Spirituality
Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. What exactly is the spirit? It is hard to explain. It could be the fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character. On the other hand, in religion it is the deepest part of the soul of man and the transmitting organ by which human beings can contact God. My interpretation is a little of both, a persons character and the deepest part of their soul that links between human and God. The spirit is the foundation of one's humanity and at life's end the spirit leaves the body. Therefore the spirit and the soul are pretty much the same. You die and your spirit/soul moves on. However while you are alive you are the spirit. Now I'd say that's pretty complicated. When I say I want to help heal your spirit basically I want to help heal the whole you, Body, "Mind, and Spirit."
Success, whether measured in business, family or love, is often determined by the "right" attitude. Unfortunately, maintaining that proper frame of mind, a positive attitude, isn't always easy. Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, life just seems intent on bringing us down.
Inspiration, however, is rarely far away - if we are but willing to look for it. No one is ever born into life alone. Everyone has shared the bond of family, at least at birth, and for many people it is a bond that will follow them throughout life.
For many people it is the most important bond of all. No one person can ever experience all that life has to offer. It is only through sharing experiences, feelings and insights that we can hope to grow beyond our own meager lifetime.
My life has been drenched by the constant stream of people that come in leave their thoughts and ideas then quickly leave. People that deposit their love and understanding and a touch of their wisdom in my bank of memories. Of course I've had those who leave broken hearts and lay out the fragment of their shattered lives These people have given me insight and let me gaze upon the beauty and the ugly found in each day. All of these people have tattooed their footsteps right on my heart. To these people I owe the many values and structure that made me what I am today. I'm proud to be me and I thank all the people that made this a possibility. You are my ticket to peace and security. I'm not what you would call a religious man but I do believe there's a power much greater then mine. My God is a God who loves people from all walks of life. He loves his creations no matter what their religion or beliefs. We are special to him and he'll give us a helping hand and help us to understand. Yes.. my God lives in my heart and my soul and he's always with me where ever I go. I don't belong to any religion, I believe in all of them as far as they go. If you have a faith that you believe in and you live up to the doctrine that faith gives to you, you can't help but find salvation. At least that's the way my God feels. My God lives in a room built inside my heart so he's always with me what ever I do and where ever I go. When I do wrong he scolds me, corrects me and then he forgives me. Each day I speak to my God and ask him to guide me from harms way. Since he knows what I'm thinking and sees all that I do there's never a need to pray. My God knows what I need and he guides me and directs me and keeps the devil away. I love My God so I let him know and I thank him several times each day. No! I'm not a religious man and I don't go to church. My God lives in my heart and when I found him that was the end of my search. I'm thankful that he still loves me in spite of my past and I know that he'll be with me as long as eternity lasts. Today is the anniversary of my sobriety . I'm so glad and happy that My God found room in his busy life to give me this gift. I've found peace and serenity and the freedom to be me.........
This is what I sincerely believe and for no other reason then LOVE I want you to listen to me. I believe in what's solid and firm, something that's not a mystery and is easy to confirm. I believe in LOVE. I'm not sure that the Holy Bible was written under the influence of God and I don't know for sure that from here there's a here after. There's one thing for sure that I do know and that's the power of Love and how it can grow. Hate, disagreement and turmoil are a few of the things that cause war and destruction. Where as, true Love given is the quickest way to peace and serenity. Whether God sits somewhere above us on his throne to guide and direct us is still a mystery to me. I know for sure that if the foundation of our life is fortified with LOVE we will have a great destiny. There's a God in my heart and I call my GOD LOVE and my God's as strong and as powerful as anything that comes from above. Love is not something that you need blind faith just to know that it's there. If you open your eyes you'll see it everywhere. I believe in LOVE and that's what I wanted to share. You can have some of my LOVE it's from Big Daddy Cash." I really care."
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Now it doesn't matter whether you are a believer or not I fully intend to help you cure yourself. But it will be a lot easier if we have God's help. Who or whatever your God might be. We (You and I) have covered many of the methods I use to stay sober and clean. Methods I use everyday and will as long as I live. I don't believe the AA program works as well as mine but I do believe that the 12 Steps can be one of the tools that will set you free.
The 12 Suggested Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
1) We admitted we were powerless over alcohol--that our lives had become unmanageable.
2) Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3) Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4) Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5) Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6) Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7) Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8) Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9) Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10) Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11) Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12)Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
I picked up the following letters in an AA newsletter. I thought you might find them interesting.
'My Higher Power Had Gotten Through'
I had tried to get sober several times. I went to A.A., I went to N.A., I prayed, I detoxed, and still, I kept at it, dragging myself through the mud.
Finally, I went to rehab, got sober for six months, and the day I got out, I went staight to the bar. Hence, another 3yrs of misery.
Then one night, I sat in the clutches of my misery, sucking on a bottle of whiskey. I lit some candles, and there I sat in the dark of the night amongst the silence of the glimmering candlelight. Their waves of light flickered against the wall, and as I sat, the realization of what I was doing just glared at me in a sullen solemnity. And suddenly, I realized that my higher power was trying to reach out to me. I went to look in the mirror, and my face reflected the parlor of death - I was literally dying.
It was real, and I said to myself in the quiet of that night, that I was done, and it was like a sudden surge of power rushing into my soul - my higher power had gotten through.
The next day, I slammed one last spider-shot of whiskey, endured a final and painful round of detox, and I haven't looked back. It was the defining moment of a spiritual awakening like one I've never before, or since, experienced.
Love Poured over Me
I was crying hysterically, and then I just got down on my knees and prayed. I prayed from my heart, like never before. I begged God to heal me and to help me. I begged him to stop me from the insanity of what I was doing. I prayed never to do drugs again. Then I felt this tremendous amount of love pour over me. I felt such a sense of relief. I felt that God was right there with me. I was still crying, but crying tears of joy.
Tranquility
All alcoholics and drug users suffer from chemical imbalances caused by the substance they abuse. These imbalances can cause mood swings, stress, nervousness, a bad temper, excessive sleeping, insomnia, unexplainable outbursts, uncontrollable crying, sadness and frequent headaches. I can verify that this is a fact because all of the people that I've helped over the past ten years have had all or most of these symptoms. Personally I suffered every damn one of them. Since you are an abuser (admit it) I'm certain these symptoms have caused you to live in a life of "Hell", a life in the Gray World. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have freedom from these miseries? A life of ATARAXIS (Peace). It's not impossible and it can, and will happen if you are sincere. With just a little bit of my assistances and support and a strong and true desire (As Your Part) tranquility will be yours.
Here is something that I am sure that you've done when you've been completely inebriated (intoxicated) and out of control, taken your brain out of you head to examined it. All of us drunks and pot heads have done this (fortunately, I can't be included in that category anymore). I've learned how to do this when you are sober and in control, so can you. Using my methods you can replace all the bad with good in your brain (Mind) and find solutions that fix any problem or circumstance
Let's talk about Peace, Serenity, and Tranquility. Can you remember the last time that you took a moment to gaze at the sky or look at the ocean and see all the beauty they bestow .How about watching the leaves on a tree dancing in the wind or lovely flowers glistening in the sun. When you allow yourself to soak in and appreciate these peaceful moments, you can experience instant peace and tranquility. I call these moments natures relievers. Good music, works of art, poetry and literature are also natures relievers and a tool for instant relief from misery and pain.
It's easy to meditate using nature's relievers experiencing the simple beauty that is everywhere around us. Close your eyes and inwardly embrace the magnificence of all the natural surroundings the Real World has to offer. I know in the Gray World you don't have time for such nonsense. Abuse has robbed you of the joy you should be experiencing in life. When you feel anxious or stressful, take a moment and realize all the good things you've missed, then respond in a positive manner to the dynamic glories around you and rejuvenate yourself in rebirth.
I keep referring to Alcoholic Anonymous as a place where you can find some of the tools to maintain your success. AA has adopted the Serenity Prayer as major part of their program. When the serenity prayer was introduce to Bill W. (founder of AA) his comment was, and I quote "Never have we seen so much AA in so few words". (By the way for the sake of anonymity I don't think Bill W. ever revealed his last name) I agree with Bill W., that the Serenity Prayer is the whole concept off AA. I find the Serenity prayer beautiful, meaningful, and reverent. If you believe in God you should memorize it and use it often.
The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
Unconditional Love
Unconditional and Everlasting
I love you as you are, as you seek to find your own special way to relate to the world. I honor your choices to learn in the way that you feel is right for you.
I know it is important that you are the person you want to be, and not someone that I or others think you should be. I realize that I cannot know what is best for you, although perhaps sometimes I think I do. I have not been where you have been, viewing life from the angle you have. I do not know what you have chosen to learn, how you have chosen to learn it, with whom or in what time period. I have not walked through life looking through your eyes, so how can I know what you need?
I allow you to be in the world without a thought or word of judgment from me about the deeds you undertake. I see no error in the things you say and do. In this place where I am, I see that there are many ways to perceive and experience the different facets of our world. I allow, without reservation, the choices you make in each moment. I make no judgment of this, for if I would deny your right to your evolution, then I would deny that right for myself and others.
To those who would choose a way I cannot walk, while I may not add my power and my energy to this way, I will never deny you the gift of love that God has bestowed within me for all creation. As I love you, so I shall be loved. As I sow, so shall I reap.
I allow you the universal right of free will to walk your own path, creating steps or to sit awhile if that is what is right for you. I will make no judgment that these steps are large or small, nor light nor heavy, nor that they lead up or down, for this is just my viewpoint. I may see you do nothing and judge it to be unworthy, and yet it may be that you bring great healing as you stand blessed by the light of God. I cannot always see the higher picture of divine order.
For it is the inalienable right of all life to choose their own evolution, and with great love I acknowledge your right to determine your future. In humility, I bow to the realization that the way I see as best for me does not have to mean it is also right for you. I know that you are led as I am, following the inner excitement to know your own path.
I know that the many races, religions, customs, nationalities and beliefs within our world bring us great riches, and allow us the benefit and teachings of such diverseness. I know we each learn in our own unique way in order to bring that love and wisdom back to the Whole. I know that if there was only one way to do something, there would need be only one person....
I will not only love you if you behave in a way I think you should or believe in those things I believe in. I understand you are truly my brother or sister, though you may have been born in a different place and believe in another God than I.
The love I feel is for all God's world. I know that every living thing is a part of God, and I feel a love deep within for every person, animal, tree and flower, every bird, river and ocean, and for all the creatures in all the world.
I live my life in loving service, being the best me I can, becoming wiser in the perfection of Divine Truth, becoming happier in the joy of
My brother Jimmy was a confirmed alcoholic and drug abuser and because I wouldn't allow him to bring drinks and drugs into my home I wrote him this letter.
Dear Jimmy, My love for you is unconditional as a blood brothers love should be. I've worried about you and prayed to my God asking him for an answer that would relieve all your miseries. I've meditated for hours upon hours trying to figure out a way to help put you back in command of your life. If there was anyway possible I'd step into your ora and straighten out all your problems for you, both you and I know that's impossible even though my intentions are sincere. Even though I really want to help you I can't allow myself to be misguided by compassion and shield you from the reality of your brunt errors. To do this would cause devastating results subsidizing failure. Let's face it Jim you are my brother and I don't want to see you fail.
Even though I'd gladly change places with you it wouldn't work because in my new role I'd find success and in your new role you'd fail. It's the hard truth that I'm telling you and I hope it's not to late for you to listen to me.
Through all my meditation and prayer it's become plain to me, that if you're ever going to find happiness, peace and serenity it's all up to you. You have to take complete control of your life and be the master of your own destiny. My doing this for you would only eliminate all your incentive and go against human nature. To give you love in the form of protection and comfort just might be the wrong thing to do.
You've been stumbling, falling and out of control for a very long time and I know you've sought help from a good many sources. Nothing has worked because you've been looking in all the wrong places. Motivation classes, treatment centers and all kinds of therapy are not the answer for you. The answer is so simple and I know you'll baulk when I give it to you. But listen to me anyway Jim, I've been there and I know.
The first thing you're are going to have to do, and I know you'll strongly resist, is re-except the God that you know. Once this is done then you can again become the master in control of your life. It's almost impossible to do this without God on your side and very improbable.
Being the master means you except responsibility for all things that have happened to you. Regardless of what has happened in your life except the fact that it was you that made it possible. No matter what our stance is in life, we are there because we were or we were not in command. I love you Jimmy but my unconditional love isn't enough, I have to be strong enough and relentless enough to give you strong and true love.
With a little common sense and a whole lot of faith all things are possible. Somewhere in the Bible there's a scripture that reads; "Be not deceived, God shall not be mocked, for what so ever a man soweth, that he shall also reap.' And again it tutors, 'in the furnace of affliction I shall refine thee." There's your answer Jimmy, you're a person with much more then average intelligence so you know dam well that I'm right. Love, Cash
Jimmy never received this letter because he had already died of a cause related to substance abuse. His untimely death caused me to dedicate my life to helping others succeed where he had failed. Thus I finally realized that God had saved my life so that I could save others.
Learning how to truly love a person or a people requires that we abandon schemes, which shield loved ones and collective society from every bruise, bump, storm, or roadblock along the road of life. For complete love is not blind and not stupid. Complete love accepts people as they are and administers to their needs with wisdom; a wisdom which dictates that sometimes the most compassionate answer to a plea for help is a firm and unflinching NO.
