Tag Archives: 12 steps

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Let’s talk about the phrase “let go and let God,” shall we?
Way back when I first entered recovery, this phrase never made sense to me.  Let go of what?  And let God do what?  And what, exactly, does God do and not do?  By then I had learned that God only does for me what I cannot do for myself, and back then, the only thing God did for me was get me sober, because I was incapable.  I wasn’t even willing in the beginning.  Today I know that God doesn’t really do things.  We do them.  What God does is provide the power and willingness and impetus to do things.
Now, before you get all activated and accuse me of hating God, stick with me here.  There is a valuable lesson here for us, one that, when I figured it out, has allowed me to experience this promise, which is located in the textbook of AA, in the chapter which tells us that we have a solution to our dilemma.  By the way, it doesn’t tell us how to achieve that solution, it is just telling us that there is one.  Here is the promise:
“We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed.”
Right after that is where it tells us what God does for us:  “The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.”
God has entered into our hearts.  
We don’t let go and let God.  We allow God into our hearts.  Then we are no longer alone.  We have the power, strength and wisdom of God in our very hearts.  With that, we can accomplish anything.  It’s a partnership.
In New Thought, we have a great gift in the writings of Ernest Holmes.  Because he maintained that we are One with God, in all ways, all the time, and he reiterated that over and over again in his writings.  In his book How to Use Your Power, he says this, “The idea that you are one with the mind of God is not an extravagant idea at all. It is a simple statement of a self-evident fact. The intelligence that creates and governs everything is the mind you are using now, just as you breathe a part of a universal breath that everyone uses.”
So “let go and let God” is really more about letting go of thoughts and actions which do not serve us, and connecting with and communing with that inner God, so as to allow the wisdom and power of that Force to infuse us with love and the ability to make awesome decisions and perform good works in the world.
And we have an awesome formula for doing so.  In New Thought, it is called spiritual practices.  In the 12 step world, it is called steps 10 and 11.  I’ve compiled a list (to be included in an upcoming book) of 13 spiritual practices but for this conversation I’m focusing on these:  introspection and communion.  
Introspection is not only about knowing thyself. It is also about knowing the God within each and every one of us.  It is about FEELING the God within each and every one of us.  And if we can’t feel that Force within us, then it is our responsibility to discover our own self installed blockages, remove them, and replace them with something better.  This is what introspection does for us.  When we fully and completely know ourselves and the God within, then we can properly commune with God.
By the way, this is what mature emotional recovery looks like.  Living in steps 10 and 11 gets us there.  I believe it is impossible to fully experience the gifts of mature recovery if we are living in steps 1, 2 and 3.  Those are for beginners.  They are spirituality 101.  They introduce us to the idea of having a God in our life.  Steps 10 and 11, deepen and nurture that idea so that it moves from idea to reality.
Do not short change yourself by doing steps 1, 2 and 3 every day.  You are worth more than that.  Do some version of steps 10 and 11, every day.  And before you protest that this seems like a lot of work, I can tell you that it isn’t.  It is, instead, a very rewarding way to live.  Take 15 minutes every day.  That’s it.  Once in a while you can go deeper.  It’s like showering.  We shower every day.  Once in while we might take a longer shower, or a bath.  Or even go to a hot springs.  Here’s another analogy.  Most of us do the dishes every day.  Once in while we might scour the sink.  Sometimes we might also mop the kitchen floor.  So, we have a daily practice which gets the job done in most situations. When a situation calls for it, we go deeper.  And with God within you, you will know when it is time to go deeper.  
Instead of saying “let go and let God,” I prefer “release and allow.”  Release that which does not serve, and allow the power and wisdom of Love to infuse your entire being.
Today, I release limiting thoughts and actions, and replace them with the Love of a Spirit which lives and moves and breathes through me and as me.  

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Another year is on the books. If you are anything like me you have certain things you wanted to release in 2018, and certain things you want to embrace for 2019.

For quite some time I've wanted, and it has been my intention, to publish a companion workbook to A New Thought Journey through the 12 Steps. People have called and written to tell me they would love a class, they would love a way to go through the book.

And personally, to be honest, after the book was published, I had a sense of not being complete with it. As time went on, I felt I could have been more thorough with it.

Well, the companion workbook is the answer to that. Consider the book a primer, and the workbook the meat of it.

This workbook is the compilation of 30 years of research, experience and learning of 12 step philosophy and ten years of research, experience and learning of New Thought (also known as Science of Mind).  Comprehensive and thorough, this workbook contains action steps, ideas and solutions to the “God thing” as well as instruction about how to do a scientific prayer and information on the Science of Mind teaching symbol.  And promises!  After each step!

I hope you will check it out here:  http://karenlinsley.com/?p=14828

Purchase your e-version or printed copies and please, spread the word to anyone you think might be interested. 

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September is National Recovery Month.  Created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration  this month is devoted to celebrating and publicizing the fact that people can and do recover from substance abuse and lead successful lives.

While Recovery Month is sponsored by an organization whose policies I don’t always agree with, the premise is a good one.  Recovery is a beautiful thing.  It isn’t about lack, limitation or denying oneself things one wants.  It’s about opening up into a new way of living that is vastly more rewarding than anything you could imagine.

I’ve been in recovery for 31 years.  I’ve seen a lot, done a lot, studied and researched a lot, and witnessed a lot.  Life happens in 31 years.  Through it all I’ve learned a few things.

My area of expertise lies in the 12 steps, taken from a New Thought perspective.  I’ve written a short little book about it, called A New Thought Journey through the 12 Steps.  You can purchase it here.  A workbook is in progress.

I’ve been blessed in my journey in recovery because people took the time to teach me simple things every step of the way.  I went to a treatment center and came out with two takeaways, in addition to being clean for the first time in 20 years.  The first takeaway was that alcoholism is an allergy.  I will always be allergic to alcohol and any other substance that alters my mind.  This removed the shame that is typically associated with addiction.  Because I was not ashamed of my disease, I didn’t hide it.  We are only as sick as our secrets and that was a secret that was well and thoroughly outed, brought into the light to heal.  My other takeaway was that living life without alcohol was not only possible but desirable, and that to do so, I needed to incorporate the 12 steps into my life.  Once I began attending meetings and talking with folks to learn about those steps, powerful wisdom was shared with me every step of the way.  It was pointed out to me that if I did not think I was powerless over alcohol, I was free to allow it back into my life.  With the same results.  It was pointed out to me that if I did not think my life was unmanageable, to just do a quick little review of recent events.  It was pointed out to me that it did not matter that I could not agree with the way those first three steps were worded.  Agreement was not necessary to recovery.  Work was.  I was to work those steps, and incorporate them into my life.  Comprehension could come later.  I did and it did.  This was how I got through those first three steps. ...continue reading →

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“The eternal inquiry concerning God is an inquiry into the nature of our own being.“. Ernest Holmes, Living Without Fear

”We found the Great Reality deep down within us. In the last analysis it is only there that He may be found.”  Alcoholics Anonymous textbook

”...enter into the inner secret communion with that great Reality, which is our Universal Self—God...” Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind textbook

When I first entered recovery, I was not religious.  I never understood the concept of a God separate from me, which is what most religions teach, at least on the surface.  I never cared to explore such things, instead preferring to explore the nature of this substance or that, and how it effected me.  When I stopped exploring substances and began to explore the nature of God, I was very frightened.

I was frightened because I did not want to drink, and what the steps seemed to be telling me what that I had to believe in some sort of outside God in order to not drink.  It wasn’t the belief in God that was bothering me.  I got the concept that it was a God of my understanding.  It was the belief in a God separate from me that did not make sense to me.

Today I know that belief in a God separate from me is a sort of Religion 101. It’s beginner religion.  I accepted that outside God for a while, which is probably a good thing for a newcomer to do.  My mind was still a dangerous neighborhood back then, and not only did I not know how to explore that unknown territory, but I was afraid to do so.

But the steps set me up to do inner exploration that I continue to this day.  Back then this exploration was also a bit surface, but it was a beginning.  Today, inner exploration means deep communion with God.  The Great Reality is indeed deep within me. I will never forget how much fun I had when, in my research, I realized that both Bill W. and Ernest Holmes used the same phrase to describe the same thing in their writings.  I do not know who got it from whom, but it is important to me to know that two wise spiritual teachers used the same phrase for the same concept.

Inner exploration is a beautiful way to live.  By going within I commune with God as well as discover the nature of my own humanness.  Daily I realize new insights, discover new aspects of spirit, and feel the presence of a power that feeds me with faith when I would feel fear, with peace when I would be agitated.  This daily practice also is a source of no small amount of humor as the opportunities to laugh at myself are endless.  This Inner Presence allows me to know the right things to do, and when to do them.

Today I am so grateful for the 10th and 11th steps.  The 10th encourages me to continue that daily practice of inner exploration.  The 11th encourages me to continue to explore how God works in my life. Taken together, these two steps provide a strong and unshakeable foundation for successful living.

Buy the book, A New Thought Journey through the 12 Steps here on my web site, or on Amazon

 

 

 

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There are a lot of folks out there who like to bad mouth the 12 steps.  They offer all kinds of way to get sober and stay sober.  I’ll admit it, I haven’t tried any of those things.  There are also all kinds of folks out there who claim to be atheist.  They also bad mouth the 12 steps.  And yet, I see they do believe in something.  Very strongly.  That isn’t atheism.  If you believe in science, you have a belief.

My book isn’t about bad mouthing the 12 steps.  It is, admittedly, a different take on the 12 steps, which I happen to adore.  I took the basic teachings of the old timers in AA, researching volumes and reams of books and pamphlets and anything else I could find.  I talked with old timers.  I studied the literature.  Then I took the wisdom of New Thought and metaphysics.

And out popped this book.  Twenty five years of study, all wrapped up and condensed into this little book.  Short read, but if you take the steps (meaning incorporate the into your life), I promise you that you will have a live more wonderful than you ever imagined.

What do I get out of this?  Not much, admittedly.  I’ll be honest here, sales of this book are not what I had hoped for.  Which I fail to understand.  And when it does sell, royalties are small.

I just want to help.  Really.  I see so many people struggling.  Some refuse to incorporate the 12 steps into their lives, for a bunch of reasons.  So they continue to live lives filled with misery.  That isn’t necessary.  Don’t struggle.  Check it out.  The book is available from me directly, or on Amazon and Balboa Press.

And......I have some offerings for you.  A workshop.  About expectations.  Yep..you know  that phrase “expectations are premeditated resentments.”  Yeah, that one.  I cringe every time I hear it.  So limiting!  Check it out, a different way to view it.  The workshop is online, and it is coming up quick, this Thursday.  Register now so I can send you the link to attend.

 

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If you are anything like me, you have at least one person on your gift giving list that is difficult to buy for.  And....if you are anything like me, you know lots of 12 step people, and lots of New Thought people, maybe even a bunch who are both!  If so, I'd like to suggest a copy of my book as a gift idea.  It's affordable and presents a new way of looking at the steps that even non-12 step people love!

Order yours today on Amazon:

Or through Balboa Press:

I hope you have the most wonderful holiday season ever!

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Register here!

The phrase "expectations are premeditated resentments" is very popular in 12 step circles, and just about anyone I've ever spoken to who is a member of a 12 step program believes this statement to be true.  In fact, they think it makes life easier to believe that they should not have expectations.

But in New Thought, the teaching is a bit different.  In New Thought we are taught that not only should we expect good in our lives, but we deserve it!

So which is it?

Join me for an exploratory journey to find out.

Do you believe that expectations are premeditated resentments?  I posted this question on Facebook and you would not believe the responses I received!  Obviously this is a hot topic!

So much so that I've created a workshop around it!  You should attend this workshop:

  • If you believe in the statement
  • If you believe in it but feel as if there may be some built in limitations there
  • If you don't believe in the statement
  • If you want to explore some other ways to think about things than what is "normal" for you.

The timing of this workshop is not an accident.  I purposely scheduled it for just before the holiday season because I know there are many people who tend to have some expectations about the holidays, and I know that sometimes those expectations are not met.

Plus, this workshop has a bonus:  two ways to restore or create some sacredness into your holiday season...we will explore gratitude and rebirth within us during the last portion of this workshop.

Three hours, $25....that's the commitment I am asking of you.  In return, you will get knowledge and skills that will last you a lifetime.  And you won't even have to leave the comfort of your home to attend!  Register and I will email you the link to attend the class via Zoom.  Zoom is very much like Sype, only a bit easier to use.

I hope to see you there!

Register here!

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I was speaking with a mentor the other day about the phrase "Let Go and Let God."

I confessed to her that I had absolutely no idea how to do that but I knew what the results were when I was able to do it;  peace, absence of resentment, forgiveness, no more attempts to control.

Sounds nice right?  But how do we get there?  Especially if, like me, you are a New Thought person and have a god which is more inward directed than outward.  In other words, it isn't a god somewhere out there in the sky, but more of a "great reality deep within" kind of god.  How do you let something do something when it is a part of you?  How do you separate the action from the consciousness?

For me, this particular resentment stemmed from my own attempts to control.

Doing a 10th step definitely helped me, and following up with sharing my results with my mentor helped more.

In my book I talk about steps 6 and 7 as a process of enlarging my connection with spirit, replacing that which does not serve with something new, and asking for help.

For this particular resentment I knew that I needed to quit judging and love them unconditionally.  I began to do that and immediately began to feel better.  I also knew that I needed to keep the boundaries I had set......as I do not feel safe around the person on my resentment list, and I am continuing to do that.

Somehow, the combination of unconditional love, no judgement and taking care of my own needs so that I feel safe has resulted in that feeling of peace that I so wanted in this situation.  To me...that is letting go and letting god.

What is your experience of this phrase?

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Purchase the book at Amazon or Balboa Press, or directly from the author.

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"Whenever you take an adversarial attitude towards something you give it power."  Dr. Christiane Northrup

The first step of just about any 12 step program wants us to admit that we are powerless.  For many, whether in New Thought or not, powerlessness is simply not something that is done.

New Thought teaches us that we have power over our thoughts and beliefs and emotions, and that what we think tends to manifest in our lives.

For others, powerlessness signifies some type of weakness.  How many times has the average alcoholic heard someone tell him that if he were stronger he could control his drinking?

The reality is, we do have a lot of power, but it is misplaced power.  We give power to the substance.  We give power to people in our lives.  We give our power up to all sorts of things:  possessions, jobs, busyness.  And I would venture to say that if we really stopped to take a look at what we give our power to, it would be a love/hate relationship.  We love the temporary escape the subtance provides, but hate the consequences.  We love all our possessions, but it really complicates lives.  They say busyness is a status symbol, but how come we are so tired all the time?

So we move through life living out of congruence with our true values, giving power to something we really don't believe in, because we think there is no other way.  And in the case of substance abuse, we can't fight it, because we've given all our power to it.

Eventually there comes a time when something has to give.  Something has to change.

So we go to a 12 step program and it tells us the first thing we must do is declare our powerlessness.  This goes against everything we've ever been taught, and goes against most societal value systems.  It also goes against New Thought teachings.  And because of these values and teachings, we instead create an adversarial relationship with whatever it is we are having problems with.  Instead of helping, this simply gives it more power and takes more away from us.

So now we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place.

What's a person to do then?

I advocate a different way of looking at the first step.  In my book, I've reworded it to say, "We admitted we were ready for a change in our lives."

If you find yourself unhappy, overwhelmed, consistently worried, experiencing stress related health problems, or unable to accomplish what you wish in your life, you may be ready to admit that a change is necessary.  The good news is that you get to decide what to change to!

In the next blog post, I will speak to this in more detail.  You can sign up to receive notification of new posts at the right if you are on a computer and at the bottom if you are on a device such as phone or iPad.  You can purchase the book here:  http://karenlinsley.com/?page_id=1174#!/A-New-Thought-Journey-Through-the-12-Steps-book/p/70971359/category=0

 

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Every faith and spiritual tradition I know of advocates some sort of introspection.

In 12 steps, the inventory process tells us to go within and examine our thoughts and actions and attitudes.  This is not so we can shame and blame ourselves.  It is so we can set things right...make amends by changing those thoughts and actions.

In New Thought, we are told to change our thinking to change our life.  The Law says that all manifestation begins in thoughts and beliefs, so if we wish to change our life, the place to go is within. Again, we need to have an awareness of what is and isn't working in order to change it.

Lately I've been studying a book by the Dalai Lama called "Ethics for a New Millennium."  In it, he says that spirituality is about going within and finding and developing traits such as compassion, tolerance and unconditional love.

I'm also reading a book called "Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential within us All."  That's where I got the quote for the meme.  The authors, David and Tom Kelley, say that unexamined failures limit us.

I love it when I keep getting the same message everywhere I turn!  I believe introspection to be one of the most powerful spiritual practices we can do, and yet, so many people either cannot or will not take advantage of it.

If you don't have a regular introspection practice, why not?

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