I was reading this earlier this morning and I can remember early on I was not able to do the things thats in this passage unless I thought about drinking and it was suggested to me exactly that, I was not spiritually fit yet by my sponsor I I can remember it like yesterday. Then one day I was put in one of these situations and I didn't realize it at the time, but later on it came to me, I might be growing and getting a little of this spiritual deal everyone was talking about. I slept really well that night.

To Recovery

A lot of people around here say that we will always have an alcoholic mind...that we will always be taunted by alcohol because 'that's just the way it is'. I know for a fact that Being Spiritually Fit IS the way to freedom.

To Recovery...may I find it again.

I know for me when my spiritual program is not in top shape is when I will take note, in not a healthy way to a bottle or a scene on t.v. or even have a drinking dream.
This is dangerous and I know I need to get off my laurels and plunge back into "the work".
When spiritually fit, none of it concerns me...

I feel spiritually fit when alcohol is no big deal for me and the big deal is that I don't realise it because it does not occur to me!!

I know I get taken aback when I realise people are wondering if it will "be awful" for me if they leave drinks hanging around but the people who really know me are comfortable and trust that I would say something if it became a problem.

I never knew I would have such a gift of freedom but it is a gift that I must keep spiritually fit for.

Thank you for causing me to think about this gjm.

Oh and LauraJeanR, don't stress about the drinking dreams - it is a random subconscious recall that has nothing to do with your spiritual fitness. Dreams like that do not matter at all - it is the conscious mind and the conscious state that is responsible.

What is ever ones thought on this today?

I have had a really tough week for various reasons and have not thought of alcohol once - to me that is because I am spiritually fit and therefore the obsession to drink has been removed - sanity has been restored.

Maintenance and growth of my spriritual condition is my no 1 priority in my life. The central factor of that is that selfishness and selfcentredness is the root of my problems and therefore selflessness and focusing on others is a major part of how I live my life today.

I have really been challenged in that respect this week, but I have tried to do my best and am always trying to use my experiences to grow.

The more I learn about living by spiritual principles the more I realise how much I dont know, how much I have left to learn and how my spiritual growth will never be complete.

My spiritual condition is also about action. No good me thinking I am spiritually fit, doing loads of parayer and meditation and thinking that is enough. I have to act that way in all my affairs. Not always easy which helps my humility.

I seem to have a different outlook on being spiritually fit and what that means to me. First off being spriitually fit for me doesn't mean that I don't think about alcohol it means that I won't act on it. I have a hard time believing the people who say that they never think about alcohol. I have 27 yrs and when it is 100 degrees or more outside and a person has a ice cold beer in his hand you can be sure it looks good to me. However I don't obsess on it and I don't act on it. I am spiritually fit. I believe my way of knowing that I am spiritually fit is when my life works. If I am having many problems that I can not seem to get a grip on, then I need to look at my spirituality.

I as well don't agree with the fact that drunk deams is nothing to worry about. For me if I have a drunk dream I need to look at what I am not dealing with because it is about to deal with me. It is a warning for me that something isn't right. I do believe that is why we share OUR OWN EXPERIENCES and not generalize them. What works for you may or may not work for me.

PS I hope I didn't upset anyone with the latter part of my share but if I did talk to your sponsor about it. :)

I went to a pub with some sober friends for dinner,. when I got up to pay the bill, the barmaid slapped a fresh pint on the bar. the room became dark and the sound faded, sort of tunneled down to me and that beer , a little foam drained over the edge of the mug. The amber hue was so intense like it was in sunlight. Only for a moment, but it reminded me that alcohol itself is cunning baffling and powerful for me.

I drank elderberry cordial from Ikea the other night and it really really reminded me of my favourite wine from Alsace - Gewurztraminer. It had the same fruitiness about it even a similar smell.

I had to sit back and have a look at my conscious contact cos I seemed to be enjoying it rather reminiscently.

I don't believe in triggers as such, I do believe it is about our spiritual shape. I think I'm going to have to work harder on 10, 11 and 12 before I pour myself another taste of the cordial...

Oh and as for having booze in my house, well for the first 6 months in AA we had a crate of beer in our house left over from a leaving party of our house mate. The two of us left in the house are in the fellowship and didn't really know what to do with it. But we were full on into working the steps and the beer never bothered either of us once.

I since gave it away to a guy for a bit of christmas cheer - more out of generosity than fear.

I am with Bubbles on this one. Freedom is the spiritual foundation and the experience that is endured is the asset we have to keep us going. The alcoholic mind that I have tells me that drinking not an option. The choice that I make is just that. Spirituality is something that I dont know alot about. The freedom that I am engaging little by little gives me such peace and that peace gives me that sense of spiritual soul I feel.

I go to bars to have lunch with others. I go into Liquor stores for snacks. I will visit a drunk for 12th step work.

I do not hang around wet places or wet places without a good reason. I look at it like a cliff that has a "Falling Rocks" sign at the bottom of it. Why hang around longer than necessary?

For the newer people

The point is the first line 'Assuming we are spiritually fit ...'

The thought of alcohol never crosses my mind , in the sense that I am never tempted by it and when the s**t hits the fan, it never occurs to me to drink. The only time that it is ever in my mind is when I am 12 stepping someone or working with a sponsee. I don't think about it EVER in the sense of 'Oh no, how am I gonna get through the next minute/hour day/month/year/lifetime with out alcohol.

I am a recovered alcoholic therefore I can only pick up a drink if I stop living a spiritual life and stop working with others.