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The System Failed the Reiner Family


The brutal deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, allegedly at the hands of their 32-year-old son Nick, tragically and dramatically brings the systemic failures of the current treatment practices and approaches for substance abuse, mental health and homelessness into stark relief.

In a 2016 People Magazine article Nick stated that his first trip to rehab was at age 15 (2008), returning 17 times with sporadic periods of homelessness between trips.

Since the publication of the article it has been reported Nick had numerous further stints in treatment, both for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and mental health issues (principally schizophrenia), and was placed in a mental health conservatorship for a year in 2020. In interviews Nick has been candid about his mental health struggles, illicit drug use, including Crystal Meth and homelessness.

With over 40 years in recovery and one of 14 Certified Mental Health Recovery Peer Specialists (CMHRPS) in California I know – and have known – many Nick Reiners’ as well as their families and loved ones who struggle and suffer as well trying to comprehend their often-baffling behavior, consistently questionable decisions, the lies and manipulations coupled with the frustration of dealing with a wholly inadequate system in seeking help for them.

For most initial contact when seeking help is routinely conciliatory and accommodating in tone while your information is gathered for placement. But once admitted to a SUD treatment or a mental health facility the realities of the current system become painfully apparent. Try to imagine (I am sure many reading this won’t have to) dealing with someone in a call center, often in another country working from a carefully worded script, making decisions on the length, level and type of care you, your child or loved one receives.

Having personally lobbied for clients who were making real headway, only to have further treatment denied based on inflexible metrics and cold financial benchmarks, knowing the possible real-world consequences, the frustration is impossible to convey with mere words.

Then there is the nightmare call from a parent whose child “completed” treatment and returned home, often with the best of intentions but lacking an integrated Aftercare plan, within weeks, sometimes days succumbs to an overdose. As you can rightly imagine, words fail.

Additionally individuals who “AMA” (leave Against Medical Advice) often “disappear” into a shadow world of no questions asked hotels/motels, homeless encampments, or Skid Row . Nick chose this path, by his own accounts, numerous times.

Trying to explain to someone that their child or loved one has “left” and legally you can provide no information due to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations; saying this is a hard conversation doesn’t come close to the reality of it.

The true horror begins though when they fall prey to rehab “body brokers” who stalk this shadow world. For brokers these individuals are gold since upon relapse and reentry into treatment their insurance payout clock resets.

Brokers are essentially human traffickers who are paid finders fees from unethical facilities to locate “relapsers” and encourage (i.e. pay) them to return to treatment. Though costs vary, the average in California for a 30-day Residential Rehab is over $50,000 . Once the facility bills their insurance and gets paid, the broker receives an additional large kick back (thousands of dollars) for their efforts.

Routinely the individual will leave treatment again, relapses (often with the assistance of the broker), and the cycle repeats. Body brokers have been known as well to fraudulently purchase insurance for individuals to perpetuate this horrific but incredibly lucrative illegal practice.

I worked with many on their 4th, 5th or more times around this block. One young man I worked with was on his 41st round of treatment. He was an expert at the game and lured other clients in to it. In 2023 one of the owners of a facility this young man cycled through was arrested for utilizing body brokers and money laundering and is currently incarcerated in a Federal Penitentiary. HIPAA must be amended to more easily identify these individuals and facilities for prosecution.

We may never know if Nick Reiner fell into this dark circus, but he would have been a very tempting target. The Reiner’s case demonstrates, by all accounts, that Nick received the best treatment and support available, and though we will probably never know with certainty all that transpired, like so many Nick fell through the holes and his parents paid the price emotionally for years watching their son struggle despite their best efforts, and if accounts are true, finally with their lives.

Though the Government does occasionally hold someone’s feet to the fire for malfeasance, fraud is rampant. Every year from the local to the Federal level BILLIONS of dollars are spent on addiction, homelessness and mental health and the results are, if I am being kind, lackluster at best to downright tragic. Since 2019 California alone has spent over 24 BILLION on these issues which has accomplished precious little while the funds are mostly unaccounted for.

Additionally since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Healthcare Providers profit margins have increased by a reported 230% yet coverage and resources, particularly for this population, though still substantial, have diminished.

Today’s current built-in limitations and hurdles, of both Healthcare Providers and Governmental agencies, coupled with a lack of any real cohesion between the professional and non-professional treatment communities perpetuates the lack of any truly effective and AFFORDABLE Aftercare for sufferers and their families after a SUD treatment cycle or mental health hospital stay.

Combine this with the overall failure in honestly addressing the realities of the homeless population, which is largely composed of the addicted and mentally ill, while adding in the unfortunate stigma toward addiction and mental illness that is alive and well and a true picture begins to take shape.

A new and innovative paradigm is required. A fresh but uncomfortable look at the current state of professional treatment practices, the failure of truly integrating the real-world experience of those living full lives free of active substance abuse and untethered mental illness and homelessness into a new, all-encompassing approach.

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change is as true today as ever.

In conclusion: the resources for change are available now, the problems lie in the bureaucracies that manages them, the bad actors preying on this population, the current regulations and restrictions which often do more harm than good, the one-dimensional approaches, in both professional and real world recovery, and the lack of any real coordination between professional engagement and those demonstrating real world recovery must all be addressed.

Instead of one-size-fits-all metrics, arbitrary limits and counterproductive restrictions, the focus must be on the individual’s needs, bringing to bear all the tools and approaches available today while effectively utilizing the deeply experienced individuals in both long-term SUD and mental health recovery who stand ready to be of service since it is an integral aspect of their continued success. As the saying goes “To keep it you have to give it away.”

But as dire as it is, there is hope. Habilitat in Hawaii created a model based on long-term engagement (i.e. Aftercare) teaching people to live beyond their addictions and homelessness which has worked with thousands since 1971 and recently the Grammy Award winning artist Jelly Roll (Jason DeFord) was instrumental in opening the first 100% free recovery and medical center for the homeless in Nashville which provides 200 beds and is privately funded, as is Habilitat.

As a society the hope is that the Reiner tragedy is the spark which ignites real conversation with a no-holds-barred assessment fomenting concrete actions and positive change. The question is, will it?

I am the creator of Miracles Of Recovery which is a blueprint for an honest dialogue concerning addiction, mental health and homelessness. I am one of 14 CCAPP Certified Mental Health Recovery Peer Specialists (CMHRPS) in California having over 40 years’ experience in personal recovery. I have worked with individuals from all walks and strata of society, from Park Avenue to park benches, from the instantly recognizable to the forgotten and lost, and have dealt with all manner of governmental entities, agencies and healthcare providers (both public and private) intimately familiar with the often one-dimensional “solutions” and the insidious stigma and curious prejudices surrounding treatment, recovery processes and homelessness found in both the professional and “real world” recovery and mental health communities.

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4th Step inventory using The 4 Absolutes (Honesty, Unselfishness, Purity, and Love)

Based on a Simple (but not easy) step 4 guide by Father Bill W. (Recognized A.A./Oxford Group Historian sober since 1972)

The 4th Step is not meant to be an in-depth psychoanalysis of ourselves; rather it is asking God to awaken us to seeing where our lives have been out of alignment with His will for us.

Fourth Step Reminder: You are no longer trying to work these steps on your own! Write a prayer like this at the top of every page of your inventory.

“God, please help me to be honest, help me to remember, and give me the courage to complete this inventory.”

HONEST: Is it true or is it false?
· How have I been dishonest with others and with myself?
· Have I lied, manipulated, cheated and stolen from others? List the big ones. (Nope, list them all. As directed below.*)
· Who was hurt by my dishonesty?
· How did this hurt my relationship with God, remembering that God is Truth?

 
UNSELFISHNESS: How will it affect others?
· How has self-centeredness shown itself in my life and who has been hurt by it?
· Are there people, institutions or principles that still anger me?
· If so, is there a role I played either bringing it about or holding on to my resentment?
· How have I put my own self-interest ahead of God’s plan for me to be of service to others?


PURITY: Is it right or is it wrong?
· What past or present behaviors, thoughts or feelings make me feel guilty, isolated, or ashamed?
· What are the areas of my life that I don’t want others to see?
· Remembering that my sex powers are God given and good, where has my sex life
   strayed from what I believe God’s will is for me?
· How has fear dominated my life?
· Who or what am I afraid of? Why?
· What have I done to cover my fear?
· How have I responded negatively or destructively to my fear?
· What do I most fear looking at and exposing about myself?
· What do I think will happen if I do?
· How have I cheated myself because of my fear?


LOVE: Is it ugly or is it beautiful?
· How was I self-seeking?
· What did I do in pursuit of my selfish desires?
· Did I manipulate people?
· When my ego was hurt, how did I act out in response?
· Did I slander or gossip?
· Justified or not, what harm did I cause, and what self-serving behaviors did I engage in?
· Has my life been isolated – a lonely life of “taking” rather than “giving’?
· Now, with God’s help, am I ready make “love and service” my code?



Considerations: The Big Book concludes the inventory section by saying: “If you have already made a decision, (Step 3) and an inventory of your grosser handicaps (Step 4), you have made a good beginning. That being so, you have swallowed and digested some big chunks of truth about yourself.”


Now ask yourself the following question:
Have I knowingly omitted* writing down anything I have done or left undone that makes me feel guilty, ashamed or separated from God, from people, or from myself?


If your answer is an honest, “NO!” then get on to Step 5 as fast as you can; for, the Big Book promises: “Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience. The feeling that the drink problem has disappeared will often come strongly. We feel we are on the Broad Highway, walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe.”


Dr. Bob left his blessing on the Four Absolutes to help us find our way back to God whenever we get lost. He also left a warning to his fellow co-founder: “Bill, let’s not louse this thing up. Let’s keep it simple.” (DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, p. 343).

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Let Go and Let God

                                                         Part 4

                                         

“Someday surely we will see the principle underlying existence as so simple, so beautiful, so compelling that we will all say to each other, ‘How could we all have been so stupid for so long.” John Wheeler, Princeton University professor of physics from1938 to 1976. He worked on the Manhattan Project and was instrumental in designing the Hydrogen bomb.

                                                      TRUST

“The universe has a divine plan for each of us, and it is unfolding in its own perfect time.” Caroline Myss

THE UNIVERSE (GOD) demands only one thing from you to give you everything you desire: TRUST. Yet this seemingly simple requirement is where most people falter.  Without realizing it, they hold on to doubt, control and fear. Building invisible walls that keep their deepest desires at arm’s length.                                                                         

THE IRONY: These barriers aren’t imposed by THE UNIVERSE (GOD) but by the refusal to surrender fully to its flow (“Half measures availed us nothing.” BB pg.59” “…it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn’t do it. Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery… BB pg. 133). Trusting the unseen forces of creation is an act of courage (“All men of faith have courage. They trust their God.” BB pg.68). It requires stepping into the unknown, a place where logic and certainty dissolve and INTUITION takes over (“We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” BB pg. 84). Most people avoid this step clinging instead to the comfort of the familiar, even if it means settling for a life far below their potential. (“I may be in shit, but it is my shit and it is warm and familiar.” Heard by compiler in an AA meeting. “If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing.” BB pg. 76)

But those who dare (i.e.to be sufficiently courageous) to TRUST will find that the universe (God) responds in ways more extraordinary than they ever imagined. This is NOT a vague promise but a UNIVERSAL LAW waiting for you to activate it.

(Critical to move forward: What “Universal Law” is referenced here? Principally manifesting: that which we dwell/focus on we bring into our lives i.e. Reaping and Sowing. This foundational principle or teaching is found across the spectrum of Religions and Spiritual Paths spanning our recorded history. Hermeticism addresses this as: The Principle of Mentalism which emphasizes the power of the mind in shaping reality. It states that our thoughts and beliefs create our experiences and shape our lives. By understanding and utilizing the power of the mind, we can consciously create the reality we desire, additionally it highlights the interconnectedness of all things. It states we are all part of the Universal Cosmic Mind (God), and our individual consciousness is an extension, part and parcel, of all Creation.

BB Promises i.e. manifesting: “We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us – sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize (manifest) if we work for them.” BB. Pg. 84.)

                    SO, WHICH WAY WILL YOU LEAP?:

(… “crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade; we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is, or He isn’t. What was our choice to be?” BB pg. 53)

                              OK, ARE YOU READY TO UNRAVEL? THEN:

Let’s unravel HOW THIS WORKS and what it means for your life: True TRUST begins in the present moment. Without PRESENCE, TRUST is hollow, a word, not an EXPERIENCE.

(Presence: to become manifest, constituting the one actually involved: at hand.)

The POWER OF CREATION lies in the now, yet so many people live (engaging in MORBID REFLECTION) in their past (reliving memories of shame, regret, etc.) or future (projecting anxiety/fear, while dwelling in catastrophic thinking). They replay old memories rehashing emotions tied to (negative) experiences long gone or they project themselves into an IMAGINED future full of (negative) “What-ifs.” This mental time travel robs them of the one place where life actually unfolds: THE PRESENT.

PRESENCE is more than just being physically here. It’s a state of FULL AWARENESS, where your mind, body and emotions converge in the moment. When you are TRULY PRESENT your energy is undivided and your focus sharpens. THIS is where TRUST begins to grow, not from forcing outcomes but from aligning yourself with the flow of life. By practicing PRESENCE you learn to silence the inner noise, transcend old patterns and create space for something new to emerge (“As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter. We were reborn.” BB pg.63).

THE PATH to PRESENCE is not always easy (Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. BB pg. 14). Old habits, distractions and external demands constantly pull you away. But every time you redirect your attention to the NOW you reclaim a piece of your power. Over time this becomes a habit, a skill that allows you to access the FULL ENERGY OF CREATION, and with this energy, you can finally start designing the life you truly desire.

                OK, READY FOR THE GREATEST OBSTACLE?

The greatest obstacle to TRUST is DOUBT and DOUBT is INSIDIOUS. It shows up as FEAR, HESITATION or SECOND-GUESSING your every move. It’s the voice that says, “What if this doesn’t work?” or What if I fail again?” That voice isn’t truth; it’s a SURVIVAL MECHANISM designed to keep you stuck in what’s familiar.

(Doubt: is the voice of ego, vanity and morbid reflection, our indwelling “Hungry Ghost”. It is “yeah buts” and “you don’t understands”, all rationalized anger and seemingly justified resentments (for in truth NO resentment is ever justifiable), any holier than thou or “better than” attitudes as well as being the fertile breeding ground for all catastrophic ruminations. It is the town crier for the Kingdom of DIS, shouting discord, disharmony, disagreement, disappointment, disapproval, disenchantment and many more but all leading to the same destination: the counties of restlessness, discontent and irritability which make up the capital city of Dis-Ease.)

(Insidious: having a gradual and cumulative effect:subtle, developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent, awaiting a chance to entrap, treacherous, harmful but enticing, seductive. Insidious is the birthplace of the Hungry Ghost.)

(Survival Mechanism: a way of seemingly protecting oneself from being hurt. PTSD is a survival mechanism.)

THE UNIVERSE (GOD), however (in truth), operates on FAITH, not fear. TRUSTING means stepping into the unknown despite the discomfort. It is choosing possibility over certainty. DOUBT thrives in certainty, in staying where you have always been. But TRUST requires you to embrace the unknown as a place of INFINITE POTENTIAL. (“Perhaps there is a better way – we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity.” BB pg. 68. “When many hundreds of people are able to say that the consciousness of the Presence of God is today the most important fact of their lives, they present a powerful reason why one should have faith.” BB pg. 51)

(Faith: something that is believed especially with strong conviction; belief and trust in and loyalty to God. “When you have come to the edge of all you know and are about to step out into faith one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.” – Originator Patrick Overton)

(Infinite: extending indefinitely: endless, immeasurably or inconceivably great or extensive: inexhaustible.)

(Potential: something that can develop or become actual.)

HERE’S THE SHIFT:(We Step out in Faith) Every time you choose TRUST over DOUBT you strengthen your ability to create. You teach your mind and body to align with your VISION rather than your fears (For we are: “Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity…” BB pg.62). Over time DOUBT loses its grip. The ENERGY you once wasted on “What-Ifs” becomes the fuel for transformation. TRUST isn’t just a belief: IT’S A SKILL and every act of FAITH makes you better at it.

(Skill: a learned power of doing something competently: a developed aptitude or ability.)

(“Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish. BB. Pg. 16.” “We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.” BB pg. 60. “What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all of our activities. ‘How can I best serve Thee – Thy will (not mine) be done.’ These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will.” BB pg.85)

(Constantly: continually occurring or recurring: regular)

                                            OUR EMOTIONAL STATE:

Your emotional state is a reflection of your level of TRUST. When you operate from a place of guilt, anger, or fear (resentment) you send a message to the Universe: “I don’t believe things will work out.” These emotions anchor you to the past and block you from stepping into a brighter future.

(“Resentment is the “number one” offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease.” BB pg. 64. From which births selfish motives and actions, “I have a right to be angry” justification, etc. i.e. Morbid Reflection.

“It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment (any resentment actually) leads only to futility and unhappiness (i.e.: “I don’t believe things will work out.”). To the precise extent that we permit these, do we squander the hours that might have been worthwhile. But with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience (which is based in Faith and Trust), this business of resentment is infinitely grave. We found that it is fatal. For when harboring such feelings we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit. The insanity of alcohol returns and we drink again. And with us, to drink is to die. (Note: not all who trod this path drink, but they do die spiritually and emotionally, living often long lives of restlessness, irritability, hopelessness; taking up permanent residence in the Kingdom of DIS, existing in quiet desperation, doubt and deep and abiding resentment.)

If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but for alcoholics (actually everyone) these things are poison.” BB pg. 66)

(Dubious: questionable or suspect as to true nature or quality, unsettled in opinion: doubtful.)

                                      TO TRUST THE UNIVERSE:

TO TRUST THE UNIVERSE (GOD) you must MASTER your EMOTIONS. This doesn’t mean suppressing them but learning to transform them. Begin by asking yourself: “Does this feeling align with the life I want to create?” If the answer is no, it’s time to let go. Replace those lower vibrations (Through the employment of prayer and meditation) with gratitude, love and joy, emotions that signal TRUST in your vision.

(“People are often unreasonable and self-centered (Their curriculum). Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives (Their curriculum). Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you (Their curriculum). Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous (Their curriculum). Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them (And their curriculum) anyway.” Mother Teresa)

                                                        GRATITUDE:

The act of feeling GRATITUDE before something has manifested is a GAME CHANGER. It is as if you’re telling the UNIVERSE (GOD): “I trust you so deeply that I AM already celebrating.”This emotional alignment isn’t just positive thinking; it’s a POWERFUL SIGNAL that draws your desires closer. When your heart and mind work together in HARMONY the UNIVERSE (GOD) cannot help but respond.

(Harmony: pleasing arrangement of parts: congruence, agreement, accord, internal calm: tranquility.)

One of the hardest parts of TRUSTING the UNIVERSE (GOD) is LETTING GO of control. Society teaches you to micro-manage every detail of your life. To plan endlessly and to leave nothing to chance. But the TRUTH is, the more you try to control, the more resistance you create. (“Most people try to live by self-propulsion. Each person is like an actor who wants to run the whole show; is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, the scenery and the rest of the players in his own way. If his arrangements would only stay put, if only people would do as he wished, the show would be great. Everybody, including himself, would be pleased. Life would be wonderful…What usually happens? The show doesn’t come off very well. He begins to think life doesn’t treat him right. He decides to exert himself more.” BB pgs. 60-1.)

                                                       LETTING GO:

Control stems from FEAR, the fear that things won’t work out unless you intervene. Letting go doesn’t mean abandoning effort; it means releasing the obsessive need to dictate outcomes (Outlining). (“Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely.” BB pg. 58 “Half measures availed us nothing.” BB pg.59 “We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well (surrendered). Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs.” BB pg.63)

TRUST requires SURRENDER, not inaction. Imagine holding onto a rope so tightly that your hands bleed. LETTING GO doesn’t weaken you; it frees you. By TRUSTING the process you allow the UNIVERSE (GOD) to work on your behalf often in ways you couldn’t have planned or predicted. (“If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing”. BB pg. 76) (Note: the word surrender does not appear in the text of the BB.)

(Nil: nothing, zero.)

(Absolutely: completely or totally.)

                                                    THE SURRENDER:

SURRENDER is not PASSIVITY; it is the ULTIMATE ACT OF FAITH. It’s a declaration that you believe in something GREATER THAN YOURSELF (“We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. ‘Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?’ As soon as a man can say that he does believe, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built.” BB pg. 47).

(Emphatic: force or intensity of expression that gives impressiveness or importance to something.)

(Assure: to make certain the coming or attainment of something: guaranteed.)

This act of release doesn’t just free you it creates space (opens our heart and mind) for the UNIVERSE (GOD) to DELIVER MIRACLES. When you TRUST, you align with DIVINE TIMING and things begin to unfold effortlessly. As your TRUST deepens the UNIVERSE (GOD) starts to communicate through SIGNS AND SYNCHRONICITES.

                                      SIGNS AND SYNCHRONICITES:

These moments aren’t random; they are confirmations that you’re on the right path. A CHANCE ENCOUNTER, A SUDDEN INSIGHT or a SEQUENCE OF EVENTS that seem too perfect to be coincidence. These are bread crumbs left by the UNIVERSE (GOD) guiding you closer to your desires. The beauty of these signs is that they energize you. Each one feels like a small MIRACLE, a reminder that the UNIVERSE (GOD) is listening. Instead of dreading your daily practices you begin to look forward to them. TRUST becomes not just A NECESSITY BUT A SOURCE OF JOY. With every synchronicity your BELIEF STRENGTHENS and the cycle of TRUST AND MANIFESTATION ACCELERATES (A promise).

When you start noticing these signs don’t dismiss them. Acknowledge them as evidence of your alignment. Let them fuel your enthusiasm and deepen your commitment to TRUSTING the process. The UNIVERSE (GOD) speaks in whispers and the more you pay attention the louder those whispers become.

                                                       TRUE TRUST:

TRUE TRUST ISN’T SOMETHING YOU DO, IT IS SOMETHING YOU BECOME. When you TRUST deeply, it transforms your identity. You no longer have to remind yourself to BELIEVE; you simply embody it. (Walking the way we talk, in truth, a day at a time.)

(Transform: to change in character or condition: convert.)

(Embody: to make concrete and perceptible.) (“What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind.” BB pg. 87)

                                              THE PROFOUND SHIFT:

This SHIFT IS PROFOUND BECAUSE IT CHANGES EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE. Your thoughts, emotions and actions ALIGN EFFORTLESSLY with your vision. Living as someone who TRUSTS means you STOP CHASING. Instead, you ATTRACT. You no longer rely on EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES to validate your FAITH. Instead your INNER STATE becomes the FOUNDATION FOR EVERYTHING YOU EXPERIENCE. This is where TRUE FREEDOM lies: NOT IN CONTROLLING OUTCOMES BUT IN KNOWING THAT YOU’RE ALWAYS SUPPORTED. When TRUST becomes second nature the UNIVERSE (GOD) reveals its MAGIC in ways you could NEVER have imagined.

(Profound: having intellectual depth and insight, all encompassing: complete.)

                                                   TRUE MANIFESTING:

It is not just about manifesting your desires; it’s about becoming the person capable of receiving them. THE UNIVERSE (GOD) DOESN’T GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT; IT GIVES YOU WHO YOU ARE. TRUST is the bridge between where you are now and the life you’ve always dreamed of. (Who am I? What am I? Why am I? To live in TRUST and truly manifest each of us MUST answer these questions to and for ourselves.)

                                                        THE CHOICE:

Every day you face a CHOICE: TO TRUST OR TO RESIST. The UNIVERSE (GOD) doesn’t demand perfection, endless effort or blind optimism. It SIMPLY asks for your TRUST. That TRUST unlocks the door to EVERYTHING YOU DESIRE.

(“We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined.” BB pg. 88)

THE QUESTION IS: ARE YOU READY TO GIVE IT (TRUST)? The moment you do you’ll realize that LIFE ISN’T SOMETHING YOU FIGHT AGAINST. IT’S SOMETHING YOU CREATE WITH EVERY THOUGHT, FEELING AND CHOICE. TRUST AND WATCH (effortless action) AS THE UNIVERSE (GOD) WORKS MIRACLES ON YOUR BEHALF.

(“The age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!” BB pg. 153)

                                                       Finally:

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” Buddha Siddhartha Gautama

                                        2500 years later this:

(Resist) “…undue attachment to a particular teacher, a particular textbook, or a particular church or other organization. It is a mistaken loyalty. It is an unselfish error, but a deadly one. Any religious teacher or writer, however eminent, any church or center, however much beloved, is still but a means to an end. The end itself is spiritual growth. Recognize with gratitude all the help you receive from any source, but remember that your loyalty is due to God, through your own spiritual development. You must feel free at any time to go wherever you get the most help, irrespective of personal considerations.” Emmet Fox

(Irrespective: functioning without or having no regard for persons, conditions, circumstances, or consequences.)

             SO, WE TRUST BECAUSE WE NOW KNOW THAT:

“Infinite intelligence is at the core of your being. It will guide and direct your thoughts, your actions, and your words if you will let it (TRUST). It will bring you the perfect right answer…” Emmet Fox

AA, Addiction, authenticity, Buddha, Course in Miracles, Emmet Fox, faith, God, Lao Tzu, metaphysics, psychic pain, recovery, Serenity, spiritual basis, Spiritual Living, spirituality, surrender, trust, wisdom

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Let Go and Let God Part 2

When we are in the grip of addiction, we are both the abused and the abuser for… “we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on (in) self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.” BB pg.62

Invariably: on every occasion: always.

“The devil’s voice (the negative sense of self: ego) is logical, even plausible, but it’s still deception, God’s voice may seem delusional, but it speaks the truth beyond logic.” C.S. Lewis

Delusional: a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary.

Psychotic: having trouble telling the difference between what’s real and what’s not: exhibiting mental or emotional unsoundness or instability. “…there was always the curious mental phenomenon that parallel with our sound reasoning there inevitably ran some insanely trivial excuse for taking the first drink. Our sound reasoning failed to hold us in check. The insane idea won out. Next day we would ask ourselves, in all earnestness and sincerity, how it could have happened.” BB pg. 37

Indisputable: unquestionable: beyond questioning.

“We can either be a hostage to our ego, or a host to God. The choice is always ours. Choose wisely.” Wayne Dyer

“Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all.” BB pg. 14

“We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.” BB pg. 30

Concede: to acknowledge grudgingly or hesitantly, to accept as true, valid, or accurate.

Delusion:something that is falsely believed or propagated.

“What is his basic trouble? Is he not really a self-seeker even when trying to be kind? Is he not a victim of the delusion that he can wrest satisfaction and happiness out of this world if he only manages well?” BB pg. 61

“Selfishness – self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate.” BB pg. 62

Root: an underlying support : basis : the essential core : the heart.

Basis: something considered as its foundation, the principal component of something.

Self-delusion: the act of deluding oneself or the state of being deluded especially concerning one’s true nature, abilities, feelings, etc.                                                                                                                 Deluding: to mislead the mind or judgment of : deceive, trick oneself.

The next two paragraphs define the ALCOHOLIC DELUSION:

“The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.

Obsession: a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often-unreasonable idea or feeling.

Abnormal: deviating from the normal or average, unusual in an unwelcome or problematic way.

Persistence: continuing to exist despite interference or treatment.

Illusion: something that deceives or misleads intellectually, perception of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature. “We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago …” BB pg. 24

Astonishing: causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder.

“…in their hearts they really do not know why they do it. Once this malady has a real hold, they are a baffled lot. There is the obsession that somehow, someday, they will beat the game. But they often suspect they are down for the count.” BB pg. 23

Baffled: extremely confused or puzzled.

“We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.” BB pg. 30

Once again, Delusion:something that is falsely believed or propagated.

                                      SO:

“Burn the idea into the consciousness of every man that he can get well regardless of anyone. The only condition is that he trust in God and clean house.” BB pg. 98.

Regardless: despite everything or anyone.

“We cannot subscribe to the belief that this life is a vale of tears, though it once was just that for many of us. But it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn’t do it. Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate His (God’s) omnipotence.” BB pg. 133

Omnipotence: an agency or force of unlimited power.                                                           

Unlimited: Boundless, Infinite, Unrestricted.

by Vincent Lee Jones

Promising The Moon

Promising The Moon

In truth, many wish to enjoy a “certain” reputation they know in their heart they don’t deserve. “Handsome is as handsome does” sounds a bit simple minded but it states the truth of this well. A consistently ill-tempered person may indeed wish, even long to be loved and cherished, but their very actions make this impossible. I have often heard, perhaps you have as well, the refrain of a friend or acquaintance of someone acting badly float the idea they really meant well, are basically a nice person, have a “heart of gold” and are just going through a rough patch to explain away their ill-treatment of others. Nonsense: Handsome is as handsome does. Actions always trump intentions. Consider: The thief who buys a loaf of bread for the poor with his ill-gotten gains is still a thief, has the heart and mind of a thief and unless changes the way they look at things will never be free of fear, ultimately reaping all the negative rewards, secular and spiritual, living as a thief always produces. 


Living on the Spiritual Basis our serenity, our freedom in Spirit, our peace of mind and heart, is determined by our actions. To be happy, joyous and free we must walk the way we talk or risk suffering mightily at the hands of hypocrisy and is not history littered with stories of those who failed to heed this truth or worse attempted to circumvent it by convincing themselves what they were doing may have been wrong, but “the ends justified the means?” The greatest self-inflicted tragedies in human history began with this evil concept. 


We can wish to moral, loving, kind and self-sacrificing, but who we really are is determined by our actions, and our reputation always reflects this. “Measure a man’s worth by his actions alone. For the devil also promises the moon!” Avijeet Das.
https://miraclesofrecovery.com/


© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved Miracles Of Recovery, Overdose Death, Alcoholism, Wayne Dyer, Drug Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, Heroin, Einstein, AA, Healing Path Recovery, Drug Rehab, #Drug Addiction, #Drug Rehab, #Healing Path Recovery, #Heroin, #Opioids

by Vincent Lee Jones

My Mama

My Mama

That new age sage, Forrest Gump, famously said “Sh*t happens.” And it does, sinner or saint, everyone encounters difficulties in life. Some self-inflicted, many just happenstances, the key being how we react when they come. A wise man said to me long ago “Everyone takes a turn in the barrel.” The problems begin in earnest when we start to believe the “barrel” or the rough patch we find ourselves in at the moment is permanent. “Seasons of dryness” happen to all, the reasons why of secondary importance, the action we engage in when we become aware primary. When driving if we come upon a patch of bad road, one of the signs invariably directs us to “slow down.” We are never directed to speed up, drive harder or redouble our driving. Most importantly the same holds for the spiritual road. We don’t struggle or try to fight our way through since Living on the Spiritual Basis requires us to cease fighting everyone and everything. Tension, anxiety and fear have never solved a single problem in the positive, so we relax and allow the Miraculous to work in our lives, for in truth, this too shall pass.

To be clear, action is required, so pray but keep it simple. In times of trouble simply “God is with me” is a powerful prayer and is sufficient if it is all that can be mustered in the moment. What matters is our willingness to continue praying, placing the burden on the shoulders of the Miraculous; the seat of all knowledge and power, for it is too much for us alone. Additionally, by getting “out” of ourselves in service to others, even if it just going out to pick up trash at the local park, pays dividends far beyond the effort expended to quiet a troubled heart (and taking a walk in the park is never a bad thing). By keeping our gaze focused on solution; prayer and service, in time, just as with stretches of bad road, the trouble will pass, the road will smooth out, the ride stabilized and our gaze in due course will shift from the roadbed (the trouble) back to the unlimited horizons of Divine Love before us. “My mama always told me that miracles happen every day. Some people don’t think so, but they do.” Thanks Forrest.
https://miraclesofrecovery.com/

© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved Miracles Of Recovery, Overdose Death, Alcoholism, Wayne Dyer, Drug Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, Heroin, Einstein, AA, Healing Path Recovery, Drug Rehab, #Drug Addiction, #Drug Rehab, #Healing Path Recovery, #Heroin, #Opioids

by Vincent Lee Jones

Building, a day at a time

Building, a day at a time

“Live, one day at a time.” But what does that really mean? Living on the Spiritual Basis the meaning is simple and profound: The only time we can be present for God, the only time we can stand in the presence of God, the only time we can be of service to those about us, the only time God can be present in our lives is in the present moment. So be present for God, for God is always present for us. Yesterday a memory, tomorrow a promise, today, this moment the only reality. This is the bedrock of Living on the Spiritual Basis, and upon this rock a wonderful spiritual life is built, one day at a time. 
https://miraclesofrecovery.com/

© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved
Miracles Of Recovery, Overdose Death, Alcoholism, Wayne Dyer, Drug Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, Heroin, Einstein, AA, Healing Path Recovery, Drug Rehab, #Drug Addiction, #Drug Rehab, #Healing Path Recovery, #Heroin, #Opioids

by Vincent Lee Jones

Fear, the Thief of Serenity

Fear, the Thief of Serenity

To progress spiritually, to grow in consciousness, requires effort, work on our part. Additionally, no one can do another’s spiritual work for them anymore than we can eat a meal for a friend. To live free of the fear driven life we must cultivate open mindedness and remain willing to explore new spiritual experiences.

Self-centered fear is a thief, lurking in the shadows, cunning, patiently waiting to strike, to steal our peace of mind and serenity, leaving anxiety and depression in its wake. So, we ask in prayer and meditation that any notion any part of our lives or thinking, any shadow, is unseen by the Miraculous be removed. Of course, in truth, nothing is or ever was hidden, but we need to state this in prayer while affirming it in meditation, so any lingering thoughts that anything exists outside Divine sight will be smashed.

In this way we learn to live in the light, for in truth darkness only exists in the shadows we cast when attempting to live at odds with our true self and our birthright as children of the Miraculous. Living on the Spiritual Basis everything is illuminated, so when we err, for we all do, this simple reliance on Power Greater Than Ourselves as we have come to understand it, will take us to better things, forgiven as soon as we ask, our course of action made clear and unmistakable.
https://miraclesofrecovery.com/

© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved Miracles Of Recovery, Overdose Death, Alcoholism, Wayne Dyer, Drug Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, Heroin, Einstein, AA, Healing Path Recovery, Drug Rehab, #Drug Addiction, #Drug Rehab, #Healing Path Recovery, #Heroin, #Opioids

by Vincent Lee Jones

Successful Living

Successful Living

“Man is essentially spiritual, the image and likeness of God, and therefore he is made for the spiritual basis, and he cannot really succeed on any other.” Emmet Fox. Living on the Spiritual Basis requires focus and commitment. Halfhearted demonstrations lead inevitably to struggle, unhappiness and ultimate failure in spirit. Wishing to enjoy the reputation of someone who embraces spiritual principles but live with one foot in the secular and one in the spiritual leads only to discontent and strife, for the double minded individual is unstable in all their ways.


We step from ship to shore spiritually by engaging in consistent heartfelt prayer, meditation and selfless service, eschewing the carnal fear driven voice by these demonstrations in faith. Living in this manner we have come to understand the “rain falls on the just and unjust” equally, everyone touched by the vagaries of living, these moments all opportunities to either demonstrate over fear, or be dominated by it. Living On The Spiritual Basis sets us free, regardless of current circumstances.


So, speak to the Miraculous in prayer, withholding nothing and unburden yourself of the last vestiges of self-centered fear and stride out wholeheartedly on to the only truly successful basis for living, the Spiritual Basis.   
https://miraclesofrecovery.com/

© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved Miracles Of Recovery, Overdose Death, Alcoholism, Wayne Dyer, Drug Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, Heroin, Einstein, AA, Healing Path Recovery, Drug Rehab, #Drug Addiction, #Drug Rehab, #Healing Path Recovery, #Heroin, #Opioids