Merlin's Musings

There’s a woman I know who is often heard to say she is looking for “pearls”. ..pearls of wisdom. Those little quotes or stories that when you read or hear them make you stop and say “AHA! Yes! That’s it! How wonderfully put!” My brain tends to need such things. Often times I can’t find my own words so I use the words of others to express myself. Just as the basic slogans in the rooms help me when I need to keep things simple I find when I cannot find my own words someone else has already done it for me and usually with a lot more eloquence and grace. Actually, I really don’t think there’s much in my wee head that is original…I see something and it clicks and I borrow it, giving credit to the source when I can. The subtitle for my page is a good example. “It’s all about WE” I didn’t make that one up. I saw it on a coffee mug from a recent AA convention in upstate NY. What an incredibly simple way to convey the idea of fellowship. I thought I’d share some of my favorites, a few are old and well worn you have heard before and some are newer. I’ll try and give you the source if I have it. Perhaps it will inspire another person to begin collecting their own bag of pearls.

[More:]

Name it. Claim it. Dump it.

My karma ran over my dogma. ~ maco

God didn’t save me from drowning in the ocean to let me drown in a mud puddle. ~ lizz

It’s not old behavior if I’m still doing it.

Courage is fear that has said its prayers. ~ Alanon’s ODAT

Who’s the ULTIMATE authority?

If I hear something 3 times from 3 unrelated sources chances are God’s trying to tell me something.

I don’t believe the name on your driver’s license says God..

Life is partly what we make of it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose. ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Happiness is not what makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy. ~ David Steindl-Rast, A Listening Heart

There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
~Albert Einstein

If drinking doesn’t kill you the lifestyle surely will.

I didn’t get sober to be miserable and depressing.

God.. of my misunderstanding.

You need to circulate to percolate.

You don’t go to the whorehouse to listen to the piano player.

Alcoholics are the only folks who want to be held while they isolate.

Humility is like BO (body odor).. every one else already knows you have it by the time you realize you got it.

Screw happiness. I want the whole enchilada. I want contentment.

And one of my favorite little ditties that has hung over my desk for many years:

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing “dance” at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn’t flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It’s as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw “G: I thought of God, followed by “u” and “i”. “God, “u” and “i” dance.” God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead. ~author unknown

And many thanks to Jo… for all the pearls you’ve so generously shared.