Elya wrote on 14 Jan 2009 01:15:
I want to mention something. I was recently at a conference and one of the groups was
having a debate about filters and if they are helpful. I know for me personally they are essential.
But someone brought up the point that there is a huge difference in being sober and being in
recovery from lust.
When we are living a spiritual life, when we are not worried about the future
and we have come to terms with our past... we live in the present moment, take one day at a time.
When we are living like this... in serenity... there is little chance we will act out... no matter if
we have a filter or not.
So this is the end goal. The filter cannot be the end goal. REcovery is the end goal. And that means
working a program of perfecting our Middos. So we don't hold resentments, anger, fear, etc.
We trust Hashem that whatever he has dealt us, moneywise, healthwise, Shidduch wise, is meant to
be.
We get rid of our resentments and fears by examining them for our part in them. We make amends to
people we have hurt and help others recover.
The tools are all here on the forum and on the guard site. The tools are in your communities at
SA & SLAA meetings. There were 595 goyim at this conference and 20 Jews from all spectrums.
Chassidim, Misnagdim, all walking around with their Yarmulkes making a Kiddush Hashem. We had
a minyan on Shabbos with a sefer Torah, all arranged by the conference.
If they can do that publicly, you can go to a meeting. If they can LEAD meetings and get up
and speak in front of 100s of people as a proud yid, you can too.
it all depends on whether you REALLY want to get better or you're happy living on the cliff
of the slippery slope, where the Yetzer Harah convinces you, it's OK to just peek as long as
you don't go all the way.
Hatzlachah Rabba.
)
