Welcome.
I invite you to settle in.
Get into a comfy position.
Place your feet on the floor.
And allow your body to soften.
Into the support beneath you.
I invite you to place a hand on your heart.
And one hand on your belly.
Or simply place them both open in your lap.
If it feels okay.
Gently close your eyes.
Or simply soften your gaze.
And take a slow breath in through your nose.
And exhale through your mouth.
Again,
Inhale slowly.
And release.
Allow yourself to fully arrive.
There is nothing you need to do.
And nowhere else you need to be right now.
Just here.
Just breathing.
Today we explore step 12.
Having made an effort to practice these principles in all of our affairs,
We try to carry the message to others who still suffer.
Step 12 invites us to live what we have learned.
To carry forward the honesty.
The courage the willingness,
And the humility.
The hope cultivated along the journey.
There may have been a time.
When you searched desperately for light.
Moments where life felt confusing.
Heavy.
Are just dark.
Moments where you hope.
Someone.
Anyone.
Might help guide your way.
But over time.
Through reflection.
Through honesty.
Through tending your life day by day.
Something began to change.
You did not simply find light.
You actually began.
Carry.
So before we continue,
Let's breathe together.
Make sure that we're fully present in body,
Mind,
And spirit.
We will practice a simple box breath.
Where we begin by gently exhaling all the air from your lungs and then inhale through the nose for four counts,
Hold for four counts,
Exhale for four counts through your mouth,
And pause for four counts.
Let's begin.
Gently exhale all the air from your lungs.
And inhale through the nose for 4 3 2 1.
Hold for 4 3 2 1.
And exhale through your mouth for 4 3 2 1.
Pause for 4 3 2 1.
Good.
Inhale for 4…3…2… 2.
1.
Hold for 4,
3,
2,
1.
And exhale for 4,
3,
2,
1.
And pause for 4,
3,
2,
1.
And one more time inhale for 4,
Hold for 4.
And exhale for four.
And pause.
Now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Remember to breathe deeply.
And if your mind wanders,
That's okay.
Simply allow your thoughts to drift by.
And then return your attention back to your breath.
Imagine now.
That you are walking quietly through the darkness,
Carrying a lantern.
Not some massive floodlight.
Or flashlight.
Not something harsh or blinding.
Just a simple,
Steady light.
Warm enough to illuminate the next few steps ahead.
You notice how the lantern does not remove all the darkness.
But it helps you continue forward,
Step by step by step by step.
And maybe you begin to realize something else.
Others can see the light too.
Someone walking behind you may feel less afraid.
Someone standing still in the darkness,
Uncertain.
May begin to move again.
And someone overwhelmed by the thickness of the darkness around them.
May remember.
There is still hope ahead.
Not because you are perfect.
And not because you have all the answers.
But because you kept walking,
Because you stayed willing.
Because you chose to keep returning to the light.
A lantern does not shine for itself alone.
Its true purpose is to illuminate the path.
For both the one carrying it and those nearby.
And perhaps service is not always grand or big.
Sometimes it looks like.
.
.
Making a phone call.
Welcoming someone kindly.
Listening honestly.
Sharing your story.
Helping out quietly.
Just showing up.
When it matters.
Our healing rarely ends with just us.
It moves through us.
So take a slow breath in.
And exhale.
And as we sit here today.
I invite you to reflect quietly.
What have you learned about yourself on this journey of recovery?
What strengths have emerged?
What truths have you faced?
What light have you fought very hard to find?
And now.
.
.
How might your experiences support someone else?
What act of service feels possible for you today?
Not someday.
Today.
Notice what arises.
And what act of care or support.
Might you commit to tomorrow.
Allow something simple and genuine to arise.
A phone call.
A kind word.
A meeting.
Just an honest conversation.
A moment of presence.
Notice what comes to your mind.
And allow yourself to commit to it.
And now return your awareness to your breath.
And if it feels supported.
I invite you to repeat silently within.
I let my light shine.
I'll say it softly three times.
And then we'll sit together in stillness.
Remember to inhale deeply.
Hold.
And exhale.
I let my light shine.
I let my light shine.
I let my light shine.
And breathe.
I let my light shine.
I let my light shine.
I let my light shine.
Trust whatever arises.
And breathe.
You I let my light shine.
I let my light shine.
I let my light shine.
And breathe.
Take one final deep breath in.
And exhale.
Step 12 reminds us that what we have lived may help illuminate the path for someone else.
You don't need to be perfect to be useful.
You don't need to have all the answers to offer hope.
Sometimes.
Simply carrying your lantern forward.
Is enough.
So trusting and knowing you may always return to this stillness within because it is yours.
I invite you to begin to notice the surface that you're sitting on.
You may want to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Turn your head from side to side.
And when you are ready.
Open your eyes.
And I invite you to carry with you the quiet understanding that your light may help guide someone else through the dark.
And I thank you for joining me on this journey today.
It is always my honor and my privilege.
