Toltec V A.A. - You Make the Call!

"Unconditional love is recognizing the divinity in every human being we meet, regardless of his or her role in life or agreement with our particular way of thinking."  Toltec Proverb

Or in A.A. speak: "God, I pray that I seek to love rather than be loved; to understand rather than be understood; and to comfort rather than to be comforted."

It's all the same stuff.  The Toltecs flourished in Central Mexico around 1000 A.D., preceding the Aztecs.  Alcoholics Anonymous . . . well . . .  we're not quite that old but we're still flourishing.

"Every form of attachment starts with 'If this happens, then I will be happy and feel love' and 'If this does not happen, then I will suffer."  Toltec Proverb

"Until now, our lives have been largely devoted to running from pain and problems.  We fled from them as from a plague.  We never wanted to deal with the fact of suffering."  Step Seven in the 12 & 12.

I like how we try to differentiate between pain - which is inevitable - and suffering - which occurs when we try to get away from pain . . . which we absolutely cannot do all of the time.  Trust me - it has been tried and it cannot be done.  It's a part of existence whether we like it or not.

"Consequently the moment you start trying to control others is the same moment you place conditions on your love and acceptance of them.  We will look at the practice of having unconditional love for ourselves first and foremost, as you cannot give to others when you don't have for yourself."  Toltec Wisdom

"Either we tried to play God and dominate those about us, or we had insisted in being overdependent on them."  Step Twelve in the 12 & 12

If you're bored try this: look up the word "control" in the Alcoholics Anonymous literature.  It's in there a lot.  A lot.  "He has lost control."  "We know that no real alcoholic ever recovers control."  "As we redouble our efforts at control, and continue to fail, our suffering becomes acute and constant."  (I like this - acute and constant suffering.  Boy, that brings me back to the Dark Times.)  "The idea that somehow, someday, he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker."  (I like the phrase "abnormal drinker."  I like the reference to an obsession - a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea.)