PAA Daily Blog – Byteing Back

As we continue to pray for the knowledge of God’s will for us, we are choosing, in those moments, to let Him paint the picture of our new lives.

When we choose addiction over recovery, we are in fact telling God what we think the pictures of our lives should look like.

God has a much better picture of our lives that only He has knowledge of.

In recovery, it is our job to let Him paint it. We are only to pray for the knowledge of it as we go through each moment in each day.

Sometimes we can only see a bit of color or texture in God’s picture, but more will be revealed as we continue to choose the path of recovery over addiction.

SP

When we change our behavior, we begin to realize the futility of our actions. We see how many hours were wasted focusing on the addiction behavior while simultaneously neglecting other needs and opportunities.

Once we stop our addiction and turn our will over to a higher power, no matter what higher power we may believe in, or barely believe in, we become relieved of the shackles and chains that kept us in the cycle of addiction.

Now we have much more time on our hands. We are no longer wasting hours focused on ourselves in a hurtful manner.

We can pray, meditate, clean our living areas, cook, walk, jog, run, develop our careers and businesses and most of all, be returned to the humanity around us. We can be of use again in our higher power’s universe.

SP

When my thoughts turn to behaviors that are self-damaging, I can use the tools of my program to turn my thoughts in a different and healthier direction.

What are the tools that we can use?

We first check to see if we have arrived at H.A.L.T. – Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. If any of the four are present, we can eat, pray right away, do deep slow breathing, make phone calls to other members of the fellowship, go to meetings, and/or get some rest.

Sometimes there is no aparrent reason for our emotional change. As we leave old behaviors and thinking behind, we may experience a withdrawal from the changes. Prayer, Meditation, meetings, writing in a journal as we progress through the recovery, are all tools that we use to become recovered from this addiction.

SP

Today I will be free to feel my feelings. I do not have to act on them. I ask my higher power for the courage to change my thinking and behavior.

I can look at my behavior and see what feelings might be hiding behind my actions. The momentary change in my feelings that I get when acting out in my addiction is only that: temporary.

When I turn my life over to a higher power, I am on the path for acceptance and long term serenity.

SP