Helping friends

I was asked today if I felt anger toward my friends who continued to have a few beers around me when I was in the beginning of becoming sober. I responded that I had no ill feelings toward anyone because I know they did the best that they could at the time and anger in our hearts only hurts ourselves. I felt that it was my battle that I was going through at the time and who am I to ask everyone around me to change their ways in order to make my life simpler. In fact, I felt more satisfaction as I made it through my daily journey with the temptations that surrounded me. It was my choice to be there in the first place and we don’t live in a perfect world.
I don’t think that we should judge one another for our mishaps and screw ups. I feel that we should try our best to help each other through the difficult times knowing that each one of us is blessed with free will. We can’t force our beliefs onto anyone and shouldn’t anyhow. When someone is ready for change, he or she will take the challenge and hopefully will ask for your help. I was also told that I should not try to help if this friend asked for it. Bologna! If someone has the strength to ask for your advice then this is the time to give it! You will always feel best when you know that you did everything that you could because you did. Walking away from someone who is struggling will only hurt everyone involved.

Let God do the judging, unless you are perfect. We all make mistakes and we all have issues so don’t pretend that you are perfect, but instead lend a helping hand anytime you can no matter the situation. True friends help each other without motives and that is what makes us friends.

DAILY TRIALS

Even though we may try to plan all things and arrange everything with extreme care, we will still have a lot of opportunities to exercise the virtue of patience. We can’t eliminate the unexpected or the unavoidable. In most cases our best weapon is our intelligent patience with both ourselves as with others. We will always have daily trials that at times will even cause bodily pains. At other times it may be a simple annoyance, disappointment, or cause anxiety. We would like to be free of these trials, but that is impossible. Patience and understanding are the keys to dealing with such circumstances, the key to peace and happiness is to know that our reactions should never be surprised, resentful, or saddened when things don’t go our way. We should try to gain more control of the situations and learning to deal with the trials will teach us the most valuable lessons in this life!

Our lives will have trials every day. We are always being tested. If we live well, our acts will merit a rewarding life. But the fact is that we will face the possibilities of success or failure. In either case, the outcome of these trials is determined by our own free choice! I was told a few days ago that our sub-conscience mind will save what we write and put our writings into action quicker than if we were to simply imagine or say them aloud. This may be the case but, I feel our words that we speak to each other have much more power to change our lives. I have felt more intense pains from slaps to the face from words spoken to me than I have ever felt from a hand. We need to be careful of what we say to each other in heated moments of boiled over situations. There are no accidents. There is the law of cause and effect in every situation. Our thoughts create our words and our words create the reactions and therefore the results.

Our habits that turn into addictions!

Let’s face the harsh facts about our weaknesses. We all have dealt with addictions in our lives, whether it is alcohol, drugs, work, love, or even hatred. Life is about balance and moderation. Any addiction that we may be facing in our lives can and probably will dull our energetic spirits. If we let our addictions take over our lives, we will become weak and frail, letting our guards down for even an instant may be enough for us to fall hard. My weakness was alcohol, it threatened all that I believe in and the overindulgence of the drink felt like tentacles of an octopus grasping my every thought and breathe.




In today’s society addictions are of an epidemic proportion. The curses of these addictions are leading many down a rough path in life, without an anchor to secure our thoughts. We are readily influenced by our peers, media, and television. Our thoughts become confused and frustrated, while our bodies and spirits deteriorate. We teach the young by our examples, not by our words alone! We may have even introduced them to the drunkard or addictive ways by failing to check our own corrupt impulses, and our principles may have been carelessly disregarded. The bad effects of these addictions far outweigh the so-called benefits. An addiction will take over our thoughts throughout the day while working like a demon trying to claw your eyes out (wow that was a bit harsh) so that you won’t be able to see all the good that is surrounding you. These addictions are destroying our judgements, character, and lives.



We are given free-will to live our lives the way we choose. If we overindulge in drinking, we will become drunkards, if we eat everything that is in front of us we will be gluten’s who become so obese that we can’t tie our own shoes, and if we let habits turn into addictions we will be doomed to a life filled with poor judgments and derangement. I write these harsh words because I know that these addictions cause many of the problems we are facing in our own homes, towns, cities, and the world. Many murders, suicides, health issues, and divorces are the tragic consequences of these tendencies, don’t let them take over your thoughts. If you feel you have been heading toward an addiction from a bad habit that you may have, look inside of yourself and ask what it is that you are not facing about yourself and face it. Become stronger by fighting the demons from within. Always remember that as long as we do just a little better today, then we are heading toward a healthier and happier life, pass along that feeling to all you meet during your journey!