Remind the prospect that his recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God.p99,100

Strength
Contentment is a great strength. It comes when a person lives in honesty and simplicity. Contentment means we have overcome useless desires. It is said that you can discern a person's truth from their level of contentment.

From Inner Space

Contentment is a great strength.
I suppose I havent really though of it as a strength
except if i think of how it would be to be
restless irritable & DIS contented. xxvi THE DOCTOR'S OPINION
then I feel less than
unworthy, paranoid
weak not strong
powerless

It comes when a person lives in honesty and simplicity.
to thine own self be true
rigorous honesty
to be honest
acceptance
of the present
what I have or haven't
who I am and am not
how it is and is not
happy not necessarily right
keeping it simple
the truth
keeping it real

Contentment means we have overcome useless desires.
me living it not expecting you to live it
and me experience it
no fantasy
not predicting
not assuming
not attachment
not the holding onto the past
nor the future
not grasping for people or things
not fixing
not sulking
not expecting
not waiting for
not dying for
not living for
not giving up
not keeping hold of
its letting go

It is said that you can discern a person's truth from their level of contentment.
To this I say
only if they show you themselves
their perfectness and their imperfectness
and even then, even if
it could all change within
30 minutes!
thats my view of what contentment looks like
and theirs!
I say this because when I hold back
when through fear, pride and arrogance
its felt
and my apparant contentment
which seemed so attractive
can falter within seconds
and appear false!

I cant see or feel your insides
on what your outsides look like!
or purely on what you choose to show me
when the two do not appear as one
ie no apparant admission of virtues
nor apparant admission of defects
it is not attractive
spiritual or honest
infact its unattractive
controlling
thoughtless
confusing
I say this because when I hold back
when through fear, pride and arrogance
its felt
and what i feel at any given moment
is not necessarily when you see and feel
at the same moment
there is sometimes a time difference

I am really seeing how
fear, pride and jealousy
prevent people from
showing their imperfect selves
and they disappear
to another circle
in an avoidance
of someone finding out
who they really are
or taking responsibility
maintaining a relationship
at any level takes effort
to say I am jealous...
and to continue to stick around
takes effort and courage
to say I am scared of whats going on
takes effort and courage
and yet others come right out and say
stuff without fear of anything
people myself included
continue to suprise me...
I say this because when I hold back
when through fear, pride and arrogance
its felt

Am I being judgemental?
Yes
Am I learning about
normal human behaviour
of the non alky and the alky?
yes
Do I behave the same way?
yes I have done
can/will do again no doubt

Its interesting though
How fear of rejection
fear of what some one will think of me
fear of being alone (no friends!)
prevents me from leaving someone alone
saying no
what is my definition of what a friend is anyway?
friendship?
is it just another one of my old ideas
I MUST let go of
in order to
experience contentment?
is it just a cunning part of the mental
that grows neediness and loneliness?
and discontentment...
yes i know this to be!
and yet at the same time
humans naturally
need other humans
rejection of self and others
grows neediness and loneliness
in self and others

Speaking purely with God
is not enough
What God gives me
is always enough
People places and things
including me
are channels
for/of Gods work
and the message

Both you and the new man must walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress. If you persist, remarkable things will happen. When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned. Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances!p100