conscious contact

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Backsliding Begins When Knee Bending Stops

Sometimes you walk out of a meeting in total amazement. When people tell their stories it is almost impossible to believe that the person sitting in front of you sharing a cup of coffee is the same one whose actions were just described. How could a person who had been sleeping on subway grates now be seated before you in a business suit? How could a person who had served time for armed robbery be the same one who is talking about emotional sobriety. Something must have occurred in the lives of these people to profoundly alter the course of their lives. Given their described history, willpower alone could not be the sole explanation.
In the cases mentioned above and in countless others the turning point was the discovery of a G-d of their understanding. When these people developed a conscious contact with a Higher Power their lives began to change. In addition, experience has shown that this conscious contact needs to be ongoing. As soon as we believe that we can go it alone so to speak, we are opening up a door to trouble. Before we know it, we will revert to our old ways of thinking and acting.

Personal Reflection: Do I need to revitalize my conscious contact?

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Call On The Phone Or Contact The Throne

One of our problems was that we tended to isolate. When we were confronted with challenges, our go to plan was usually to tough it out alone. This often ended in only exacerbating the problem. We could also be quite impulsive; acting without thinking. When we entered the program, we began to develop a more reflective and collaborative approach. We used to think that calling someone for feedback meant that we were weak or in some way less than competent. The real weakness was our aversion to seeking out the counsel of others. We actually empowered ourselves by calling other people from the program. Picking up the phone shattered some of our false beliefs about asking for help from others. We pushed through our fears and gained humility at the same time. We also often received advice which provided a pathway to further growth.
Beyond calling others, we developed a more intimate relationship with our Higher Power. On a daily basis, we communed with G-d through prayer and meditation. We asked for daily direction and answers to questions and problems that were plaguing us. Then an interesting thing happened. We found that the more receptive we were to establishing a “conscious contact” with our Higher Power, the more frequently it took place.

Personal Reflection: Are the throne and phone part of my program?