*Twelve Princes* It would not be a bad idea for contemporary descendants of Ishmael -- and for all of us -- to reflect on the individual names of Ishmael's 12 sons, who all became princes and fathers of Ishmaelite nations."These are the names of Ishmael's sons in order...

One of the greatest successes of the 12-Step program is in teaching addicts how to surrender instead of fighting against desires that they feel ‘powerless’ over. But the question often comes up, what does surrender really mean and how is it really different than ‘fighting...

As one goes through life, one learns that if you don't paddle your own canoe, you don't move.--Katharine Hepburn NewcomerI appreciate the fact that you remain friendly and even-tempered even though I don't always follow your advice.SponsorFriends can disagree without ha...

How many hours a day do you spend in negative thinking? How much of your thinking involves resentments, worries, regrets, guilt, shame, anger, fears, etc.? How do you expect to feel if a lot of you thinking is negative? Pretty lousy. Thoughts automatically transla...

Principle One: Acceptance Key Concepts We need courage to live changed lives of serenity and emotional sobriety. The encompassing umbrella of the First Principle of Acceptance is the integration of a paradigm shift, freedom, consistency and willingness to move into a ...

Question: You say that only Hashem can give us ultimate victory over lust. Then, where does human willpower and bechira come into play? Here are a few good resources that can help us understand this sticky topic: 1) This PDF booklet discusses the issue in depth. 2...

Rarely do climbers stare up to see how far away the top still is. Instead, when they rest, they look down toward the starting point of their journey. The view they see assures them that they have already come a long, long way. Like the climbers, we need to keep our eye...

You start by learning a special technique with your alarm clock: You set it one hour earlier than usual, and when it rings you get up. Do not underestimate (a) the importance and (b) the difficulty of this simple technique. It is important because it enables you to get ...

A newby to GYE wrote to us: When I first wrote my story on the GYE forum, I was crying, shocked and disgusted with myself. I felt I couldn't fall any further- rock bottom's the word! But fast forward no less than 3 weeks, and I fell again. And this time even further tha...

In 1935, through divine intervention, Bill and Bob discovered a program for addicts that would change the lives of millions of people around the world. The underlying message of the program is that by trusting completely in Hashem’s kindness, even if we don’t deserve i...

“And you, who are cleaving to G-d, you are alive this day” (Deuteronomy 4:4). Chasam Sofer says that a person’s evil instinct tells him that he can never meet all the Torah’s demands all his life. Inasmuch as that is futile, one may as well give up the battle now. Moses t...

Two days ago I was feeling totally filled up with lust. I was downtown all afternoon with some stuff to do and a lot of waiting in between. I made the mistake of wandering into a book store to pass the time. I was on guard against the magazine racks, but the regular best...

Powerlessness simply means that I really, really stink at living without acting out my lust. More to the point, it means that I am really bad at using and enjoying lust. I feel sure I can do it, so I keep trying - but when I do, important areas of my life eventually get ...

This had happened a while ago in Manhattan: Do you know that doors of a subway train do not open unless the conductor in the middle car presses the button? They do NOT act like an elevator's doors - if you stick your hand in an elevator while the doors are closing, there ...

We are on a path that leads us to become better people with greater insight and stronger character. A central theme on this path is learning to take responsibility for ourselves, our mistakes, and our choices as we deal with our situations. We can make progress on this ...

There's a saying that "A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not what it was built for." Us addicts may feel safe and in control of our own happiness while using our lust, even playing G-d a little bit at times by trying to control our lives' outcomes. But realizing that...

By Madisyn Taylor Sometimes when we break a habit or addiction we find ourselves missing it like a dear friend. Whenever we make the effort to free ourselves of an addiction or a habit we no longer need, we are often surprised to find ourselves missing the old pattern as...

I am in the throes of a major lust attack which started some time around Tuesday and has continued through today (Friday). I have spent lots of time making calls, I have spoken to my sponsor, I attended a GYE kumzitz, I have been posting on the GYE forum, and in the cour...