Today's Thought - September

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September 1

We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.

~Max De Pree

We need to let ourselves change. To try new things. To have exciting adventures. We shouldn’t stay closed to recovery, its principles, and the fellowship, but should instead jump in! Nothing grows by staying the same. We are meant to develop and help others develop into the best they can be. This is the opposite of addiction where we helped others and ourselves develop into the worst we could be.

Addiction made us rigid and afraid of change. Now we embrace change. With each new day, we should challenge ourselves to try a new adventure. But we need to make sure the new adventures fit within our values, support our sobriety, and honor our Higher Power.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me overcome fear, anger, and resentment. Help me to embrace change and become the person you want me to be.
Today's Action

I will commit to trying one new thing today, something that honors my values, my sobriety, and my Higher Power.

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 2

The problem of the individual is not clarified by stressing the antagonism between the individual and society, but by stressing their mutual reinforcement.

~Ruth Benedict

Since the time of Romanticism, with its emphasis on the opposition between the artist and society, some societies have tended to stress the values of the individual over and against those of the social order. We speak much of individual will and freedom, and less about ideas and ideals of community.

Perhaps that is why many of us feel so alone. Some of us, particularly if we’re male, have been brought up to be independent, self-reliant, and competitive, and we may now find this a burden rather than a blessing.

We now have the chance to forge new bonds and create new relationships. Our Twelve Step program has carefully and deliberately evolved as a self-supporting community whose basis is mutual help and whose ethic is love, not competition. As we learn to live the program each day, we carry this message to others who may suffer from lives of isolation and destructive addiction.

I am proud to be a member of a group that prizes love and community above all else.

Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart

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September 3

Pass It On

It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding.

~Kahlil Gibran

Each of us is equally responsible for the future wellbeing of our fellowship. Each of us, having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, is called on to carry the message to others and to continue practicing these principles in all our affairs.

The key to our ever-present renewal as a fellowship is the fact that we can’t stay recovered unless we share our recovery. It is always in our self-interest to pass it on. The sharing we do in our meetings acts like a breeder reactor for recovery.

When we’re asked to share, we can “Pass it on.” But we can also “Pass it on” by simply understanding even when not asked. In our first meeting, we knew that these people understood what we were going through even without their sharing. That feeling kept us coming back. We knew we were home.

The program has taught me that the price for serenity and sanity is self-sacrifice. I will pass it on.

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

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September 4

Do not use a hatchet to remove a fly from your friend’s forehead.

~Chinese proverb

Some of us are prone to criticizing others’ behavior even when they don’t ask for our opinions. Although sharing observations is sometimes good, we must explore our motives. Are we honestly trying to help? Or are we subtly putting others down in order to boost our self-esteem?

In God’s world we are equal, absolutely. We’re all on separate though very related journeys, and we have an opportunity to thoughtfully help each other, every moment. In this respect, gentle feedback may help someone get back on track, but hoisting ourselves up at another’s expense doesn’t help him or her, and it harms us greatly.

Our spiritual well-being suffers when we criticize others needlessly. The only sure way of helping friends live fulfilling lives is to love them and gently support them in their struggles. Their happiness will benefit the rest of us, too.

I will remember that my words can help or hinder. I will benefit from using soft words today.

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

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September 5

You can be anything you want to be if you want it bad enough and are willing to work for it.

~Mardy Kopischke

Being anything we want to be sounds too good to be true. The key, of course, is being willing to work for what we want. Perfectionistic though we may be, it’s still likely that most of us want to excel in every pursuit without the necessary hard work: Playing golf four times should mean no more whiffs. Being on the job nearly every day of the month should mean mastery of our career. There’s a difference, however, between being perfectionistic and working hard.

Knowing that a hobby, a task, a sport, requires hard work shouldn’t take the fun out of it but often does. We mistakenly think that we have chosen an impossible sport if we fail to demonstrate improvement each time we play. But we can learn how to do a task if we are willing to focus our undivided attention on it. Only then can we understand its subtleties. Only then can we be open to the help our Higher Power has promised.

I will be willing to work hard on every task I face today. With hard work and the willingness to practice, I will improve.

Today's reading is from the book A Woman's Spirit: More meditations for Women*

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September 6

Ritual is the way you carry the presence of the sacred. Ritual is the spark that must not go out.

~Christina Baldwin

We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, births, graduations, and holidays. These events mark important times and turning points. Many of us have not honored these rituals, or we have doubted their meaning in life. Some of us have seen rituals used in false and hollow ways, and as a result deprived ourselves of the honest and deep rewards that flow from true and meaningful observances. Many of us are awakening from a time when all of life lost its meaning, and rituals also seemed empty.

Now we are transforming into men who are not cynical, who don’t diminish the landmarks in our lives. So we send birthday cards, we light a candle for the memory of a departed grandparent, and we give a gift to acknowledge our partner’s special day. The ritual of observing one month of sobriety can be even more meaningful than one decade’s observance. All events deserve some attention to mark those times. They bring us to attention. In our humility, we accept the attention, and we give attention to others.

Today, I will take note of important life events and will plan to mark them with appropriate rituals.

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

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September 7

AA Thought for the Day

“To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic, a spiritual experience seems impossible, but to continue as he is means disaster. To be doomed to an alcoholic death or to live on a spiritual basis are not always easy alternatives to face. But we have to face the fact that we must find a spiritual basis of life—or else. Lack of power is our dilemma. We have to find a Power by which we can live, and it has to be a Power greater than ourselves.” Have I found that Power by which I can live?
Meditation for the Day

Sunshine is the laughter of nature. Live out in the sunshine. The sun and air are good medicine. Nature is a good nurse for tired bodies. Let her have her way with you. God’s grace is like the sunshine. Let your whole being be wrapped in the Divine Spirit. Faith is the soul’s breathing in of the Divine Spirit. It makes glad the hearts of human beings. The Divine Spirit heals and cures the mind. Let it have its way, and all will be well.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may live in the sunshine of God’s spirit. I pray that my mind and soul may be energized by it.

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 8

Whenever you fall, pick something up.

~Oswald Avery

There was once a very active boy who fell and broke his leg. He could run again in the spring, the doctors said, but only if he stayed in bed for an entire month and kept his leg still. At first the boy fought the rule, but he found that the more he thought about things he couldn't do, the more tired and angry he felt.

His parents put in a phone by his bed and friends called every day. He'd never much liked talking on the phone, but he felt better when they called. He wrote letters and got replies, and was surprised at what fun it was. Usually, he didn't have time to write letters.

He learned to play chess and began to enjoy reading. His days were slower and quieter than he'd been used to, but he learned a month really isn't a very long time. When spring came, he was running again, a little more joyfully than before.

When we can learn to accept our troubles, we find, like the boy, that they are just packages in which new growth and discoveries are wrapped.

If something unexpected slows me down today, what joys might I find at the slower pace?

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

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September 9

The Master doesn’t talk, she acts. When her work is done, the people say, “Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!”

~Lao-tzu

Our Higher Power works like the Master. Quietly. In fact, we usually take the credit ourselves!

We’re like a child who bakes cookies for the first time. A parent found the recipe, bought the ingredients, and got out the bowl and pans and spoons. They told us what to do and finished when we got tired. Then they cleaned up after us. We proudly served our cookies, saying, “I made them all by myself!”

In recovery, our Higher Power helps and teaches us every step of the way, just like a loving parent.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, thank You—for my life, for my recovery, for love, for hope, and for faith. Thank You for teaching me how to live in a better way.
Action for the Day

I’ll list five ways my Higher Power has acted in my life.

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

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September 10

Life is change … Growth is optional … Choose wisely.

~Karen Kaiser Clark

We can certainly count on change. We become fathers, our children become more independent, we make new friends, and other friends move away. When a man clings too tightly to the status quo or tries to control the direction of change, he is bound to be disappointed. We are like skiers on a mountain. We must continue down the slope. We can vary our speed somewhat, but if we stop for too long we will get cold or hungry; if we ski too fast, we may have a serious fall. Part of the pleasure is in not being able to control or predict every circumstance we will meet.

We don’t control which loved ones come into our lives and which ones go or whether we become ill or stay healthy. We don’t control life’s opportunities. We can control how we choose to respond to these transitions. Whatever happens can be used for growth, and we can commit ourselves to use all experiences that way.

Today, I will not try to control change but will choose to use whatever happens for growth.

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

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September 11

You Owe It to Yourself

You have done what countless millions have not or would not do. Under the direst of conditions, you have proven that you have what it takes to complete the mission. And now, as you continue the process, remember to include yourself. First and foremost, include yourself.

As your journey continues, put yourself up front. Give reality to the ghosts of your past. Once that’s done, stop trying to alter your past. Don’t regret your past, but don’t shut the door on it. It is what it is. It should be a life lesson, not a life sentence. Manifest your best future. An infinite amount of possible futures wait for you to decide which one will be reality for you. Only you can decide which one.

Just for today, for this moment, at this time, I will put myself first.

~Ed C., U.S. Army, 1975–1979

Today's reading is from the book Leave No One Behind: Daily meditations for Military Service Members and Veterans in Recovery*

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September 12

Dealing with now

When we were using, we kept avoiding the present moment (it was too painful) by using mood-altering substances. In recovery, we see that right now is all we have. If we avoid it, we avoid life.

Whether it’s getting to school or work, taking care of other daily duties, or staying sober, am I doing what I need to be doing right now?

Higher Power, help me be strong enough to do what I need to do right now.

Today I will improve my level of awareness by…

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

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September 13

Reflection for the Day

“Prayer does not change God,” wrote Søren Kierkegaard, “but it changes him who prays.” Those of us in the program who’ve learned to make regular use of prayer would no more do without it than we’d turn down sunshine, fresh air, or food—and for the same reason. Just as the body can wither and fail for lack of nourishment, so can the soul. We all need the light of a Higher Power’s reality, the nourishment of a Higher Power’s strength and grace. Do I thank my Higher Power for all that I’ve been given, for all that has been taken away from me, and for all that has been left for me?
Today I Pray

Dear Higher Power: I want to thank you for spreading calm over my confusion, for making the jangled chords of my human relationships harmonize again, for putting together the shattered pieces of my Humpty Dumpty self, for giving me as a sobriety present a whole great expanded world of marvels and opportunities. May I remain truly Yours. Yours truly.
Today I Will Remember

Prayer, however simple, nourishes the soul.

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

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September 14

With a little effort, assets can be enhanced.

When we prepare to work our first Fourth Step we shudder, certain we’ll fail to discover a single asset. It’s okay to ask other people how they did a Fourth Step and what assets they recognize in us. Getting over the resistance to doing this Step is what’s important at this stage of our growth. We all have assets. Maybe they don’t seem as numerous as our liabilities, but we can identify our assets and work to accentuate them each day.

It’s easy to take other people’s inventories, easier than taking our own. We had taken lots of inventories before discovering a Twelve Step program. But now we need to focus exclusively on our own inventory. We can’t expect to change in ways that enhance our well-being if we don’t give careful attention to all our parts. While it’s true that some of our parts may be enviable already, other parts may need work. We can add them to the “enviable” list by practicing healthy ways of interacting every time we are tempted to be critical of others.

It becomes a challenge, one that we’ll enjoy, when we decide to emphasize our assets, watching how they change our lives.

I will accentuate my positives today and have a lot more fun.

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

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September 15

All the poems of our lives are not yet made.

~Muriel Rukeyser

We can point to signs of progress in the evolution of our healing and maturing. We have taken steps in developing our relationships with ourselves, other people, and Spirit. We have begun to accept and forgive ourselves and others. We have welcomed fresh ideas about our identities and possibilities for growth. Whether gradually or suddenly, we have let in new attitudes and begun to cultivate new habits. New selves are continuously evolving out of the old as we become free of what is no longer true for us.

Conscious awareness of how much we have changed over time can give us hope for our future. We can look forward expectantly for more good to enter our lives. We can make worthy commitments, so that we ourselves have a hand in gently guiding our transformation into the people we wish to become.

Today, I commit myself to healing transformation.

Today's reading is from the book Glad Day

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September 16

Shame can hold us back, hold us down, and keep us staring at our feet.

~Beyond Codependency

Watch out for shame. Many systems and people reek of shame. They are controlled by shame and may want us to play their game with them. They may be hoping to hook us and control us through shame.

We don’t have to fall into their shame. Instead, we’ll take the good feelings—self-acceptance, love, and nurturing.

Compulsive behaviors, addictive behaviors, overeating, chemical abuse, and addictive gambling are shame-based behaviors. If we participate in them, we will feel ashamed. It’s inevitable. We need to watch out for addictive and other compulsive behaviors because those will immerse us in shame.

Our past, and the brainwashing we may have had that imposed “original shame” upon us, may try to put shame on us. This can happen when we’re all alone, walking through the grocery store or just quietly going about living our life. Don’t think…Don’t feel…Don’t grow or change…Don’t be alive…Don’t live life. Be ashamed!

Be done with shame. Attack shame. Go to war with it. Learn to recognize it and avoid it like the plague.

Today, I will deliberately refuse to get caught up in the shame floating around in the world. If I cannot resist it, I will feel it, accept it, then be done with it as quickly as possible.

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

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September 17

I always warned my little brother, “Don’t tell! No matter who asks, don’t tell!”

~Madeline C.

Adult children are all too familiar with keeping quiet and laying low. We knew it was our job, though it wasn’t always stated, to keep the blanket of secrecy tucked in tight. “They”—our friends, teachers, neighbors—must never know. So we said nothing. Ever.

For many of us, not talking became a habit. And so did defensiveness, rationalization, and lying. To us, leaping from a plane without a parachute would have felt less dangerous than talking freely to a friend. “Sharing is dangerous!” the old tapes cry out when we momentarily relax in comradeship.

The task is to let go of the long-held secrets. No matter how painful the opening up process may be, it is absolutely essential to recovery. For us, sharing means heartache and happiness, triumph and tragedy—one the wellspring of the other. Silence is the prison; sharing is the key.

Today, I will remember that trusting a friend is not dangerous and will open myself to honest sharing.

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

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September 18

Safety is all well and good; I prefer freedom.

~E. B. White

Addiction seduced us into believing we were safe. We had problems, and we ran to the bottle or our pills. We calmed down and felt safe, at least at first. It was only later into our illness that we learned we were trapped. We had exchanged our freedom for dependence. Addiction is the loss of freedom. Addicts can’t say no. This is the nature of our illness.

Recovery is about freedom. But all freedom comes at a price. We must work to create freedom for ourselves and to help others get free. With freedom comes choice, and with choice comes responsibility. Until confronted, we often don’t realize that we’re avoiding responsibility with excuses and blame. And we’re not alone. Dependent people don’t like responsibility. We want others—our families, our friends—to take care of us. To keep from slipping into old behaviors, we need to confront ourselves and avoid retreating into old, “safe” habits.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, you gave me free will, and I exchanged it for dependence. Help me to accept your gift and all the responsibilities that come with it. Give me the power to do your will.
Today's Action

Today I will list the different ways I’ve avoided responsibilities. Then I will ask myself, “Am I still avoiding becoming a responsible person?”

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 19

Everyone suddenly burst out singing.

~Siegfried Sassoon

The child within us wants to come out and play. The adult in us may resist, but why not do it anyway? Having fun and letting go of rigid personas is as important to recovery as loving relationships.

Having fun is an attitude as well as an activity. We can have a good time with everything we do—well, almost everything. But dancing around the living room, taking a day off work, doing something artistic, taking a child to the zoo—the world is full of things that are enjoyable. It might even be fun to make a list of things that are fun. Being willing to have fun frees the spontaneous, goofy, carefree parts of ourselves. We can show that side to people and practice not caring what they think. While we don’t have to abandon our boundaries, it’s good to take a risk and let go. In the end it’s our spirits that are freed.

Who knows? We might even jump off the high pinnacle of the adult world and laugh as we take the fall.

Discovering what I have fun at, and doing it, helps me grow in my recovery.

Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart

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September 20

Asking for Help

The smartest thing a Twelve Step member can say is “help me.”

~Anonymous

The weight of carrying the world on our backs has been removed from us in recovery. It is good to remember the world was never ours to carry in the first place. Our program prevents us from setting ourselves up for failure. Most of us are used to being the Lone Ranger. Instead of silver bullets, we left empty lives. Our solitude taught us never to ask for help, always to go it alone. Our isolation produced a pitiful figure we would dress up in toughness.

This, of course, was phony, because inside we were anything but tough. When we operate alone, pretending to be strong and in control, we set ourselves in motion to experience depression and pain. “Stinking thinking” flourishes in isolation. The key to unlocking the many gifts of the fellowship is asking for help. There is strength, wisdom, and hope, all waiting for us if we ask for help.

I have learned to ask for help and to help when I am asked.

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

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September 21

Some people spend their lives failing and never notice.

~Judith Rossner

It’s doubtful that those of us in Twelve Step programs fail at something very often without taking special notice. We’re more likely to see a setback as a sign we’re complete failures than as a necessary learning experience for growth.

The Big Book’s suggestion that this is a program of progress, not perfection may be fine for everyone else. But we still often feel we must get every promotion we try for, or an “A” on every exam, or win every game when we bowl. To be merely good, or worse yet only average, is much too humiliating.

When we’re feeling this way, it’s way past time for a talk with our Higher Power. How swiftly we forget that whatever our particular limitations, talents, or abilities, we always have a place in God’s plan. We are not expected to accomplish more than we can today. We are expected to be human, learning as we go. In God’s world we are perfect just as we are.

I will learn from my mistakes and accept my limitations today.

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

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September 22

The world has more depth in autumn. So, it seems, does my soul.

~Jane Nakken

The earth prepares to rest when autumn comes. Trees shed their leaves, flowers drop their blooms, grass grows more slowly. This can be likened to our own periods of quiet contemplation when we outgrow old ideas and prepare for new direction in our life.

It’s good that we have resting periods. We can’t know where or how far we want to go if we haven’t taken time to measure how far we have come. The fall of the year is a good time to do another Fourth Step inventory.

What’s the point of repeated inventories? Sponsors tell us that growth is never ending and that we can direct it best if we clearly know where we are right now. The only certain way of knowing that is through careful assessment of who we are today. Let’s stop and rest and contemplate our journey. Then let’s plan for the next leg.

My quiet times will inspire my journey today. I will be prepared for a new direction if that feels right.

Today's reading is from the book A Woman's Spirit: More meditations for Women*

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September 23

Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.

~Franz Kafka

We ask ourselves, “What really counts when everything else is stripped away? What do we still value?” Beauty is one of those values for many of us. It might be the beauty of the outdoors, solitude in the wilderness, a symphony, a special painting, or the athletic grace of a pitcher as he hurls the baseball across home plate. Something stirs within us when we see beauty. Many would call that a spiritual experience because it seems to touch the soul of our being.

We can feel vulnerable when we have such experiences, and some of us have learned to run roughshod over those moments. We smother that part of our soul so that we don’t have to feel our manhood threatened. Now we are learning new lessons. We are growing into stronger, more open, and more spiritual men. Beauty, wherever we see it, is part of our spiritual life.

Today, I am open to the stirring in my soul when I see beauty.

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

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September 24

AA Thought for the Day

“Those who do not recover are people who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault. They seem to be born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living that demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover, if they have the capacity to be honest.” Am I completely honest with myself and with other people?
Meditation for the Day

You can make use of your mistakes, failures, losses, and sufferings. It is not what happens to you so much as what use you make of it. Take your sufferings, difficulties, and hardships, and make use of them to help some unfortunate soul who is faced with the same troubles. Then something good will come out of your suffering and the world will be a better place because of it. The good you do each day will live on, after the trouble and distress have gone, after the difficulty and the pain have passed away.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may make good use of my mistakes and failures. I pray that some good may result from my painful experiences.

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 25

Large streams from little fountains flow.

~David Everett

Somewhere nearby, no matter where we are, runs a creek. We've seen plenty of them, narrow and rocky. In summer it's hardly a creek at all, but in the spring, it feeds a mighty river.

Each of us is like that creek, a trickle contributing to some greater plan. Sometimes we feel dried up, contributing nothing. Often we feel small, rocky, not up to the task—when we can understand what the task is.

Sometimes the task seems too simple—get up each morning, love and work and live the day as honestly as we can. What kind of contribution is that? Sometimes it seems too complicated. How much more we could contribute if we could see the whole river—where it begins and ends—if we knew what would happen tomorrow.

So we ebb and flow. And in our moments of contentment, we know we are doing the best we can each day.

What contribution, however small, can I offer the world today?

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

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September 26

…except when to do so would injure them or others.

~Second half of Step Nine

We have to be careful when we make amends. We must think about people’s well-being. Can we help them heal by being direct with them? Or would this hurt them again?

At times, this means not making direct amends. Sometimes, it’s better to make some other kind of amends. If you’re not sure how to make amends to someone, ask for advice from your sponsor and your group. And pray. Over time, you’ll know if making direct amends is the right thing to do. Remember, Step Nine means we’re responsible for our actions. In recovery, our actions can be healing. Healing takes place when we love ourselves and others. And love is what heals us.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, I’ve hurt people in the past. Please use me now to help those people heal. Give me good judgment, courage, and good timing.
Action for the Day

I will never be able to make direct amends to some people. I will think of other kinds of amends I can make to them. I can pray daily for their healing.

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

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September 27

A lot of what passes for depression these days is nothing more than a body saying that it needs work.

~Geoffrey Norman

Exercise changes our thought patterns in beneficial ways. Often we may feel irritable or blue and see nothing we can do about the situation. Then we are amazed at what simply going for a half-hour walk will do. Although our situations don’t change, we are changed in how we respond to them. Exercise—whether going for a walk, working in the garden, playing ball, or scrubbing a floor—clears our minds. After some physical movement we find our thoughts getting clearer. Ideas come to mind that help us cope, and our spirit is energized.

Research has shown that many cases of depression are eased by a program of vigorous daily exercise. In a sense, our Higher Power speaks to us through our muscles and bones when we move them. This spiritual experience, like many others, never comes from thinking about it, only from doing it.

Today, I will make time for physical activity.

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

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September 28

Letting go

If addiction is about control, recovery is about letting go. If addiction is about denial, recovery is about accepting what is.

As we spend time in the program, we learn something unexpected and amazing: life is so full of twists and turns, it’s easier to follow along than to try to straighten them out. It’s easier to have fewer expectations because, after all, we have no control over the future or the present.

Can I practice letting go?

Higher Power, help me to be open, flexible, and accepting in my recovery.

Today I will let others make decisions and let go of…

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

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September 29

Parallels between the Military and Recovery

Whenever I went outside the wire, I always knew that I had men to my left and right who were there fighting for me just as I was fighting for them. Down range, your unit’s cohesion is the thing that will accomplish the mission and keep you alive.

Recovery is not much different. Some of the words that are ever-present in the rooms of recovery are the ones that echo the sentiment that you never have to go through this alone again. You have people to your left and right who will go out into the world with you and fight for you if need be. That cohesion will accomplish that mission. And it will most certainly keep you alive.

So be grateful for the team that you have on both these battlefields. It’s a beautiful thing to know that you’re not alone when life shows up and things get real. It’s a godsend to have those people willing to fight for you just as you are a blessing to them for the very same reason.

Today I will make the conscious effort to be a present and active part of the team that might keep someone alive and bring them home safely.

~Bradley L., U.S. Army, 2005–2010

Today's reading is from the book Leave No One Behind: Daily meditations for Military Service Members and Veterans in Recovery*

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September 30

Reflection for the Day

Over and over, I see that those who make the best and steadiest progress in the program are those who readily accept the help of a Higher Power. Once they can do that, it’s easier for them to get out of their own way. Their problems then seem to resolve themselves in a way that is beyond human understanding. Do I realize that the effectiveness with which I connect to my Higher Power’s consciousness in my daily life depends on me?
Today I Pray

May I know that my recovery and growth depends on my being in touch with my Higher Power, not just once in a while, but always. It means turning to that Power several times a day to ask for strength and knowledge of my Higher Power’s will. When I understand that my own life is part of a Higher Plan, I will be less apt to trip and fall, head off in the wrong direction, or just to sit tight and let life pass me by.
Today I Will Remember

To be Higher Power?conscious.

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