January 26

Who wishes to be rigorously honest and tolerant? Who wants to confess his faults to another and make restitution for harm done? Who cares anything about a Higher Power, let alone meditation and prayer? Who wants to sacrifice time and energy in trying to carry A.A.'s message to the next sufferer? No, the average alcoholic, self-centered in the extreme, doesn't care for this prospect — unless he has to do these things in order to stay alive himself.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 24

I am an alcoholic. If I drink I will die. My, what power, energy, and emotion this simple statement generates in me! But it's really all I need to know for today. Am I willing to stay alive today? Am I willing to stay sober today? Am I willing to ask for help and am I willing to be a help to another suffering alcoholic today? Have I discovered the fatal nature of my situation? What must I do, today, to stay sober?

January 25

. . . A.A. is really saying to every serious drinker, "You are an A.A. member if you say so . . . nobody can keep you out."

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 139

For years, whenever I reflected on Tradition Three ("The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking"), I thought it valuable only to newcomers. It was their guarantee that no one could bar them from A.A. Today I feel enduring gratitude for the spiritual development the Tradition has brought me. I don't seek out people obviously different from myself. Tradition Three, concentrating on the one way I am similar to others, brought me to know and help every kind of alcoholic, just as they have helped me. Charlotte, the atheist, showed me higher standards of ethics and honor; Clay, of another race, taught me patience; Winslow, who is gay, led me by example into true compassion; Young Megan says that seeing me at meetings, sober thirty years, keeps her coming back. Tradition Three insured that we would get what we need — each other.

GETTING INVOLVED

There is action and more action. "Faith without works is dead." . . . To be helpful is our only aim.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 88-89

 I understand that service is a vital part of recovery but I often wonder, "What can I do?" Simply start with what I have today! I look around to see where there is a need. Are the ashtrays full? Do I have hands and feet to empty them? Suddenly I'm involved! The best speaker may make the worst coffee; the member who's best with newcomers may be unable to read; the one willing to clean up may make a mess of the bank account—yet every one of these people and jobs is essential to an active group. The miracle of service is this: when I use what I have, I find there is more available to me than I realized before.

The Waves of Grief and Memories

When you are mourning, emotions and memories come in waves.

Ocean waves come and leave of their own accord. You cannot control them. Neither can you control the waves of emotions (or memories) when you are mourning. 

At times, emotions will be overwhelming and take you without warning. You won’t be done until they are done. 

It’s the same with memories. Memories you didn’t even know you had may arrive, seemingly from nowhere, and, again like waves, you are not in control of them. These waves will come and go according to their own course of time, heavier and harder now, and lighter in the future; but for today, you do not need to look to be anywhere but where you are.

• Rabbi Brian (https://rotb.org/)

Ben Shapiro, whatever you might think about him, is extremely intelligent. I’ve seen him provide what on the surface seem like valid arguments that back up his political leanings.

I say that it’s surface level genius, because with a little deeper probing, the fallacy in many of his arguments are reasonably apparent.

In this short video pulled directly from his YouTube channel, Ben says that the San Fran Gay Mens Choir did a song that was all about how they were going to take away your children, that they were going to endoctrinate them. He goes on to say that the proof is in the lyrics. He then refers to the line “We will convert your children.”

Here’s that video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/x9Zl8JKXbp8?feature=share

His initial claim: “they were going to take away your children, that they were going to endoctrinate them” is, in my opinion, potentially misleading.

Let’s put aside Ben’s view on homosexuality for this. I have learned a little bit about his philosophy (I don’t agree with it, but no matter) so I think I know better why he is saying this. However, I want to keep this rather simple and since his views often evoke lots of emotion, I’d rather just stick with commentary on this one video.

Now why do I say this short video is potentially misleading?

1. The lyrics he’s referring do in fact say that they will convert your children. But upon pulling up the full lyrics, it’s clear the context is such that by “convert”, they simply mean they will show them that there’s nothing to fear from gay people and thus convert to become gay-friendly.
2. Ben does not disclose the full content of the lyrics but rather leaves it to the viewer to make their own conclusion based on his commentary and a few seconds of the song.
3. It’s my opinion that this scenario fits the definition of misleading if the video was edited with the full context having been known. The reason why I said the phrase “potentially misleading”, is because the only person that knows if Ben’s words were absolutely misleading is not anyone probably ever watching this video.

Summary

It’s because of fear-motivated content like this one by Ben and his organization, that I could imagine some individuals are feeling emboldened to take certain intolerable and in some cases violent actions. {maybe show scenes from homophobic violence}. And since I believe in unconditional love for others, I not only disagree with Ben’s assessment of a society wide evil conversion of your children to homosexuality, but I think his organization is sensationalizing intolerance. I don’t typically watch videos with Ben Shapiro talking, but every so often they make their way into my YouTube recommendation queue and so I get exposed to some of his content. I certainly don’t agree with his logic on most things and especially on this topic. I will continue to preach love over fear, and inclusion and connectedness over separateness. And this short-video is a violation of that basic principle that I wish to hold.

The Reading:

“In a fear state (dysregulated), there is a ‘shutdown’ of some of the systems in higher areas of the brain (e.g., cortical). This makes retrieval of previous linear narrative memory inefficient; a common example of this is test anxiety. The content has been stored, but in the moment (e.g., during the test), retrieval is not possible. When the person is regulated, and feeling connected and safe, the stored content is accessible and easier to retrieve.”

— Dr. Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey (Book: What Happened To You?)

January 18

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

― Howard Thurman

January 13

We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85

The most common alcoholic fantasy seems to be: "If I just don't drink, everything will be all right." Once the fog cleared for me, I saw—for the first time—the mess my life had become. I had family, work, financial and legal problems; I was hung up on old religious ideas; there were sides of my character to which I was inclined to stay blind because they easily could have convinced me that I was hopeless and pushed me toward escape again. The Big Book guided me in resolving all of my problems. But it didn't happen overnight—and certainly not automatically—with no effort on my part. I need always to recognize God's mercy and blessings that shine through any problem I have to face.

January 12

Our very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the people about us as they are. This is to adopt a realistic humility without which no genuine advance can even begin. Again and again, we shall need to return to that unflattering point of departure. This is an exercise in acceptance that we can profitably practice every day of our lives.

Provided we strenuously avoid turning these realistic surveys of the facts of life into unrealistic alibis for apathy or defeatism, they can be the sure foundation upon which increased emotional health and therefore spiritual progress can be built.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 44

When I am having a difficult time accepting people, places or events, I turn to this passage and it relieves me of many an underlying fear regarding others, or situations life presents me. The thought allows me to be human and not perfect, and to regain my peace of mind.