A Prayer & Some Thoughts - March

[bluidkiti]

March 1

A Prayer Today

Lord,
Forgive me where I have been resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid.
Help me to not keep anything to myself but to discuss it all openly with another person – show me where I owe an apology and help me make it.
Help me to be kind and loving to all people.
Lord, Use me in the mainstream of life.
Free me of worry, remorse or morbid reflections that I may be of usefulness to others.
Amen

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Just a Thought

I have real friends where I had none before.

My drinking companions could hardly be called my real friends, though when drunk we seemed to have the closest kind of friendship. My idea of friendship has changed. Friends are no longer people whom I can use for my own pleasure or profit. Friends are now people who understand me and I them, whom I can help and who can help me to live a better life. I have learned not to hold back and wait for friends to come to me, but to go halfway and to be met halfway, openly and freely.

So ............

Does friendship have a new meaning for me?

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Just a Contemplation

Accent on the Present

We are/were often obsessed with the past. We would rehash old hurts and resentments, old fears and desires. Our dreams, along with our waking hours, may have been filled with people from our past.

Such preoccupation with the past prevented us from focusing on the present. If we are to be alive in the present, we need to let go of the past. What is over is over and cannot be replayed except in our minds.

What we can do is turn our memories over to our Higher Power for healing. The creative Spirit, which is not bound by time, can take away old hurts and resentments. Then we are free to deal with the present and concentrate on doing God's will for us now, today. Living in the present keeps us in touch with God, who restores us to sanity.

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The Past

Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worthwhile to us now. Cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have-- the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 124

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Just a Quote

“Renew, release, let go. Yesterday’s gone. There’s nothing you can do to bring it back. You can’t “should’ve” done something. You can only DO something. Renew yourself. Release that attachment. Today is a new day!” ~ Steve Maraboli

[bluidkiti]

March 2

A Fellowship Prayer

God,
I pray for the hurting; for those still living in their misery.
I pray for those whose lives have been impacted by the disastrous touch of addiction;
for the families torn apart and especially for the children left to wonder and grieve.
God, give them your peace and guide them gently through this next twenty-four hours.
Amen

~ C.L.Murphy 2014

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Just a Thought

What a load wasting money puts on your shoulders!

It's been said that members of A.A. have paid the highest initiation fee of any club members in the world, because we've wasted so much money on alcohol. We'll never be able to figure out how much it was. We not only wasted our own money, but also the money we should have spent on our families. When you come into A.A., that terrible load of wasted money falls off your shoulders. We alcoholics were getting round-shouldered from carrying all those loads that drinking put on our shoulders. But when we come into A.A., we get a wonderful feeling of release and freedom.

So ............

Can I throw back my shoulders and look the whole world in the face again?

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Just a Contemplation

Irresponsibility

Irresponsible behavior is not unfamiliar to us. Passivity is equally familiar. In the past, excusing ourselves of all responsibility prevented us from being blamed. We have learned that it also prevented us from feeling worthy, from fulfilling our potential, from feeling the excitement that comes with achievement.

Our fear of failure helped us to be irresponsible. We may still fear failure, but the program offers us an antidote. We can't fail if we have turned our lives over to our higher power. We will be shown the way to proceed. Our fellow travelers have messages for us that will smooth our path.

I will celebrate that I am taking responsibility for my life today.

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More than Comfort

When I am feeling depressed, I repeat to myself statements such as these: "Pain is the touchstone of progress." . . . "Fear no evil." . . . "This, too, will pass." . . . "This experience can be turned to benefit."

These fragments of prayer bring far more than mere comfort. They keep me on the track of right acceptance; they break up my compulsive themes of guilt, depression, rebellion, and pride; and sometimes they endow me with the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

As Bill Sees It Page 148

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Just a Quote

"I use my own greatest defeat and failure and sickness as a weapon to help others." ~ Richmond Walker

[bluidkiti]

March 3

Guidance Prayer

Lord,
You have guided me this far and have watched out for me in tough times and dark places.
Lord, you blessed me with an intelligent mind, great spirit and a strong body, help me to use these attributes
to do well for others and make a positive influence in this life that you have given me.
Grant me success and confidence in all I do.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Keeping sober is the most important thing in my life.

The most important decision I ever made was my decision to give up drinking. I am convinced that my whole life depends on not taking that first drink. Nothing in the world is as important to me as my own sobriety. Everything I have, my whole life depends on that one thing.

So ............

Can I ever afford to forget this, even for one minute?

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Just a Contemplation

Going with the Flow

Going with the flow doesn’t mean that we don’t know where we’re going; it means that we are open to multiple ways of getting there. We are also open to changing our destination, clinging more to the essence of our goal than to the particulars. We acknowledge that letting go and modifying our plans is part of the process. Going with the flow means that we are aware of an energy that is larger than our small selves and we are open to working with it, not against it.

Many of us are afraid of going with the flow because we don’t trust that we will get where we want to go if we do. This causes us to cling to plans that aren’t working, stick to routes that are obstructed, and obsess over relationships that aren’t fulfilling. When you find yourself stuck in these kinds of patterns, do yourself a favor and open to the flow of what is rather than resisting it. Trust that the big river of your life has a plan for you and let it carry you onward. Throw overboard those things that are weighing you down. Be open to revising your maps. Take a deep breath and move into the current.

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Sponsorship

Dr. Bob led me through all of these Steps. At the moral inventory, he brought up some of my bad personality traits or character defects, such as selfishness, conceit, jealousy, carelessness, intolerance, ill-temper, sarcasm and resentments. We went over these at great length and then he finally asked me if I wanted these defects of character taken away. When I said yes, we both knelt at his desk and prayed . . . If I live to be a hundred, this will always stand out in my mind. I wish that every AA could have the benefit of this type of sponsorship today.

Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 292 (3rd Edition)

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Just a Quote

“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” ~ Joseph Campbell

[bluidkiti]

March 4

Prayer in Time of Trouble

Lord,
In all my doubts, perplexities, and temptations, Lord, help me.
In hours of loneliness, weariness, and trials, Lord, help me.
In the failure of my plans and hopes; in disappointments, troubles, and sorrows, Lord, help me.
When others fail me and Your grace alone can assist me, help me.
When my heart is cast down by failure at seeing no good come from my efforts, Lord, help me.
When I feel impatient and irritable, Lord, help me.
When I am ill and my head and hands cannot work and I am lonely, Lord, help me.
Always, always, in spite of weakness, falls, and shortcomings of every kind, Lord, help me.
Lord, in every need let me come to You with humble trust saying, "Lord, help me."
Amen.

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Just a Thought

Getting sober was a long and painful journey, but we can truthfully say it was worth it.

We know now that all we've been through led us to A.A. and was part of our spiritual journey. We found it in A.A. what we had been vainly seeking in the bottle. We've learned that our journey goes on as we continue to deal with our shortcomings and the human problems everybody must face. And when we reach a crossroads or a roadblock, we know that our Higher Power will come to our aid in making the right choices and surmounting all obstacles.

So ............

Do I turn to my Higher Power to sustain me as I continue the spiritual journey that brought me to A.A.?

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Just a Contemplation

Understanding Life

Why do bad things happen?
No one has been able to explain why pain and misfortune must be part of the human condition. Bad things can and do happen to everybody, and sometimes there's no way to explain it. Even in sobriety, AA members have misfortunes---times when it appears that God is hiding. We even hear members share such experiences at meetings.

Many of us have found ways to use misfortunes constructively, however, by seeing how the program helps us deal with it. In some cases---but not all---we even learn that a misfortune was a disguised blessing.

Most importantly, by using the program, we are eliminating the drinking that has been the cause of many misfortunes in our lives. That alone makes our immediate world a much better place for everyone.

My life today can be both easy and hard. It gives me great comfort to know that I am not making conditions worse for myself and others.

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Spiritual Experience

A "spiritual experience" to me meant attending meetings, seeing a group of people, all there for the purpose of helping each other; hearing the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions read at a meeting, and hearing the Lord's Prayer, which in an AA meeting has such great meaning -- "Thy will be done, not mine." A spiritual awakening soon came to mean trying each day to be a little more thoughtful, more considerate, a little more courteous to those with whom I came in contact.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition Page 356

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Just a Few Quotes

“Who do you spend time with? Criticizers or encouragers? Surround yourself with those who believe in you. Your life is too important for anything less.” ~ Steve Goodier

“Why worry? If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it any better.” ~ Walt Disney

[bluidkiti]

March 5

Grace For Today Prayer

Lord, give me the grace for today.
Before me, the day looms with great possibilities and even greater challenges.
I put it all in your hands.
Help me to embrace every challenge,
to be open to all you have to give and to see all as an opportunity.
One moment at a time. One person at a time. One gift at a time.
Help me to breathe in your Spirit and to exhale any fear that may cause me to question and to worry.
The world causes stress. You offer peace.
I choose you!
Amen

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Just a Thought

One of the mottoes of A.A. is "First Things First."

This means that we should always keep in mind that alcohol is our number-one problem. We must never let any other problem, whether of family, business, friends, or anything else, take precedence in our minds over our alcoholic problem. As we go along in A.A., we learn to recognize the things that may upset us emotionally. When we find ourselves getting upset over something, we must realize that it's a luxury we alcoholics can't afford. Anything that makes us forget our number-one problem is dangerous to us.

So ............

Am I keeping sobriety in the first place in my mind?

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Just a Contemplation

Rebirth

We know we’ve hurt people. We’ve heard our family cry out from the pain we’ve caused them. Because of alcohol, we acted like monsters.
But we now live surrounded with love. We now work to make this world better. Recovery is a miracle. The rebirth of our spirit is our miracle.
It’s no wonder we love life the way we do! We’ve been given a second chance. Our joy is overflowing. Our Higher Power must love us very much.

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Happiness

I feel myself a useful member of the human race at last. I have something to contribute to humanity, since I am peculiarly qualified, as a fellow-sufferer, to give aid and comfort to those who have stumbled and fallen over this business of meeting life. I get my greatest thrill of accomplishment from the knowledge that I have played a part in the new happiness achieved by countless others like myself.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 229 (3rd Edition)

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Just a Quote

"Don’t let fear or insecurity stop you from trying new things. Believe in yourself. Do what you love. And most importantly, be kind to others, even if you don’t like them." ~ Stacy London

[bluidkiti]

March 6

Prayer For Right Choice

Dear God,
I know that You can open doors that no man can ever shut.
It’s not always easy for me to see and sense the direction I need to take.
So today, I trust and ask You to lead me to open doors of opportunity that you have prepared for me.
Help me make sense of the options that lay before me and help me see and make the right choices today.
Amen.

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Just a Thought

Since I've been in A.A., have I made a start toward becoming more loving to my family and friends?

Do I visit my parents? Am I more appreciative of my spouse than I was before? Am I grateful to my family for having put up with me? Have I found real understanding with my children? Do I feel that the friends I've found in A.A. are real friends? Do I believe that they are always ready to help me and do I want to help them if I can?

So ............

Do I really care now about other people?

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Just a Contemplation

Fear of Giving

It is often the fear of rejection, which makes us afraid to give of ourselves. If our self-image is too grand and inflated, we cannot possibly live up to it in reality. Expecting ourselves to be perfect sets us up for frustration and fear, since we know deep down that we do not measure up to our image of perfection.

By focusing more on the needs of others and less on the imaginary concept of ourselves, which is our ego, we learn to overcome our fear of giving. With humility comes the willingness to give of what we have and what we are right now, without waiting until we are more eloquent or more accomplished. I should not be afraid to give of myself to others.

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Willingness

All we need is a key, and the decision to swing the door open. There is only one key, and it is called willingness. Once unlocked by willingness, the door opens almost of itself, and looking through it, we shall see an inscription. It reads: "This is the way to a faith that works."

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 34

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Just a Quote

“Every choice comes with a consequence. Once you make a choice, you must accept responsibility. You cannot escape the consequences of your choices, whether you like them or not.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

[bluidkiti]

March 7

Prayer for Strength

Lord, I’m struggling with Life.
My heart is weighed down with anxiety, frustration, anger and fear.
Please help me turn this over to you. I can’t fix it.
I want to trust you to handle it.
Give me the strength to let go and accept the outcome, whatever it may be.
Amen

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Just a Thought

One thing we learn in A.A. is to take a long view of drinking instead of a short view.

When we were drinking, we thought more about the pleasure or release that a drink would give us than we did about the consequences that would result from our taking that drink. Alcohol looks good from a short view. When we look in a package store window, we see liquor dressed up in its best wrappings, with fancy labels and decorations. They looked splendid.

So ............

Have I learned that what's inside those beautiful bottles is just plain poison to me?

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Just a Contemplation

Lies

I lied to impress. I lied to hide my guilt and shame. I lied to cover my mistakes. I lied to bridge the silence. I lied to fantasize. I lied to hurt and destroy. I lied to hide the real me. Then I lied to cover the lies. Then I lied to cover the lies I told to cover the original lies! So, it went on. Endless. Exhausting. Meaningless. A part of me always loathed the lies I told. Then I grew to hate myself.

Today, because I understand spirituality to be based on truth, I try not to tell lies. When I do lie, I make an effort to correct myself and apologize. Today lying is painful for me. Today I try to use my mind, imagination and memory for better things.

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Magic

When I couldn't find an easier, softer way, I looked for the person with the magic wand, the one person in AA who could make me all better, right now. This was a frustrating task, and I finally realized that if I wanted this life, I was going to have to do what the others had done. No one made me drink, and no one was going to make me sober. This program is for people who want it, not people who need it.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 315

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Just a Few Quotes

“When in doubt, tell the truth. It will confound your enemies and astound your friends.”~ Mark Twain

“Lying to ourselves is more deeply ingrained than lying to others.”~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

[bluidkiti]

March 8

Just for Today Prayer

Just for today, help me, God, to remember that my life is a gift, that my health is a blessing, that this new day is filled with awesome potential, that I have the capacity to bring something wholly new and unique and good into this world.

Just for today, help me, God, to remember to be kind and patient to the people who love me, and to those who work with me too. Teach me to see all the beauty that I so often ignore, and to listen to the silent longing of my own soul.

Let this be a good day, God, full of joy and love.
Amen

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Just a Thought

"But for the Grace of God."

Once we have fully accepted the program, we try to become humble about our achievement. We do not take too much credit for our sobriety. When we see another suffering alcoholic in the throes of alcoholism, we say to ourselves: "But for the Grace of God, there go I." We do not forget the kind of people we were. We remember those we left behind us. And we are very grateful to the grace of God which has given us another chance.

So ............

Am I truly grateful for the grace of God?

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Just a Contemplation

Fear

Fear is a killer. It is a killer because it drains us of life, energy and creativity. Fear petrifies the human spirit.

I spent a lot of yesterdays afraid. Afraid of people finding out. Afraid of the telephone. Afraid of where it would all end. Afraid of me! I did not realize that I was feeding the fear with my behavior. I drank myself into fear. The day I stopped drinking alcohol was the day I stopped giving energy to my fear.

Today I live my life without abnormal or unrealistic fears. Today I enjoy my life. I work through my problems. I am not afraid of my shadow. Today I love myself.

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Consistency

What right do I have to expect perfection and efficiency in my spiritual growth when the rest of my life is so full of ups and downs, ins and outs, and backs and forths? Throughout this whole adventure, the only consistency I have maintained is an absolute and total faith in AA, come what may.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], Page 187

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Just a Quote

“When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.” ~ Paul Bear Bryant

[bluidkiti]

March 9

Prayer for Peace

God of mercy and compassion,
of grace and reconciliation,
pour your power upon all your children:
Jews, Muslims and Christians.
Let hatred be turned into love, fear to trust, despair to hope,
oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation,
that violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces,
and peace and justice could be experienced by all.

~ Reverend Said Ailabouni

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Just a Thought

Have a problem with alcohol? There is a solution.

When an alcoholic is offered a life of sobriety by following the A.A. program, he will look at the prospect of living without alcohol and he will ask: "Am I to be consigned to a life where I shall be stupid, boring and glum, like some of the righteous people I see? I know I must get along without liquor, but how can I?" A.A. has a simple program that works. It’s based on one alcoholic helping another.

So ............

Have I found a more than sufficient substitute for my drinking with A.A.?


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Just a Contemplation

Listening

We hate being told what to think. We like to make up our own minds. It helps to talk things out with another person who listens to us. Someone who cares what we think.

We can give this respect to others. We can listen to their point of view. We can try to understand them and care about what they think.

When we do this, others start to care what we think too. We share ideas. The ideas get a little clearer. They change a little. We get a little closer to agreement. We both feel good.

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Acceptance

And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.
When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me,
and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober;
unless I accept life on life's terms, I cannot be happy.
I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and my attitude.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 417

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Just a Quote

“One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears---by listening to them.” ~ Dean Rusk

[bluidkiti]

March 10

For Today Prayer

God,
Give me strength to live another day;
Let me not turn coward before its difficulties or prove recreant to its duties;
Let me not lose faith in other people;
Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of ingratitude, treachery, or meanness;
Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them;
Help me to keep my heart clean, and to live so honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity;
Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things;
Grant me this day some new vision of thy truth;
Inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness.
Amen

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Just a Thought

The A.A. program is one of charity.

Because the real meaning of the word charity is to care enough about other people to really want to help them. To get the full benefit of the program, we must try to help other alcoholics. We may try to help somebody and think we have failed, but the seed we have planted may bear fruit some time. We never know the results even a word of ours might have. But the main thing is to have charity for others, a real desire to help them, whether we succeed or not.

So ............

Do I have real charity?

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Just a Contemplation

Feeling Offended

Were we offended by someone today? Do we harbor resentment for remarks, oversights, or unpleasant mannerisms? Do we feel tense or uneasy about how someone else has treated us? We can probably make a good case to justify our reactions. Perhaps we are in the right and they are in the wrong.

Yet, even if we are justified, it doesn't matter. We may be puffing ourselves up and wasting energy. When we are oversensitive, we take a self-righteous position, which leads us far from our path of spiritual awakening. Our strength is diminished.

How much better it is to let go of the lightness, let go of our grandiosity, and accept the imperfections in others. We need to accept our own imperfections too. When we do, we are better men, and our strength and energy can be focused on richer goals. I will accept others' imperfections; I do not need to always be right.

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An Allergy

We believe, and so suggested a few years ago, that the action of alcohol on these chronic alcoholics is a manifestation of an allergy; that the phenomenon of craving is limited to this class and never occurs in the average temperate drinker. These allergic types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all; and once having formed the habit and found they cannot break it, once having lost their self- confidence, their reliance upon things human, their problems pile up on them and become astonishingly difficult to solve.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page xxviii

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Just a Quote

“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.” ~ Carl Jung

[bluidkiti]

March 11

Accepting Change Prayer

Lord,
I need Your strength to help me with acceptance of all things.
I struggle accepting change, new people, bad news, and so much more.
Ease my fears and remove my apprehensive thoughts as I work to implement new ways and accept different ideas in my life.
Give me the courage to welcome newness and changes in my life.
Amen

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Just a Thought

How do I talk with new prospects?

Am I always trying to dominate the conversation? Do I lay down the law and tell prospects what they will have to do? Do I judge them privately and feel that they have a small chance of making the program? Do I belittle them to myself? Or am I willing to bare my soul so as to get them talking about themselves? And, then, am I willing to be a good listener, not interrupting, but hearing them out to the end? Do I feel deeply that they are my brothers or my sisters?

So ............

Will I do all I can to help them along the path to sobriety?

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Just a Contemplation

“To thine own self be true”?

Hadn’t we thought only of ourselves before recovery? The answer is no. That wasn’t the real us. Each of us lost touch with our real self because of our alcoholism. We lost our goals, our feelings, our values. We chased the high. In this way, we lost our spirit. We became alcoholics.
With sobriety, we find ourselves again---and it feels great! We stop playing a role and become ourselves---and it’s wonderful. We follow our dreams and beliefs, not some alcoholic wild goose chase. We are again free to be ourselves.

"This above all: To thine own self be true." ~ William Shakespeare

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Circus Act

I realized I'd been living outside myself for so long I'd almost become a walking vacancy.
In my prized AA sobriety, I was still running a kind of circus which had numerous, highly believable posters plastered all over its outside -- See the Spectacular Non-Drinking Person! Watch How Movingly He can Recite the Twelve Steps! -- but which had nothing much going on inside the tent.
I've been working hard to shut that circus down ever since with varying degrees of success.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], Pages 237-238

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Just a Few Quotes

“Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.” ~ Sonia Ricotti

“The first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” ~ Nathaniel Branden

[bluidkiti]

March 12

Prayer to Release Fear

Lord,
Sometimes I feel afraid in the tough trials of life.
Sometimes the darkness overwhelms me, and I grow discouraged as I face the uncertainties of life.
Help me remember I am not alone in my battles.
I can count on your presence wherever I go, and rely on the power and provision of your presence in my times of deepest need.
Thank you for being near, for walking with me every day.
Amen

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Just a Thought.

What a change our lives are today.

When the morning sun comes up on a nice bright day and we jump out of bed, we're thankful to God that we feel well and happy instead of sick and disgusted. Serenity and happiness have become much more important to us than the excitement of drinking, which lifts us up for a short while, but lets us go down in the end. Of course, all of us alcoholics had a lot of fun with drinking. We might as well admit it. We can look back on a lot of good times, before we became alcoholics. But the time comes for all of us alcoholics when drinking ceases to be fun and becomes trouble.

So ............

Have I learned that drinking can never again be anything but trouble for me?

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Just a Contemplation

Anger

Sometimes we just want to yell. Maybe a family member or a friend messed up, and we want to “set them straight.” Start counting. Maybe we got chewed out at work and we want “to get even.”
Start counting.
We get drunk on anger. We may feel powerful when we “set someone straight.” But like an alcohol high, an anger high lasts only a short time and can hurt others. We must control our anger. This is why we count.
Cool down. Think out what you need or want to say. Use words that you’ll not be ashamed of later. Learning how to respect others when we’re angry is a sign of recovery.

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Release From Fear

The practice of AA's Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in our personal lives also brought incredible releases from fear of every description, despite the wide prevalence of formidable personal problems. When fear did persist, we knew it for what it was, and under God's grace we became able to handle it.

The Language of the Heart Page 268

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Just a Quote

"Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." ~ George Lucas as Yoda

[bluidkiti]

March 13

Powerless Prayer

Dear God,
I am powerless and my life is unmanageable without Your help and guidance. I come to you today because I believe that You can restore and renew me to meet my needs today. Since I cannot manage my life or affairs, I have decided to give them to You. I put my life, my will, my thoughts, my desires and ambitions in Your hands.

I cannot control or change my friends or loved ones, so I release them into Your care for Your loving hands to do with as You will. Just keep me loving and free from judging them. If they need changing, God, You’ll have to do it; I can’t. Just make me willing and ready to be of service to You, to have my shortcomings removed, and to do my best.

~ Anonymous

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Just a Thought

In the past, we kept right on drinking in spite of all the trouble we got into.

We were foolish enough to believe that drinking could still be fun in spite of everything that happened to us. When we came into A.A., we found a lot of people who, like ourselves, had had fun with drinking, but who now admitted that alcohol had become nothing but trouble for them. And when we found that this thing had happened to a lot of other people beside ourselves, we realized that perhaps we weren't hopeless after all.

So ............

Have I learned to admit that for me drinking has ceased to be fun and has become nothing but trouble?

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Just a Contemplation

New Way

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. 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.

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Wants or Needs

We are taught to differentiate between our wants (which are never satisfied) and our needs (which are always provided for). We cast off the burdens of the past and the anxieties of the future, as we begin to live in the present, one day at a time. We are granted 'the serenity to accept the things we cannot change' - and thus lose our quickness to anger and our sensitivity to criticism.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 560, 3rd Edition

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Just a Quote

“People seldom improve when they have no model but themselves to copy.” ~ Oliver Goldsmith

[bluidkiti]

March 14

Prayer for Happiness and Peace

Lord,
I pray that you bless me with true happiness and peace in life. Lead me away from hate and anger toward love. From a restless mind and anxiety, give me peace. Lead me from fear of death to eternal life.

When I suffer despair and lack of confidence, lead me to hope, faith, and trust. Lead me away from dishonesty and deceit toward eternal truth. Allow eternal peace and tranquility to fill my heart, my mind, my life, and my world.
Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

None of us like to think that we are bodily and mentally different from others.

Our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove that we could drink like other people. This delusion that we are like other people has to be smashed. It has been definitely proved that no real alcoholic has ever recovered control. Over any considerable period, we get worse, never better. There is no such thing as making a normal drinker out of an alcoholic.


So ............

Am I convinced that I can never drink again normally?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Completion

Truth

For too many years I tried to avoid and deny my alcoholism. I wanted to recover by osmosis! I did not want to get my hands dirty with the reality of my suffering but rather I wanted a "miracle" --- really magic --- to make everything different from what it had been for years. I did not want to face my pain! But it does not work that way. If I am to get well, I need to confront my disease, smell my disease, hold my disease, pull and tug at the disease in my life. Why? Because it is mine. I need to be in touch with my disease if I am ever going to make the necessary changes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good Idea

The first step toward feeling better, and getting over our sickness is quite simply not drinking.
Try the idea on for size.
Wouldn't you rather have a health condition which can be successfully treated, than spend a lot of time miserably wondering what's wrong with you?

Living Sober Page 10

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Just a few Quotes

"If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present." ~ Roy T. Bennett

"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer someone else up." ~ Mark Twain

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March 15

Prayer for Happiness

Lord,
Make my lips smile longer as I think of moving to an amazing sunlit place. Let me awaken each morning with hope for everything that the world has to offer.

Help me so that I can discover peace, prosperity, and happiness in life. Guide me to find joy in each day and appreciate the beauty of your creation. Teach me how to touch each soul I meet and be thankful for every person in my life.

Teach me how to see a happy life in all of its infinite varieties. Help me to find happiness in every moment as I go through each day.
Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

The A.A. program is a way of life.

It's a way of living and we have to learn to live the program if we're going to stay sober. The twelve steps in the book are like guideposts. They point the direction in which we have to go. But each member of the group has to find his own best way of living the program. We don't all do it exactly alike. Whether by quiet times in the morning, meetings, working with others, or spreading the word, we have to learn to live the program.

So ............

Has A.A. become my regular, natural way of living?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

"Miracle"

We have chosen life. Well maybe we had a little push, maybe a big push from our family, police, or the pain of our disease. But still, we’ve chosen recovery. We choose daily to let our Higher Power run our lives. We have trust! We have faith!

We work hard at recovery. We meditate. We look for ways to serve others. Each one of us is building a miracle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Key to Sobriety

The unique ability of each A.A. to identify himself with, and bring recovery to, the newcomer in no way depends upon his learning, his eloquence, or any special individual skills. The only thing that matters is that he is an alcoholic who has found a key to sobriety.

As Bill Sees It Page 257

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Just a Quote

“Often the test of courage is not to die but to live.” ~ Vittorio Alfiert

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March 16

Prayer to St. Brigid of Ireland

Saint Brigid,
You were a woman of peace.
You brought harmony where there was conflict.
You brought light to the darkness.
You brought hope to the downcast.
May the mantle of your peace cover those who are troubled and anxious, and may peace be firmly rooted in our hearts and in our world.
Inspire us to act justly and to reverence all God has made.
Brigid you were a voice for the wounded and the weary.
Strengthen what is weak within us.
Calm us into a quietness that heals and listens.
May we grow each day into greater wholeness in mind, body and spirit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Just a Thought

As we look back on all those troubles we used to have when we were drinking:

The hospitals, the jails, we wonder why we could have wanted that kind of a life. As we look back on it now, we see our drinking life as it really was and we're glad we're out of it. So, after a few months in A.A., we find that we can honestly say that we want something else more than drinking. We've learned by experience that a sober life is really enjoyable and we wouldn't go back to the old drunken way of living for anything in the world.

So ............

Do I want to stay sober a lot more than I want to get drunk?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Acceptance Today

Many of us made a mess of trying to run our own lives. We are amazed at how much better things go when we acknowledge that the Power greater than ourselves is in control.

Every experience, the bad one as well as the good one, becomes an opportunity to learn and to serve. We may not like what it is that we are given to do or to feel on a particular day, but we learn to accept it as necessary for our growth. We can look back and see that we have learned even more from our failures than from our successes.

Positive change and growth become possible when we accept our lives and ourselves as part of God's creation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Release and Joy

We think cheerfulness and laughter make for usefulness. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn't we laugh? We have recovered, and have helped others to recover. What greater cause could there be for rejoicing than this?

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 132

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Just a Quote

"The power behind me is greater than the problem in front of me." ~ Rose Hardman

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March 17

Old Irish Blessing for St. Patrick’s Day

May your days be many and your troubles be few.
May all God’s blessings descend upon you.
May peace be within you, may your heart be strong.
May you find what you’re seeking wherever you roam.
May the strength of God pilot us, may the wisdom of God instruct us.
May the hand of God protect us, may the word of God direct us.
May thy Salvation, O Lord, be always ours this day and for evermore.
Amen.

Written by St. Patrick

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Just a Thought

Sometimes we can't help thinking: Why can't we ever drink again?

We know it's because we're alcoholics, but why did we have to get that way? The answer is that at some time in our drinking careers, we passed what is called our "tolerance point." When we passed this point, we passed from a condition in which we could tolerate alcohol to a condition in which we could not tolerate it at all. After that, if we took one drink, we would sooner or later end up drunk.

So ............

When I think of alcohol now, do I think of it as something that I can never tolerate again?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Instructions

The instructions for recovery are in our Twelve Step program.
Yet, there are times when we feel our program isn't working. At these times, we need to read the instructions. Have you followed the "instructions," the wise words found in The Big Book, The Twelve and Twelve, and other recovery literature?
When we do, we recover. It's hard at times, and easy at others. Our problems go deeper than just staying sober. No matter what our problems, our program can help us start fixing them, if we follow the instructions. Don't use alcohol or other drugs. Go to meetings. Talk often with sponsors and program friends. Work the Steps. Think. Easy Does It. First Things First. Listen. Let Go and Let God. One Day at a Time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Direction

Where my life had been full of mental turmoil there is now an ever-increasing depth of calmness. Where there was a hit or miss attitude toward living there is now new direction and force.

Experience, Strength and Hope Page 134

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Quote

“Somebody once asked me how I define sobriety, and my response was ‘liberation from dependence’.” ~ Leslie Jamison

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March 18

Cast Out Fear Prayer

Lord,
I know that worrying gets me nowhere. Yet, I still allow worry and anxiety to consume me.

In times such as these, Lord, I ask you to grant me an enormous amount of strength, faith, and courage to fight off the doubt and fear within my mind. Faith casts out fear while fear casts out faith.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

After that first drink, we had a single-track mind.

It was like a railroad train.
The first drink started it off and it kept going on the single track until it got to the end of the line, drunkenness. We alcoholics knew this was the inevitable result when we took the first drink, but still we couldn't keep away from alcohol. Our willpower was gone. We had become helpless and hopeless before the power of alcohol. It's not the second drink or the tenth drink that does the damage. It's the first drink.

So ............

Will I ever take that first drink again?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Change

Giving up alcohol is just the start.
Even if we give up alcohol, can we be happy if we have our old life back in every other way? We have to do more. We have to see how our illness has changed us. To do this, we turn to the Steps. Our program teaches us to become new people. We will change. And the changes will make us happy. That’s the best part of recovery---change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twelfth-Stepping "Success"

We now see that in twelfth-stepping the immediate results are not so important. Some people start out working with others and have immediate success. They are likely to get cocky. Those of us who are not so successful at first get depressed.

As a matter of fact, the successful worker differs from the unsuccessful only in being lucky about his prospects. He simply hits newcomers who are ready and able to stop at once. Given the same prospects, the seemingly unsuccessful person would have produced almost the same results. You have to work on a lot of newcomers before the law of averages commences to assert itself.

As Bill See It Page 165

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Just a Quote
“Where there is charity and wisdom there is neither fear nor ignorance. Where there is patience and humility there is neither anger nor worry.” ~ Francis of Assisi

[bluidkiti]

March 19

Prayer for Direction

Lord,
Thank You for the people You have placed in my life who speak the truth, love and words of wisdom. Give me a heart of discernment to know when You are using someone to speak instruction into my heart and my circumstances, and give me the strength and courage to follow through with that advice, even when it’s hard. Fill me with peace in knowing that even if I take a wrong turn, Your purpose will prevail.
Amen

~ Tracie Miles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

Drinking is the way we alcoholics express our maladjustments to life.

I believe that I was a potential alcoholic from the start. I had an inferiority complex. I didn't make friends easily. There was a wall between me and other people. And I was lonely. I was not well adjusted to life.

So ............

Did I drink to escape from myself?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Learning

We can’t control the present by looking into the future. We can only look back at the past. The past can teach us how to get more out of the present. But the past is to be learned from, not to be judged. As we look back, we see the troubles caused by alcoholism. But we also see recovery. We see how our lives are better. We see our Higher Power’s work in our lives. If we honestly look at our past, we learn.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Awakening

I think I have had a spiritual awakening, as undramatic as it may have been, and that it will go on and on as long as I continue to practice this program in my daily affairs. To me, there is no "spiritual side" to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous; the entire program is spiritual.

Came To Believe Page 48

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Just a Quote

“As an alcoholic, you will violate your standards quicker than you can lower them.”~ Robin Williams

[bluidkiti]

March 19

Prayer For Change

Lord,
Change me from the inside out, so that I do not fret and worry about things that may never happen, but help me to focus my mind on what is good and lovely. Enable me to give others the support and encouragement that they need, and not always expect others to address the needs and concerns that I have. Lord, I know without You, I cannot change.
Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

One drink started a train of thought that became an obsession.

From then on, we couldn't stop drinking.
We developed a mental compulsion to keep drinking until we got good and drunk. People generally make two mistakes about alcoholism. One mistake is that it can be cured by physical treatment only. The other mistake is that it can be cured by willpower only. Most alcoholics have tried both of these ways and have found that they don't work. But we members of A.A. have found a way to arrest alcoholism.

So .............

Have I got over my obsession by following the A.A. program?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Self-Pity

Sometimes it does no good to try to “deal” with your feelings. For the moment, we’re stuck. We can only see things one way. No matter what anyone says, we’re closed up. For the moment. But this puts our sobriety at risk.

How do we stop self-pity? Focus on someone else. When we really want to help someone else be happy, we'll ask our Higher Power’s help. Then things start to change, because our good deeds come back to us. Remember, service will always keep us sober.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Solitude

In solitude, we take our inventories.
In solitude, we admit to ourselves the exact nature of our wrongs.
In solitude, our spirits seek that Power greater than we are;
In solitude, we seek through prayer and meditation to be aware of God's will for us. . .
We are alone, but not lonely.

Came To Believe Page 109

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Quote

“Hatred is never anything but fear - if you feared no one, you would hate no one.” ~ Hugh Downs

[bluidkiti]

March 21

Prayer For Today’s Tasks

Lord, I stand before You today in Your presence to ask that You grant me strength.
I ask You to give me the strength to power through all of the tasks today — whether little or big.
It is by Your will that I live oh Lord. And I know it is also by Your will I will not go weak today.

Lord, thank you for giving me the opportunity every day to learn a little more of how to let go and let God.
Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

When I was drinking, I was absolutely selfish, I thought of myself first, last, and always.

The universe revolves around me at the center. When I woke up in the morning with a hangover, my only thought was how terrible I felt and about what I could do to make myself feel better. And the only thing I could think of was more alcohol. To quit was impossible. I couldn't see beyond myself and my own need for another drink.

So ............

Can I now look out and beyond my own selfishness?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Moderation

Moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. It is used to ensure normality throughout the medium on which it is being conducted. ... A way of life emphasizing perfect amounts of everything, not indulging in too much of one thing, hence moderation.

When there's moderation in everything, from food and drinks to sleeping and working, a person is more likely to feel as if they are in control of their life, and all the decisions they're making are more likely to bring them joy than make them feel miserable, as is often the case with going to either of the extremes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Design

We, in our turn, sought the same escape with all the desperation of drowning men. What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God. A new life has been given us or, if you prefer, "a design for living" that really works.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 28

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Just a Quote

“Recovery is something that you have to work on every single day, and it’s something that doesn't get a day off.” ~ Demi Lovato

[bluidkiti]

March 22

Loving Difficult People Prayer

Lord,
I have to thank You for looking beyond my faults and for loving me unconditionally.
Forgive me when I fail to love others in the same way.
Give me eyes to see the needs of the difficult people in my life, and show me how to meet those needs in a way that pleases You.
Amen

~ Mary Southerland

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

Making restitution for the wrongs we have done is often very difficult.

It hurts our pride. But the rewards are great. When we go to a person and say we are sorry, the reaction we get is almost invariably good. It takes courage to make the plunge, but the results more than justify it. A load is off your chest and often an enemy has been turned into a friend.

So ............

Have I done my best to make all the restitution possible?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

One Day at a Time

It’s crazy for us to think we can handle more than one day at a time. During our illness, we lived everywhere but in the here and now. We looked to the future or punished ourselves with our past. One Day at a Time teaches us to go easy. It teaches us to focus on what really means anything to us: the here and now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Compulsion

It helped me a great deal to become convinced that alcoholism was a disease, not a moral issue; that I had been drinking as a result of a compulsion, even though I had not been aware of the compulsion at the time; and that sobriety was not a matter of willpower. I was afraid to let go of what I had in order to try something new; there was a certain sense of security in the familiar. At last, acceptance proved to be the key to my drinking problem. When I stopped living in the problem and began living in the answer, the problem went away."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Page 417

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Just a Quote

“As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness.” ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

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March 23

Your Will Lord

Lord,
Grant me to greet the coming day in peace, help me in all things to rely upon your will.
In every hour of the day reveal your will to me.
Teach me to treat all that comes to throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that your will governs all.
In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings.
In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by you.
Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others.
Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring.
Direct my will, teach me to pray.
Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Just a Thought

The basis of our effectiveness in carrying the message to others is the reality of our own spiritual awakening.

If we have not changed, we cannot be used to change others. To keep this program, we must pass it on to others. We cannot keep it for ourselves.

So ............

We may lose it unless we give it away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Finding Oneself

We have lost a lot of misery. In its place inside us, a spirit grows. . . as love is added.
Especially self-love. In our illness, we came to hate ourselves. It was really our illness we hated. We couldn’t find ourselves. All we saw was what others saw---our illness.
In recovery, we’ve found ourselves again. We’ve found we’re good people. We’ve also come to love the world around us. We see we have something to offer this world---ourselves.
Why? Because we have found ourselves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dividends

The A.A. preoccupation with sobriety is sometimes misunderstood. To some, this single virtue appears to be the sole dividend of our Fellowship. We are thought to be dried-up drunks who otherwise have changed little, or not at all, for the better. Such a surmise widely misses the truth. We know that permanent sobriety can be attained only by a most revolutionary change in the life and outlook of the individual--by a spiritual awakening that can banish the desire to drink.

As Bill Sees It Page 171

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Just a Few Quotes

“People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds; it is something one creates.” ~ Thomas Szasz

“Don’t spend all of your time trying to FIND yourself. Spend your time CREATING yourself into a person that you’ll be proud of.” ~ Sonya Parker

[bluidkiti]

March 24

Prayer To Let Go

Lord, I don’t know which way to turn nor do I know what to do, and I am coming to You confessing my need for You in my life, and pray that You will forgive me of my pride in trying to be the god of my own existence. Lord, I have made me the center of my life and I pray You would help me to change.

Lord, I don’t really know how to “let go”. I don’t really know what to do to give You control of my life, but I am coming to You in humility of heart to admit that I can do nothing in my own strength and to confess my need for You in my life. Lord, I pray that Your grace and mercy would lead and guide me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

We have been given a new life, just because we happened to become alcoholics.

We certainly don't deserve the new life that has been given us. There is little in our past to warrant the life we have now. Many people live good lives from their youth on, not getting into serious trouble, being well adjusted to life, and yet they have not found all that we drunks have found. We had the good fortune to find Alcoholics Anonymous and with it a new life. We are among the lucky few in the world who have learned a new way of life.

So ............

Am I deeply grateful for the new life that I have learned in A.A.?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Gossiping

The things we say about other people tell a lot about us. We are kind or unkind. We gossip or we don’t. This doesn’t mean we have to say everyone is wonderful all the time. As we work our program to see ourselves better, we begin to see other people more clearly too. We see their strong points and their weak points. But we can know these things without gossiping about them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Progress

Walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress. If you persist, remarkable things will happen. When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God's hands were better than anything we could have planned.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 100

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Just a Quote

“Forget what hurt you but never forget what it taught you.” ~ Shannon L. Alder

[bluidkiti]

May 25

Prayer for Self-Acceptance

I accept myself completely.
I accept my strengths and my weaknesses, my gifts and my shortcomings.
I accept myself as a human being.
I accept that I am here to learn and grow, and

I accept that within my mind are both fear and love, and
I accept my power to choose which I will experience as real.
I accept mistakes as a part of growth.
I am willing to forgive myself and give myself another chance.

I accept my own life as a blessing and a gift.
My heart is open to receive, and I am deeply grateful.
May I always share the gifts that I receive fully, freely, and joyfully.

I accept all that I was, all that I am, and all that I choose to become.

~ Lise Storgaard

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Just a Thought

A spiritual experience is something that brings about a personality change.

By surrendering our lives to God as we understand Him, we are changed. The nature of this change is evident in recovered alcoholics. This personality change is not necessarily in the nature of a sudden and spectacular upheaval. We do not need to acquire an immediate and overwhelming God-consciousness followed at once by a vast change in feeling and outlook. In most cases, the change is gradual."

So ............

Do I see a gradual and continuing change in myself?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Trust

During our illness, we hurt others. We hurt ourselves. We make a mess of our lives.
So, a lot of us come to recovery not trusting ourselves very much. The truth is, as alcoholics we couldn't be trusted.
But in recovery, we can again live and love ourselves. We do this by finding our spiritual center. This is the place inside of us where our Higher Power lives. We turn our will and our lives over to this spiritual center. We do as our spiritual center tells us. And from our spiritual center, we'll find our values. We'll live better lives. We'll come to trust ourselves again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Realization

“The number of times that you win or lose is not important. The only thing that matters is the number of times that you try.”

For several years I had tried to get someone else to solve my problem for me, but I had not realized I was doing so until that moment of insight. '... That you try.' I was exhilarated. Now I knew that I was an alcoholic and that I had the only qualification for membership in A.A., a desire to stop drinking.

Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, Page 50

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Just a Quote

“I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.” ~ Brené Brown

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March 26

Prayer For Self Confidence

Lord,
Let a ray of Your wisdom
Penetrate my understanding
Grant me a retentive memory
And the ability to grasp things
Correctly and completely.
Let me be convincing in my explanations
Steadfast and unwavering in my presentations
Give me Your confidence
To trust my God-given capabilities.
Help me with each task at hand
Guide me through its completion.
Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

As we became alcoholics, the bad effects of drinking came more and more to outweigh the good effects.

But the strange part of it is that, no matter what drinking did to us, loss of our health, our jobs, our money and our homes, we still stuck to it and depended on it. Our dependence on drinking became an obsession. In A.A., we find a new outlook on life. We learn how to change from alcoholic thinking to sober thinking. And we find out that we can no longer depend on drinking for anything. We depend on a Higher Power instead.

So ............

Have I entirely given up that dependence on drinking?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Path

During our alcoholism, we were on a path leading to death---death of our spirit, mind, and body.
On that path, we tried not to think about where it would lead. We didn’t want to get there. We just followed the path toward death, with one drink at a time.
Now we’ve chosen a new path for our lives. Making that choice was hard. We knew only the old path. We were afraid to change. But we did it. That was the hardest part.
We are excited to follow our new path. We know it leads to good things. We can follow the map---the Twelve Steps---and enjoy the trip. It will last as long as we live, and the map will guide us.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inner Resource

I promise to watch for every opportunity to turn toward my Higher Power for guidance. I know where this power is: it resides within me, as clear as a mountain brook, hidden in the hills -- it is the unsuspected Inner Resource. . . I trust it today and hope it trusts me to make all effort to find the right thought or action today.

Daily Reflections Page 28

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Just a Quote

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” ~ Peter T. Mcintyre

[bluidkiti]

March 27

Helping Others Prayer

Lord,
There are so many people in this world who are in need.
Please show us how we can help.
Use us Lord, to be a blessing to others.
I pray You will show us how to use our resources to help others.
Give us eyes to see those who are in need.
I pray that our lives are used for a great purpose of service to others.
Amen

~ Jeanne Lucas

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

An alcoholic carries an awful load around with them.

What a load lying puts on your shoulders! Drinking makes liars out of all of us alcoholics. In order to get all the alcohol we wanted, we have to lie all the time. We have to lie about where we've been and what we've been doing. When you are lying you are only half alive, because of the fear of being found out. When you come into A.A., and get honest with yourself and with other people, that terrible load of lying falls off your shoulders.

So ............

Have I got rid of that load of lying?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Honesty

Honesty is the backbone of our recovery program. Honesty opens us up. It breaks down the walls we had built around our secret world. Those walls made a prison for us. But all of that is now changed. We are free.

Honesty has made us wise. We aren’t sneaking drinks anymore. We don’t have a stash to protect. People who didn’t trust us now depend on our honesty. People who worked hard to avoid us, now seek us out. Self-honesty is the greatest gift we can give ourselves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

24-hour Plan

Getting away from the pull of the first drink is like putting a space vehicle in orbit. It takes a lot of thrust to overcome the pull of gravity and get the vehicle off the ground. But once it gets in orbit, all that's required is a small correction from time to time.
That's how the 24-hour plan works -- a small daily checkup and correction to keep us away from the pull of that first drink. The 24-hour plan is a discipline whose yield is freedom.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], Page 152

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Just a Few Quotes

“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” ~ Sally Koch

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” ~ Dr. Seuss

[bluidkiti]

March 28

Open My Eyes Prayer

Lord,
Sometimes life gets me down and I find it hard to see things to be thankful for.
Open my eyes to see the gifts you’ve given me in my life.

Thank you, Lord, for all your blessings to me and my family; for the strength you give me each day and for all the people around me who make life more meaningful.
Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

There are no leaders in A.A., except as they volunteer to accept responsibility.

The work of carrying on A.A.--leading group meetings, serving on committees, speaking before other groups, doing twelfth-step work, spreading A.A. among the alcoholics of the community--all these things are done on a volunteer basis. If I don't volunteer to do something concrete for A.A., the movement is that much less effective. I must do my fair share to carry the load. A.A. depends on all its members to keep it alive and to keep it growing.

So ............

Am I doing my share for A.A.?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Following

If we follow the Twelve Steps, we’ll leave failure behind. We may have tried and tried to be sober, good people, but failed if we were doing it our way. Now is the time to stop listening to ourselves and start listening to pros, those who have gone before us.

When we follow their lead, exciting changes happen. First, we stay sober. We regain self-respect. We meet people we respect and become friends. Our families start to trust us again. And why? Because we gave up doing it our way and listened. We listened to the “experts.”

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Tolerance in Practice

We found that the principles of tolerance and love had to be emphasized in actual practice. We can never say (or insinuate) to anyone that he must agree to our formula or be excommunicated. The atheist may stand up in an A.A. meeting still denying the Deity, yet reporting how vastly he has been changed in attitude and outlook. Much experience tells us he will presently change his mind about God, but nobody tells him he must do so.

In order to carry the principles of inclusiveness and tolerance still further, we make no religious requirement of anyone. All people having an alcoholic problem who wish to get rid of it and so make a happy adjustment with the circumstances of their lives, become A.A. members by simply associating with us. Nothing but sincerity is needed. But we do not demand even this.

In such an atmosphere the orthodox, the unorthodox, and the believer mix happily and usefully together. An opportunity for spiritual growth is open to all.

As Bill Sees It Page 158

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Just a few Quotes

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength." ~ Corrieten Boom

"There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy." ~Ralph H. Blum

[bluidkiti]

March 29

Prayer for Worry and Anxiety

God,
Sometimes I feel I cannot face this day; it is hard to keep going with such anxious thoughts running through my mind.
I ask for your peace to flood my being, that each moment I would surrender these worries, fears and anxieties to you.
I ask for your presence to walk with me through each part of my day, so that I would not feel alone but know that I am loved.
And I ask for your strength to wake me each morning and keep me going. I trust in you to see me through, lead me to calmer seas, balance and rest in heart, mind, body and soul.
Amen

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Just a Thought


We also strengthen our faith by working with other alcoholics.

We also find that we can do nothing ourselves to help them, except to tell them our own story of how we found the way out. If the person is helped, it's by the grace of God and not by what we do or say. Our own faith is strengthened when we see another alcoholic find sobriety by turning to God. And finally, we strengthen our faith by having quiet times every morning.

So ............

Do I ask God in this quiet time for the strength to stay sober this day?

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Just a Contemplation

Practice

None of us woke up one morning and found we had suddenly turned into an alcoholic. We got to be one by practice. And we practiced often. We ignored our families--we left work early--and went drinking. Daily, we chose alcohol over anything else. Likewise, getting sober is no accident. We work the program. At meetings, we're reminded to help others. We all get sober on the installment plan. A day at a time. We got sick one day at a time; we recovered one day at a time.

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Pride & Self-Pity

I, who had thought so well of myself and my abilities, of my capacity to surmount obstacles, was cornered at last. Now I was to plunge into the dark, joining that endless procession of sots who had gone on before. I thought of my poor wife. There had been much happiness after all. What would I not give to make amends. But that was over now.

No words can tell of the loneliness and despair I found in that bitter morass of self-pity. Quicksand stretched around me in all directions. I had met my match. I had been overwhelmed. Alcohol was my master.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 8

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Just a Quote

An alcoholic spends his life committing suicide on the installment plan." ~ Laurence Peter

[bluidkiti]

March 30

Let Go Of My Fears And Worries

Lord,
I pray that You would help me to simply let go of all the fears and worries, problems and doubts, guilt and disappointments that seem to be filling my heart and mind so often, during the course of a day.

Fill my hurting soul with love and peace I pray. Fill the emptiness and pain that is tearing my life asunder. Lord, You know what is in my heart and why I am going through this time of fear and worry. Help me Lord, to hand them over to You.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Since I've been in A.A., have I made a start toward becoming more honest?

Do I no longer have to lie to my loved ones? Do I try to have meals on time, and do I try to earn what I make at work? Am I trying to be honest? Have I faced myself as I really am and have I admitted to myself that I'm no good by myself, but have to rely on God to help me do the right thing?

So ............

Am I beginning to find out what it means to be alive and to face the world honestly and without fear?

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Just a Contemplation

Traders

There is an old saying that there are just two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers. Those of us who are givers delight in it. We have a buck to lend when someone is broke, a kind word when they're down, a helping hand when they need it. But sometimes we givers are uncomfortable when we're on the receiving end. We brush off thanks and gifts and help, even when they're needed or deserved.

Those of us who are takers, on the other hand, know how to graciously receive what others have to give; we know how to ask for what we need. Often, however, we don't know how to give. We may be afraid our gifts will be wrong or rejected or laughed at.

We can all strive to become traders, people who have learned how to both give and receive. We each have the capacity to give what we have freely and to ask, gratefully, for what we don't have. That is the greatest gift of all.

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More Than

But life among Alcoholics Anonymous is more than attending gatherings and visiting hospitals. Cleaning up old scrapes, helping to settle family differences, explaining the disinherited son to his irate parents, lending money and securing jobs for each other, when justified these are everyday occurrences. No one is too discredited or has sunk too low to be welcomed cordially if he means business.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 161

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Just a Quote

“We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” ~ Joseph Campbell
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[bluidkiti]

March 31

Lord,
I believe in the power of positive thinking, but lately I need your help to get there.
Please fill me with faith, hope and optimism.
Thank you for helping me to be genuinely positive.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Drinking cuts you off from God.

No matter how you were brought up, no matter what your religion is, no matter if you say you believe in God, nevertheless you build up a wall between you and God by your drinking. You know you're not living the way God wants you to. As a result, you have that terrible remorse. When you come into A.A., you begin to get right with other people and with God. A sober life is a happy life, because by giving up drinking we've got rid of our loneliness and remorse.

So ............

Do I have real fellowship with other people and with God?

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Just a Contemplation

Remember

We need to remember what got us well.
The Twelve Steps heal us. The meetings we attend heal us. Reading and listening to program tapes heals us. Talking with our sponsors heals us. The time we spend with program friends heals us.
Sometimes we're pressed for time. As a result, we have to make choices about how to use our time. We may think we know enough about the program. We may feel like cutting down on meetings. These are danger signs.
We only know how to stay sober One Day at a Time: by working the Steps. Let's not forget them as we grow in this program. It may seem like we've been recovering a long time, but we're all beginners.

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Self-will

I can recognize that I'm caught up in my will, when I desperately struggle to slam a square peg into a round hole.
That's the time for me to back off and trust that God's will is far better than mine.

The AA Grapevine, November, 2013

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Just a Quote

“Out of every crisis comes the chance to be reborn, to reconceive ourselves as individuals, to choose the kind of change that will help us to grow and to fulfill ourselves more completely.” ~ Nena O'Neill