Blog entry for:

TRUE JOY COMES FROM WITHIN

i am having problems responding to this reading this morning and after a couple of false starts i believe i will just ramble on and see where i go. since beginning this journey i often have sought joy from material possessions, from others, or external events. although all of these things can evoke a feeling of happiness and gratitude, is it really joy? one definition of joy is:

the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires

what i most desire today is another day free from the ravages of active addiction. my good fortune arises form the fact that i was chosen to recover by a loving and kind HIGHER POWER and as i continue to grow the sense of well-being grows too! the only way i can achieve my desires is to welcome the fellowship of others, look to my success in choosing to stay clean one more day, seeing another member overcome their personal obstacles to spiritual growth and provide the kind of selfless service that was here when i arrived. each of these things provide me a greater feeling of comfort or happiness than any toy i might go out and buy to fill a hole within my spirit. i suffer from the disease of MORE and i can never get enough. by changing my focus from the mundane of the material world, i too can have a joyful life, filled with gifts far beyond my wildest dreams: true friendship, loving and equal relationships, the comfort of having a HIGHER POWER that loves and cares for me, and the self-satisfaction knowing that today i did discover the next right thing and acted appropriately on that knowledge.

-- DT --