Pray only for wisdom and for the knowledge of love.

Martin Santos

The greatest weapon of any Spiritual Warrior is love.

Love will change minds.

Love will forgive.

Love will let go.

Love will cause good luck.

Love will heal.

Love will cry.

Love will get rid of resentments.

Love will overcome fear.

Love loves love.

I need to love and respect myself to feel fulfillment and happiness.

How can I give to others what I do not have to share?

I am aware that love is a power not an emotion that I am generating. It is the energy that propels our world.

Love is demonstrated in my actions. By listening with others with care, compassion, minimal judgement and true understanding, I can express authentic love. This frees my spirit to accept and forgive myself.

The ultimate relationship in life is the one I live with myself. I’m with me twenty fours hours a day, seven days a week. If my relationship is not in alignment, I can be ineffective in the relations I have with others. For me, it starts with loving the source of all things.

I’m a lover of what is. When I awake, I give thanks and ask for guidance and direction for the day. I know that the Power of Love or source is running my life.

There are no more decisions to make. In my life, I just wait and watch my thoughts and my decisions will be made in its own time. I now let go of when, where, and how.

This practice allows my inner voice to guide me all day long to do what’s presented before me. I’m really alive when I live as simply as that— open, waiting, trusting, and loving.

In the past, why was I so afraid of love?

Most of my life I placed barriers emotionally so others would not get to know my true self. I lived in the personality and not in my individuality. I did not want anything to do with intimacy.

I honestly didn’t trust myself, and in effect, did not trust others. I was always on the outside looking in.

Our family growing up constantly moved and I changed schools often. Forming lasting friendships was not in the cards for me. Yet, it taught me how to become situationally aware, authentic, and self-reliant. Although these sound like great qualities, I really wasn’t happy until I started to make progress on a daily basis.

Genuine Recovery is a daily process of awareness and action that is my shift in attitude. I love my life now.

Playing organized baseball from eight years old until twenty-two, helped me gain confidence and the spirit of cooperation.

I enjoyed the competition, but I began to gain a self-pride and arrogance that I only experienced on the field. There is a bit of showmanship and arrogance needed in the game that is based in failure.

My mind set needed to sustain me during the rough patches. In time, I carried that pride outside the field and it blinded my spiritual humility.

The game of baseball was a love for me. It shaped my character and taught me many valuable lessons. Discipline and persisting through failure were some of the best lessons. It showed me that I could fail and still get up and try again.

I align with the ultimate source of love as many times a day with a conscious connection and trust.

This characteristic is so necessary in my genuine recovery today. I would not have recovered from the insanity of alcoholism without applied faith, determination and love.

When I was drinking for 25 years, I really only thought about me. Selfishness and resentments were unknowingly ruling my life.

Today, I realize that my past happiness and love was for the approval of others. I was always seeking that because I rarely received it growing up.

Today, I can look in the mirror and love the person I am and becoming. This isn’t vanity,
rather an appreciation that the love energy has always been guiding me to this point and will continue to in the future.

Acceptance, understanding and the awakening to this reality gives me the courage to continually learn and help others.

I love my life because I no longer require approval from the outside word; I find it within.

I cannot make you love me if you don’t love yourself. You can’t make the heart feel something it won’t. I am always led to stay on the path of love.

Today, I walk in a relationship with the source that I don’t need to understand and I know loves me for the good and the bad aspects of my character. I experience happy surprises and soundness of mind daily and for that I am grateful.

If I am a vessel or channel for love, then I can be my authentic self. I firmly believe that Genuine Recovery is the path for me and my sobriety.

My energy is the most important currency. I invest time with people who love me for who I am and encourage me to be the best I can be. People who support my goals and grow with me.

My only relationship goal is to be with someone who motivates me to become a better man and show me the potential I do not see in myself. This for me is a life rewarding relationship.

I can say that relationships are the center piece to fulfillment. I can posses the psychology and spirituality, but my relationship will always grow from the power of love.

—oooOooo—

M.S.