Hope "per the robot" says:
Hope is not a mere wish or optimistic feeling, but a confident, unwavering expectation of future good based on the faithfulness and promises of God. It acts as a secure "anchor for the soul," that is rooted in God.
I like this interpretation of Hope. Prior to sobriety (and still sometimes when I'm temporarily off the beam), all my hope went into whatever I was anchored into in that particular time and space. So this includes, but not limited to; jobs, relationships, money, the outcome of other people's choices in life, how people are receiving me or what they think of me, who's in "office" ect.
So let me rephrase the bots definition of hope with one of the many exterior things I would place my hope in....
Hope is not a mere wish or optimistic feeling, but a confident, unwavering expectation of future good based on the faithfulness and promises of what people think of me. It acts as a secure "anchor for the soul," that is rooted in what people think of me
Hope is not a mere wish or optimistic feeling, but a confident, unwavering expectation of future good based on the faithfulness and promises of my job. It acts as a secure "anchor for the soul," that is rooted in my job
Hope is not a mere wish or optimistic feeling, but a confident, unwavering expectation of future good based on the faithfulness and promises of a politician. It acts as a secure "anchor for the soul," that is rooted in whos in office
Hope is not a mere wish or optimistic feeling, but a confident, unwavering expectation of future good based on the faithfulness and promises of this relationship working out. It acts as a secure "anchor for the soul," that is rooted in this relationship
Hope is not a mere wish or optimistic feeling, but a confident, unwavering expectation of future good based on the faithfulness and promises of something going well for me or for someone else. It acts as a secure "anchor for the soul," that is rooted in outcomes only being good
So you can kinda see why I needed alcohol to relieve me from all the stress of trying to ensure that these things and people wouldn't let me down!! It's exhausting living life that way and on those terms! Step 2 is the promise that I will be restored to sanity when I stop putting all my hope into those things, people and my mind who can't keep herself from getting drunk or out of turmoil of some sort-and just simply believe that there has to be something greater than my finite understanding. Nothing more, nothing less.
1. What does HOPE mean to you today?
God, the Northern Star, guiding me-that even when I fall short, I can get back and try again. I know that my job is to keep going, keep trying, keep looking, keep wondering, keep questioning in sacred silence, keep falling and getting up, keep learning the lesson, keep transmitting the lesson, keep growing from that lesson. Hope for me is the Courage to be wrong and admitting when I am. Strength to do the right thing to develop Integrity-even when nobody's watching. Hope is learning to have Dignity and Grace while under fire-as those traits do not come natural and I would be lying if I said they did.
2. Did you HAVE to believe or just become willing to believe.
I never struggled with this concept per my above examples of where I invested hope prior. I just had to redirect and put my Hope into something else that I was seeing manifested through the stories and by the people who served God and helped me. If they were restored to sanity, at least in regards to alcohol, perhaps I could be too. Then I can use this same principle (Hope) to be restored to sanity (made whole) in other areas of my life that I am repeating the same thing over expecting different results-but, I can't do much of anything until the major one, alcohol, and the compulsion to consume it is removed.
Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope. -Foreword to Third Edition
I anchored into the hope you shared that allowed me to root into the God of my understanding....how could you possibly thank someone enough for that!?!? I owe my life to you, so I give my life to you in service-and that's just how we roll here!! Amazing stuff here guys!!