bluidkiti
03-17-2023, 07:31 AM
God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
and Wisdom to know the difference.
Thy will, not mine, be done.
March 18
Daily Reflections
REAL INDEPENDENCE
The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power,
the more independent we actually are.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 36
I start with a little willingness to trust God and He
causes that willingness to grow. The more willingness I
have, the more trust I gain, and the more trust I gain,
the more willingness I have. My dependence on God grows
as my trust in Him grows. Before I became willing, I
depended on myself for all my needs and I was restricted
by my incompleteness. Through my willingness to depend
upon my Higher Power, whom I choose to call God, all
my needs are provided for by Someone Who knows me
better than I know myself - even the needs I may not
realize, as well as the ones yet to come, bring me to be
myself and to help me fill the need in someone else that
only I am meant to fill. There never will be another
exactly like me. And that is real independence.
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Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
When alcoholics first come into A.A. and we face the fact
that we must spend the rest of our life without liquor, it
often seems like an impossibility for us. So A.A. tells us to
forget about the future and take it one day at a time.
All we really have is now. We have no past time and no
future time. As the saying goes: "Yesterday is gone,
forget it; tomorrow never comes, don't worry; today is
here, get busy." All we have is the present. The past is
gone forever and the future never comes. When
tomorrow gets here, it will be today. Am I living one day
at a time?
Meditation For The Day
Persistence is necessary if you are to advance in
spiritual things. By persistent prayer, persistent firm
and simple trust, you achieve the treasures of the spirit.
By persistent practice, you can eventually obtain joy,
peace, assurance, security, health, happiness and serenity.
Nothing is too great, in the spiritual realm, for you to
obtain, if you persistently prepare yourself for it.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may persistently carry out my spiritual
exercises every day. I pray that I may strive for peace
and serenity.
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As Bill Sees It
R.S.V.P.--Yes or No?, p. 77
Usually, we do not avoid a place where there is drinking--if we have a
legitimate reason for being there. That includes bars, night clubs,
dances, receptions, weddings, even plain ordinary parties.
You will note that we made an important qualification. Therefore,
ask yourself, "Have I any good social, business, or personal reason
for going to this place? Or am I expecting to steal a little vicarious
pleasure from the atmosphere?" Then go or stay away, whichever
seems better. But be sure you are on solid spiritual ground before
you start and that your motive in going is thoroughly good. Do not
think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can
bring to it.
If you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic instead!
Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 101-102
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Walk in Dry Places
Should everybody like me?
Personal Relations.
In AA discussions, the term "people pleasers" doesn't fare very well. When people say they are people-pleasers, they're acknowledging that it's also a problem
It's a problem because it reflects a desire to have everybody's acceptance and approval…… to be universally liked. But from what we know about human relationships, this is not possible. No matter how hard we work to be pleasant and likable, some people may still detest us for reasons we cannot understand. When that happens, we should not blame ourselves or step up our efforts to them and to avoid giving offense in any way, while accepting the fact that they do not like us.
If our own behavior is mature and reasonable, even the people who don't like us will at least respect us. That may be the best we can hope for , and it is certainly far better than shameless people pleasing. In the end, people-pleasers don't please anybody and, as a famous comedian notes about himself, they "get no respect."
I'll try hard to be pleasant and cordial to everyone I meet today. If some people do not respond in the same way. I'll accept this without feeling hurt or betrayed.
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Keep It Simple
Money cost to much.---Ross MacDonald
Many people are poor and really need money to live better. But we're in trouble if we think money will solve all our problems. If money solved all problems, all rich people would be happy.
Consider this: A man talks about his shortcomings in a Twelve Step meeting. He says his main shortcoming is to think being happy means having enough money. But then he says that he has over a million dollars! This man is lucky---not because he has money, but because he knows greed is a shortcoming. He knows he has a spiritual problem. He doesn't need money; he needs faith in a Higher Power.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me to really believe I'll be given what I need. This will free me to get on with life.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll read over the promises of the program. They are found at the bottom of page 83 at the top of the page of page 84 in the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, Third Edition.
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Each Day a New Beginning
Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression. --Dodie Smith
Depression feeds on itself. With attention it worsens, but there are places for our attention. We can move our focus to a woman who is close by, a woman who is struggling to determine her direction in life. We can offer our ears. Or we can observe attentively, today, all the women, children, and men we see on the streets. When we notice their expressions, we realize they, too, may be suffering.
Doing something for someone else will lessen our own problems, no matter what the cause. In fact, just doing something will lift our spirits. Depression becomes habitual, and habits, even those that are detrimental, are easy to hang onto. When we take an action, even a small one, we can note the change: Action that benefits another is guaranteed to benefit us as well.
Depression does get worse with self-pitying attention; however, attention to ourselves that is nurturing has its place. We can pamper ourselves, but not pity ourselves. Pampering reflects approval, caring, self-respect; three attitudes inconsistent with depression. Even more than inconsistent, pampering and depression are incongruent.
Depression must be coddled to maintain it. It's my choice to move beyond it at any moment. I can put something besides my problem at my center today and enjoy the results.
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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
Chapter 11 - A Vision For You
But what about his responsibilities—his family and the men who would die because they would not know how to get well, ah—yes, those other alcoholics? There must be many such in this town. He would phone a clergyman. His sanity returned and he thanked God. Selecting a church at random from the directory, he stepped into a booth and lifted the receiver.
pp. 154-155
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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories
GUTTER BRAVADO - Alone and unemployable, he was given two options by the court, get help or go to jail, and his journey toward teachability began.
The judge had no trouble coming up with a few ideas, however. I got house arrest with electronic monitoring and strictly supervised probation with random urinalysis for openers. Five years in the penitentiary waited after that. I still played the angles, until it became clear to the authorities that I could not live up to the conditions of my probation. It didn't matter what the consequences were--I couldn't not drink, and I gave up trying. When the court eventually called me in for my violations, they gave me two choices: get help or go to jail. After careful thought I chose the first. Now either they were going to send me someplace, or I could send myself. I chose the second, and they gave me a week to make arrangements. Procrastinating to the end, it took me three. This is when, once again, desperate, cornered, and at my lowest, I said the only prayer I still knew: "God help me--if you get me out of this one, I'll never do it again." My life was finally out of my control.
p. 506-507
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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Eleven - "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."
We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of us, to flower and to grow. Most certainly we shall need bracing air and an abundance of food. But first of all we shall want sunlight; nothing much can grow in the dark. Meditation is our step out into the sun. How, then, shall we meditate?
p. 98
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Today, God, help me know I am being guided into what's good about
life, especially when I feel confused and without direction. Help me trust
enough to wait until my mind and vision are clear and consistent.
Help me know that clarity will come.
--Melody Beattie
"The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches,
but reveal to them their own."
-- Disraeli
I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.
-- Louisa May Alcott
We can be whole persons, even if we are not physically healthy.
--Bonnie Marie Tincher
I am always willing to learn, however I do not always like to be taught.
--Winston Churchill
Faith and Love mixed with Works is so important for a person to not lose Hope.
--Sprintin
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Father Leo's Daily Meditation
HUMOR
"Humor may be defined as the
kindly contemplation of the
incongruities of life and the artistic
impression thereof . . . The essence
of humor is human kindliness."
-- Stephen Leacock
Humor for me is a key to balance. In the joke I am able to release some
tension or frustration and cope with my disease of alcoholism. When I
drank, I did not have a genuine sense of humor --- rather it was sarcasm,
cruel "put-downs" or insane expressions of my manic personality. My
fun was created at the expense of others. It was a form of violence. It
kept people away from me and created a loneliness in my life.
Today I seek to use humor as an expression of acceptance, tolerance,
understanding and forgiveness. Humor is an aspect of my spiritual
program. In humor I experience God.
Give me the gift of humor that reflects the dignity and hope for us all.
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In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What
can mortal man do to me?
Psalms 56:4
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes
refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster
has passed.
Psalms 57:1
Paul wrote, "I can do all things through [Christ] who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13
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Daily Inspiration
When God answers prayer, He gives us the right answer. Lord, my greatest strength comes when I trust in You.
Have the strength to do what is right regardless of the consequences. Lord, show me Your way so that I may walk in Your truth.
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NA Just For Today
The Full Message
"There is a special feeling for addicts when they discover that there are other people who share their difficulties, past and present."
Basic Text p. 53
The wealth of our recovery is too good to keep to ourselves. Some of us believe that when we talk in meetings, we should "remember the newcomer" and always try to carry a positive message. But sometimes the most positive message we can carry is that we are going through difficult times in our recovery and are staying clean in spite of them!
Yes, it's gratifying to send out a strong message of hope to our newer members. After all, no one likes a whiner. But distressing things happen, and life on life's terms can send shock waves even through the recovery of long-time members of Narcotics Anonymous. If we are equipped with the tools of the program, we can walk through such turmoil and stay clean to tell the tale.
Recovery doesn't happen all at once; it is an ongoing process, sometimes a struggle. When we dilute the fullness of our message by neglecting to share about the tough times we may walk through on our journey, we fail to allow newcomers the chance to see that they, too, can stay clean, no matter what. If we share the full message of our recovery, we may not know who benefits, but we can be sure someone will.
Just for today: I will honestly share both the good times and the difficult times of my recovery. I will remember that my experience in walking through adversity may benefit another member.
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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Tyger, Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? Did He who made the Lamb make thee? --William Blake
Is there a lamb and a tiger inside us? Is there any commandment, written on the sky or a stone tablet, denying us our perfect right to be both tiger and lamb? The tiger, beast made of fire and night, shows its teeth when it blazes with love; the lamb, orphan wrapped in soft blanket of cloud, weeps to receive that same love. So we give and take, are strong and weak, guilty and innocent, wrong and right. So we are balanced, even when we seem to be in conflict.
When we learn to accept all the things we can be, we will be able to love all the ways the world outside us can be.
What conflict is helping me grow today?
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
Oh, that one could learn to learn in time! --Enrique Solari
A mark of genuine change, after the pleasure of newfound growth, may be the regret a man feels that he didn't learn sooner. When we learn something new, we see how it could have made our life better at an earlier time. We regret being stubborn, immature, or impulsive. Now we see our mistakes in a new light and it hurts. This is one of the pains of change. Some people turn away from growth because they refuse to tolerate the pain of honest hindsight.
We need to face these regrets, but not indulge in them. We take a bow to the past and move on to live in the only place we can - the present. We can acknowledge our guilt and remorse and then turn them over to the care of God. We can't change the past, but we can learn from it. Healthy recovery means an ever lighter load of regrets. Getting stuck in guilt over past deeds only repeats our mistakes by failing to use our learning today.
May I acknowledge and let go of my griefs and regrets so I can attend to life here and now.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression. --Dodie Smith
Depression feeds on itself. With attention it worsens, but there are places for our attention. We can move our focus to a woman who is close by, a woman who is struggling to determine her direction in life. We can offer our ears. Or we can observe attentively, today, all the women, children, and men we see on the streets. When we notice their expressions, we realize they, too, may be suffering.
Doing something for someone else will lessen our own problems, no matter what the cause. In fact, just doing something will lift our spirits. Depression becomes habitual, and habits, even those that are detrimental, are easy to hang onto. When we take an action, even a small one, we can note the change: Action that benefits another is guaranteed to benefit us as well.
Depression does get worse with self-pitying attention; however, attention to ourselves that is nurturing has its place. We can pamper ourselves, but not pity ourselves. Pampering reflects approval, caring, self-respect; three attitudes inconsistent with depression. Even more than inconsistent, pampering and depression are incongruent.
Depression must be coddled to maintain it. It's my choice to move beyond it at any moment. I can put something besides my problem at my center today and enjoy the results.
You are reading from the book The Language Of Letting Go.
Safety
One of the long-term effects of living in a dysfunctional family - as children or adults - is that we don't feel safe.
Much of what we call codependency happens because we don't feel safe in relationships. This can cause us to control, obsess, or focus on the other person, while neglecting ourselves or shutting down our feelings.
We can learn to make ourselves feel safe and comfortable, as part of a nurturing, loving attitude toward ourselves.
Often, we get a feeling of safety and comfort when we attend Twelve Step meetings or support groups. Being with a friend or doing something nice for ourselves helps us feel protected and loved. Sometimes, reaching out to another person helps us feel safe. Prayer and meditation help us affirm that our Higher Power cares for us.
We are safe now. We can relax. Perhaps others haven't been there for us in a consistent, trustworthy way, but we are learning to be there for ourselves.
Today, I will concentrate on making myself feel safe and comfortable.
Today I will be part of the mainstream of life. I will share what I have when it can be useful, looking for opportunities to give to others the best of who I am. --Ruth Fishel
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Journey to the Heart
Heart Connections
I went into the office at the lodge where I stayed in Sedona. I turned in my room key, then pulled out my camera and took a picture of Marianne. We had only known each other for eight days, but I felt deeply connected to her. We had been through a series of experiences that would probably stay with me for life. They had changed my life.
When we hugged and said good-bye, I told her not to cry– but she did anyway. So did I. “Call me whenever you want,” she said. “I’ll be there for you.” I knew what she meant. She didn’t mean for me to call her on the phone, although that was okay,too. She meant call her in my heart, call her to me in spirit.
For a long time, our connections to people and places may have come from someplace other than our hearts. We may have been connected out of need, fear, unfinished business, or simply the unwillingness to leave– to know there was any other way to be connected. Or we may not have even felt particularly connected to the people around us.
Now is a different time. It is time now to let your connections come from your heart. Open up. Listen. Does someone have something to say, maybe only a sentence or two, that’s just what you need to hear? As you’re going through your day, does someone come to mind, someone you think about getting in touch with?
Don’t shrug off the things you know and sense. Be open to your inner voice. Do what it leads you to do. Love isn’t bound by time or space when our connections come from our heart.
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More Language Of Letting Go
Prayer helps
“Sometimes I talk myself out of praying,” Sheila said. “I convince myself that it’s just more work, because even if I pray about something, I have to do all the work,too.”
I sit down to write. The energy’s not there, but the deadline is. God, please help. I remember a joke I heard from someone, somewhere: “I love deadlines. Especially the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.” I write anyway, putting one word in front of another. Then, from out of nowhere, comes a string of words I didn’t plan on, a new idea, a fresh perspective, a story, complete with ending. Wow! Where’d that come from?
An issue comes up in a relationship with a friend. He’s hurt and angry. His hurt and anger evoke more hurt and anger in me. I try to reason things out, listen to him, get him to see things my way. He feels justified. So do I. day after day, we work on the relationship. The strain continues. I don’t know what to do next. “God, please help me with this situation. Show me what to do next.” I keep talking to my friend. He keeps talking to me. Then one day, I feel less defensive and guilty. A new feeling surrounds the relationship. “I’m sorry,” I say one day. “So am I,” he says,too. Wow, I think. Where did that come from?
I stand on the scale, glaring at the numbers. I want to lose ten pounds. I start eating less, exercising more. A few days later, I get on the scale again. Dang. Gained a pound. I continue to eat less; the numbers don’t move. God, please help me drop this weight. Why am I holding on to it? I continue to watch my caloric intake and pay attention to exercise. One morning I get on the scale. Wow! I’ve lost five pounds. How did that happen?
Pray. let go. Then act as if you need to do all the work. Don’t plan on magic and miracles. But leave room for them,too.
God, help me remember that when I run out of myself, I run right into you.
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In God’s Care
The most exhausting thing in life…is being insincere.
~~Anne Morrow Lindbergh
The time-worn statement “Honesty is the best policy” holds special meaning to those of us in the program. Being honest with ourselves and with others is paramount to our recovery. But it’s also important for us to define our honesty.
Should we tell people that we don’t like them? Should we confess trangressions from past years if it hurts a loved one today? We each have to decide what honest means in different situations. Not acting or responding in accordance with our anxiety, particularly if we let that wisdome guide us in one instance and not the next.
We’ll know a deeper level of serenity when we decide to be consistently honest and sincere with our companions. A moment’s pause to let our Higher Power guide us will help us decide the best response for each situation.
I will seek God’s guidance as I learn to be more honest today.
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Detoxing Your Body
Inner Spring Cleaning
by Madisyn Taylor
All of our bodies need to detox once in a while and is a wonderful gift to your body, mind and spirit.
When you want to start with a clean slate in life, one way is to cleanse your body. Detoxifying can be done in many ways and for many reasons, depending on your specific goals. You may feel a physical need for cleansing, or a spiritual one where you would cleanse the areas of the body that correspond to your current life challenges. If you feel, for instance, that your inner self is not shining through as you would like, you may want to do a bathing detox to clean the skin of impurities so that you can radiate your inner health like a newly washed stained-glass window that lets the light shine through more brilliantly.
No matter how healthy and conscious our habits are, our bodies move with the cycles of life, which means that our cells sometimes need to fall like leaves from the trees before they can regenerate and be renewed. Just as we need to wash our bodies to remove the buildup of natural processes and contact with the world around us, we need to clean our bodies from the inside as well. So you may want to detoxify your blood or digestive system, or target specific buildup such as plaque or metals. Our bodies are the vessels that allow us to move through life, but we can treat them like wild gardens that need our attention to reach their full potential of beauty and balance in their ecosystem.
The first days of a detoxification process may bring to mind an image of the dust that gets stirred up during spring cleaning. You may feel a little worse before you feel better, but that may indeed be the universe’s way of showing us the benefits by contrast. We live in a world of dualities, so we may need to experience both sides of a situation in order to find our perfect balance. Once the impurities have been cleansed, you could experience a sense of lightness or clarity of vision and purpose. You will know it worked when you feel enhanced ease as you move through the world toward your goals. Published with permission from Daily OM
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A Day At A Time
Reflection For The Day
In the old days, we often had such devastating experiences that we fervently swore, “never again.” We were absolutely sincere in those moments of desperation. Yet, despite our intentions, the outcome was inevitably the same. Eventually, the memory of our suffering faded, as did the memory of our “pledge.” so we did it again, ending up in even worse shape than when we had last “sworn off,m” Forever turned out to be only a week, or a day or less. In The Program, we learn that we need only be concerned about today, this particular 24-hour period. Do I live my life just 24 hours at a time?
Today I Pray
May the long-term requirements of such phrases as “never again, ” “not on your life,” “forever,” “I’ll never take another..” not weaken my resolve. “Forever,” when it is broken down into single days — or even just parts of days — does not seem to impossible long. May I awake each day with my goal set realistically at just 24 hours.
Today I Will Remember
Twenty -four hours at a time.
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One More Day
An ordinary man can surround himself with two thousand books … and thenceforward have at least one place in the world in which it is possible to be happy. – Augustine Birrell
A flashlight. A winter storm. Secretly reading under the covers. As children, most of us escaped into books from time to time. Books were a private experience shared with no one. They could also be a warm family time of sharing.
Books will provide a window to the world, to adventures and faraway places that few people ever experience firsthand. Regardless of physical ability — or disability — we can generally find a way to read or listen to a book. We can shed, for a short while, some of the frustrations we experience. We can forget the ravages of illness. We can travel. We can dream.
Reading is a true gift which I can give myself.
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Food For Thought
A New World
Being abstinent puts us into a new world. Instead of trying to cheat ourselves and get away with it, we learn to be straight with ourselves and others. Instead of escaping problems, we learn to face them honestly. Instead of despair, we feel self-respect and a developing self-confidence.
As we get rid of our obsession with food, we get in touch with our feelings and abilities so that we are able to function calmly and efficiently.
All of this does not happen overnight. We take the Twelve Steps under the guidance of a program sponsor. We work our program every day. We continue to use the telephone and go to meetings so that we may learn from other members.
Above all, we maintain contact with our Higher Power, since it is by His grace that we have entered this new world.
Thank You, Lord, for leading me to a new world.
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One Day At A Time
EXAMPLE
"Setting an example is not the main
means of influencing another.
It is the only means."
Albert Einstein
Program's philosophy dictates that we gain new members by attraction rather than promotion. We should be striving to become living embodiments of Program principles in order that we might attract and inspire those in need whom we may encounter in our daily lives - just as we were fortunate enough to find our way here because of the amazing effort, inspiration and example of the Program founders. Because of their blood, sweat and tears, Program has grown in leaps and bounds over the years . Now - its future growth rests with us. Are you prepared for this responsibility?
One Day at a Time . . .
I will diligently work the tools of my program and be a shining example of recovery to others.
Rob R.
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AA 'Big Book' - Quote
The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action. This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism. - Pg. 17 - There Is A Solution
Hour To Hour - Book - Quote
At times we get sudden feelings of fear and apprehension. They seem to spring from nowhere. This is a common reaction to the chemicals leaving our body--it often is purely biological and nothing to be concerned with. Simply call a clean and sober friend.
Let me know that not all fear and apprehension come from deep-seated traumas. Some are simply physical reactions to withdrawal.
Lighting My Own Lamp
I will learn to light my own lamp today. I will go within for the deepest sort of experience of joy, of ecstasy in being alive. I will get in touch with the deeper pulse of living - the thread that connects me with the divine experience. I will recognize that in order to be lit from within I need to drop down inside of myself and be in the presence of inner light. Life itself has a purpose apart from any individual task or stage. Life itself is the experience. All of the things I have been trying to accomplish are both inner and outer goals. They are meant to bring me closer to myself, to develop me in ways that allow me to experience life more fully - to be more capable of pleasure. Today I will give myself these gifts of inner sight.
I will find and live from my own inner light.
- Tian Dayton PhD
Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote
They say you need newcomers to tell you where you came from, old-timers to tell you where you could go, and a sponsor to tell you where you are at.
The most important word in my Steps is the first one... 'WE'.
"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book
The bigger the secret, the more dangerous.
Time for Joy - Book - Quote
Today I will be part of the mainstream of life. I will share what I have when it can be useful, looking for opportunities to give to others the best of who I am.
Alkiespeak - Book - Quote
A smooth sea never made a good sailor. - Anon.
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AA Thought for the Day
March 18
Honesty
I need to remember each day that deceiving myself about myself
is setting myself up for failure or disappointment in life and in Alcoholics Anonymous.
A close, honest relationship with a Higher Power
is the only solid foundation I've found for honesty with self and with others.
- Daily Reflections, pp. 117
Thought to Ponder . . .
Honesty isn't an event -- it's a process.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.
~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
Change
"Let us never fear needed change. Certainly we have to discriminate between changes for worse and changes for
better. But once a need becomes clearly apparent in an individual, in a group, or in AA as a whole, it has long since been
found out that we cannot stand still and look the other way.
"Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, July 1965 As Bill Sees It, p. 115
Thought to Consider . . .
There is no progress without change.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
CHANGE
Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Everyday
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Independence
Step Three: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
"'If I keep on turning my life and my will over to the care of Something or Somebody else, what will become of me? I'll
look like the hole in the doughnut.' This, of course, is the process by which instinct and logic always seek to bolster
egotism, and so frustrate spiritual development. The trouble is that this kind of thinking takes no real account of the facts.
And the facts seem to be these: The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power, the more independent we
actually are. Therefore dependence, as A.A. practices it, is really a means to gaining true independence of the spirit."
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 36
*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Pain is one of our greatest teachers. Though I still find it difficult to accept today's pain and anxiety with any degree of
serenity -- as those more advanced in the spiritual life seem able to do -- I can, if I try hard, give thanks for present pain nevertheless."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., March 1962
"What Is Acceptance?"
The Language of the Heart
~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*
"When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could
not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that
either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He isn't."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~
"...we have ceased fighting anything or anyone—even alcohol."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84~
These emotional ”dry benders” often led straight to the bottle.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 90
Misc. AA Literature - Quote
R.S.V.P. - Yes or No?
Usually, we do not avoid a place where there is drinking - if we have a legitimate reason for being there. That includes
bars, night clubs, dances, receptions, weddings, even plain ordinary parties.
You will note that we made an important qualification. Therefore, ask yourself, 'Have I any good social, business, or
personal reason for going to this place? Or am I expecting to steal a little vicarious pleasure from the atmosphere?' Then
go or stay away, whichever seems better. But be sure you are on solid spiritual ground before you start and that your
motive in going is thoroughly good. Do not think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can bring to it.
If you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic instead! ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, 101-102
Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, please help me understand that a little kindness costs nothing to give and it's far more valuable.
Ask and you shall receive,
Seek and ye shall find,
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7
Courage to change the things I can;
and Wisdom to know the difference.
Thy will, not mine, be done.
March 18
Daily Reflections
REAL INDEPENDENCE
The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power,
the more independent we actually are.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 36
I start with a little willingness to trust God and He
causes that willingness to grow. The more willingness I
have, the more trust I gain, and the more trust I gain,
the more willingness I have. My dependence on God grows
as my trust in Him grows. Before I became willing, I
depended on myself for all my needs and I was restricted
by my incompleteness. Through my willingness to depend
upon my Higher Power, whom I choose to call God, all
my needs are provided for by Someone Who knows me
better than I know myself - even the needs I may not
realize, as well as the ones yet to come, bring me to be
myself and to help me fill the need in someone else that
only I am meant to fill. There never will be another
exactly like me. And that is real independence.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
When alcoholics first come into A.A. and we face the fact
that we must spend the rest of our life without liquor, it
often seems like an impossibility for us. So A.A. tells us to
forget about the future and take it one day at a time.
All we really have is now. We have no past time and no
future time. As the saying goes: "Yesterday is gone,
forget it; tomorrow never comes, don't worry; today is
here, get busy." All we have is the present. The past is
gone forever and the future never comes. When
tomorrow gets here, it will be today. Am I living one day
at a time?
Meditation For The Day
Persistence is necessary if you are to advance in
spiritual things. By persistent prayer, persistent firm
and simple trust, you achieve the treasures of the spirit.
By persistent practice, you can eventually obtain joy,
peace, assurance, security, health, happiness and serenity.
Nothing is too great, in the spiritual realm, for you to
obtain, if you persistently prepare yourself for it.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may persistently carry out my spiritual
exercises every day. I pray that I may strive for peace
and serenity.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
R.S.V.P.--Yes or No?, p. 77
Usually, we do not avoid a place where there is drinking--if we have a
legitimate reason for being there. That includes bars, night clubs,
dances, receptions, weddings, even plain ordinary parties.
You will note that we made an important qualification. Therefore,
ask yourself, "Have I any good social, business, or personal reason
for going to this place? Or am I expecting to steal a little vicarious
pleasure from the atmosphere?" Then go or stay away, whichever
seems better. But be sure you are on solid spiritual ground before
you start and that your motive in going is thoroughly good. Do not
think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can
bring to it.
If you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic instead!
Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 101-102
************************************************** *********
Walk in Dry Places
Should everybody like me?
Personal Relations.
In AA discussions, the term "people pleasers" doesn't fare very well. When people say they are people-pleasers, they're acknowledging that it's also a problem
It's a problem because it reflects a desire to have everybody's acceptance and approval…… to be universally liked. But from what we know about human relationships, this is not possible. No matter how hard we work to be pleasant and likable, some people may still detest us for reasons we cannot understand. When that happens, we should not blame ourselves or step up our efforts to them and to avoid giving offense in any way, while accepting the fact that they do not like us.
If our own behavior is mature and reasonable, even the people who don't like us will at least respect us. That may be the best we can hope for , and it is certainly far better than shameless people pleasing. In the end, people-pleasers don't please anybody and, as a famous comedian notes about himself, they "get no respect."
I'll try hard to be pleasant and cordial to everyone I meet today. If some people do not respond in the same way. I'll accept this without feeling hurt or betrayed.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
Money cost to much.---Ross MacDonald
Many people are poor and really need money to live better. But we're in trouble if we think money will solve all our problems. If money solved all problems, all rich people would be happy.
Consider this: A man talks about his shortcomings in a Twelve Step meeting. He says his main shortcoming is to think being happy means having enough money. But then he says that he has over a million dollars! This man is lucky---not because he has money, but because he knows greed is a shortcoming. He knows he has a spiritual problem. He doesn't need money; he needs faith in a Higher Power.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me to really believe I'll be given what I need. This will free me to get on with life.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll read over the promises of the program. They are found at the bottom of page 83 at the top of the page of page 84 in the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, Third Edition.
************************************************** *********
Each Day a New Beginning
Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression. --Dodie Smith
Depression feeds on itself. With attention it worsens, but there are places for our attention. We can move our focus to a woman who is close by, a woman who is struggling to determine her direction in life. We can offer our ears. Or we can observe attentively, today, all the women, children, and men we see on the streets. When we notice their expressions, we realize they, too, may be suffering.
Doing something for someone else will lessen our own problems, no matter what the cause. In fact, just doing something will lift our spirits. Depression becomes habitual, and habits, even those that are detrimental, are easy to hang onto. When we take an action, even a small one, we can note the change: Action that benefits another is guaranteed to benefit us as well.
Depression does get worse with self-pitying attention; however, attention to ourselves that is nurturing has its place. We can pamper ourselves, but not pity ourselves. Pampering reflects approval, caring, self-respect; three attitudes inconsistent with depression. Even more than inconsistent, pampering and depression are incongruent.
Depression must be coddled to maintain it. It's my choice to move beyond it at any moment. I can put something besides my problem at my center today and enjoy the results.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
Chapter 11 - A Vision For You
But what about his responsibilities—his family and the men who would die because they would not know how to get well, ah—yes, those other alcoholics? There must be many such in this town. He would phone a clergyman. His sanity returned and he thanked God. Selecting a church at random from the directory, he stepped into a booth and lifted the receiver.
pp. 154-155
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories
GUTTER BRAVADO - Alone and unemployable, he was given two options by the court, get help or go to jail, and his journey toward teachability began.
The judge had no trouble coming up with a few ideas, however. I got house arrest with electronic monitoring and strictly supervised probation with random urinalysis for openers. Five years in the penitentiary waited after that. I still played the angles, until it became clear to the authorities that I could not live up to the conditions of my probation. It didn't matter what the consequences were--I couldn't not drink, and I gave up trying. When the court eventually called me in for my violations, they gave me two choices: get help or go to jail. After careful thought I chose the first. Now either they were going to send me someplace, or I could send myself. I chose the second, and they gave me a week to make arrangements. Procrastinating to the end, it took me three. This is when, once again, desperate, cornered, and at my lowest, I said the only prayer I still knew: "God help me--if you get me out of this one, I'll never do it again." My life was finally out of my control.
p. 506-507
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Eleven - "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."
We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of us, to flower and to grow. Most certainly we shall need bracing air and an abundance of food. But first of all we shall want sunlight; nothing much can grow in the dark. Meditation is our step out into the sun. How, then, shall we meditate?
p. 98
************************************************** *********
Today, God, help me know I am being guided into what's good about
life, especially when I feel confused and without direction. Help me trust
enough to wait until my mind and vision are clear and consistent.
Help me know that clarity will come.
--Melody Beattie
"The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches,
but reveal to them their own."
-- Disraeli
I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.
-- Louisa May Alcott
We can be whole persons, even if we are not physically healthy.
--Bonnie Marie Tincher
I am always willing to learn, however I do not always like to be taught.
--Winston Churchill
Faith and Love mixed with Works is so important for a person to not lose Hope.
--Sprintin
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
HUMOR
"Humor may be defined as the
kindly contemplation of the
incongruities of life and the artistic
impression thereof . . . The essence
of humor is human kindliness."
-- Stephen Leacock
Humor for me is a key to balance. In the joke I am able to release some
tension or frustration and cope with my disease of alcoholism. When I
drank, I did not have a genuine sense of humor --- rather it was sarcasm,
cruel "put-downs" or insane expressions of my manic personality. My
fun was created at the expense of others. It was a form of violence. It
kept people away from me and created a loneliness in my life.
Today I seek to use humor as an expression of acceptance, tolerance,
understanding and forgiveness. Humor is an aspect of my spiritual
program. In humor I experience God.
Give me the gift of humor that reflects the dignity and hope for us all.
************************************************** *********
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What
can mortal man do to me?
Psalms 56:4
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes
refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster
has passed.
Psalms 57:1
Paul wrote, "I can do all things through [Christ] who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
When God answers prayer, He gives us the right answer. Lord, my greatest strength comes when I trust in You.
Have the strength to do what is right regardless of the consequences. Lord, show me Your way so that I may walk in Your truth.
************************************************** *********
NA Just For Today
The Full Message
"There is a special feeling for addicts when they discover that there are other people who share their difficulties, past and present."
Basic Text p. 53
The wealth of our recovery is too good to keep to ourselves. Some of us believe that when we talk in meetings, we should "remember the newcomer" and always try to carry a positive message. But sometimes the most positive message we can carry is that we are going through difficult times in our recovery and are staying clean in spite of them!
Yes, it's gratifying to send out a strong message of hope to our newer members. After all, no one likes a whiner. But distressing things happen, and life on life's terms can send shock waves even through the recovery of long-time members of Narcotics Anonymous. If we are equipped with the tools of the program, we can walk through such turmoil and stay clean to tell the tale.
Recovery doesn't happen all at once; it is an ongoing process, sometimes a struggle. When we dilute the fullness of our message by neglecting to share about the tough times we may walk through on our journey, we fail to allow newcomers the chance to see that they, too, can stay clean, no matter what. If we share the full message of our recovery, we may not know who benefits, but we can be sure someone will.
Just for today: I will honestly share both the good times and the difficult times of my recovery. I will remember that my experience in walking through adversity may benefit another member.
************************************************** *********
You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Tyger, Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? Did He who made the Lamb make thee? --William Blake
Is there a lamb and a tiger inside us? Is there any commandment, written on the sky or a stone tablet, denying us our perfect right to be both tiger and lamb? The tiger, beast made of fire and night, shows its teeth when it blazes with love; the lamb, orphan wrapped in soft blanket of cloud, weeps to receive that same love. So we give and take, are strong and weak, guilty and innocent, wrong and right. So we are balanced, even when we seem to be in conflict.
When we learn to accept all the things we can be, we will be able to love all the ways the world outside us can be.
What conflict is helping me grow today?
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
Oh, that one could learn to learn in time! --Enrique Solari
A mark of genuine change, after the pleasure of newfound growth, may be the regret a man feels that he didn't learn sooner. When we learn something new, we see how it could have made our life better at an earlier time. We regret being stubborn, immature, or impulsive. Now we see our mistakes in a new light and it hurts. This is one of the pains of change. Some people turn away from growth because they refuse to tolerate the pain of honest hindsight.
We need to face these regrets, but not indulge in them. We take a bow to the past and move on to live in the only place we can - the present. We can acknowledge our guilt and remorse and then turn them over to the care of God. We can't change the past, but we can learn from it. Healthy recovery means an ever lighter load of regrets. Getting stuck in guilt over past deeds only repeats our mistakes by failing to use our learning today.
May I acknowledge and let go of my griefs and regrets so I can attend to life here and now.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression. --Dodie Smith
Depression feeds on itself. With attention it worsens, but there are places for our attention. We can move our focus to a woman who is close by, a woman who is struggling to determine her direction in life. We can offer our ears. Or we can observe attentively, today, all the women, children, and men we see on the streets. When we notice their expressions, we realize they, too, may be suffering.
Doing something for someone else will lessen our own problems, no matter what the cause. In fact, just doing something will lift our spirits. Depression becomes habitual, and habits, even those that are detrimental, are easy to hang onto. When we take an action, even a small one, we can note the change: Action that benefits another is guaranteed to benefit us as well.
Depression does get worse with self-pitying attention; however, attention to ourselves that is nurturing has its place. We can pamper ourselves, but not pity ourselves. Pampering reflects approval, caring, self-respect; three attitudes inconsistent with depression. Even more than inconsistent, pampering and depression are incongruent.
Depression must be coddled to maintain it. It's my choice to move beyond it at any moment. I can put something besides my problem at my center today and enjoy the results.
You are reading from the book The Language Of Letting Go.
Safety
One of the long-term effects of living in a dysfunctional family - as children or adults - is that we don't feel safe.
Much of what we call codependency happens because we don't feel safe in relationships. This can cause us to control, obsess, or focus on the other person, while neglecting ourselves or shutting down our feelings.
We can learn to make ourselves feel safe and comfortable, as part of a nurturing, loving attitude toward ourselves.
Often, we get a feeling of safety and comfort when we attend Twelve Step meetings or support groups. Being with a friend or doing something nice for ourselves helps us feel protected and loved. Sometimes, reaching out to another person helps us feel safe. Prayer and meditation help us affirm that our Higher Power cares for us.
We are safe now. We can relax. Perhaps others haven't been there for us in a consistent, trustworthy way, but we are learning to be there for ourselves.
Today, I will concentrate on making myself feel safe and comfortable.
Today I will be part of the mainstream of life. I will share what I have when it can be useful, looking for opportunities to give to others the best of who I am. --Ruth Fishel
******************************************
Journey to the Heart
Heart Connections
I went into the office at the lodge where I stayed in Sedona. I turned in my room key, then pulled out my camera and took a picture of Marianne. We had only known each other for eight days, but I felt deeply connected to her. We had been through a series of experiences that would probably stay with me for life. They had changed my life.
When we hugged and said good-bye, I told her not to cry– but she did anyway. So did I. “Call me whenever you want,” she said. “I’ll be there for you.” I knew what she meant. She didn’t mean for me to call her on the phone, although that was okay,too. She meant call her in my heart, call her to me in spirit.
For a long time, our connections to people and places may have come from someplace other than our hearts. We may have been connected out of need, fear, unfinished business, or simply the unwillingness to leave– to know there was any other way to be connected. Or we may not have even felt particularly connected to the people around us.
Now is a different time. It is time now to let your connections come from your heart. Open up. Listen. Does someone have something to say, maybe only a sentence or two, that’s just what you need to hear? As you’re going through your day, does someone come to mind, someone you think about getting in touch with?
Don’t shrug off the things you know and sense. Be open to your inner voice. Do what it leads you to do. Love isn’t bound by time or space when our connections come from our heart.
******************************************
More Language Of Letting Go
Prayer helps
“Sometimes I talk myself out of praying,” Sheila said. “I convince myself that it’s just more work, because even if I pray about something, I have to do all the work,too.”
I sit down to write. The energy’s not there, but the deadline is. God, please help. I remember a joke I heard from someone, somewhere: “I love deadlines. Especially the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.” I write anyway, putting one word in front of another. Then, from out of nowhere, comes a string of words I didn’t plan on, a new idea, a fresh perspective, a story, complete with ending. Wow! Where’d that come from?
An issue comes up in a relationship with a friend. He’s hurt and angry. His hurt and anger evoke more hurt and anger in me. I try to reason things out, listen to him, get him to see things my way. He feels justified. So do I. day after day, we work on the relationship. The strain continues. I don’t know what to do next. “God, please help me with this situation. Show me what to do next.” I keep talking to my friend. He keeps talking to me. Then one day, I feel less defensive and guilty. A new feeling surrounds the relationship. “I’m sorry,” I say one day. “So am I,” he says,too. Wow, I think. Where did that come from?
I stand on the scale, glaring at the numbers. I want to lose ten pounds. I start eating less, exercising more. A few days later, I get on the scale again. Dang. Gained a pound. I continue to eat less; the numbers don’t move. God, please help me drop this weight. Why am I holding on to it? I continue to watch my caloric intake and pay attention to exercise. One morning I get on the scale. Wow! I’ve lost five pounds. How did that happen?
Pray. let go. Then act as if you need to do all the work. Don’t plan on magic and miracles. But leave room for them,too.
God, help me remember that when I run out of myself, I run right into you.
******************************************
In God’s Care
The most exhausting thing in life…is being insincere.
~~Anne Morrow Lindbergh
The time-worn statement “Honesty is the best policy” holds special meaning to those of us in the program. Being honest with ourselves and with others is paramount to our recovery. But it’s also important for us to define our honesty.
Should we tell people that we don’t like them? Should we confess trangressions from past years if it hurts a loved one today? We each have to decide what honest means in different situations. Not acting or responding in accordance with our anxiety, particularly if we let that wisdome guide us in one instance and not the next.
We’ll know a deeper level of serenity when we decide to be consistently honest and sincere with our companions. A moment’s pause to let our Higher Power guide us will help us decide the best response for each situation.
I will seek God’s guidance as I learn to be more honest today.
******************************************
Detoxing Your Body
Inner Spring Cleaning
by Madisyn Taylor
All of our bodies need to detox once in a while and is a wonderful gift to your body, mind and spirit.
When you want to start with a clean slate in life, one way is to cleanse your body. Detoxifying can be done in many ways and for many reasons, depending on your specific goals. You may feel a physical need for cleansing, or a spiritual one where you would cleanse the areas of the body that correspond to your current life challenges. If you feel, for instance, that your inner self is not shining through as you would like, you may want to do a bathing detox to clean the skin of impurities so that you can radiate your inner health like a newly washed stained-glass window that lets the light shine through more brilliantly.
No matter how healthy and conscious our habits are, our bodies move with the cycles of life, which means that our cells sometimes need to fall like leaves from the trees before they can regenerate and be renewed. Just as we need to wash our bodies to remove the buildup of natural processes and contact with the world around us, we need to clean our bodies from the inside as well. So you may want to detoxify your blood or digestive system, or target specific buildup such as plaque or metals. Our bodies are the vessels that allow us to move through life, but we can treat them like wild gardens that need our attention to reach their full potential of beauty and balance in their ecosystem.
The first days of a detoxification process may bring to mind an image of the dust that gets stirred up during spring cleaning. You may feel a little worse before you feel better, but that may indeed be the universe’s way of showing us the benefits by contrast. We live in a world of dualities, so we may need to experience both sides of a situation in order to find our perfect balance. Once the impurities have been cleansed, you could experience a sense of lightness or clarity of vision and purpose. You will know it worked when you feel enhanced ease as you move through the world toward your goals. Published with permission from Daily OM
******************************************
A Day At A Time
Reflection For The Day
In the old days, we often had such devastating experiences that we fervently swore, “never again.” We were absolutely sincere in those moments of desperation. Yet, despite our intentions, the outcome was inevitably the same. Eventually, the memory of our suffering faded, as did the memory of our “pledge.” so we did it again, ending up in even worse shape than when we had last “sworn off,m” Forever turned out to be only a week, or a day or less. In The Program, we learn that we need only be concerned about today, this particular 24-hour period. Do I live my life just 24 hours at a time?
Today I Pray
May the long-term requirements of such phrases as “never again, ” “not on your life,” “forever,” “I’ll never take another..” not weaken my resolve. “Forever,” when it is broken down into single days — or even just parts of days — does not seem to impossible long. May I awake each day with my goal set realistically at just 24 hours.
Today I Will Remember
Twenty -four hours at a time.
******************************************
One More Day
An ordinary man can surround himself with two thousand books … and thenceforward have at least one place in the world in which it is possible to be happy. – Augustine Birrell
A flashlight. A winter storm. Secretly reading under the covers. As children, most of us escaped into books from time to time. Books were a private experience shared with no one. They could also be a warm family time of sharing.
Books will provide a window to the world, to adventures and faraway places that few people ever experience firsthand. Regardless of physical ability — or disability — we can generally find a way to read or listen to a book. We can shed, for a short while, some of the frustrations we experience. We can forget the ravages of illness. We can travel. We can dream.
Reading is a true gift which I can give myself.
************************************
Food For Thought
A New World
Being abstinent puts us into a new world. Instead of trying to cheat ourselves and get away with it, we learn to be straight with ourselves and others. Instead of escaping problems, we learn to face them honestly. Instead of despair, we feel self-respect and a developing self-confidence.
As we get rid of our obsession with food, we get in touch with our feelings and abilities so that we are able to function calmly and efficiently.
All of this does not happen overnight. We take the Twelve Steps under the guidance of a program sponsor. We work our program every day. We continue to use the telephone and go to meetings so that we may learn from other members.
Above all, we maintain contact with our Higher Power, since it is by His grace that we have entered this new world.
Thank You, Lord, for leading me to a new world.
*****************************************
One Day At A Time
EXAMPLE
"Setting an example is not the main
means of influencing another.
It is the only means."
Albert Einstein
Program's philosophy dictates that we gain new members by attraction rather than promotion. We should be striving to become living embodiments of Program principles in order that we might attract and inspire those in need whom we may encounter in our daily lives - just as we were fortunate enough to find our way here because of the amazing effort, inspiration and example of the Program founders. Because of their blood, sweat and tears, Program has grown in leaps and bounds over the years . Now - its future growth rests with us. Are you prepared for this responsibility?
One Day at a Time . . .
I will diligently work the tools of my program and be a shining example of recovery to others.
Rob R.
*****************************************
AA 'Big Book' - Quote
The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action. This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism. - Pg. 17 - There Is A Solution
Hour To Hour - Book - Quote
At times we get sudden feelings of fear and apprehension. They seem to spring from nowhere. This is a common reaction to the chemicals leaving our body--it often is purely biological and nothing to be concerned with. Simply call a clean and sober friend.
Let me know that not all fear and apprehension come from deep-seated traumas. Some are simply physical reactions to withdrawal.
Lighting My Own Lamp
I will learn to light my own lamp today. I will go within for the deepest sort of experience of joy, of ecstasy in being alive. I will get in touch with the deeper pulse of living - the thread that connects me with the divine experience. I will recognize that in order to be lit from within I need to drop down inside of myself and be in the presence of inner light. Life itself has a purpose apart from any individual task or stage. Life itself is the experience. All of the things I have been trying to accomplish are both inner and outer goals. They are meant to bring me closer to myself, to develop me in ways that allow me to experience life more fully - to be more capable of pleasure. Today I will give myself these gifts of inner sight.
I will find and live from my own inner light.
- Tian Dayton PhD
Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote
They say you need newcomers to tell you where you came from, old-timers to tell you where you could go, and a sponsor to tell you where you are at.
The most important word in my Steps is the first one... 'WE'.
"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book
The bigger the secret, the more dangerous.
Time for Joy - Book - Quote
Today I will be part of the mainstream of life. I will share what I have when it can be useful, looking for opportunities to give to others the best of who I am.
Alkiespeak - Book - Quote
A smooth sea never made a good sailor. - Anon.
*****************************************
AA Thought for the Day
March 18
Honesty
I need to remember each day that deceiving myself about myself
is setting myself up for failure or disappointment in life and in Alcoholics Anonymous.
A close, honest relationship with a Higher Power
is the only solid foundation I've found for honesty with self and with others.
- Daily Reflections, pp. 117
Thought to Ponder . . .
Honesty isn't an event -- it's a process.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.
~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
Change
"Let us never fear needed change. Certainly we have to discriminate between changes for worse and changes for
better. But once a need becomes clearly apparent in an individual, in a group, or in AA as a whole, it has long since been
found out that we cannot stand still and look the other way.
"Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, July 1965 As Bill Sees It, p. 115
Thought to Consider . . .
There is no progress without change.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
CHANGE
Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Everyday
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Independence
Step Three: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
"'If I keep on turning my life and my will over to the care of Something or Somebody else, what will become of me? I'll
look like the hole in the doughnut.' This, of course, is the process by which instinct and logic always seek to bolster
egotism, and so frustrate spiritual development. The trouble is that this kind of thinking takes no real account of the facts.
And the facts seem to be these: The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power, the more independent we
actually are. Therefore dependence, as A.A. practices it, is really a means to gaining true independence of the spirit."
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 36
*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Pain is one of our greatest teachers. Though I still find it difficult to accept today's pain and anxiety with any degree of
serenity -- as those more advanced in the spiritual life seem able to do -- I can, if I try hard, give thanks for present pain nevertheless."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., March 1962
"What Is Acceptance?"
The Language of the Heart
~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*
"When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could
not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that
either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He isn't."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~
"...we have ceased fighting anything or anyone—even alcohol."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84~
These emotional ”dry benders” often led straight to the bottle.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 90
Misc. AA Literature - Quote
R.S.V.P. - Yes or No?
Usually, we do not avoid a place where there is drinking - if we have a legitimate reason for being there. That includes
bars, night clubs, dances, receptions, weddings, even plain ordinary parties.
You will note that we made an important qualification. Therefore, ask yourself, 'Have I any good social, business, or
personal reason for going to this place? Or am I expecting to steal a little vicarious pleasure from the atmosphere?' Then
go or stay away, whichever seems better. But be sure you are on solid spiritual ground before you start and that your
motive in going is thoroughly good. Do not think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can bring to it.
If you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic instead! ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, 101-102
Prayer For The Day: Dear Father, please help me understand that a little kindness costs nothing to give and it's far more valuable.
Ask and you shall receive,
Seek and ye shall find,
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7