by admin | Dec 14, 2025 | AA, Addiction, Lifestyle & Work, Well-being
I have compressed this essay into a few pages. Had it been possible I would have reduced it to as many lines. It is not intended to be an instructional treatise, but a practical recipe for getting out of trouble. Study and research are well in their own time and place, but no amount of either will get you out of a concrete difficulty. Nothing but practical work in your own consciousness will do that. The mistake made by many people, when things go wrong, is to skim through book after book, without getting anywhere. Read The Golden Key several times. Do exactly what it says, and if you are persistent enough you will overcome any difficulty. —Emmet Fox.
Scientific prayer will enable you to get yourself or anyone else, out of any difficulty. It is the golden key to harmony and happiness.
To those who have no acquaintance with the mightiest power in existence, this may appear to be a rash claim, but it needs only a fair trial to prove that, without a shadow of a doubt, it is just one. You need take no one’s word for it, and you should not. Simply try it for yourself.
God is omnipotent, and we are God’s image and likeness and have dominion over all things. This is the inspired teaching, and it is intended to be taken literally, at its face value. The ability to draw on this power is not the special prerogative of the mystic or the saint, as is so often supposed, or even the highly trained practitioner. Everyone has this ability. Whoever you are, wherever you may be, the golden key to harmony is in your hand now. This is because in scientific prayer it is God who works, and not you, and so your particular limitations or weaknesses are of no account in the process. You are only the channel through which the divine action takes place, and your treatment will be just the getting of yourself out of the way.
Beginners often get startling results the first time, for all that is essential is to have an open mind and sufficient faith to try the experiment. Apart from that, you may hold any views on religion, or none.
As for the actual method of working, like all fundamental things, it is simplicity itself. All you have to do is this: Stop thinking about the difficulty, whatever it is, and think about God instead. This is the complete rule, and if only you will do this, the trouble, whatever it is, will disappear. It makes no difference what kind of trouble it is. It may be a big thing or a little things: it may concern health, finance, a lawsuit, a quarrel, an accident, or anything else conceivable: but whatever it is, stop thinking about it and think of God instead—that is all you have to do. It could not be simpler, could it? God could scarcely have made it simpler, and yet it never fails to work when given a fair trial.
Do not try to form a picture of God, which is impossible. Work by rehearsing anything or everything that you know about God. God is wisdom, truth, inconceivable love. God is present everywhere, has infinite power, knows everything, and so on. It matters not how well you may think you understand these things: go over them repeatedly.
But you must stop thinking of the trouble, whatever it is. The rule is, to think about God. If you are thinking about your difficulty, you are not thinking about God. To be continually glancing over your shoulder in order to see how matters are progressing is fatal, because it is thinking of the trouble, and you must think of God and nothing else. Your object is to drive the thought of the difficulty out of your consciousness, for a few moments at least, substituting for it the thought of God. This is the crux of the whole thing. If you can become so absorbed in this consideration of the spiritual world that you forget for a while about the difficulty, you will find that you are safely and comfortably out of your difficulty—that your demonstration is made.
In order to “golden key” a troublesome person or a difficult situation, think, “Now I am going to ‘golden key’ John, or Mary, or that threatened danger”: then proceed to drive all thought of John, or Mary, or the danger out of your mind, replacing it with the thought of God.
By working in this way about a person, you are not seeking to influence his conduct in any way, except that you prevent him from injuring or annoying you, and you do him nothing but good. Thereafter, he is certain to be in some degree a better, wiser, and more spiritual person, just because you have “golden keyed” him. A pending lawsuit or other difficulty would probably fade out harmlessly without coming to a crisis, justice being done to all parties concerned.
If you find that you can do this very quickly, you may repeat the operation several times a day with intervals between. Be sure, however, each time you have done it, that you drop all thought of the matter until the next time. This is important.
We have said that the golden key is simple, and so it is, but of course it is not always easy to turn. If you are very frightened or worried, at first it may be difficult to get your thoughts away from material things. But by constantly repeating a statement of absolute Truth, such as: There is no power but God; I am the child of God, filled and surrounded by the perfect peace of God; God is love; God is guiding me now; or, perhaps best and simplest of all, God is with me—however mechanical or trite it may seem—you will soon find that the treatment has begun to “take.” And that your mind is clearing. Do not struggle violently; be quiet, but insistent. Each time you find your attention wandering, switch it back to God.
Do not try to think in advance what the solution to your difficulty will be. This is called “outlining” and will only delay the demonstration. Leave the question of ways and means to God. You want to get out of your difficulty that is sufficient. You do your half, and God will never fail to do God’s.
“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:21
by admin | Oct 31, 2025 | Lifestyle & Work
Although I thought I would create an ongoing entry yesterday, I have decided to log them per day. Doing so helps me see exactly the process I have gone through, not to mention the patterns I may find helpful for the future. And so, first allow me to wish anyone celebrating Halloween a Happy Halloween. I have not done so in many, many, decades-long years. I also need to reiterate that I find Grammarly useful, but it consistently refuses to adhere to my own style of writing, allowing me to call it my “Writer’s Voice.” For mechanical purposes, it is excellent. For sharing who one is and their use of the English language, or anything else, it is helpful as long as there is a keen eye on what you want to sound like to the reader, regardless of how they are reading.
Here is today’s reading list:
by admin | Oct 30, 2025 | Lifestyle & Work
That seems like a funny title, or at least to me it does, but in preparation for this point in my life, I have done various things, very structured, since 2019—PhD—research, defense, answering questions, speaking to my Chair, writing well, reading well, presenting well, arguing well, debating well, presenting and making my case well, and proving I have a point that maybe, just maybe, is of interest to you, as well.
Today I am working on something that may seem unnecessary to most, but not to me. I’ll add links here. As I’ve heard many times the last few years, “Take what you can, and leave the rest,” maybe someone else can use it.
This will be ongoing, but thus far, this is what I have read today—I think. I say “I think” only because I sometimes forget. I do various things in one day, as I presume everyone else does as well. Sometimes my “doing many things, and highly important things” includes trying on Leah’s (our Shih Tzu) new pink sweater (her choice), but nonetheless, I do various things, and as a fellow human, I will forget.
I am going to go ahead and divide these into days. And so, this would be day 1, although not really. It is simply October 30, 2025.
Until Tomorrow,
#itsmelily
by admin | Oct 30, 2025 | AA, Addiction
I’m listening to an excellent story from the AA Grapevine, but all it has done is remind me of what I will do every time—”Why did you do it?”
Possibly a question outside the tenets of AA and “Keep Coming Back.” Certainly! Never stay behind. I will carry you if necessary. I would drag you if I could. Tradition One tells me “Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity” (AAWS, 2001). Listen, this is a program of attraction, and not promotion. I am putting aside if I give to you, I get to stay sober. No. That’s promoting that if I help—transaction—I get to stay sober. That’s not my mindset. My mindset sounds more like “I will stay sober by helping you because it is no longer in my nature to wonder what I will get out of this. It’s more along the lines of I know what it feels like, I see you this way, I live something much different than you right now or so it seems, and it may not always be that I want you in this too—another transaction; maybe, just maybe, it’s that I see you, you are asking for help, or maybe you’re not, but you’re not safe, let me at least take you somewhere that can keep you safe until you wake up.
That was me going off on a tangent, completely, but the initial reminder was asking “why.” “I relapsed.” “Okay. Why did you do it?” It’s a slippery slope. It’s challenging. It’s what almost no alcoholic is willing to answer, and it’s usually because of “testing me,” “doubting me,” “demanding from me,” “mind your own business,” or “because I felt like it.” That’s wonderful, and while the concept of “I am only asking why” may not be understood or stick as peaceful and caring, I would still, somehow, in some way, at some point, ask. This is why I don’t work for everyone. This is also why I need to be contextually sensitive. Can I ask anyone that? No. Have I? Yes. Did that person like it? No. It wasn’t Sponsor-to-Sponsee. It was just at a meeting.
In the end, Sponsorship is a conversation. It’s not “tell me your life.” It is these are the steps, this is how they are done, now are you ready to start doing them? Yes? No? When? Tomorrow? Why not today? Do you know that I have no intention of understanding your reasons? I do, though, think that you should know your own reasons. Not to beat alcoholism because you won’t be able to. Think of alcoholism like the unconscious part of your mind, not your brain, that’s even more complex, your mind, that you barely have access to, you will never understand consciously, and so your own thinking will lead you into the deepest of holes. The moment you think you understand it, you will lose control of it. It’s vast, it’s confusing, and it’s not going to let you see it —you’re not supposed to. Many things exist in nature that, while they are a part of nature, are not meant for everyone. Prime example, the belladonna flower. The angel’s trumpet. Things made legal today, and things unknown, needing control from the start. All natural. Some deadly. Others a very slow suicide.
So, back to my question: why am I not okay for everyone? Because I’m not a nice person. I will drag you. I will carry you. Maybe you won’t like me. Maybe you will. In the end, simply put, I am willing to challenge you. Fire me. I have done it. It was my path, I will not hold it against you, and I hope you don’t hold anything against me. You know why I tell you that? Because resentments are shackles, and I think you should feel freedom. I believe freedom to smile, to laugh, to cry, to love, to live.
Life is beautiful. We make it difficult “at no fault of our own.” See that? That’s why we will not understand it, but we get better. We get better, not at understanding, but at stepping away and living in peace. I chose to live in love. I refuse otherwise. Is it easy? Sometimes. Do I practice it? Always. If it were so easy, then it would not feel as magical as it does. I live in love and live for magic. I hope you someday choose to live in what fills your heart and makes you feel whole.
Lily M. 5/24/2014
P.S. I am loyal, faithful, patient, and believe in good things. I believe; it’s as simple as that. Rarely a hugger. This is how I share a “hug:” come, sit with me. On the floor. Lean against the wall. Let’s talk. Let me listen. So. I rarely hug. I’d rather you feel good, feel safe, feel free—even if just for an instant.
by admin | Oct 27, 2025 | AA, Addiction
Last Friday, I wrote on a list I share with the love of my life (I know that may sound “cheesy” to people. She is.) I admitted my powerlessness over… 1. being nervous, believing that something can make me sane again—from the nervousness—and convincing myself that taking that Leap of Faith called Step Three is possible. I will do my best to try it and succeed.
I was so nervous about this event. See, I was already there, but unlike how it feels to be present, I was nervous and hadn’t let go yet. Truly, predicting these thoughts, actions, and behaviors makes it so much worse than being in the moment and Mindful. I believe the only thing I need to do, instead of sitting and noticing so much this first time around, is see that everything is messy, I am feeling out of sorts, and I do not like it enough to not admit to myself that I am not doing well. It’s that simple. All this analysis I do —it’s unnecessary to start. This may be my issue. It may be someone else’s issue as well. But in the end, this is the true meaning of Step One: I do not like how this feels, and I do not know how to get things back in order. That, my dear friends, is Step One of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Then, after analyzing too much, as I always do, I moved on to Step Two. Something has got to be able to fix this. I don’t know how to do it because I have tried and nothing has worked. Do I want to continue trying? I do. But am I willing to gain understanding from other perspectives as well to enhance my own abilities? To know more? To know better? I am, or rather, I was. And so, if I go back to the book, I may get confused. You see, we read things, and whether we remember a lot or not, they stick! When I focused on marketing, I once wrote a LinkedIn blog post about making things stick. How was it possible? How do we do it? Right now, I can say give it your best by being yourself, and it will stick much better than otherwise. Side note on marketing: that may be why I am not too keen on most brands; inauthenticity runs rampant. No judgements here. I am speaking of my own experiences, not of anything in particular. Maybe it’s me who is inconsistent, and I just don’t get it. We’ll see how things evolve. I know the steps. So I referred to God.
The thing is that God can serve as a placeholder just the same. I am not here to preach to any choir about God, nor anything. Let’s call it a placeholder for something that can actually help. Maybe it’s knowledge. Maybe it’s the truth behind what I am looking for. Perhaps it’s love, or so much more. See, I can go on about that, but it may take these thoughts off on a tangent for now, so… The idea is I need help. Please help me get this nervousness I cannot deal with away from me.
Off to Step Three. Whatever this thing I decided can help me figure this out, I’m going to sit there and say, “You know what, figure it out. Please help me out of this. Please show me how to do this. I am stubborn, I am self-sufficient, and I like to get things done, so please help out.”
And this is how I helped myself out on Friday. Did I get better? For sure. I then lived through the experience. Parts were fine, others were dreadful, but overall things were good. The nervousness went away. It wasn’t nervousness that I felt during those “not-so-good” moments. It was possibly confusion. It was me thinking I know what others are thinking. It was me wanting to know everything. It was me being an alcoholic and not being present. That’s how my alcoholism shows up these days. It’s not ugh, I need to get blasted! No, it’s F-You, possibly for reasons having nothing to do with reality, and needing to escape the fact that I do not know and want to know. I’m sitting in on a meeting right now, hearing “fear inventory,” and that’s why I say those things to others without saying much. It’s not anger. It’s pain. I don’t want to lose you. I didn’t say that during the presentation. That would not have been good, as it would have made me feel and behave worse. In the end I do believe this, my thinking is a bad neighborhood, I should not go there, it is never right when it’s hurting me, and I know that because I do have a concept of “God” and my God is loving and shows up and that “God consciousness” is not correlating with the pain so… where is that coming from? Ego. Not knowing what is true and what is not, and keeping me out of love, which is everywhere I do not want to be.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is my highly simplified explanation of Steps 1, 2, and 3. I hope it helps. If it does not, remember, this is my experience, strength, and hope. You’re writing your story, so take what works, what you can, and leave the rest. It’s free, and goes nowhere unless you take it.
God bless, and stay close to what helps you the most. Whatever that placeholder is for you. Let it show up for you instead.
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