[bluidkiti]

February 17

Step by Step

Today, no noises, no regrets, no fears, no shame, no resentments, no anger, no pain, no lying, no cheating, no stealing, no hate. Today, simply BE without the man-generated drama of obstacles and roadblocks. Today, I banish anything and everything negative, just to know and feel what absolute serenity and rest can be. And if I’m successful, I’ll not be just willing but eager to try it again the day after today. Today, I am at peace with myself, with everyone else, with all things. Today, I haven’t got time or need to think about a slip or relapse because, today, I CAN be with absolute serenity and peace. They are offered to me by my Higher Power, if only I take them without the doubts, fears, questions about deserving them. Today, I will claim peace and serenity. And our common journey continues. Step by step. – Chris M.

************************************************

~ EASY DOES IT ~ (A Book of Daily 12 Step Meditations) ~

THE SECOND PROMISE

We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door upon it.

~ Big Book ~

In the Program, we begin to “clean house” and “get our acts together.” As long as we denied and tried to hide from the world, and ourselves, the truth about what kind of person we were when we were using, there would be no approach to abstinence and little possibility of ever preventing relapse.

Without awareness of what the past did to us, we, even if clean and sober, will find ourselves unable to truly carry the message of hope and the gift of a new lire to those who desperately need it. Relating our past experiences builds a common ground of love and service between us and the ones for whose awakening we have declared ourselves responsible. Because of that honesty, newcomers can come to realize that they are not alone and that they can “make it.”

My past must be visited but never lived in for long.

************************************************

~ WISDOM TO KNOW ~ (More Daily Meditations For Men) ~

There is a basket of fresh bread on your head, and yet you go door to door asking for crusts.

~ Rumi ~

We have often tried to satisfy a deep inner hunger that we could not describe and didn’t understand. We followed the seductive call of sexual pleasures, the allure of alcohol or drugs, the excitement of gambling, or even the satisfactions of being the helpful codependent hero, saving others from their problems. These hollow attractions never satisfied our hunger. No matter how much we tried, they only left us more trapped in a dead-end search and less satisfied than ever.

We find genuine satisfactions for our hunger when we develop self-respect, form caring bonds with friends, develop a relationship with our Higher Power, and follow a path with heart. All of that is available to us and we only need to turn toward it to find it.

Today I seek a real slice of satisfaction in life rather than settling for crumbs.

************************************************

~ A WOMAN’S SPIRIT ~ (More Meditations For Women) ~

The child that lives in all of us is always willing to take the blame.

~ Margaret Haigh ~

We sometimes wonder if all women feel as we do. How many times do we apologize for situations that go awry, even those we had no part in? When conflicts erupt, why is it so easy to assume it’s our fault?. When we fear we aren’t adequate as women, It’s a small step to accepting blame for every ripple In a circumstance. We become obsessed with trying to control the uncontrollable, and then we think we’re at fault when we fail.

Mood-altering chemicals appealed to us because they temporarily made us feel good about ourselves. Because we’re human, we don’t always feel good about ourselves. But now we have friends we run talk to in the most intimate way and program tools that can improve our attitude. The longer we’re sober, the more obvious it is that our attitude is the culprit. Changing it changes everything!

I am not to blame for anyone else’s problems today. Accepting blame was a habit. Cultivating a better attitude can be a habit too.

************************************************

~ TODAY I WILL DO ONE THING ~ (Daily Readings for Awareness and Hope) ~

I have found the help I needed

Before getting into recovery, I had little faith and trusted no one (not even myself). I was trying (and failing) to manage two difficult illnesses on my own. Basically, I used chemicals to change my mood and I kept my problems to myself. Finally (predictably), I hit bottom. Finally, I realized how much I needed help.

And I have found help in the Twelve Step fellowship. When I go to my Step meeting, I feel connected; I learn that people will be there for me. When I meet with my sponsor, I feel reassured. I learn that it’s OK to have these problems. I also learn that it’s good to talk about them (because that’s how they get better). Getting help when I need it makes it easier for me to believe that I too have a higher power, one who is quietly and subtly helping me recover. Finally, I am learning trust, and my spirit is growing stronger.

I will meditate on two things that help me feel taken care of, that help me feel secure.

***********************************************

~ BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT ~ (Inspiration and Support for Recovery) ~

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.

~ Victor Borge ~

Laughter lifts our hearts and opens our spirits to one another. Nothing feels quite as good as laughter when it wells up from deep down inside.

In the past maybe we distrusted laughter. Maybe it scared us or we thought it superficial. Or maybe laughter was just another mask we wore — we laughed or joked or teased — anything to avoid a situation that asked for seriousness.

Now we know that laughter, like joy or food or sleep, is essential to our well-being. And like any new behavior, it can be learned.

First we need to notice how we share with others. Are we somber, unyielding, defensive? Or are we open, on the lookout for the best in whomever we may encounter?

We need not remain imprisoned by past attitudes. Just as we now have days when we wake up feeling grateful and glad to be alive, with practice we can channel that gratitude and gladness into our encounters. We have a choice. Happiness and a positive attitude are contagious. The more we smile at the world, the more life seems to smile back.

Today let me be open to smiling and laughing more. Let me expect good things to come to me.

************************************************

~ MORNING LIGHT ~ (Meditations to Begin Your Day) ~

I wish I knew what people mean when they say they find “emptiness” in this wonderful adventure of living…. I’m afraid I’m an incorrigible life-lover and life-wonderer and adventurer.

~ Edith Wharton ~

Being in a recovery program does not mean that you cannot live life to the fullest. Sometimes the greatest achievements, the most beneficial changes, the strongest relationships, and the most learning can take place when you are clean and sober.

In your years of use and abuse, you most likely passively watched wonder, passion, and your sense of adventure disappear. You believed that drinks or drugs would make your life an amazing experience.

Recovery empowers you to try new things, participate in new adventures, or try a different way of acting. You have the chance to step out of old roles you once played and become more solidly positioned in the sheer enjoyment of all that life has to offer. So, today, resolve to include more adventures in your life! Climb a mountain or train for a road race or triathlon. Give back to others by volunteering at a soup kitchen or devoting your time to a worthwhile cause. Explore a career change or learn more about a particular subject. Hone a talent or polish a craft. Pick something you want to do, and then do it!

I am a lover, life-wonderer, and life-adventurer.

************************************************

~ NIGHT LIGHT ~ (A Book Of Nighttime Meditations) ~

We must constantly build dykes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.

~ Martin Luther King, Jr. ~

The definition of courage is the ability to conquer fear or despair. In the past we may have been called courageous because we stayed in circumstances that were difficult or nearly unbearable. We may have felt that walking away from family, children, or friends was cowardly or displayed weakness. We may have felt that by holding back our tears we were stronger people.

Yet all the things we may have viewed as weakness are really signs of courage. All the things we believed to be acts of courage were really not courageous at all. If we walked away from difficult or unbearable circumstances, we would be conquering despair. If we cried, we would have been courageous by letting go of our fear, pain, or sadness.

Courage doesn’t mean putting ourselves in stressful or unpleasant situations. Courage doesn’t mean controlling our emotions. Courage is the ability to strengthen ourselves against the fear and despair of life, rather than be drowned by it.

What have I done today that took courage? I can be grateful for my courage and strengthen it.

************************************************

~ DAY BY DAY ~ (Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts) ~

Taking care of today

we are today. Idly wishing for the past to be removed or the future to come closer gets us nothing. We must focus on today to make possible a better tomorrow.

This requires a clear understanding of what we can and cannot do today. So let us not distress ourselves by dwelling in the past or future, but express ourselves to the fullest today.

Have I learned to take care of today?

Higher Power guide me in my activities today and keep me from dwelling on the past or the future.

I will take care of today by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

************************************************

~ IF YOU WANT WHAT WE HAVE ~ (Sponsorship Meditations) ~

The road to Hades is easy to travel

~ BION ~

Newcomer

I hear people say, “This is a progressive disease,” and I understand that from my own experience. I did get progressively worse—I had my ups and downs over the years and hit what I now recognize as a bottom. But how can people say that the disease keeps progressing even when we’re in recovery? What does that mean?

Sponsor

Many relapses follow a predictable course: At first, we hang on to the illusion that control is now possible—a little time in recovery has proved that we don’t have to act out our addiction. We think we can behave like “normal” people and “have a little” now and then. It may take only a few hours or days for this illusion to collapse, or it may take weeks or months; most of the stories we hear suggest that the return of active addiction comes quickly. Perhaps our “clean” systems succumb more readily, perhaps our need to anesthetize the guilt of relapsing leads to stepped-up use, or perhaps we’re in rebellion against what we learned in recovery: the “I’ll show them” reaction. The reasons seem less important than the fact that most people who relapse after a period of recovery find that they’ve gotten worse, not better, at handling the addiction. Though there’s no guarantee that someone who has had a relapse will find his or her way back, some do return to recovery and share with us what they’ve learned.

Today, I cherish this chance at recovery, letting go of any need to test it.

************************************************

~ THE EYE OPENER ~

The sooner we alcoholics realize the fact that sobriety by itself is not enough to insure real living, the better off we will be.

For us to emerge from our shell and then cease all growth is to stagnate, and stagnation is death itself to an alcoholic. Everything on this planet has a part in the Grand Scheme and unless we discover and act our little part, we are dead, and decay has already set in.

It is contrary to the laws of Nature for man to stand still. We either go ahead or we go back.

************************************************

~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) If it wasn’t for denial my life would be ****.

2) Gratitude and acceptance always help, no matter what the circumstances.

3) Your fault—my mistake.

************************************************

~ The 12 STEP PRAYER BOOK ~ (A Collection of Favorite 12 Step Prayers and Inspirational Readings) ~

I Cannot Pray

I cannot pray the Lord’s Prayer and even once say “I.”
I cannot pray the Lord’s Prayer and even once say “my.”
Nor can I pray the Lord’s Prayer and not pray for another,
And when I ask for daily bread, I must include my brother.
For others are included in each and every plea,
From the beginning to the end of it, it does not once say “me.”

***********************************************

~ AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX ~ (A Book of Daily Readings) ~

HOW TO FORGIVE

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee . . . (Psalm 55:22)

The technique of forgiveness is not very difficult when you understand how. The only thing that is essential is willingness to forgive. Provided you desire to forgive the offender, the greatest part of the work is already done.

The method of forgiving is this: Get by yourself and become quiet. Repeat any prayer that appeals to you, or read a chapter of the Bible. Then quietly say, “I fully and freely forgive X (mentioning the name of the offender); I lose him and let him go. I cast the burden aside. He is free now, and I am free too. The Truth of Christ has set us both free. I thank God.”

On no account repeat this act of forgiveness, because to do it a second time would be tacitly to repudiate your own work. Afterward, whenever the memory of the offender or the offense happens to come into your mind, bless the delinquent briefly and dismiss the thought. Do this, however many times the thought may come back. You will find that all bitterness and resentment have disappeared, and you are both free with the perfect freedom of the children of God. Your forgiveness is complete

************************************************

~ A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE ~ (365 Daily Inspirations for Heart-Centered Living) ~

Formative Minutes

Thrice blest whose lives are faithful prayers, whose loves in higher love endures.

~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson ~

A Wonder Bread commercial reminded viewers of the importance of “the formative years”—the first five years of life when a child’s foundation is established. The ad suggested it was important to feed the child Wonder Bread, which “builds strong bodies 12 ways.” The premise of the commercial was correct. The early years of life imprint the important programs upon which a life will be built.

Each day is like a life unto itself, and so the first minutes of each day are the formative minutes. We must take special care to sound the keynote that will set the tone for our entire day. How do you begin your day? Do you spend it with God, in peace, in atonement with yourself? Or do you pop out of bed and immediately dive into the busyness of the day, postponing your soul’s needs in favor of lesser activities?

For many years, I have begun my day with mediation and prayer. Be–fore I speak to anyone, do chores, or even think about work, I sit and commune with Spirit. This practice has empowered my life in such profound ways that I cannot conceive of starting my day in any other way.

Take at least the first 20 minutes of your day to meditate, pray, read an inspiring book, practice yoga or tai chi, walk in the woods, sing, dance, or engage in any practice that links you to a higher power. Establish your center, and the day that follows will reflect clarity, strength, and love. Any time you spend with Spirit will be returned and will multiply many times over. Whenever possible, renew your spirit throughout the day. Even a few seconds of closing your eyes and remembering the presence of love will make a big difference. At the end of your day, be with God before entering sleep. The formative minutes will build the consciousness that makes a productive life.

Be with me today, Spirit. Hold my hand throughout the day, and never let me forget that You walk with me.

I start the day with love, fill the day with love, and end the day with love.