Today's Thought - September

[bluidkiti]

September 1

Finding the common bond

We are one among so many and may feel “terminally unique.” We need help; we need each other.

If we see that we’re all in the same boat, that we’re more alike than different, we can diminish whatever seems to separate us. Then we can offer each other our experience, strength, and hope.

Can I look for the common bond?

Higher Power, help me find what I share with my fellow travelers.

To make a connection with one other person today, I will…

Today's reading is from the book Day by Day, Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts

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September 2

The hand that holds the whip over our heads is most often our own.

~Harvey Egan

We must learn to be as patient with ourselves as God is with us. That’s a tall order for adult children who, almost by definition, can’t tolerate imperfection in themselves. Instead of having to “be perfect and be perfect now,” most of us need to be far less critical of ourselves. We need to give ourselves a break.

When we forgive ourselves for being human, we are acting as God acts toward us. God knows who and what we are. He doesn’t expect perfection. We’re the ones who do that.

Playing both taskmaster and whipping boy at the same time is too much for anybody. It is an example of a classic double bind that plagues so many adult children.

We need to learn to be neither tyrant nor cringing victim. The task is to learn to establish sane boundaries and learn that because we are special and deserving of marvelous things, we don’t have to abuse ourselves by unrealistic expectations or minimize our successes.

Today, I will examine my expectations and celebrate my successes.

Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy, Daily Meditations for Adult Children

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September 3

An asset can become a defect.

A positive trait many of us share is that we are good managers—we handle our responsibilities at home and on the job efficiently. Often our self-worth is tied to the praise we receive from other people. But it’s a short leap from being a good manager to handling responsibilities that clearly belong to someone else. When we make that leap, we suddenly turn an admirable asset into a defect.

Our propensity for taking over the responsibilities of others comes from our need to control and our desire for continued affirmation of our skills. Being good managers over some aspects of our lives wins us desired compliments. Thus we figure that managing other people’s lives will guarantee us love!

But we learn in the Twelve Step program that the truth is quite different. “Let go and let God,” “Live and let live,” the Twelve Step program tells us. These slogans seem foreign at first. Watching others and learning from them, however, change how we see our purpose in life. The change feels good, in time.

Managing my own life is my only assignment today.

Today's reading is from the book A Life of My Own, Meditations on Hope and Acceptance

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September 4

Feeling Protected

Our task is not a naive one of feeling safe, of living and loving in a utopian world. One woman commented that our task is making ourselves feel safe while learning to live and love in a world that is unsafe.

We do not want to dwell on the dangers, for that gives power to the negative. Neither do we want to ignore them or pretend they don’t exist.

If we were going to sunbathe, we would not be naive about the dangers from the sun. We know that harmful rays can burn. We would take steps to protect ourselves, so that we could enjoy the benefits of the sun. That is our task in recovery.

This is what a woman, a helping professional, told me: Picture a sunscreen surrounding you. Place it around yourself—not too heavy and thick so no light can penetrate, and not so thin that you are exposed to danger. See yourself protected by a sunscreen that is effective. Make certain that the screen is open to the good. For a while, your screen was too heavy. It held back what you wanted. Now change it to let the good come through.

This is your screen for life and the world. See it. Imagine it surrounding you always. It wraps you in love, in comfort, in protection. No harm can enter. No negative energy can penetrate the screen.

Go in peace; go in safety; go, now, knowing you are protected. Go anywhere you need to go. The evil has been blocked; the goodwill comes pouring forth. You do not have to work so hard at protecting yourself. You can relax and enjoy life, trusting that you are safe. Go without fear, for you are wrapped in love and protection. And you shall always be.

Today, I will envision myself wrapped in a shield that blocks the negative and harmful rays of the world, but it is constructed so that the good can enter.

Today's reading is from the book The Language of Letting Go, Daily Meditations on Codependency

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September 5

Reflection for the Day

“Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow,” wrote Goethe. I ask myself sometimes, as we all do: “Who am I?” “Where am I?” “Where am I going?” “What’s it all about?” The learning and growing process is usually slow. But eventually our seeking always brings a finding. What seem like great mysteries often turn out to be enshrined in complete simplicity. Have I accepted the fact that my willingness to grow is the essence of my spiritual development?
Today I Pray

Higher Power, give me patience and the perseverance to keep on hoeing the long row, even when the end of it is out of sight. The principles of the program are my almanac for growing, even more than harvesting. The harvest will come, abundant enough to share, if I can stick to my garden tending.
Today I Will Remember

Getting there, not being there.

Today's reading is from the book A Day at a Time, Daily Reflections for Recovering People

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September 6

A key aspect of any exploration into purpose involves the concept of right livelihood—finding work that offers us something we believe needs doing, beyond pay benefits, vacations, and security. Right livelihood narrows the gap between what we dream and what we do, and deeply honors the gifts we have to offer the world, while acknowledging what is required for survival. This notion intimately weaves together work, money, and creative expression. A basic principle is “We must not work hard to get what we don’t want!”

How do we define success for ourselves? Much flows from that deceptively simple query. Meaningful work marries passions with skills, allowing us to measure success in any currency we choose: money, people helped, habitats saved, the degree to which we are experiencing peace, health, and love—whatever our own personal criteria may be. Most people direct their precious time and life energy into accumulating money and the stuff it buys, trying to create a sense of security and diverting themselves. But does it make sense to give up five days doing what is not fulfilling, so we can enjoy the other two?

Even if we can’t live it right now, we can at least envision work that is more satisfying, the first step to making it so!

Freedom from substances offers more opportunities for meaningful work, aligned with purpose.

Today's reading is from the book Cornerstones, Daily Meditations for the Journey into Manhood and Recovery

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September 7

Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair but manifestations of strength and resolution.

~Kahlil Gibran

We seem to think that the mean people are strong. We give power to people who are rude or cruel. Many of us used to play by those rules. We were afraid, so we acted mean, rude, tough, or cool to keep people away from us. We tried to make other people more scared of us than we were of them.

Now in recovery, we are learning kindness is strength. It’s not easy to be kind when others are mean or when we are in pain or afraid. It’s not easy to think about others instead of ourselves when we are tired or frustrated with problems of our own. But we are learning to do these things, and we are becoming strong enough to do them. We are not ruled by our feelings anymore. We can choose to be kind and tender.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me remember that all true strength and power come from you. Give me grace today to be strong, kind, and tender.
Today's Action

Today I will think about the tugs of frustration, anger, and fear I’ve felt over the past twenty-four hours. I will talk with my sponsor about how to “Let go and let God.”

Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me, More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple

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September 8

When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

~Tao Te Ching

Working the Twelve Steps is the process of being and becoming. It is finding, knowing, and accepting who we are. It is having the willingness to fall down, stumble around, and make mistakes. It is being in tune with the constant process of death and rebirth that is part of life’s rhythm.

Each of us has an internal timetable—the rhythm of our spirit. Discovering what it is and living according to its direction can bring us untold serenity and joy. It also brings us energy, because we’re not fighting ourselves and reality. So often we are our own worst enemy. But to face who we are and to learn from it is to be created anew. In the process, we discover our own truths. Maybe that’s part of what a spiritual awakening is: seeing the truth in a new way.

Living according to the guidance of our spirit and in harmony with our body, mind, and emotions is a solitary journey, but one that brings us close to other people and to life. It takes patience, and it brings true peace.

I am able to trust that in my recovery I am learning new things as I need to learn them. I am comfortable with the pace of my recovery.

Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart, Daily Meditations for Men and Women Recovering from Sex Addiction

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September 9

Unity

All your strength is in your union. All your danger is in discord.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

History is full of examples of how important unity in purpose and execution is in any act. Joining forces can create the triumph of good and the defeat of evil. “United we stand, divided we fall” has been a battle cry voiced by men and women from all nations and levels of society when they unite for a common cause.

Those in the program know from the very beginning of their recovery that building control over their addiction can never happen without the aid of others who have the same problems.

Early in our program of growth, we were told about our First Tradition, that our common welfare always comes first. Unless we recognize the fact that we need the help of other members, and are willing to go to any lengths to achieve success, we are headed for failure.

“One for all, and all for one” applies to my recovery. I can’t do it alone.

Today's reading is from the book Easy Does It, A Book of Daily Twelve Step Meditations

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September 10

We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.

~Martin Luther King Jr.

The profound inner truth of our life is that we have a lifelong partnership with God. As we strengthen our awareness of this constant, love-filled presence, we’ll be less able to cloud our mind with critical thoughts. Any thought we choose to hold that is not blessing someone harms us as much as the other person. Returning our thoughts to God, even when our ego is struggling to think mean thoughts, will release us from the bondage of negativity.

Our Twelve Step program offers us freedom from this bondage every time we contemplate the Third Step. Letting God take charge of our will promises us freedom from harmful actions and thoughts. How lucky we are to have this guidance in our life. Our teachers are everywhere. From some of them we experience direct communication from our Higher Power. From others we gain countless opportunities to let our Higher Power direct our actions toward love.

I will correct my thinking today by filling my mind with the presence of God rather than unholy thoughts.

Today's reading is from the book In God's Care, Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery

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September 11

People need joy. Quite as much as clothing. Some of them need it far more.

~Margaret Collier Graham

Life is not without pain and travail. They are necessary to new awareness which prompts growth. And the gift of growth is joy. Pain and joy are thus intertwined. It is possible to feel only the burden of pain and not the exhilaration of joy, however.

Before seeking help to change our lives, many of us were heavily burdened by pain. But we were unable to open ourselves to the knowledge made possible by that pain. We were on a treadmill, accumulating painful experiences at every step, unable to capture the joy that was ever present.

We can have hope. Joy does await each of us today. We must open our eyes to it, just as we must open our hearts to one another. We must be willing to peel away the layers of pain to expose the core, the seedling of joy. And we need joy in our lives, just as surely as we need rest and a good diet. We need the light heart that joy fosters for a better perspective on the many experiences we'll face today, and every day.

Recovery has given me this new option. It guarantees me that every burden will be lightened. The knowledge that joy is inherent, within every experience, is mine, now and forever.

Today's reading is from the book Each Day a New Beginning, Daily meditations for Women

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September 12

You can learn little from victory. You can learn everything from defeat.

~Christy Mathewson

We all know the face of painful defeat. We tried to win, but some of our ways led to disgrace and shame. We used unwise and self-indulgent methods to cope with life’s problems. Those defeats were devastating. But it’s not only bad choices and mistakes that create loss and heartache. Inevitably, adult life forces everyone to face powerlessness. That is a spiritual lesson that some of us accept more readily than others. Some guys don’t easily give up the heady feeling of power and the pride of doing things their own way, even when their own way brings repeated defeat.

With only victories, we might stay stuck as superficial boys for the rest of our lives. What would push us to learn? From the broken pieces of painful events, we are forced to learn something new. We can no longer hold on to our voracious appetites and our stubborn willfulness. We have to finally open our minds to the wisdom of others. Through our failures we are strengthened. In facing powerlessness, we truly grow from boyishness into genuine manhood.

Today, I am grateful for all that I have learned from my defeats.

Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones, More Daily Meditations for Men

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September 13

AA Thought for the Day

“Practical experience shows that nothing will so much ensure immunity from drinking as extensive work with other alcoholics. Carry the message to other alcoholics. You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail. Life will take on a new meaning for you. To watch people recover, to see them help others in turn, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow about you, to have a host of friends—this is an experience you must not miss.” Am I always ready and willing to help other alcoholics?
Meditation for the Day

One secret of abundant living is the art of giving. The paradox of life is that the more you give, the more you have. If you lose your life in the service of others, you will save it. You can give abundantly and so live abundantly. You are rich in one respect—you have a spirit that is inexhaustible. Let no mean or selfish thought keep you from sharing this spirit. Of love, of help, of understanding, and of sympathy, give and keep giving. Give your personal ease and comfort, your time, your money, and most of all, yourself. And you will be living abundantly.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may live to give. I pray that I may learn this secret of abundant living.

Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day, A Spiritual Resource with Practical Applications for Daily Life

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September 14

Something can't happen every day. You get up, go to work, come back, eat again, enjoy some leisure, go back to bed. Now that's plenty for most folks.

~Ntozake Shange

When we were all little kids, before we started school, the days felt so long it seemed as if we had time for everything.

But when we started school, we had to start living by the clock, and in this way, we became very grown up. Sometimes we feel angry about living by the clock, all of us who are first grade and older! But there are things we can do to help us live with these limits. First, we can learn to set a goal for each day, and once we have reached that goal—whether it's doing spelling homework, mopping the floor, or writing three business letters—we can announce to whoever happens to be around, "Now that I've completed that, I don't have to worry about one more thing to feel worthwhile."

Second, we can believe what we said! We can relax, do something fun, enjoy the pleasures that the day offers.

What is my goal for today?

Today's reading is from the book Today's Gift, Daily Meditations for Families

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September 15

People seldom improve when they have no model but themselves to copy.

~Oliver Goldsmith

If we had to get well by ourselves, we’d be in trouble. We’ve already tried this route. We need to learn a new way to live, not the old way we already know.

That’s why we have sponsors in Twelve Step programs. Sponsors are one of the best things about our recovery program. We pick people who are happy and doing well in recovery. Then we copy them. We copy them because sponsors are special people who have what we want. They have sobriety. They have happiness. They have common sense. They have peace and serenity. And they will help us get those things too. We learn a new way to live from them.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me pick good models. Help me copy what works for them.
Action for the Day

If I don’t have a sponsor now, I’ll work today on getting one. If I do have a sponsor already, I will thank them today for being a good model for living the program.

Today's reading is from the book Keep it Simple, Daily Meditations for Twelve Step Beginnings and Renewal

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September 16

He brought me out into an open place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

~Psalms 18:19

We know in this program that our recovery was not an accident. We may be mystified by it or surprised to be feeling better. Some of us call it a miracle. We have worked hard in our recovery. We have suffered through some difficulties. Still, our recovery is not an achievement or an accomplishment. It is a gift from our Higher Power. We were powerless to help ourselves. All we could do was ask for help.

As we live an improved life and enjoy the benefits of our growth, we may ask why we were given this gift. As we seek to know the will of God, the ancient passage quoted today offers an answer. “He rescued me because he delighted in me.” Can we let that in?

Thanks to God for all the rescued moments and for all the times I have been saved from my excesses.

Today's reading is from the book Touchstones, A Book of Daily Meditations for Men

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September 17

Learning

It seems as if we’re particularly immature, especially in the early stages of recovery. When we were using, we handled all of our problems the same way: When faced with difficult relationships, we used. When faced with responsibilities, we used. When faced with life, we used. Substances took the place of learning experiences.

Fortunately, we’re in recovery now, and we can learn from our problems. We are more mature now that we understand our strengths and weaknesses better, and we know how to work the program to recover.

Am I learning from my experiences?

Higher Power, help me to be strong (enough) to evaluate and learn from my mistakes.

Today I will practice learning by…

Today's reading is from the book Day by Day, Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts

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September 18

They love the best who love with compassion.

~Ellen Anne Hill

Lucky indeed is the person who is loved by those with compassion. Hard indeed is the lot of those loved by rigid boundaries, quick judgments, and a small sense of humanity.

All of us are fighting a personal battle, all of us have been scarred, and all of us are riddled with contradictions and inconsistent behavior. To be human is to be flawed. Compassion is the state of being in touch with the bright, beautiful, and flawed nature of humanity.

Compassionate people are able to see the gold beneath the metal. They are able to see the effort beneath the occasional failure. They are able to see the intention beneath the mistake.

We have all made mistakes, experienced pain, and learned to heal. Where would we be—when the wounds are fresh—without the compassion of others?

I am aware that life is difficult for everyone. Today, I will be especially sensitive and kind.

Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy, Daily Meditations for Adult Children

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September 19

Overachieving may be symptomatic.

Suffering from low self-esteem is common. Some of it may be blamed on growing up in families affected by alcohol or other drugs. Perhaps the criticisms heaped on us at school or in a bad marriage triggered it. We may have thousands of reasons for lacking a sense of our worth. The bottom line is, we were insecure and full of doubt—good breeding ground for the superstar achiever. Much good occasionally comes from low self-esteem. Working really hard, excelling in many extracurricular activities, being available when a favor is asked—these are common characteristics of people with low self-esteem.

The program is spiritually based, and in it we are introduced to a Higher Power. Many of us didn’t have one before, at least not one we relied on, to help us feel better about ourselves. We are learning to turn to our Higher Power every day for peaceful assurance that we are loved, that we are being taken care of. In time we’ll grow to love ourselves, and then we’ll be free of the need to overachieve.

I will accept my worthiness today and trust that my Higher Power has something wonderful in store for me.

Today's reading is from the book A Life of My Own, Meditations on Hope and Acceptance

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September 20

Time can shift according to how we choose to experience it. Do we sense time differently when we are waiting for someone who is late than when we are the one who is late? Time also often seems to slow down when things are harder in winter or with the experience of pain.

Time has very little to do with clocks and everything to do with thought and perception. Yet most people are in a 24/7 competition against the timepiece, obeying the orders of their calendars, their completely charted days, or their clock-crazy, appointment-driven, dizzying timetable of overscheduled duties. The weight of overwhelming demands, commitments, and options and the endless list of responsibilities can easily pull us off balance.

Our collective obsession with clock time creates a magnetic pull toward overcommitment and speed. In our mad dash to get things done, we often bow down to the tyranny of the urgent, forgetting that multitasking is not a normal human state, even if our idea of it is holding a remote control and eating chips simultaneously.

Our inner artist allows us to break out of this hourglass prison and enter a world where each moment is unfolding just so—no matter whether the vehicle for such unfolding is song, dance, painting, sculpting, or writing.

With recovery, I need not be afraid that boredom will lead me to destructive choices. I enjoy the timelessness found in practicing my art form.

Today's reading is from the book Cornerstones, Daily Meditations for the Journey into Manhood and Recovery

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September 21

We are sturdy beings. But in many ways, we are fragile. We can accept change and loss, but this comes at our own pace and in our own way. And only we and God can determine the timing.

~Codependent No More

Hard times, stressful times, are not all there is to life, but they are part of life, growth, and moving forward. What we do with hard times, or hard energy, is our choice. We can use the energy of hard times to work out, and work through, our issues. We can use it to fine-tune our skills and our spirituality. Or we can go through these situations suffering, storing up bitterness, and refusing to grow or change.

Hard times can motivate and mold us to bring out our best. We can use these times to move forward and upward to higher levels of living, loving, and growth.

The choice is ours. Will we let ourselves feel? Will we take a spiritual approach, including gratitude, toward the event? Will we question life and our Higher Power by asking what we’re supposed to be learning and doing? Or will we use the incident to prove old, negative beliefs? Will we say “Nothing good ever happens to me. I’m just a victim. People can’t be trusted. Life isn’t worth living”?

We do not always require hard energy, or stress, to motivate us to grow and change. We do not have to create stress, seek it, or attract it. But if it’s there, we can learn to channel it into growth and use it for achieving what’s good in life.

God, let my hard times be healing times.

Today's reading is from the book The Language of Letting Go, Daily Meditations on Codependency

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September 22

Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.

~Standing Bear

The wisdom of Native American spirituality is deeply centered on the natural world. It teaches us to respect the earth and all natural things. It teaches us, as many world religions do, that we are made of earth and live by the gifts of nature. Remember, the word humility comes from the word humus, meaning “of the earth.” When we become alienated or too far removed from nature, we become disconnected from ourselves. We lose our place and become willful.

Humility is not the same as shame. Humility is self-respecting, and it expresses that we have a place in the entire web of life. One aspect of a spiritual life is the feeling of awe. Where better to return to the feeling of awe than in sight of a mighty river, a powerful storm, or the intricate details of a flower or a stone.

Today, I will return to the natural world around me, and with awe, I will give thanks.

Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones, More Daily Meditations for Men

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September 23

Most of us can, as we choose, make of this world either a palace or a prison.

~Sir John Lubbock

Oh, really? If we could choose to live our life in a palace or a prison, we’d all be living in palaces, right? Wrong. Perhaps we would all wish to live in palaces, but would we do the work it takes to make that choice?

Making a choice means deciding where to spend our time and energy. Making a choice means we choose a goal and do the work to get to our goal.

We can’t stay sober today by wishing for sobriety. But we can stay sober by choosing sobriety today—or even by choosing sobriety this hour or this minute, one moment at a time. When we choose sobriety, we put our time and energy toward things that will keep us sober. And the things that will keep us sober—caring for others, being honest, doing our work well, eating and exercising to stay healthy—take up our time and energy.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me realize today that the way I spend each moment is how I choose what my life will be. Thanks for helping me get sober so I can make good choices.
Today's Action

Today I will make a list of the things I wish for. Are they worth the work? Will I choose to live my minutes, hours, and days to get them?

Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me, More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple

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September 24

We yield, and we realize God has wrought something in us, and that the wings of our souls have learned to beat the upper air.

~Anonymous

Where are our resting places? Where are the free spaces where we find nurturing and peace? For some of us, it is within ourselves: a place where we live quietly, engaged in inarticulate creation. We go to that silent space because we are safe there. We find what we need to be replenished until we are ready to go into the world again.

For some of us, the resting places are primarily outside ourselves: the earth, the sea, the mountains. We call this “getting away from it all,” but it’s really going to something we need as much as we need air and food. We all will find a resting place in anything to which our hearts call us: music, a journal, books on recovery, solitude. We all need sanctuary, time to be recreated, time to become reconnected to who we truly are.

Within my solitary sanctuary, my Higher Power is always with me.

Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart, Daily Meditations for Men and Women Recovering from Sex Addiction

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September 25

No Sainthood

Life leads never to perfection but always toward it.

~James Lane Allen

Our friends in the program repeatedly pound into our heads: “We are not saints.” The improvement we make in recovery could easily lead us to believe that we may be approaching sainthood. That idea doesn’t last past one honest inventory. Old-timers remind us “Don’t try to be a saint by Thursday.”

If we believe we are superior because of our success in recovery, we will find ourselves impossible to live with. We seek spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. Perfection is impossible for humans to achieve. Our limitations, as well as our potentials, add to our spiritual growth.

Those who have all the answers for themselves and others, and reject suggestions or advice are probably headed toward relapse.

One of the best pieces of advice for improving myself and my attitude is “Easy does it.” There really isn’t anything beyond the very best I can do.

Today's reading is from the book Easy Does It, A Book of Daily Twelve Step Meditations

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September 26

Politeness is the art of choosing among one’s real thoughts.

~Abel Stevens

We’re flooded with thoughts nearly every minute. We’re making grocery lists, rehearsing conversations, or making plans for tomorrow. Our mind is seldom quiet in anticipation of God’s timely messages for us and others. And we’re sometimes too quick to speak before we think. The result is that we too often fail to share the messages we have for others, and we fail to consider how our misguided words affect them.

The people who always seem to be gentle, diplomatic, thoughtful, and “successful” in their conversations aren’t blessed with more skills for living than we are. Perhaps they have learned to rely on their intuition before speaking—let their Higher Power help them sort out appropriate responses before they blurt out their views.

Pausing before speaking calms us. It ensures better communication, and it honors God, the people around us, and ourselves.

I will experience many moments of calmness today, and I’ll see positive results.

Today's reading is from the book In God's Care, Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery

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September 27

Pity is the deadliest feeling that can be offered to a woman.

~Vicki Baum

We must move forward with confidence, trusting that the strength we need will be given us, having faith in our visions to guide us. Problems need not daunt us. Rather, they can spur us on to more creative activity. They challenge our capabilities. They insist that we not stand still.

Pity from others fosters inaction, and passivity invites death of the soul. Instead, our will to live is quickened through others' encouragement. All else dampens the will. Pity feeds the self-pity that rings the death knell.

We can give strokes wherever we are today and know that we are helping someone live. And each time we reach out to encourage another, we are breathing new life into ourselves, new life that holds at bay the self-pity that may appear at any moment.

We can serve one another best, never by commiserating with sadnesses, but by celebrating life's challenges. They offer the opportunities necessary to our continued growth.

Someone needs a word of encouragement from me. l will brighten her vision of the future.

Today's reading is from the book Each Day a New Beginning, Daily meditations for Women

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September 28

Reflection for the Day

“When a man has reached a condition in which he believed that a thing must happen when he does not wish it, and that which he wishes to happen can never be, this is really the state called desperation,” wrote Schopenhauer. The very real pain of emotional difficulties is sometimes very hard to take while we’re trying to maintain sobriety. Yet we learn, in time, that overcoming such problems is the real test of the program’s way of living. Do I believe that adversity gives me more opportunity to grow than does comfort or success?
Today I Pray

May I believe firmly that my Higher Power, in its infinite wisdom, does not send me those occasional moments of emotional stress in order to tease my sobriety, but to challenge me to grow in my control and my conviction. May I learn not to be afraid of emotional summits and canyons, for the program has outfitted me for all kinds of terrain.
Today I Will Remember

Strength through adversity.

Today's reading is from the book A Day at a Time, Daily Reflections for Recovering People

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September 29

AA Thought for the Day

“What draws newcomers to AA and gives them hope? They hear the stories of men and women whose experiences tally with their own. The expressions on the faces of the women, that undefinable something in the eyes of the men, the stimulating atmosphere of the AA clubroom conspire to let them know that there is haven at last. The very practical approach to their problems, the absence of intolerance of any kind, the informality, the genuine democracy, the uncanny understanding that these people in AA have is irresistible.” Have I found a real haven in AA?
Meditation for the Day

“If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” The eye of the soul is the will. If your will is to do the will of God, to serve Him with your life, to serve Him by helping others, then truly shall your whole body be full of light. The important thing is to strive to attune your will to the will of God, a single eye to God’s purpose, desiring nothing less than that His purposes be fulfilled. Try to seek in all things the advance of His kingdom, seek the spiritual values of honesty and purity, unselfishness and love, and earnestly desire spiritual growth. Then your life will emerge from the darkness of futility into the light of victory.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that my eye may be single. I pray that my life may be lived in the light of the best that I know.

Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day, A Spiritual Resource with Practical Applications for Daily Life

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September 30

One must lose one's life in order to find it.

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

We are often so busy trying to control the outcome of the happenings in our daily lives, so intent on projecting our tomorrows, that we let life slip by. Life is today. This is all we have for sure—the moments in our lives we cannot hold. Sometimes it feels as if those moments were beyond time and place, gifts from God to receive and give up at the same time, like a dragonfly that lights on our hand and will either be crushed or will fly away if we try to close our fingers over it.

Life is a series of things to let go of—our friends and loved ones, our children as they grow, our dreams. or our youth. Only we ourselves, our inner selves, are a constant to be found and learned about every day, in the present moment.

How well can I enjoy each moment today?

Today's reading is from the book Today's Gift, Daily Meditations for Families