TWELFTH STEP:
Awake, alive, alert, vibrant, and enthusiastic, I approach each moment with mindful curiosity and purpose. I am excited to live and my opportunity to share what has been freely given to me. Rather than my mind thinking of it as a burden, my intuitive nature experiences it as grace.
Awake and continuing to awaken from the nightmare and thought storms of self-centeredness, I feel what it is like to be alive in a world of connection and the unending intersections of community. I'm alert to possibilities and dreams. I am enthusiastic about engaging life with L.I.F.E. (Love Inviting Friendliness Everywhere). My mission is to live my values with authenticity and integrity. I carry forward the purpose of helpfulness, freely gifted to me. I engage my present moment with compassionate effort and energy, without specific expectation, doing my part to manifest Goodwill and extend our shared points of freedom.
The 12th step is all the steps rolled and harmonized as one, anchored in the core principles of “Caring” and “Sharing.” It’s like a multifaceted diamond; in whatever way, it turns points to one thing… Love with L.O.V.E. (Lots of Voluntary Effort). It’s the resulting combination and practice of innumerable spiritual principles that we are progressively learning, intentionally and consciously mastering. This meditation practice continuously broadens and deepens our hard-won experience with time, effort, and energy. A daily meditation practice of reflecting on all the Steps helps reaffirm, reinforce, and perhaps renew our intentions to embody spiritual principles and our values that have freed us from active addiction and allowed us to live forward instead of going backward.
TWELFTH TRADITION:
We are reminded of the inherent equality in our program… by operating in the spirit of the Traditions, we have no ego-driven differences that are worth impacting and bringing harm to our unity. If we start throwing people from the boat of recovery because of putting personality ahead of principle, soon, there won’t be anyone left in the boat… including ourselves. We have no bosses; we have collaborators and co-creators of happiness. We accept one another as we are, finding ways to respect each other instead of merely tolerating each other. We support each other to manifest and express our creative nature, and we do as we will with wholesomeness, authenticity, integrity, and dignity. We follow a common purpose… To be fully whole and wholly free because of Love. We don’t let issues of the ego interfere with that purpose. We are here to lift each other, not pull people down. We see and experience ourselves as equals. We willingly accept shared responsibility for service. We respect healthy influence without a need to fix, manage, or try to control others. We are genuine… as someone, I get to sponsor says, “I like my audio to be in sync with what people are seeing. And finally, we rely on the ethos of placing spiritual principles above and before personality… The principle of a thing outshines any personality.
MEDITATIONS:
I am true to my values, acting with authenticity and integrity, as I desire to be a safe and healthy person that people can count on. I show respect to all those in my life that are within my range of influence. My practice is to be someone that it’s easy to be around. I am committed to speaking only positive words which build up and connect. I will extend friendliness and goodwill, just for today, where it counts most.
I want those I intentionally connect with to truly know me, so I am transparent in all my dealings. People sense that I am at peace, and they are at ease with my presence. Just as sunlight never runs out, though it may not be directly seen at the time, I can allow my values to shine even though others might not know what guides me. To the best of my ability, I effort to honor the relationship with my values… to continuously shine with those whom I get to encounter; striving to refrain from being dismissive, shunning, and punishing. If I act in ways that fall short of my values and intentions, there’s Step 10 offers me a way to interrupt my errors and resume conscious contact with my values. No bridges burned are no bridges burned.
I am my values in action. Nothing can separate me from my authentic nature of Loving Presence. My intention and effort are to aim for Goodwill. Today I will pay attention to my intuitive nature and access it as an aspect of guidance. I bring my attention to Reality, focusing on spiritual principles, my values, and what’s my part to play in the present moment. I am not on this path by chance. Predecessors and those in the here-and-now saved me a seat at the table of my life. My personality cannot keep me from my mission, and the personalities of others cannot distract me from my purpose. I will keep my attention as much as I can, centered on my values, and my values will keep me centered in the flow of recovery. I will continue my journey, giving and receiving in this miraculous ebb and flow of humanness. Love is vast, and I see that my life joined with the lives of others, is helping to support many good things.
I am in harmony. My personal life, business life, and social life are in harmony. As I start a new day, concerns about life may seem almost overwhelming. I remember that I can find peace if I turn my attention to my values and what I truly care about most… liking and loving myself and my life. I relax, release and let go right now. I focus on my breath, breathing inwardly and outwardly the presence of Loving awareness. Soon I am uplifted and energized. Loving Presence is always here, just waiting for me to notice. From this place of calmness, I can see and experience the awe that I get to personally be a part of the whole. I put first things first, getting my good characteristics before my personality. In my dealings with others today, I am kind and responsive. I follow my inner guide… inner mentor… inner vibe, intuition… and everything flows together efficiently. My life is in harmony; all things are working together for the good of self and so-called other.
-Thanks For Letting Me Share; I Pass...