Animals on the Steps (Lessons) to a Richer Life
If you’ve clicked your way to this page, you’re no doubt wondering how twelve-step recovery programs and animals have any connection.
It’s all about living in the now. Animals live in the present. They don’t obsess about the past or worry about the future. That’s a thread that runs through the twelve steps, too: Living in the moment.
There’s another connection as well. Twelve-step programs have made many a human’s life more bearable, even beautiful and bountiful. Animals have the same effect. They fill our lives with laughter and unconditional love. On a really bad day, caring for them may be the only reason we see to climb out of bed. Without them, life would be, well, flat.
I hope you’ll allow me to link, contrast and compare the twelve steps and the animals.
And then there’s this LESSON that comes to us through an animal, the wolf.
” ‘An elder Apache was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me; it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, competition, superiority, and ego. The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.’ They thought about it for a minute, then one child asked his grandfather, ‘Which wolf will win?’
The old Grandpa simply replied, ‘The one you feed.’ ” Source: http://www.addictionz.com/sloganz.htm
THE TWELVE STEPS
1. We admitted we were powerless—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
THE SLOGANS
Some say that the twelve steps are like a stairway, and the slogans like the banister you lean on to get up and down the stairs.
SLOGANS TO LEAN ON IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
(If the animals spoke “human,” chances are they’d be telling us to “lean,” on these, too.)
- Easy does it.
- First things first.
- Live and let live.
- One day at a time.
- But for the grace of God.
- Principles before personalities.
- Let go and let God.
- This too shall pass.
- Let it begin with me.
- Just for today.
- Courage to change the things you can.
- Turn it over.
HELPFUL SAYINGS TO RECALL DURING CHALLENGING TIMES
(Human adaptations, more or less, of “flight or fight” survival skills in the animals. )
- Keep a sense of humor.
- Take what you like and leave the rest.
- More will be revealed.
- Agree to disagree.
- Practice an attitude of gratitude.
- Serenity is not freedom from the storm but peace amid the storm.
- Insanity is when you keep doing what you’ve always done, expecting different results.
- H.A.L.T. – hungry, angry, lonely, tired. Avoid!!
- H.O.W – honesty, open-mindedness and willingness.
- K.I.S.S.—keep it simple sweetie.
- T.H.I.N.K. – Before you speak, ask yourself if your words will be: Thoughtful, honest, intelligent, necessary and kind.
- Would you rather be right or be happy?
Janet, I love the 12 steps and everything
Marilyn
Thank you so much for your comment. Do you think the 12 steps connection to the animal lessons works?
Love your comments about the fight between the wolves and the 12 step program.
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the wolf lesson. It reminds me a lot of some of the messages in the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. I still want to have a dog or horse named after The Lion, Aslan.
I just love the photos and the words, re-read and feel so good!!! Thank you! Janet
Thank you! My main goal is for these animal tales to bring a few minutes of respite to folks in their busy lives. ‘Preciate you comments!