You can also read a transcript of this episode.
Do you have a few sayings or quotes that support your recovery? How do you use them?
Spencer and Eric explore a long list of sayings, quotes, proverbs, and parables. We talked about all of these, some at length, and some quite briefly. Some of these have dates in the form month/day, which refer to readings in the book Courage to Change.
- Take what you like and leave the rest.
- Let it begin with me.
- You are not alone.
- Don’t pick up the rope.
- I don't have to attend every dog fight I'm invited to.
- not my monkeys not my circus
- There are only two types of business; my business, and none of my business.
- We’re only as sick as our secrets.
- Move a muscle, change a thought. (Act my way into right thinking.)
- Don’t just do something, sit there. When in doubt don’t.
- First thought, wrong thought.
- I am a human being, not a human doing.
- Participation is the key to harmony.
- Worry is like a rocking chair; going back and forth and going nowhere.
- The only way I can push people, is away from me.
- Say what you mean but don’t say it meanly.
- The enemy of serenity is indecision and hurry.
- Came, Came to, and Came to Believe!
- Show up, wake up, smarten up.
- I can’t, he can, I think I’ll let him.
- “If you understand, things are just as they are. If you don’t understand, things are just as they are.” Zen proverb.
- It works if you work it!
- If nothing changes, nothing changes.
- Let go or be dragged.
- Stop living in the wreckage of the future.
- Life on life’s terms.
- Keep my head where my feet are.
- Fear and faith can’t live in the same house.
- When the student is ready, the teacher appears.
- What other people think of me is none of my business.
- Do the next right thing.
- If I don’t have 5 minutes to meditate, take 10.
- My best thinking got me here.
- If my only prayer today is thank you, that will suffice.
- The family situation is bound to improve as we apply the Al-Anon ideas.
- I may not get everything I want today but I have everything I need.
- Forgiveness is letting go of hoping for a better yesterday.
- Look back but don’t stare.
- Parable of the two wolves — Which one wins? The one you feed.
- When going through hell, keep going.
- When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot.
- When 1 door closes, another door opens, but living in the hallway is hell.
- Before sunlight shines through a window, the blinds must be raised. American – 3/5
- Patience is the key to paradise. Turkish – 5/14
- When we talk of tomorrow, God laughs. Chinese – 5/17
- The highest for of wisdom is kindness. The Talmud – 4/13
- “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abe Lincoln
- “Courage faces fear and thereby masters it.” MLK Jr – 8/6
- “Even if I knew tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” Martin Luther – 11/5
- “The oak grows stronger in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.” Peter Marshal – 3/23
- “There is no try. There is do or not do.” Yoda
- “Fear leads to hate, hate to anger, anger to suffering.” Yoda
- “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” Albert Schweitzer – 12/9
Readings and Links
Links to longer explanations about or readings of the parables we discussed:
Pandoras box
Cheshire Cat
The two wolves
The original list that we worked from is available as a PDF document.
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