I have traveled all my life, and I was taught by my father how to read maps, drive a straight line, and stay awake. I have driven, road trains, and boats, thousands of miles across the world. This has been a blessing, but you would think that I would have learned how to take directions; this has always been a problem. When I entered the rooms, it was highly suggested that I start taking directions, but being the person I am, my first reaction, was that no one here had information I needed or wanted. This was ” contempt prior to investigation”, and this was the first thing I truly heard, at that moment I actually worked the first 2 steps, I honestly surrendered with in my deepest self, that I was an Alcoholic, and I became open minded enough to accept that I needed help and could no longer control nor choose any beneficial actions, it took time to realize this. I had no choice but to take directions, if I WANTED to be taught what I needed to do. This was a Spiritual direction to the path of sober living, and thinking, and a new reality. Through this journey I was not only given a road map to guide me, but I was given tools to fix the vehicle so it was drivable, and could handle the bumpy road. I now also have a “road dawg” the Universal Power” which I choose to just use the three letter word GOD, a language identification, so for those who have different identification than I. For me the steps are the guidelines, the principles are the rules I must follow, if I want to find the gateway, to Spiritual awareness. This learned experience, has given me more gifts than I could have ever imagined, and it stated by being willing to take the directions, and read the map. What my father said taught me carried me many miles, what the Spiritual Principles taught are carrying many more, and I pray that they carry me a few more miles. I love those who have touched me along the way and who continue to touch me every day. This is dedicated my brother Don “D.A., who walks the path along with me, and God the Power of Light and Goodness.
Peace Out. M

Where the humility for me always lies, is in the recognition of what my short comings truly are, I don’t believe that I necessarily find all my short comings in my character defects, the ones that are apparent to me now, are different from what they were in the beginning. If I am sincerely trying to change, I need to work on change. These shortcomings that I suffer from are that I don’t always pray enough, I don’t meditate enough, I don’t help enough, I judge myself and others too often, I make too many assumptions about God, and the list goes on. My failures however are also lessons that give me awareness of myself, I know some may not examine or want too, but at this point of my life I must. There are too many past transgressions, not pray to help me change those actions that live in me, that will keep me in the ignorance of me. I know this step has changed me to a degree, how great that change seems to others I don’t know, but I know how big it is to me. I continuously have to take action and more action on those shortcomings, so I can learn how to change those character defects that stand in the way of my helping others. It is in that service that I see how great those changes truly are. I know that if I find a moment of humility, I can find more moments of gratitude. In the Beatitudes it states that “The meek shall inherit the earth”, to me meekness is not weakness, and it is learning Humility and Humanity.
Peace Out: M