Who Am I Helping, Exactly?

"Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worthwhile to us now.  The dark past is the key to life and happiness for others."

The Family Afterward P. 124.

I have been talking to a new guy who asked me to be his sponsor.  I think.  I'm really not sure.  And I really don't care.  He's not doing anything I suggest and he's not asking me what he should do.  That kind of covers everything.  New people do what they want, by and large.  He danced around the periphery of Alcoholics Anonymous for a while until a DUI catapulted him back into The Rooms.  He's dealing with that.  His parents are aging poorly and he wonders if he should move back to Illinois to help out.  His music career - his great love and very satisfying - doesn't pay the bills.  His "real" career in the movie industry has stagnated.  I'll tell you I started getting nervous pondering all of these big things he's facing.

My advice is woefully simple.  I can never seem to come up with a big, complicated, comprehensive, airtight plan.   A five year old could do better.  A hyperactive five year old suffering from ADHD could do better.  Eat right.  No drugs or alcohol.  Get some exercise.  Get enough sleep.  Don't spend all of your time alone (this from someone who hates people so that's saying something).  Take some time to pray and meditate . . . and do it outside, in nature.  Make a list of all the things you need to do - a written list so you can see the things - and then do the first thing on the list to the best of your ability, trying to complete it but moving on to the second thing if you've done all you can do, realizing that just because you want to get something done doesn't mean it's going to happen in your time frame.  Go to some meetings.  I mean . . . Christ on a Stick . . . this is not profound stuff.  This is Living Skills 101.

Staying out of the future and not relitigating the past is big stuff.  Be present.