Topic of the Week - Willingness

[caressa]

Ironically, I looked up the Courage to Change book looking for a reading on the topic and there was none.

For me, if I don't have willingness to change, it isn't going to happen. It is up to me as to how willing I am each day to turn things over to my Higher Power.

How willing am I to maintain my sobriety (soundness of mind)? Not just sober from alcohol, not just clean from street and prescription drugs, but all substances. Street drugs are not the only 'drug' that affects our system. That includes: work, relationships, food, shopping, exercise, relgion, gambling, computers, and anyting else that is obsessive compulsive.

Substitution does not work. It all leads to the same soul sickness. How willing am I to work my program. How willing am I to practice these principles in ALL my affairs.

I often have to pray for the willingness to be willing.

[SunnyGirl]

As most of you know, one of my most favorite sayings is.....

"Nothing changes, if nothing changes"

When I first came into 12-step recovery all I wanted was a
few tips on how to "fix" my addicted loved ones. What I
found was a life of my own, despite their using! They didn't
change, I did. How did I change? Little by little, one day at
a time.

H.O.W.

• Honesty
• Open-mindedness
• Willingness

In order for me to change I had to be rigorously honest about
myself and the insanity around me. Keeping an open mind
means that I had to be open to all possibilities... Was it possible
that my actions were causing a big part of the chaos in my life?
And the last part is willingness....

What is willingness? To change, progress, or recover from
anything... Just saying I was willing didn't get me very far....
willingness is a verb and it requires action on my part. This is
where that slogan "Nothing changes, if nothing changes"
comes in. If I don't put it to work in my life, my situation remains
the same. If I don't take that first step, my journey to recovery
is stalled before it ever begins.

It takes courage to change.... Courage is the Willingness to be
afraid and go ahead and act anyway, take that leap of faith.

Recovery is simple, but it's not easy....

“It doesn't matter how much you want. What really matters is
how much you want it. The extent and complexity of the problem
does not matter as much as does the willingness to solve it.” - -Ralph Marston

A good topic, I'd love to hear more from, those of you reading
this right now. Please take a few moments and share your
thought....

Peace on the journey, SunnyGirl

[caressa]

The five As of change for me are:

Awareness, Admittance, Acceptance, Action, and Attitude.

Often I may have the willingness to be clean and sober but unless I follow-up with action I am not going to get far.

The spiritual principle of the 3rd Step is Willingness. That willingness mean I am willing to work the rest of the Steps.

Many people do what I call the 1, 2, 3 Waltz. That is good, but it needs to go farther. That leaves you sober but doesn't get you sobriety. Sobriety is soundness of mind. It means that I have to work on my emotional sobriety daily.

I may be willing and want my son to get clean and sober but until he is ready there is nothing I can do. He has gone to five treatment centers and still doesn't have the willingness to quit using. Unless he is willing to work the program, there is nothing I can do. I am as powerless over his disease as I am of my own.

The first three steps empower me to heal and grow by working the program of recovery. I often had to pray for the willingness to be willing. As they told me, if you don't feel like going to a meeting today, run don't walk there.

I did two meetings a day for two years. I was one of the really sick ones. I wasn't working and was put on disability. There were some days I went to 3 if I could get a ride. I was willing to go to any length not to go back to where I came from. I just took the body and the mind followed. I was in a lot of denial, but knew that using was no longer an option.