Author: Andrew Arthur Dawson

A teacher of meditation, a motivational speaker, a reader of numerology, and a writer by trade, Andrew Arthur Dawson is a spiritual man devoted to serving his Higher Power and bringing a lot more light and love into this world. This blog, www.thetwelfthstep.com is just one of those ways...

An Early Prayer For The 2016 Presidential Election

I know that many people will probably think the purpose of today’s entry might be a little ridiculous, but I don’t. Given the current state of our country’s affairs, especially in matters of gay rights, I’ve truly been concerned about this upcoming presidential election in 2016.

Our country is very charged right now on so many issues. But the one I’m most affected by at the present time is this one dealing with gay rights. There are far too many individuals at the present time in the United States fighting to oppress a gay person’s ability to have full equality in this country, using religious context as their basis.

While I know many have had their choice words about Obama, I’ve been overly grateful that he has taken a number of steps towards greater equality since he took office. But what’s going to happen to all his hard work and all the achievements so many others have fought for if the next president is severely conservative and believes homosexuality is a sin? Will steps start being taken, as they have been in places such as Indiana or Arkansas, to creating legislation that makes room for back-end forms of discrimination? Will my ability to having equal rights in things such as housing and jobs slowly begin to evaporate? Will the long battle for same-sex marriage be set back several decades?

I don’t have the answers to any of these questions, but I’m definitely concerned for where our country is going to head in the near future under the next president. Regardless, I spent a good majority of today talking about this very issue, which did nothing more for me than increase my sense of uncomfortability with it all. Thus, I felt it was most appropriate to go to the one thing that will bring me comfort and that’s to bring this into prayer with my Higher Power, so here goes…

“Dear God, I’m seriously concerned about where my country is headed. Lately it seems as if everyone is taking one side or another instead of coming together and finding love and acceptance amongst each other. I have a hard time believing that this is what You envisioned things coming to. Over the past eight years we’ve had a president that I believe has done his absolute best to bring forth greater equality. Yet, I’m seeing dissension towards achieving that on a constant basis lately, much in part due to people using their religious views as a means to judge and discriminate. Because of this, I’m not sure what’s going to happen if our next president is extremely conservative with very strong religious beliefs. I have great fear of the backwards steps that might be taken by a leader such as this, which would only end up moving us even further away from the very thing that Jesus said we should always practice. So I leave this prayer in Your hands God. Please guide our country over the upcoming year to select our next leader who will be someone that will work to bring us closer together, who will continue to guide us towards achieving equality between everyone, and who will promote unconditional love and acceptance of all. Thank you God. Amen.”

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson

The Vicious Cycle

Living in an addiction is a vicious cycle.

At first the substance of the addiction seems to be exactly what I need. It totally feels like it brings me all that ease and comfort needed to cope with my life. It makes me forget about all of my pain for a while. And soon it becomes the answer to solving every one of my day-to-day problems.

But then the tide turns.

That’s when the addiction starts appearing to be the source of all my difficulties. That’s when the addiction has begun to take over and consume me. That’s when my days become built around engaging in the addiction. And that’s precisely when my life begins unraveling at the seams, when the chaos and consequences of doing the addiction far outweigh the benefits it once had.

Spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically, my body screams to stop doing it. So I do, because the pain has become so great.

Hours, days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years go by with strong memories of all that pain. But eventually that goes away and I completely forget about all those negative effects of the addiction that was once my best friend.

That’s when I begin missing my best friend, the addiction, and find myself thinking it really wasn’t so bad the last time I said hello. Life then suddenly brings a big storm my way, which propels me enough to reach out and call my best friend, the addiction, back into my life.

Ahhh, the temporary ease and comfort returns. My brain reminds me how the addiction is exactly what I needed all along. Oh how it missed it so much. And soon I’m off and running, chasing after that feeling all over again.

That is until the tide turns just like before. And it will. It’s just a matter of time.

That’s the vicious cycle of living in an addiction and it’s a deadly one, one that too many never fully break free from, wasting their entire life engaging in it, until the end result often becomes the Grim Reaper and death.

Thank God I’m not living in that vicious cycle anymore. Thank God I see the pattern of that vicious cycle so clearly now. And thank God I know what I need to keep on doing, every day, for the rest of my life, to prevent myself from stepping back into that vicious cycle ever again.

It’s living the 12 Steps and it truly is the ONLY solution I’ve ever found to freeing me from the deadly grips of the vicious cycle of addiction…

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson

 

 

 

 

 

Actions Speak Far Louder Than Words…

I’ve met plenty of good public speakers throughout my life, especially in the rooms of recovery from addiction. In fact I used to covet many of their lives, wishing I was a lot more like them, until I realized after getting to know them much better, that one’s actions truly do speak far louder than one’s words.

The truth is, if you really want to know whether a great public speaker lives as they say they do and has the life they say they have, spend an entire day with them. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know so many in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous in that way. Some of them were absolutely gifted in that public speaking department, but in spending time with them outside those meeting rooms, I saw loads of behaviors that didn’t quite live up to what I heard from them at the podium.

Because of this, I’ve become more skeptical these days anytime I’ve heard someone talking about how spiritual they are, how great their recovery program is, or how close their connection is to their Higher Power. You see it’s those people who were always the ones I used to gravitate towards, but found out later in hanging out with them, they really weren’t who they say they were. Instead, I watched as they gossiped, judged, and backstabbed others more than not. I saw how they grew restless, irritable and discontent anytime things didn’t go their way. And I never felt spiritually uplifted when hanging around with them one bit. But guess what? Each was only a mirror for me, one that I constantly avoided looking into.

What I mean by that is this…

My Higher Power blessed me in this life with a way with words too, except I used to utilize that gift to manipulate others into believing I had my act together. Why? Because getting those pats on the back and those verbal approvals after speaking kept me going for a while in the half-ass recovery program I once maintained. Eventually though, that illusion I created of how wonderful my recovery and spirituality was, evaporated when I landed in a locked ward of a mental hospital. And that’s when I finally had to look in that mirror to learn this invaluable lesson.

So I offer each of you a gentle suggestion. Anytime you find yourself placing a great speaker on some imaginary pedestal like I once did with others and even with myself, know that it could just be a bunch of smoke and mirrors. Try spending a day with that person before you start out on some quest to be just like them, because you may just find that their actions speak far louder than their words…

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson