Spiritual Power Sources - Plug In

November 26. Hello everybody, it's Black Friday & instead of shopping like alot of America I was instead stocking the display cases at my new shop in preperation for our opening of the new location tomorrow. It was a long day, but eventful in many ways. My parents & I started off w/ a nice breakfast nearby home & saw my sister too because she was waitressing. So after a good way to start the day we headed up to the new store & got to work. Little by little the three major display cases began to take shape. Mid afternoon my mother got a call that my Gram was going to have to go to the hospital because her dehydration & weakness was growing too much & medical attention was needed. She's been sicker in ways, but this was one thing we had hoped could be avoided in her recovery from Chemo. My mom met the ambulance at the hospital, my dad driving her & then he came back to help me some more on my preparations. Time kept ticking & the shortness of hands made it apparent that we wouldn't finish everything today. I kind of expected that even with additional help, so it was no suprise when time ran out & we had to secure all the stock not put out yet. Dad & I pushed on & got out of there in the knick of time, just enough time to grab some fast food before I had to get dropped off at my usual Friday night group. I was sore, aching, tired, and I think the day was starting to eat at my spiritual condition. I say that because by the time I got out of the meeting I felt entirely different than walking in, however still sore, I felt renewed by the discussion & fellowship that took place. Just noticing this about myself today brings a good topic to mind & before I get onto the other work I have to do yet tonight I thought it might help me to write about it.

Over the course of a day there are certain things we can do to stay connected to our spirituality, in a sense feeding it "snacks" to keep it full as we would snack to stay nourished. I notice many times if I am busy or things get hectic, I often don't stop to do the little things needed to stay connected to the "Spiritual Power Source". By the end of a long day, providing nothing major goes wrong to make me burst while in that spiritually deprived condition, I end up feeling dull, dragged down, and sometimes even depressed. Like when we sit down & eat a healthy meal, we often don't need to snack for quite some time because the large portion fills us. The same happens I've noticed with my recovery, if I go to a Group or meeting for an hour, I end up feeling spiritually well fed & usually bounce back to a good mood & happy existance. Most days a person is not swamped, hopefully anyway, and they have the opportunity to get those small spiritual snacks that make the day so much easier to bear sober than waiting for a larger spiritual meal at night, such as a meeting. Those snacks can be in the form of phone calls to friends, other alcoholics, or a sponsor for example. They can also be reading literature that promotes positive thinking our spiritual lessons & balance. Fact is that there are countless sources in which we can get a quick recharge to our spiritual condition. "Spiritual Power Sources" are many, some giving little tidbits & some great serenity that can last us hours, days, and even longer for some of us.

The important part is that I recognize when I am not plugging in to these sources, when I am not eating spiritual food. When I go an entire day without getting a snack for the sober soul, then I take a greater risk of letting my alcoholism affect me directly. It can do it a million ways, from just a dull feeling to depression to let my emotions get worn down or add to stress & physical exhaustion. Its a cunning, baffling, and powerful disease that requires rigorous action on a daily basis to live happy despite it. Those are actions I am willing to take, sometimes in moderation & sometimes the not so recommended way 'all at once', but in any case I need to never lose track of my spiritual fitness. When I'm not feeling fit, I need to get to a meeting, make that phone call, or just talk about it to somebody understanding. I need to read something positive or say a positive prayer, and realize that I am who I am & can be my best rather than let a day get the best of me. Here's to the spiritual snacks & meals that exist in many different forms, I'm hungry & willing to share my food with anyone else who needs it. So lets keep plugged in to a "Spiritual Power Source", big or small, and tell someone else who it can help exactly what worked for us. Good Night.. Good Morning.. <3 Jimmy