Before AA, I was better than the bad people and not as good as the good people.  Toward the end I felt totally alone even in a crowd of people I knew. This is kind of loneliness that I believe only an alcoholic truly understands. 

Simply stated, my recovery journey seems to be about reconnecting with people.  This is something that Chuck C. described as "Conscious Unity."  My ego fights against my progress in this regard and the number one weapon my ego uses is judgment. 

Whenever I send out a judgment against anyone or any group of people on the planet I am separating myself from them.  By finding them "guilty" of being different than me I reinforce my separation.  Then I am always either "better than" or "less than." 

Not judging doesn't mean that I have to agree with others or condone their actions.  What it does mean is that I am willing to try to understand them, to try and see their humanity underneath their masks of fear. What I'm trying get to is acceptance, but acceptance begins with understanding.  I can never hope to understand anyone I judge. I've found it impossible. 

Rarely a waking moment goes by that I'm not making some kind of judgment about someone else, but I'm trying to be gentle with myself about this.  Progress for me is just being aware when the judgments come up.  This awareness allows me to reconnect with life and get back to a place of equality. It's only in this place that the Golden Rule really works. 

Recovering or recovered?  Regardless of the label, I choose to think that all of us are doing the very best we can with what we've been given to work with.  Is God everything or is He nothing?  I choose to think "everything."