NEW paperback

Being Sober and Becoming Happy: The Best Ideas from The Director of Spiritual Guidance at Hazelden [Paperback] MacDougall, Dr John A

In this hopeful and useful guide, Dr John MacDougall explains how to maintain our spiritual condition so that we can remain reliably sober, and come to restore our relationships with God, ourselves, and those we love By practicing the spiritual principles of the Twelve Step programs, and making a daily commitment to our program of recovery, we reliably become happy ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Staying SoberChapter 2: Spirituality and RecoveryChapter 3: Surrender and TrustChapter 4: Practice What PrinciplesChapter 5: Spiritual Recovery from Trauma and AbuseChapter 6: Love and RomanceChapter 7: HopeChapter 8: Finding Joy in LifeChapter 9: Becoming HappyAdvance reviews for Being Sober and Becoming Happy: THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN BY A BRILLIANT MIND WITH A GIFT FOR HUMOR, CLARITY, ORIGINALITY, AND MOST IMPORTANT SIMPLICITY IN MY OPINION, NO BETTER BOOK HAS BEEN WRITTEN ON RELAPSE PREVENTION AND THE 12 STEPS SINCE THE BIG BOOK THE AUTHOR HAS SPENT 30 YEARS IN ALANON, NA AND AA AND KNOWS WHAT HELPS AND WHAT DOESNT BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE, THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION FOR US ALL, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN RECOVERY FROM ANY SORT OF SUFFERINGGeorge E, Vaillant MDProfessor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical SchoolAuthor of Spiritual EvolutionAs we realize we have a God, rather than we are gods, we get to stop trying to control life, and we get to simply live life instead Ive decided that my life is unmanageable only when I am trying to manage it My life isnt meant to be managed, it is meant to be livedThis quote is one of the hundreds of pithy ideas from John MacDougalls new book, the book you are soon to be engrossed in His insights, and they materialize with ease on every page, are amazing and Ive loved hearing him share them in meetings and on the circuit for years But having all that wisdom, told with humor at times, but with clarity always, in one place is what makes this book invaluable John simply gets to the core of any issue with such ease, and he makes himself understood with little work on the readers part He writes, or speaks, and we listen and learn with our hearts and minds John MacDougall has been instrumental in the lives of so many people, those in the fellowship and those who have simply been lucky enough to share a few moments of his time while passing through some stage of life He doesnt reserve his gift of understanding how life works, life without alcohol or pills but always with a God of ones understanding, for any one group of people John is simply the whole package, wherever you meet him; on the pages of a book or in a meeting or an auditorium You get him whole, unfiltered and erupting always with knowledge, wisdom, humor and a loving heart Every time you are in his presence, you come away knowing more about the 12 Steps and how to live them, and with the backdrop of humor that helps to make the information even more significant I love this book Even after 37 years in Alcoholics Anonymous and a few more than that in AlAnon, I found myself jotting down insights for my own edification, and to share with others Thats what spending any time with John is like We are never too old to take on a new idea, one that not only benefits us but every single person who is crossing our path quite by divine appointment, today or any tomorrowJohn has gotten better with age, with his commitment to the work of helping others, and his passion for passing on that which he has learned Every one who chooses to gather even an inkling of the wisdom in these pages will bring benefit to the world we all share Thank you, John Thank you for helping every one of us make a difference in this life through the application of the principles you so completely embodyKaren Casey, PhD, author of Each Day A New Beginning See wwwwomensspiritualitycom