up in the morning feeling this way?" was a thought I often had.
 
In the rooms of recovery, the first great relief I had came from the energy of the collective spirit I felt from all the people who had already recovered. Suddenly, I was no longer alone, and now I, too, had access to solutions and a new way of living and dealing with life. Most important of all, I discovered a Power Greater than myself and I grew to trust and rely on this Power I now call God.
 
Today, after years of trying and relying on this Power, I have the confidence that comes from faith because I know that by relying on God's solutions to my life and problems, I am always taken care of. Whenever I remember (the Real Secret) to include or turn to God for the life's answers, I am amazed and delighted by how problems melt, situations change, and my life flows like the river I peace I believe God is. Today, the Power behind me is bigger than the problems in front of me.

I hope you have enjoyed todayâs quote and Iâd like to thank you all for joining me.  Once again be sure to visit my website â to sign up for your free weekly wisdom quotes.  By signing up youâll receive a free Wisdom Quote each Monday morning.  Itâs a wonderful way to begin your week. 

Also, please send me some of your favorite 12-Step quotes.  Just email them to me at: MichaelZ@thewisdomoftherooms.com and please put the word wisdom in the subject line. 

Once again, thank you for joining me today, and I hope you enjoyed this weekâs Wisdom Quote.  I encourage you to subscribe to this podcast and please tell a friend. 

I look forward to next week and hope you will tune in again, and once again I encourage you to place your orders for the remaining 1st Edition copies of âThe Wisdom of the Rooms: A Year of Weekly Reflectionsââ  

As you know, the wisdom of the rooms is dedicated to collecting and distributing some of the best 12-step quotes and saying that are heard in the rooms of recovery from around the world. 

I believe that these sayings are part of our âcollective experienceâ as we work the spiritual program that is the 12-Step journey. 

I have a few announcements you may be interested in before we get into todayâs quote.  Two more book stores are now carrying The Wisdom of the Rooms book, the first is The Bodhi Tree here in West Hollywood, and Twelve N Twelve book store in West Los Angeles.  The Twelve N Twelve has the largest selection of 12 Step medallions & Gifts in the country, by the way.

The other announcement is that Iâm going to be doing another book signing on Saturday, June 7th at the Twelve N Twelve store.  You can visit the Wisdom of the Rooms website for more information, and as always, it would be great to meet some of you if youâre in town.

Also, weâre going to be publishing the 2nd edition of The Wisdom of the Rooms in a bout a month, so if youâd like to get a 1st Edition of the book, you should act now as soon theyâll be gone forever.  You can get a signed edition from my website, or Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com. 

Also, on the Wisdom Book Store page on the site, there are other online book stores and locations you can the Wisdom book from.  Please do check it outâ

OK, on to todayâs quote which is:

"If nothing changes, nothing changes."
 
In early recovery I heard someone say that, "If you get a horse thief sober, all you have is a sober horse thief." I learned that the 12-step program is a program of recovery because it is a program of change. Just getting sober isn't enough. I have known many people who came into the program and stopped drinking but either delayed or didn't work the steps, and they soon found that they still had all the old problems, feelings and circumstances they had while drinking. Besides not drinking, not much had changed.
 
"The same man will drink again." Another saying I heard when I was new reveals yet another danger of not working the steps and so not changing. Driven and haunted by the pain of the old self, it is a short distance to the temporary relief and old solution of drinking. Once again, if nothing changes (besides not picking up a drink), nothing changes, and the same man will soon drink again.
 
"The only thing we have to change is everything." The miracle of the program comes as we work the steps, abandon our old ideas, and discard our old self. The big book tells us that we become "reborn" as a result of working the steps, and it is this new self that is capable of living a new life that is happy, joyous and free. The good news is that this total change is much easier than it sounds and a natural result of working the steps. Ultimately, everything changes as we change.
 

Well thatâs all for today.  I hope you have enjoyed todayâs quote and Iâd like to thank you all for joining me.  Once again be sure to visit my website â to sign up for your free weekly wisdom quotes.  By signing up youâll receive a free Wisdom Quote each Monday morning.  Itâs a wonderful way to begin your week. 

Also, please send me some of your favorite 12-Step quotes.  Just email them to me at: MichaelZ@thewisdomoftherooms.com and please put the word wisdom in the subject line. 

Once again, thank you for joining me today, and I hope you enjoyed this weekâs Wisdom Quote.  I encourage you to subscribe to this podcast and please tell a friend. 

I look forward to next week and hope you will tune in again, and until then, I wish you a week thatâs filled with the joy of recovery. 

As you know, the wisdom of the rooms is dedicated to collecting and distributing some of the best 12-step quotes and saying that are heard in the rooms of recovery from around the world.  I believe that these sayings are part of our âcollective experienceâ as we work the spiritual program that is the 12-Step journey. 

Today I will be sharing another quote from the book âThe Wisdom of the Rooms, A Year of Weekly Relectionsâ, and todayâs quote comes from the Al-Anon program.  I always like to say that AA saved my life, and Al-Anon taught me how to live it in peace with others. 

By the way, if youâd like a book of these quotes, please do get yourself a copy of my book, âThe Wisdom of the Rooms â A Year of Weekly Reflectionsâ  If you havenât yet ordered your copy, please be aware that Amazon.com has them for as little as just $10 a copy, and they qualify for FREE shipping.  And if you like it, please do leave a reviewâ. 

OK, on to todayâs quote which is:

"What other people think of me is none of my business."

What a revolutionary concept this was the first time I heard it. So revolutionary, in fact, that I had a hard time believing it might be true. So much of my identity, how I felt about myself, my moods, all were dependent on what other people thought and said about me that it was almost impossible to disentangle myself.

As I began to recover in Al-Anon, I soon came to see that this was clearly my problem and actually didn't have anything at all to do with other people. What I was lacking was a clear sense of self, and I was responsible for either developing it or continuing to give it away. Recognizing it was up to me gave me the power to change it.

After much work, practice, and support, I have come to see the truth and freedom this quote offers. Today I take ownership of how I feel about myself, and I take actions based on a valid and worthwhile sense of self. Today I know that other people have ideas and opinions about me, but it's my own thoughts and opinions about me that matter most.

And the reflection questions for this quote are:

• How true is this quote for me?

   

• How much of my identity is still dependent on what other people think of me?

   

• What does my sense of self look like today?

   

• What do I do today to build a healthy sense of self?

   

• What do I do when I know other people don't approve of me or my actions today?

   

• Do I take ownership for how I feel about myself today?

I hope you have enjoyed todayâs quote and Iâd like to thank you all for joining me.  Once again be sure to visit my website â to sign up for your free weekly wisdom quotes.  By signing up youâll receive a free Wisdom Quote each Monday morning.  Itâs a wonderful way to begin your week. 

Also, please send me some of your favorite 12-Step quotes.  Just email them to me at: MichaelZ@thewisdomoftherooms.com and please put the word wisdom in the subject line. 

Once again, thank you for joining me today, and I hope you enjoyed this weekâs Wisdom Quote.  I encourage you to subscribe to this podcast and please tell a friend. 

I look forward to next week and hope you will tune in again, and until then, I wish you a happy week and I hope itâs filled with the joy of recovery. 

I collect the best 12 Step sayings and quotes from the rooms of recovery and addiction from around the world.

Today's 12 Step quote is:

"Humility is not thinking less about yourself, but rather thinking about yourself less."
 
Oh, how the ego rebels against the thought of humility. "If I'm humble, I'll be a nothing. I'll vanish! I must be distinguished, different, better than! Only by standing out will I have an identity," it screams. We in recovery have felt the stinging reprisals from our fellows when we listened to our ego and let it have its way. Today, we have found a better way.
 
Humility, like so many other concepts in recovery that at first seem like weaknesses, turns out to be one of our greatest strengths. By thinking about ourselves less, a truer identity emerges, a more peaceful and fulfilled sense of self that comes from being of service to and from connecting with others.
 
While my ego may never give up the fight, I'm thankful I have this quote to remind me of the truth: I am always happier when I'm thinking about myself less - when I'm practicing true humility.

And the reflection questions:

ÂWhat does humility mean to me?

ÂHow have I practiced humility and what has my experience been?

ÂWhat has my experience been when I'm in ego?

ÂWhat ways do I have to get out of self and into others?

ÂHow often do I practice these and what keeps me from practicing them more?

Am I willing to practice humility more often?

_________________________
 
Know someone who might enjoy this quote? Please Pass it on!
 
Want to subscribe? Visit: http://www.theWisdomoftheRooms.com to sign up for FREE.
 
Heard a good one lately? Please let me know: MichaelZ@theWisdomoftheRooms.com Please put the word "Wisdom" in the subject line.

Michael Z

I collect the best 12 Step sayings and quotes from the rooms of recovery and addiction from around the world.

Today's 12 Step quote is:

"Feelings are not facts."
 
When I was new in the program, my sponsor would constantly tell me that my feelings were not facts. They were just feelings. "But it's a fact that I'm having these feelings," I'd argue. I paid a steep price for my stubbornness as my feelings would often hit me like a freight train and drag me far down their tracks.
 
After I got a little recovery, I began to understand that my feelings only became facts when I acted on them. I found that if I felt depressed, that was OK, but if I then stayed in bed all day, then that feeling would definitely be a fact in my life. This taught me that I could have feelings and not act on them, or, even better, I could take contrary action, and this revealed my feelings as just the thoughts that they were.
 
Now with a little bit of time and experience, when I see the freight train of feelings approaching, I just step aside. Today I sit and watch as the train passes by, and sometimes I can actually feel the wind of it as it whizzes by. Today I know my feelings are not facts, they are just feelings, and, if I pause long enough, they will always pass by.

And the reflection questions for this quote are:

ÂDo I believe today that my feelings are not facts?

ÂWhen have my feelings become facts before?

ÂWhat ways do I have now of not acting on my feelings?

ÂWhat experience do I have that if I pause my feelings will pass or change?

ÂHow has meditation helped me deal with my thoughts and feelings?

_________________________
 
Know someone who might enjoy this quote? Please Pass it on!
 
Want to subscribe? Visit: http://www.theWisdomoftheRooms.com to sign up for FREE.
 
Heard a good one lately? Please let me know: MichaelZ@theWisdomoftheRooms.com Please put the word "Wisdom" in the subject line.

Michael Z

I collect the best 12 Step sayings and quotes from the rooms of recovery and addiction from around the world.

Today's 12 Step quote is:

"When fear knocks on the door, and faith answers, no one is home."
 
When I was new to the program, I was taught that I could not be in fear and in faith at the same time. I was either living in fear, or I was living in faith. What recovery has taught me is that today I have a choice between the two. And today, I choose to live in faith.
 
In the Big Book, there is a simple line: "God is everything or He is nothing." And, again, this presents me with a choice - do I believe that my Higher Power will take care of me, or don't I? And the decision I make here leads to a path of either faith or fear.
 
By taking a third step each day, I am consciously choosing to turn my will and my life over to my Higher Power. I am choosing faith. Then, when fear comes knocking - as it always does - my faith answers the door and fear has nowhere to land. Living in faith gives me the freedom and the courage to live a life that is happy, joyous and free. A life the program promises, and a life I get the choice to live.

And the Reflection questions for this quote:

1 How much of my day do I spend still living in fear?

2 Do I recognize that I have the ability to choose to live in faith?  Do I know how to do this?

3 Do I agree with the statement âGod is everything or He is nothing"?

4 What is God to me?

5 What would it be like for me to have enough faith to overcome my fears?

6 How can I develop this?

_____________________________
 
Know someone who might enjoy this quote? Please Pass it on!
 
Want to subscribe? Visit: http://www.theWisdomoftheRooms.com to sign up for FREE.
 
Heard a good one lately? Please let me know: MichaelZ@theWisdomoftheRooms.com Please put the word "Wisdom" in the subject line.

Michael Z

I collect the best 12 Step sayings and quotes from the rooms of recovery and addiction from around the world.

Today's 12 Step quote is:

"Everyone has a Higher Power, and itâs not me."

What a relief it was when I heard this quote. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what's best for you, a lot of energy trying to arrange things for you, and a lot of time worrying about what's going to happen to you. In other words, I was pretty sure that I knew what was best for you and felt like it was my job to bring that about.
 
When I heard this quote, it restored me to my proper role in your (and everyone else's) life, and it relieved me of a lot of responsibility. It reminded me that you have your own path and that my role is to support and love you, not direct and control you. And it relieved me of responsibility by reminding me that you have a force in your life far greater in power and wisdom than me, and that's your Higher Power.
 
Today when I worry about the challenges those I love and care about are going through, I recognize that I can be of the most service simply by being there for them, by helping them and by loving them. But their ultimate solace, strength, hope and love will always come from their own Higher Power. Today I let go and let God work in my life and in the lives of others.

And the six reflection questions for this quote are:

1 â How much time do I spend thinking about whatâs best for other people?

2 â How much actual energy do I squander trying to arrange their lives?

3 â Do I really believe that other peopleâs Higher Power will take care of them?

4 â Am I willing to accept that what God has in store for them?

5 â How easy, or hard, is it for me to just be there for someone?

6 â Do I believe that my Higher Power will actually take care of me, too?

_____________________________
 
Know someone who might enjoy this quote? Please Pass it on!
 
Want to subscribe? Visit: http://www.theWisdomoftheRooms.com to sign up for FREE.
 
Heard a good one lately? Please let me know: MichaelZ@theWisdomoftheRooms.com Please put the word "Wisdom" in the subject line.

Michael Z

I collect the best 12 Step sayings and quotes from the rooms of recovery and addiction from around the world.

Today's 12 Step quote is:

"When I get the flu, I forget I was ever healthy."
 
I've heard that the "ism" in alcoholism can stand for many things, but my favorite is "incredibly short memory." In sobriety, this presents a double problem. First, having a disease that is constantly telling me I don't have it is hard enough, but because of its incredibly short memory, I often forget how bad things were. The trouble, the demoralization, the hopelessness are all forgotten when my memories are painted with the brush of alcoholism.
 
Second, my incredibly short memory also quickly forgets the good times I've had in sobriety and the possibilities and hope I felt even a few hours ago. An event, a mood, getting a cold, nearly anything can trigger my alcoholism and the color of my life quickly drains, leaving me in a black and barren place. With no hope, and no memory of the bad times, alcoholism has me right where it wants me.
 
This is why I go to meetings. In meetings I get the outside reminder of what it was like, what happened, and what it's like now. I get to hear my story come out of your mouth and suddenly my memory returns - it was bad, and I belong here. I also get reminded of the hope and possibilities I have as I see and participate in the miracles of your lives. And that's when the miracle of recovery happens for me, too. Once again I am safe, I have recovery, and my memory is working perfectly.

And here are six reflection questions for this quote:

1. How often do I forget how bad things were?
2. How else does my âismâ -- incredibly short memory -- affect me?
   
3. Does my disease distort my hope as well?
   
4. How do I feel after I go to meetings?
   
5. What is the optimal number of meetings I should go to a week?
   
6. How can I make that number on the more regular basis?_____________________________
    
   Know someone who might enjoy this quote? Please Pass it on!
    
   Want to subscribe? Visit: http://www.theWisdomoftheRooms.com to sign up for FREE.
    
   Heard a good one lately? Please let me know: MichaelZ@theWisdomoftheRooms.com Please put the word "Wisdom" in the subject line.

Michael Z

I collect the best 12 Step sayings and quotes from the rooms of recovery and addiction from around the world.

Today's 12 Step quote is:

"Anger and resentment are masks for fear."
When I came into the program, I was pretty angry. With the alcohol and drugs gone, I very quickly got in touch with my feelings, and for me that meant my anger quickly turned into rage. Oh, and resentments - I had a lot of those as well. Without having developed the spiritual tools to deal with my feelings yet, I was pretty miserable.
 
As I began working my way through the program, I learned in the twelve and twelve that we were driven by a hundred forms of self centered fear. After doing a thorough 4th step that included a fear inventory, I found I was driven by way more than just a hundred! It took years, though, for me to realize the connection between my fears and the anger and resentment I felt.
 
Today I not only see the connection, but I feel it all the time. In fact, today I know that whenever I'm feeling uncomfortable, impatient, quick to snap at people, or just generally irritable, I'm usually in fear of something. And, again, the twelve and twelve tells me it's usually that I'm afraid of losing something or of not getting something I demand. The good news is that today I have a solution. Today, when I'm feeling angry or resentful, I stop and ask myself what I'm afraid of. Doing this allows me to take the mask off my fears and that always leads me to a solution.

_____________________________
 
Know someone who might enjoy this quote? Please Pass it on!
 
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Heard a good one lately? Please let me know: MichaelZ@theWisdomoftheRooms.com Please put the word "Wisdom" in the subject line.

Michael Z

I collect the best 12 Step sayings and quotes from the rooms of recovery and addiction from around the world.

Today's 12 Step quote is:

"If you spot it, you got it!"
Oh how quick I am to judge and find fault in others. Before the program I was quite self righteous - I could see and tell you what you and others were doing wrong, but I was largely blind to my own faults. It was so easy to point my finger, but in the program I learned that when I do, there are four fingers pointing back at me.
 
As I worked my program and became more self aware, what I learned was that the reason it's easy to find specific faults is because I often have the very same faults as well. In other words, if I can spot it, I got it. That was quite a revelation.
 
The longer I'm in recovery, the more true I find this to be. In fact nowadays, if I curse at someone for not using their turn signal, I find I'm doing the same thing moments later. The lesson here is humility. No one is a saint. We're all doing the best we can, and my job is to work on myself and spot and correct my own faults - not yours.

Questions:

1 â How often do I catch myself finding fault in others?

2 â Am I still self righteous about it?

3 â What does this tell me about myself?

4 â Have I ever stopped to ask myself what character defects their behavior is triggering in me?

5 â How is my humility these days?

6 â Do I do a daily 10th step inventory to spot and correct my own faults?  If not, am I willing to start today? 

_____________________________
 
Know someone who might enjoy this quote? Please Pass it on!
 
Want to subscribe? Visit: http://www.theWisdomoftheRooms.com to sign up for FREE.
 
Heard a good one lately? Please let me know: MichaelZ@theWisdomoftheRooms.com Please put the word "Wisdom" in the subject line.

Michael Z

I collect the best 12 Step sayings and quotes from the rooms of recovery and addiction from around the world.

Today's 12 Step quote is:

"If I'm feeling hysterical, it must be historical."
 
Before recovery, I often wondered why little things caused such a big reaction in me. Somebody driving too slow, other people's comments, little things not going my way - these events often caused big reactions in me and left me confused and with a painful emotional hangover.
 
Today though, I've learned to look beyond these events and to what they trigger in me. And what I uncover are the old wounds and hurts from long ago - the historical causes of my hysterical reactions. And once I'm able to see events as the 'buttons' they are, my real emotional recovery can begin.
 
Today I use questions to help identify and heal old wounds. "What's really behind this reaction?" "What can I do right now to sooth myself?" "Where's the recovery here?" All these wonderful questions are tools I now use to help me heal and so avoid these bigger than life reactions. Today I uncover, discover and heal old hurts.
_____________________________
 
Know someone who might enjoy this quote? Please Pass it on!
 
Want to subscribe? Visit: http://www.theWisdomoftheRooms.com to sign up for FREE.
 
Heard a good one lately? Please let me know: MichaelZ@theWisdomoftheRooms.com Please put the word "Wisdom" in the subject line.

Michael Z

I collect the best 12 Step sayings and quotes from the rooms of recovery and addiction from around the world.

Today's 12 Step quote is:

"If you're feeling far away from God, you're the one who moved"

I remember sitting in meeting after meeting hearing people describe what their concept of God was. The one that resonated with me the most wasn't a God who caused or allowed good or bad things to happen, or judged or rewarded behavior, but rather the concept of a peaceful river. Someone told of their God who's love and peace flowed like a river and that the river was always there, always available to them. It was a constant source of serenity, understanding and forgiveness.
 
She then shared that whenever she was feeling scared or agitated or discontented, it was a sure sign that she had wandered away from the river of God. The further she strayed, the worse she felt. Sometimes she would travel for days and would find herself lost, seemingly alone and quite afraid.
 
During those times she needed only to stop and listen for the distant sound of the river. Immediately she would make her way back, and as she got closer, the familiar feeling of calm, peace and comfort would return. Once she was back at the river's edge, serenity returned and she was filled with gratitude knowing that God's grace and love was always available to her. For me, the presence of God is like this river.
 
And I know if I'm feeling far away from God,
I'm the one who has moved.

Visit my website at www.TheWisdomoftheRooms.com to sign up for free.

Michael Z

I collect the best 12 Step sayings and quotes from the rooms of recovery and addiction from around the world.

Today's 12 Step quote is:

"The difference between my will and God's will is that my will starts out easy and gets hard, and God's will starts out hard and gets easy."
 
A perfect example of this quote is the program itself.  My will told me it was much easier to keep using and doing what I was doing then to work the program and the steps.  Of course, my will may have appeared easier at first, but oh how hard that path was.  By contrast, God's will for me was to recover, and though it was hard at first my life is infinitely better and life truly is easier.
 
The main problem with my will is that it is first and foremost about me.  It tricks me into believing that if I take care of my wants first, then I'll be able to help another -- of course I usually find out that my wants are insatiable, and I quickly become lost in their demands.
 
God's will, on the other hand, is usually about helping others and with what's right for all concerned -- the whole picture in which I am just part.  While this seems backwards to me at times, I always find out that when I'm able to surrender to God's will, my real wants and needs are met and exceeded in ways I never could have imagined. 
 
These days it's easier for me to differentiate between my will and God's will, and more and more I'm able to make the right choice.  Ultimately. it's about being comfortable in my own skin, and only choosing God's guarantees me that.

Visit my website at www.TheWisdomoftheRooms.com to sign up for free.

Michael Z

Regardless of the program - AA, Al-Anon, NA, - there is a collective wisdom found in the 12 Step quotes and sayings that give us strength on our collective journey. 

Enjoy this introduction to the Wisdom and I hope you'll subscribe and pass this wisdom along.  Here is a sample quote:

"Instead of telling God how big your fears are, start telling your fears how big your God is."

Before recovery, we were driven by a hundred forms of self-centered fear.  During steps 6 and 7, we began to release some of these character defects, but some habits are hard to break.  Like feeding into our fears.

But when we can pause and work our program of recovery, we remember that we are not alone.  In fact, our greatest asset in our new life is our connection with and relationship to our Higher Power.  We know from repeated experience the God has, can and continues to work miracles in our lives and in the lives of those we meet in the rooms.

Rather than giving power to my fears today, I now give my fears to God.  My solution is that when I'm telling my fears how big my God is, Iâm thinking about God -- not my fears.  And that is when the miracle takes place.

Thanks,

Yours in Service,

Michael Z