alright, alright... gratitude time

Reflecting on gratitude...

• the weekly Saturday morning men's meeting at our county jail
• the possibility of closing the two huge commercial deals I am working on
• the opportunity to learn a lot about commercial lending, even if I don't close these deals
• my wife and son
• sobriety and the loving fellowship I find in AA
• a Higher Power who understands me
• a Higher Power I understand
• the dream I have of someday building a home for my family
• the fact that my job enables me to help people who need it

"This is why I see humility for today as that safe and secure stance midway between these violent emotional extremes. It is a quiet place where I can keep enough perspective, and enough emotional balance, to take my next small step up the clearly marked road that points toward eternal values."

"...we cannot grow very much unless we constantly try to envision what the eternal spiritual values are."

"...we surely ought to look toward God's perfection as our guide rather than as a goal to be reached in any forseeable time."

-Article by Bill W. in the Grapevine, June 1961, found in "The Language of the Heart"