Spirituality: Navigating a Chaotic Mind for Inner Peace
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Understanding the Racing Mind
Have you ever experienced a day when your thoughts just wouldn’t slow down?
When your mind is racing, do you find that your thoughts are often negative—filled with sadness, discomfort, regret, anger, or resentment? Perhaps it’s a mix of all these feelings. If you’re fed up with these thoughts ruining your days, you’ve come to the right place!
Even if you feel isolated in your struggles with depression or disconnected from others because of these feelings, you are NOT alone. Many have faced similar challenges and have emerged on the other side, feeling truly blessed and free from distress.
I now embrace a life filled with blessings rather than stress, and YOU can too! The solution is straightforward—though not necessarily easy.
Chapter 1: A Journey to Spirituality
Growing up, I wasn’t exposed to religion, but upon discovering spirituality, I was intrigued by what I found. The more I explored, the deeper my desire grew to learn more. After all, individuals with addictive tendencies often seek out goodness when they find it.
One of my early influences was Emmet Fox, a pioneer of the New Thought movement and a spiritual guide to Bill W. and the founding members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). His teachings offered hope to people like me. His book, The Sermon on the Mount, was actually used by the early members of AA as their initial foundational text. I found it so impactful that I shared it as a gift with many, both within the recovery community and beyond.
This journey set me on a spiritual path toward peace, serenity, and recovery. Interestingly, of the 12 Steps in the AA program, only the first one explicitly mentions alcohol!
Step 1 reads: "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable." I readily acknowledged my life’s unmanageability, which contributed to my racing thoughts. “Help me; I’m trapped and can’t escape.”
The remaining 11 1/2 Steps focus on our mindset. Our perceptions shape our reality. If I perceive that someone has wronged me, I build up defenses without attempting to resolve the issue, which only deepens my discontent.
Section 1.1: Steps to Recovery
I was entrenched in my unmanageable state, unable to see a way out. However, Steps 2 through 12 offer a pathway to recovery—a fulfilling way of living that anyone can benefit from, regardless of their recovery status.
Step 2 doesn't require a shared understanding of God; it acknowledges a Higher Power known by various names—be it God, Allah, Buddha, Lord, or Father.
Even those who identify as non-believers recognize a Higher Power, as the existence of orbiting planets, changing seasons, and the universe itself suggests a force that maintains order.
Step 2 states, “God, as we understood Him.” As I delved deeper into Steps 2–12, I craved more knowledge. I soon realized that by implementing the principles outlined in these Steps, my life began to slow down and felt more manageable.
Subsection 1.1.1: Embracing Change
This newfound manageability made life more enjoyable. I progressed through the Steps one by one, continuously asking questions. Today, over 45 years later, I genuinely feel Happy, Joyous, and Free.
When I actively engage with this program daily, I maintain that sense of happiness. This doesn’t imply that I enjoy everything happening around me; I can only change myself. Everything else is beyond my control.
I offer prayers for those situations or individuals needing peace, healing, or support, and then I move forward. Is it simple? Yes. Is it easy? No, but it is achievable IF I allow it! Thank you, God!