When one's challenges are overwhelmed by dread and anguish, the path to release from one's struggles is rarely evident. COVID-19 has caused great consternation, making this path appear hazy and dangerous. Let's clear some space for ourselves.
Before You Continue...
Do you know what is your soul number? Take this quick quiz to find out! Get a personalized numerology report, and discover how you can unlock your fullest spiritual potential. Start the quiz now!
Spiritual principles lay out a road for us to live lives devoid of unnecessary suffering, with the fortitude and resilience to face the grief and terror that are unavoidable parts of life. At RCA, we use the 12 Step Model of addiction treatment to help patients work through the internal chaos and discover the strength they need to rise above and overcome their challenges.
While the 12 Step Model can assist those suffering from addiction discover the calm and power they need to heal, the principles that underpin it can be applied to any condition. Even in these moments of worry and anxiety, applying the principles can help to alleviate stress and promote overall wellbeing.
These principles, combined with a regular practice of pausing and thinking on them, can help us cope with anything life throws at us.
The Serenity Prayer is a prevalent theme in many recovery circles as a method to pause and allow oneself to return to the present moment and the serenity that is alight inside them, whether or not they recognize it at the time.
Let's make a version of this to think about and express (or even simply read) when we're feeling powerless in the face of the world's current conditions:
Please give me the peace of mind to accept the things I can't change, such as Nature's course.
Grant me the courage to make the changes I can, such as living by spiritual values and taking care of my health, despite how tough it may appear.
And give me the insight to recognize the difference, to understand that I have no control over my choices and that Love will guide me through any experience I may have.
Keep in mind what your life's mission is. It is not to be subjected to interminable suffering and to be at the mercy of life's events. It is to be free, to live in Love rather than fear, and to know that this experience is possible and available to you at any time and in any place, regardless of anything may obstruct your way. It is constantly present within you. Take your time to locate it, and you'll be able to bear nearly any “how” if you do.
What are the 12 spiritual principles?
Acceptance, hope, faith, courage, honesty, patience, humility, willingness, brotherly-love, integrity, self-discipline, and service are the 12 spiritual principles of recovery.
What are the spiritual principles in life?
Most of us are drawn in two seemingly opposing directions by the December holidaysHanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaathe materialism involved in purchasing and giving goods, and the generosity of spirit demonstrated by an elevated attitude of kindness toward oneself and others.
Although providing material presents to others can be a manifestation of spiritual kindness, material and spiritual generosity are two distinct concepts that frequently clash. In contrast to material or physical commodities, I am referring to attitudes and acts connected to or impacting the human spirit or soul.
Many people are unable to give tangible gifts, yet everyone can grow more spiritual by practicing being consciously aware of and adopting specific concepts.
Spiritual values and ethical activities are represented by spiritual principles. While 12-step recovery programs emphasize the application of spiritual principles, many of them are universal and have been part of most of the world's major spiritual traditions for centuries.
Some of these may appear so simple that you've never thought of them as “spiritual.” Nonetheless, that is exactly what they are. They are the polar opposite of the disease and self-absorption fuelled by obsessive thinking, emotional attachment/avoidance, and compulsive actions that confine so many people for so long. Spiritual principles like these open and soften the heart, allowing us to connect more profoundly and intimately with people, the environment around us, and our true selves.
Acceptance is number one.
Acceptance is the process of recognizing and accepting the reality of a situation. It's crucial to remember that accepting something doesn't mean you agree with it or are pleased with it. You can despise a circumstance while still accepting it. Finding ways to accept the things you can't alter frees you from having to battle against the truths that you find distasteful, uncomfortable, or painful.
Open-Mindedness is number two on the list.
Respecting and being attentive to new and different possibilities is what open-mindedness entails. This means being open to thoughts and ideas we hadn't considered before, as well as opinions that are vastly different from our own.
3. Appreciation
How many spiritual principles are there?
The spiritual principles are known in the AA rooms as the Twelve Steps. The 36 principles are divided into three categories: Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts. There have been numerous alternative spiritual virtue lists released by other AA's over the years that refer to the Twelve Steps.
What are the 7 principles of life?
The Nolan Principles (also known as the Seven Principles of Public Life) apply to everyone who holds a public position. All people assigned to work in the Civil Service, local government, the police, courts, and probation services, non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), and health, education, social, and care services are included. All public officials serve the public as both servants and stewards of public resources. The ideas also apply to people who provide public services in other fields.
What are spiritual principles in the Bible?
Spiritual principles are universally accepted underlying truths. If you throw a stone, for example, it will fall to the ground. That is a natural result governed by gravity. The same law applies to human behavior and activities.
What is the spiritual principle of faith?
“Faith can take many forms. It's knowledge without wisdom, faith without knowledge, and hope with a track record. Faith is what motivates us to accomplish things we never thought we could. Faith is vital to people from all areas of life, but addiction drives us to utilize faith in ways that many of us never imagined.”
Step Three of A.A. is based on the Spiritual Principle faith: “We made the decision to entrust our will and our lives to God, as we understood Him.”
Step Three does, in fact, require the addict or alcoholic to believe in a Higher Power. However, it does not specify who or what that Higher Power must be. Many A.A.s choose to imagine the God they knew as a child. Others may have regarded their encounters with deities as a child to be a little unreal.
Faith, on the other hand, does not require what you believe in; it just requires that you believe. Place your faith in nature if you aren't ready to believe in a god. If you're not willing to put your confidence in nature, put your trust in the program. Consider the 12 Steps to be a force greater than yourself. And be aware of the many millions of addicts and alcoholics who have gone before you who have gone through similar transformations.
What is the spiritual principle of step 10?
The spiritual values of vigilance, upkeep, and endurance are put into effect in AA's tenth step. Recognizing and appreciating what is working and balanced can also assist us in identifying what is out of balance and not working.
Where are the 12 principles in the big book?
Recovery necessitates willingness, honesty, and open-mindedness. However, these are required prior to investigation.” (‘Principles' are mentioned in the 12 & 12 on pages 16, 18, 106, 114, 174, 182, in addition to the following.)
Is patience a spiritual principle?
“Patience is the ability to wait for things to fall into place without using force or breaking things.”
We didn't become clean over night, and our Fellowship didn't begin to develop over night. Patience can also be referred as as creativewaiting as a spiritual concept. Life will place us in situations where the only option is to wait. This may not occur frequently, but when it does, we must remember that sometimes just watching and waiting is all that is required. In our day, our self-will made us want everything. Our universe widens in recovery, and we find ourselves on God's timetable. We sometimes have to wait for the right opportunity, much like in the 9th Step. We can only be willing until then. While we wait, our willingness provides us something tangible to hold on to.
Accepting the wait, asking God to prepare us for action, and making good use of our time are all advantages of spiritual patience. We may all recall moments when we acted only on our own willpower, dismissing warnings from individuals we had reason to believe in. This is the source of much of our suffering. Most of the time, going off half-cocked ensured our failure. We have a saying in recovery: “When in doubt, don't.” The person who fails to evaluate their resources and acts without the benefit of prayer is almost by definition setting the stage for calamity. Committing to action without first contemplating your resources and the magnitude of the need for what you're about to undertake is not spiritual. Taking time to reflect allows the rest of our minds to enter the picture.
We naturally minimize the strain we put on ourselves to act, whether we're ready or not, when we use patience. We gain time to double-check our assumptions about a situation, as well as time to hear from our sponsor and other members. All of this makes us feel less compelled to use quick-fix techniques. It's possible that impatience is a holdover from the way we used to do things.
After a succession of fast fixes failed, some of the most significant events in Narcotics Anonymous' history occurred. Solid debate, planning, and action became possible after enough participants agreed to commit to a solution. We had to learn to collaborate while remaining open-minded and free of the faulty traps of pride and ego. This was true of our entire service structure, including our globe service office, Basic Text, and “Narcotics Anonymous.” Cutting corners, moving forward without consulting the individuals involved, and neglecting to respect what has come before are all time-consuming. Even the best improvements will fail if people don't comprehend them or aren't given the chance to study and support them.
Members who have made a long-term commitment form trust ties.
When we are patiently willing to search each other's hearts and brains to establish at least a basic degree of conscious agreement, these relationships will stay bound. In most cases, this blossomed into spiritual union, and genuine results followed soon after. Some of our battles have been long and difficult. Patience has shown to be essential.
Do-gooders are always met with resistance from addicts. We've discovered that each of us must wait for the beginnings of a solution to emerge from within, whether patiently or not. We will stay blind, deaf, and deaf to even the most inspired calls to better judgment until this process has begun.
The Twelve Steps softly and steadily guide us through these awakenings. As a result, our development will be synchronized with the changes that must occur in our specific contexts. Non-addicts and even well-wishers often find us perplexing. This is simply a repetition of our need for other addicts who want to get sober in NA. Everything hinges on one's desire. We do not make atonement until we have surrendered to a larger force and begged that power to remove our flaws. After the faults that caused harm to others have been removed, amendments are made.
Sometimes our patience is matched by our willingness to act. It's possible that we'll have to wait after saying or doing everything we can. We've heard the phrase “in God's time, not mine” repeated several times in meetings. Patience is required to accept this concept. We want what we want right away as addicts. When we were doing drugs, our entire existence revolved around instant gratification. Even in recovery, many of us crave the buzz that “quick fix” remedies provide.
Before we get six months, we want to be clean for five years. We want those who we've wronged numerous times during our addiction to believe that we've truly changed and to demand forgiveness right away. We may have entered Narcotics Anonymous broke and in debt, yet after a little period of sobriety, we can't understand why we can't get a loan or a credit card. “Don't they know I'm clean now?” some members have enragedly asked. Many times, people are unconcerned and have no idea what being clean entails. We must never lose sight of the fact that we live in a unique environment created through time by the love, goodwill, and positive example of other sober addicts who care about us. They are repaying those who have aided them in the best manner they know how: by assisting us. We, in turn, assist those who have yet to arrive.
We eventually come to terms with the fact that just though we survive and recover “only for today,” it doesn't imply we'll have everything back in one day. If our future lives are a puzzle, we must recognize that we are given a piece of the puzzle on a daily basis. We put up our best effort and do what has to be done, laying the foundation for a brighter future. Part of the healing process is asking our Higher Power for the patience to see our vision become a reality. “It's easy to be patient when things are going my way,” one member remarked, smiling.
We agree, but spiritual progress requires us to “apply these principles in all of our dealings,” not just the easy ones. We've realized that the discomfort we experience when things don't go our way or happen quickly enough is merely our egos demanding attention. The same egos that pushed us to the brink of sickness now drive us. With the benefit of conscious communication with our higher power, a proper, healthy sense of self guides us over time. This happens gradually as you progress through the 12 Steps. Patience enables us to adjust to new situations. In a crisis, if we move too hastily, we are likely to revert to our previous habits. We even know how to generate a crisis when one is required! Most of the time, we're just trying to get back to what we're used to.
Patience requires a surrender of one's willpower. We've come to believe that no matter what happens, we'll be taken care of. We examine our portion to ensure that we have completed all of our responsibilities for the day. We beg for God's will to be aligned with ours, and we let go of our concerns with love. We begin to trust outcomes rather than dread them, relying on the faith we've developed via executing a full third step. Patience is knowing that whatever happens, it will be God's way!
Practicing patience, in our experience, does not dilute or postpone miracles; rather, it amplifies them. Even in the most trying of circumstances, we are capable of remaining calm and understanding. The relief we get from not having to worry about the future feels like a huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders. Patience is the art of living in peace.