Good morning everyone!

We're at Page 86, paragraph 2: "On awakening let us think about the
twenty-four hours ahead...." we ask God to direct our thinking,
especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or
self-seeking motives." (This is one of the Step 11 prayers.) If we
are indecisive: "Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive
thought or a decision. (another prayer.) We relax and take it easy."
We aren't obsessing on this, we think of something else knowing that
the answers will come. Although we come to rely upon intuition we
always check with others on those thoughts before putting them into
action.

Yet another prayer: the Big Book 11th Step Prayer, page 87,
paragraph 1: "We usually conclude the period of meditation with a
prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to
be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems.
We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to
make no requests for ourselves only." Here we are praying for the
knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out".

What is the outcome? At the top of page 88: "We are in much less
danger of (suffering from) excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-
pity, or foolish decisions." Those foolish decisions caused me
plenty of trouble!

Now, you'll notice that Bill was getting at what meditation meant
for him: From the point of "On awakening..." to immediately
before "We usually conclude the period of meditation..." we are
engaging in meditation. We are thinking about what our actions will
be, what we will face, how we will conduct ourselves.

I began my meditation life by quieting the endless conversation that
I used to have with myself inside of my head, quite simply I was
driving myself nuts! Then I started to direct my thinking to what I
would face over the course of the day. Of course that meant that I
had to change the way that I lived. I couldn't continue to live my
life as if I was shot out of a cannon each morning. I received
valuable suggestions: instead of waking up at the last possible
second, perhaps if I got up a little earlier that may allow time for
meditation, instead of waiting until the fuel gauge read "E" maybe I
should fill up at 1/4 of a tank. Leaving a little earlier for work
would help my state of mind in the morning, arriving less frazzled
and on time. These and many other suggestions helped immensely. The
result was it was easier to meditate in the morning and prepare for
the day.

Today I get up early -- around 5:10 am. I get dressed, read
my Emmet Fox daily reading (Around the Year with Emmet Fox) and
meditate on what the day will bring with Trixie the cat on the couch
next to me. I leave our apartment at 5:25, catch the 5:37 to Grand
Central - meditating a bit more on the train. I arrive at the gym,
work out, sit in the hot tub for another 10 minutes of meditation,
shower and head to my office. When I arrive I tend to the Big Book
Study and connecting with God through service. By the time I begin my
day at the office, I have no fear because I always have a Partner who
has all power. I put in the footwork and the results are up to Him.
My life is no longer the "Chinese Fire Drill" that it once was. The
12 Steps have been the key.

Exercise: Go back and re-read the text and count how many
times "think," "thought," "brains," "intuition," or their synonyms
appear in the text. You may be surprised to learn how much "thought"
goes into meditation!

In our next post we'll begin Chapter 7. Since "faith without works
is dead," there is more action to come.

Have a good day!

Jim

Big Book Studies with Jim & Dave -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Big_Book_Seminars