A Dozen Steps

Fear Ain’t In This House

by Mark on April 21st, 2007

I love a challenge! I’m an alcoholic! Challenge my ego and… well… I’ll bet you folks know what happens lol. I’d like to try to do this with dignity and respect and consideration. I may owe someone an apology along the way, firstly because you may find yourselves reading some of my personal opinions with this one. Remember, today my opinions are quite largely influenced by the principles I’ve learned from the Twelve Steps of Recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous. Also remember that I personally am not Alcoholics Anonymous nor do I represent Alcoholics Anonymous nor speak for Alcoholics Anonymous. Oh, yes, not to forget, I do not speak for b5media either. This is in no way meant to suggest their opinion, singularly or collectively.

Fear Ain’t In This House!

WT??? (Yeah, I know… there’s usually an F after WT, isn’t there?) Some of you already know what “Fear Ain’t In This House” means. For those of you who don’t, “Fear Ain’t In This House” is derived from an acronym. The acronym?

FAITH

Strangely enough (not really), today’s daily meditation?

Cultivating Faith

Really… from Dr. Bob and The Good Oldtimers Book, pgs. 307-08;

“I don’t think we can do anything very well in this world unless we practice it. And I don’t believe we do A.A. too well unless we practice it… We should practice… acquiring the spirit of service.”

The Spirit of Service??? !!!

In this world??? Personal opinion - our world has been working extremely hard at losing the Spirit of Service and is much more determined to work at self-serving agendas. Which, to me, is one of the underlying conditions causing horrors like Virginia Tech.

“We should attempt to acquire some faith, which isn’t easily done, especially for the person who has always been very materialistic, following the standards of society today.”

Following the standards of society today? Dr. Bob and The Good Oldtimers was written many years ago and they’re talking of the standards of society today… being materialistic. Try to expand your thoughts from Virginia Tech to what the world stresses, argues and fights over? Materials! Property! Resources! Wealth! What was Cho pi**ed off about? Something that made him jealous or envious. And innocent lives paid the price. Isn’t this what happens everywhere??? Get real! In the Middle East its all about oil! Because we need to feed our cars so we can look good and we have yet to learn how to cut back in any way - being materialistic. The terrorists complaints, which lead to innocents dying - are all about something material when you get right down to the real facts!

“But I think faith can be acquired; it can be acquired slowly; it has to be cultivated. That was not easy for me, and I assume that it is difficult for everyone else…”

Again - personal opinion - right, right and right. Faith is possible, slowly. Difficult, yes, but not impossible! The person who responded to the quote from Dr. Bob and The Good Oldtimers said: “Fear is often the force that prevents me from acquiring and cultivating the power of faith. Fear blocks my appreciation of beauty, tolerance, forgiveness, service, and serenity.”

How much better might our world be were we able to appreciate beauty, be tolerant of our fellow man, forgive ourselves and others, be of service to our fellow man and have peace of mind? FAITH!

Fear Ain’t In This House!

[The challenge? It came from Jul at This non-American Life in a way I won’t discuss here.]

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POSTED IN: Opinion