Tag Archives: mental-health

Whose Bars are They?

I have always strived to be Happy, Joyous, and Free. Recently, the Happy has been put on the shelf, replaced by a major decision and, subsequently, financial problems. I hadn’t noticed it at first, but I was putting people, places, … Continue reading

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Approval

I grew up being influenced by those around me who were more than happy to voice their opinions on how I should run my life. Decisions required a majority opinion of those around me before moving forward. Making decisions on … Continue reading

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Is cleaning up after yourself considered service work?

In today’s meeting, that was the topic. I’ve been in hundreds of Service meetings, and they’ve all been basically the same. Today, as we went around the room, each person told of the years they made coffee, opened the doors, … Continue reading

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Where’s the Monkey?

Many years ago, when I was just an infant in the AA recovery program, the old-timers would joke about an easy way to treat Alcoholism. Maybe some of you remember that. “If I could only take a pill,” was the … Continue reading

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A Night Out with My Friend Vodka

Published in the Grapevine Magazine, February 2026 After his wife and kids left, all he had was the bar. Now the SWAT team was at his door. Had enough? When I was just 12, alcohol helped me cope with my … Continue reading

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I can’t live my life through others, nor fix anyone but myself.

If Melody Beattie has taught me anything in her book, “Codependence No More,” it is the title of this writing. In the early 90’s, I followed her teachings closely. During that time, recovery was known as “Healing the Inner Child.” … Continue reading

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Ready, SHOOT, Aim

The phrase “ready, shoot, aim” generally refers to taking action immediately without careful planning or thorough consideration of the consequences. Have I ever spoken without thinking? Well, if I’m totally honest, the answer is, definitely YES. I’m embarrassed when I think of … Continue reading

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Where lessons come from?

The Course in Miracles states, “Life is but a series of lessons. We do not get to choose the lesson, but we do get to choose how we react to it.” What a beautiful statement, and so true. I always … Continue reading

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Expectations, good or bad, we all have them

Expectations—they may be good or not so good—but we all have them. They arrive as thoughts without an invitation. What’s important is how I react when an expectation invades my present moment. The method I use for processing expectations has … Continue reading

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How much is enough?

When I think back to those dark days, I can vividly remember thinking, “How much beer would it take to satisfy me?” The first answer was usually, “A full Budweiser trailer truck load.” Then the thought would come, “What happens … Continue reading

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