Honesty with ourselves & others gets us sober, but it is tolerance that keeps us that way.
Bill W.Read
No personal calamity is so crushing that something true and great can't be made of it
Interpretation
Even in the face of great personal adversity, one can find a way to create something valuable and meaningful.
This quote suggests that while personal crises can feel overwhelming and devastating, there is always the potential to transform those experiences into something positive or significant. It emphasizes resilience and the human capacity to learn and grow from hardship, turning pain into purpose.
In practice
During a motivational speech to encourage people facing life challenges.
Honesty with ourselves & others gets us sober, but it is tolerance that keeps us that way.
It must never be forgotten that the purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous is to sober up alcoholics. There is no religious or spiritual requirement for membership. No demands are made on anyone. An experience is offered which members may accept or reject. That is up to them.
Almost without exception alcoholics are tortured by loneliness.
Having unlimited choices can paralyze you creatively.
Meditation, witnessing, silently sitting and looking at the mind, will be of much help. Not forcing, simply sitting and looking. Not doing much, just watching as one watches birds flying in the sky. Just Lying down on the ground and watching, nothing to do, indifferent. Not your concern really, where they are going; they are going on their own.
Let your performance do the thinking.
Would you really dig into yesterday's garbage to make tonight's meal? Do you dig into yesterday's mental garbage to create today's experiences?
Destroy my desires, eradicate my ideals, show me something better, and I will follow you.
Love of action is not industry.
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