bluidkiti
04-25-2023, 08:41 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.
April 26
Daily Reflections
HAPPINESS IS NOT THE POINT
I don't think happiness or unhappiness is the point. How
do we meet the problems we face? How do we best learn from
them and transmit what we have learned to others, if they
would receive the knowledge?
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 306
In my search "to be happy," I changed jobs, married and
divorced, took geographical cures, and ran myself into
debt--financially, emotionally and spiritually. In A.A.,
I'm learning to grow up. Instead of demanding that people,
places and things make me happy, I can ask God for
self-acceptance. When a problem overwhelms me, A.A.'s
Twelve Steps will help me grow through the pain. The
knowledge I gain can be a gift to others who suffer with
the same problem. As Bill said, "When pain comes, we are
expected to learn from it willingly, and help others to
learn. When happiness comes, we accept it as a gift, and
thank God for it."
(As Bill Sees It, p. 306)
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Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
The A.A. program is one of submission, release, and action.
When we're drinking, we're submitting to a power greater than
ourselves, liquor. Our own wills are no use against the power
of liquor. One drink and we're sunk. In A.A. we stop submitting
to the power of liquor. Instead, we submit to a Power, also
greater than ourselves, which we call God. Have I submitted
myself to that Higher Power?
Meditation For The Day
Ceaseless activity is not God's plan for your life. Times of
withdrawal for renewed strength are always necessary. Wait for
the faintest tremor of fear and stop all work, everything, and
rest before God until you are strong again. Deal in the same way
with all tired feelings. Then you need rest of body and renewal
of spirit force. Saint Paul said: "I can do all things through
Him who strengthens me." This does not mean that you are to do
all things and then rely on God to find strength. it means that
you are to do the things you believe God wants you to do and only
then can you rely on His supply of power.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that God's spirit may be my master always. I pray that
I may learn how to rest and listen, as well as how to work.
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As Bill Sees It
The Sense of Belonging, p. 117
Perhaps one of the greatest rewards of meditation and prayer is the
sense of belonging that comes to us. We no longer live in a completely
hostile world. We are no longer lost and frightened and purposeless.
The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we
begin to see truth, justice, and love as the real and eternal things in life,
we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the
contrary that surrounds us in purely human affairs. We know that God
lovingly watches over us. We know that when we turn to Him, all will
be well with us, here and hereafter.
12 & 12, p. 105
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Walk in Dry Places
Never withholding ourselves.
Living Sober.
We may have let ourselves believe that we're supposed to display an attitude that expresses our opinions of others. If a person is crude and boorish, we should be cool and defensive for our self-protection. If a person is warm and friendly, we should respond in warm and friendly ways.
If we have believed these things, then we're actually letting others control our attitudes and behavior. We are letting personalities interfere with the high principles we are learning in AA. We are not living at the best possible level.
In reality, we should always display an attitude that reflects kindness, optimism, friendliness, and concern. There other person's disposition, whether it's sour or sweet, should have nothing to do with our being what we want to be. We should never withhold the fine inner qualities that develop and grow as we continue to live the program.
In time, we begin to learn that this attitude always comes back to us in the form of greater peace and happiness. And what's great about iti s that it's always under our direct control.
As I go about my business today, I will express a kindliness and concern toward everybody. Nobody's behavior can make me adopt a suspicious or defensive attitude.
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Keep It Simple
Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.---Maurice Setter
Silver shines as bright as gold does. So often we forget this. So often we push, push, push. We forget to live for the moment. Trying too hard can be a defect of character. It can be a way we avoid life. Gratitude, being thankful, is key part of recovery. Not just gratitude for getting our self-respect back. Not just gratitude for having a Higher Power. But gratitude for the moment. We're alive again. Let's see each moment as a time to explore life..
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thanks for helping me to enjoy each moment. I have gratitude for being alive.
Action for the Day: I'll list ten gifts of recovery for which I have gratitude.
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Each Day a New Beginning
. . . pain is the root of knowledge. --Simone Weil
We don't want pain in our lives. We dread the situations we anticipate will be painful. We probably even pray to be spared all painful experiences. But they come anyway, at times in profusion. And we not only survive the pain, we profit from it.
It seems that pain stretches us to our limits, generally forcing us to look for guidance from others, and it pushes us to consider new choices in our present situation. Pain is our common denominator as women, as members of the human family. It softens us to one another. It fosters empathy. It helps us to reach out and realize our need for one another.
New knowledge, new awareness, are additional benefits of accepting, rather than denying, the pain that accompanies life. This journey that we're on is moving us further and further along the path of enlightenment. We can consider that each problem, each crisis, is our necessary preparation for moving another step down the road.
I learn out of necessity. And when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
Foreword to First Edition
This is the Foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939
We are not an organization in the conventional sense of the word. There are no fees or dues whatsoever. The only requirement for membership is an honest desire to stop drinking. We are not allied with any particular faith, sect or denomination, nor do we oppose anyone. We simply wish to be helpful to those who are afflicted.
pp. xiii-xiv
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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories
EMPTY ON THE INSIDE - She grew up around A.A. and had all the answers--except when it came to her own life.
I still have a sponsor and a home group today. I am a member of Alcoholics Anonymous in good standing. I learned how to be a good A.A. member by watching good A.A. members and doing what they do. I learned how to have a good marriage by watching people with good marriages and doing what they do. I learned how to be a parent by watching good parents and doing what they do. And I finally have the freedom of believing that it is all right not to know.
p. 521
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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Twelve - "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."
Nearly every sound human being experiences, at some time in life, a compelling desire to find a mate of the opposite sex with whom the fullest possible union can be made --spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical. This mighty urge is the root of great human accomplishments, a creative energy that deeply influences our lives. God fashioned us that way. So our question will be this: How, by ignorance, compulsion, and self-will, do we misuse this gift for our own destruction? We A.A. cannot pretend to offer full answers to age-old perplexities, but our own experience does provide certain answers that work for us.
p. 117
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Children are our most valuable natural resource.
--Herbert Hoover
"Forgiving those who hurt us is the key to personal peace."
--G. Weatherly
"Being happy does not mean everything's perfect, It means I've decided to see beyond the imperfections."
--Unknown
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone
can start from now and make a brand new ending."
--Carl Bard
Spending time with God changes the rhythm of our life.
--Cheryle L. Cooper
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Father Leo's Daily Meditation
ANSWERS
"If the work of God could be
comprehended by reason, it would
be no longer wonderful, and faith
would have no merit if reason
provided proof."
--Pope Gregory I
Some things happen that I do not understand or comprehend, but I
have faith that they will happen tomorrow: sunsets, night following
day, the song of the bird, the colors of nature, and the joy and
adventure of being alive. Perhaps the biggest mystery for mankind to
grapple with is love - a man will suffer, endure persecution, even be
put to death for that which he loves; the pain and sorrow of love is
mingled into what it is to be a human being.
Reason does not have the answer to life. Faith is the medication for
our existence. We have a belief in tomorrow because of what we have
experienced today. If I can say "no" to alcohol today then I can do it
tomorrow - if I really want to.
Lord, let me not seek for proof but daily seek to grapple with the
problems of life.
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"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
James 4:10
"Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed;
blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
John 20:29
"Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Colossians 3:17
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Daily Inspiration
There are truly no bad days, just different kinds of days. Lord, thank You for today and for Your help through every situation.
Use your difficult times to learn more about God's love and blessings. Lord, may I see Your hand working in every moment of my life and realize that, even in my darkest hour, things are far better than they could be because You are blessing me with what I need to make it through.
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NA Just For Today
Self-Acceptance
"The most effective means of achieving self-acceptance is through applying the Twelve Steps of recovery."
IP No. 19, "Self-Acceptance"
Most of us came to Narcotics Anonymous without much self-acceptance. We looked at the havoc we had wreaked in our active addiction, and we loathed ourselves. We had difficulty accepting our past and the self-image produced by it.
Self-acceptance comes more quickly when we first accept that we have a disease called addiction, because it's easier to accept ourselves as sick people than as bad people. And the easier it is to accept ourselves, the easier it becomes to accept responsibility for ourselves.
We achieve self-acceptance through the process of ongoing recovery. Working the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous teaches us to accept ourselves and our lives. Spiritual principles like surrender, honesty, faith, and humility help relieve us of the burden of our past mistakes. Our attitude changes with the application of these principles in our daily lives. Self-acceptance grows as we grow in recovery.
Just for today: Self-acceptance is a process set in motion by the Twelve Steps. Today, I will trust the process, practice the steps, and learn to better accept myself.
pg. 120
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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
"The horror of that moment," the King went on, "I shall never forget." "You will, though," the Queen said, "if you don't make a memorandum of it." --Lewis Carroll
Crises come in many forms. When we are in the middle of any kind of crisis, we may feel like we have fallen into a deep hole. We may see no way out, and begin to feel hopeless and overwhelmed by the size and darkness of the hole.
Yet we are not alone. An animal caught in a hole would cry out until someone came along and helped it out. We, too, can call out for help--to our Higher Power and to the important people in our lives. We can learn to trust that, with the help of our friends and our Higher Power, we will be able to crawl out of our holes.
With trust, we will climb out of our crises and be healed with the passage of time. Such holes are a part of our landscape, yet every time we will be able to climb out and walk, leaving the darkness behind us.
What help can I ask for today?
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
I drink not from mere joy in wine nor to scoff at faith - no, only to forget myself for a moment, that only do I want of intoxication, that alone. --Omar Khayyam
What has been our drug of choice? It may be alcohol. It may be sugar or gambling or dependent relationships. Some men have used anger, sex, sports, or the accumulation of money. Growing in this program, we learn there is a great brotherhood among us. Our problems have not been only with a certain substance or a given behavior. We have been seduced and trapped by a ritual of forgetting ourselves. If we hadn't found one way, we may have found another. In giving one up, we often found ourselves drawn to a new substitute.
Now we are learning to accept ourselves and to forget ourselves in healthier ways. We all need to move beyond the bounds of an oppressive ego. In our old style, we could not learn healthy releases because we were hooked on unhealthy ones. Now we are learning meditation, making friends, helping others, and letting go as ways to forget ourselves.
I pray for help today in staying away from self-destructive intoxications so I am able to learn healthy releases.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
. . . pain is the root of knowledge. --Simone Weil
We don't want pain in our lives. We dread the situations we anticipate will be painful. We probably even pray to be spared all painful experiences. But they come anyway, at times in profusion. And we not only survive the pain, we profit from it.
It seems that pain stretches us to our limits, generally forcing us to look for guidance from others, and it pushes us to consider new choices in our present situation. Pain is our common denominator as women, as members of the human family. It softens us to one another. It fosters empathy. It helps us to reach out and realize our need for one another.
New knowledge, new awareness, are additional benefits of accepting, rather than denying, the pain that accompanies life. This journey that we're on is moving us further and further along the path of enlightenment. We can consider that each problem, each crisis, is our necessary preparation for moving another step down the road.
I learn out of necessity. And when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Negativity
Some people are carriers of negativity. They are storehouses of pent up anger and volatile emotions. Some remain trapped in the victim role and act in ways that further their victimization. And others are still caught in the cycle of addictive or compulsive patterns.
Negative energy can have a powerful pull on us, especially if were struggling to maintain positive energy and balance. It may seem that others who exude negative energy would like to pull us into the darkness with them. We do not have to go. Without judgment, we can decide its okay to walk away, okay to protect ourselves.
We cannot change other people. It does not help others for us to get off balance. We do not lead others into the Light by stepping into the darkness with them.
Today, God, help me to know that I don't have to allow myself to be pulled into negativity - even around those I love. Help me set boundaries. Help me know its okay to take care of myself.
Positive energy attracts positive energy. Today my Higher Power continues to guide my growth so that I am more and more open. I am becoming free and unblocked and am attracting all that is good and right in my life. --Ruth Fishel
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Journey To The Heart
Change Is in the Air
Just as the world around us changes and evolves, so do the circumstances and situations in our lives. We live in a universe that is alive, vibrant, and constantly evolving. Change is the way nature, the universe, and the Divine move us through each period of our lives and into destiny. We are led to our next lesson, our next adventure. There’s no need to deny change, to fear it or fight against it. Change is inevitable. Just as the earth is constant motion and transformation, so are we.
Take your place in the universal dance, the universal rhythm. Allow change to happen. Work with it as your life unfolds. Sometimes change comes in one smashing moment like a volcanic eruption. Other times it happens more alowly, the way the winds and rain sculpt bridges out of canyons.
Learn to trust your body– its signs, signals, warnings, and excited proclamations. We let the gathering clouds warn us of impending storms, and we learn to study and predict tremors in the earth. In much the same way, our body can function as a barometer for our soul and its place in the constantly changing and evolving universe.
You are open now, more sensitive than you’ve been before. Change is coming. It’s here. You can feel it in the air. You can feel it in yourself.
Thank your body for helping you. Thank the universe for what it is about to do. Then thank God because change will bring you closer to love.
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More Language Of Letting Go
Practice diplomacy
Taking care of ourselves doesn’t give us the right to be mean. Just because we’re telling the truth, we don’t need to tear people apart. Sometimes when we start to own our power after years–maybe a lifetime– of being timid and weak, we become overly aggressive trying to get our point across.
We can be honest with other people without being mean. We can be diplomatic in whatever we need to say, at least most of the time. And we usually don’t have to scream and shout.
I’ve learned a little trick along the way. The weaker and more vulnerable I feel, the more I holler and the meaner I react. The more truly powerful, clear, and centered I am, the quieter, gentle, and more loving I speak.
The next time you feel threatened or start to scream and yell, stop yourself. Take a deep breath. Deliberately speak more softly than you normally would.
You can speak softly and still carry a great big stick.
God, help me be a diplomat. Teach me how to own my power in a gentle, peaceful way.
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In God’s Care
Self-love is not opposed to the love of other people. You cannot really love yourself and do yourself a fovor without doing other people a fovor, and vice versa.
~~ Dr. Karl Menninger
Self-love is not the same thing as egotism. As recovering people we hated ourselves for so long that we were crippled by it. Learning to love ourselves again becomes a form of therapy – and appreciation for God’s creation. And the delightful thing we learn is that we don’t love ourselves without loving others, and we can’t love others without loving ourselves. How wonderful!
We can’t begin to love ourselves, however, without other people. People are essential, and so is God from whom all love flows. We are thankful for God’s love and ask God to teach us how to love others. And the more we practice doing loving acts for others, the more love we feel for ourselves.
I will practice loving myself today by loving others.
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Universal Feelings
Everything is Relative
by Madisyn Taylor
Pain is pain and yours is not greater than or less than anybody else's pain and deserves to be acknowledged as such.
Every day we hear stories of personal suffering and loss that far exceed our own. When we compare our situations to those of people living in war-torn countries or those who have lost their homes and livelihoods to natural disasters, it is tempting to minimize our own experiences of suffering. We may feel that we don’t have a right to be upset about the breakup of a relationship, for example, because at least we have food to eat and a roof over our heads.
While awareness of the pain of others in the world can be a valuable way to keep our own struggles in perspective, it is not a legitimate reason to disregard our own pain. Disparaging your feelings as being less important than other people's emotions leads to denial and repression. Over time, an unwillingness to experience your own feelings leads to numbness. It is as if our internal systems become clogged with our unexpressed emotions. This in no way helps other people who are suffering in the world. In fact, it may do just the opposite because when we devalue our own sorrow, we become impervious to the sorrow in others.
Fully experiencing our own hurt is the gateway to compassion toward other human beings. Feelings of loss, abandonment, loneliness, and fear are universal, and, in that sense, all feelings are created equal. Regardless of what leads us to feel the way we do, our comprehension of what it means to be human is deepened by our own experiences. Our personal lives provide us with the material we need to become fully conscious. If we reject our emotions because we think our experiences are not dramatic or important enough, we are missing out on our own humanity. We honor and value the human condition when we fully inhabit our bodies so we can experience and feel life fully. Accepting our emotions and allowing ourselves to feel them connects us to all human beings. Then, when we hear the stories of other people’s suffering, our hearts can resonate with understanding and compassion—for all of us. Published with permission from Daily OM
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A Day At A Time
Reflection For The Day
When I first came to The Program, I was stunned by the constant sound of laughter. I realized today that cheerfulness and merriment make for usefulness. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into laughter over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn’t e laugh? We have recovered, and have helped others to recover. What greater cause could there be for rejoicing than this? Have I begun to regain my sense of humor?
Today I Pray
May God restore my sense of humor. May I appreciate the honest laughter that is the background music of our mutual rejoicing in our sobriety. May I laugh a lot, not the defensive ego-laugh which mocks another weakness, not the wry laugh of the self-put-down, but the healthy laugh that keeps situations in perspective. May I never regard this kind of laughter as irreverent. I have learned, instead, that it is irreverent to take myself too seriously.
Today I Will Remember
A sense of humor is a sigh of health.
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One More Day
Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.
– Eric Hoffer
Our own simple words to others can brighten our day. Too often we are caught up in the personal miseries of our lives, too involved to reach out to other people. We have forgotten that other people have the same needs we do. So many times, because we are ill or old or hurting, we expect others to come to us. That’s not fair to them, and it’s not good for us.
Kind words and actions toward others can help us through the hard times. We can smile at the elderly man all alone in the grocery check-out line. We can talk to neighbors, thank the young man who courteously holds a door open, and reach out in dozens of other ways to the people who even briefly touch our lives. It’s good for them — and for us.
I will make an extra effort to reach out in kindness to my neighbors and friends.
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Food For Thought
Overcoming Sloth
Another of the seven deadly sins, which we do not talk much about anymore, is sloth. Webster defines it as laziness or indolence. It is our experience that the more we eat, the lazier we become. We procrastinate, we do not feel like undertaking anything difficult, and we avoid movement as much as possible.
Abstinence puts our bodies into high gear. With proper nourishment and without an excess amount of food to digest, we feel alert and alive. We find ourselves requiring less sleep and fewer naps. Lifetime habits of laziness do not change immediately, but if we are willing to become more energetic, our Higher Power will provide the motivation.
Sometimes the thought of a large task looming ahead of us is overwhelming, and we feel that we will never be able to manage it. Here is where the willingness to take one step at a time can make the difference. If we will begin, God will keep us going when the task is part of His plan.
Deliver us from slothfulness.
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One Day At A Time
Forgiveness
“You keep carryin’ that anger, it’ll eat you up inside.”
Don Henley
I have been carrying around so much anger in my life that it has fanned the flames of my addiction. I wouldn’t allow myself to feel the anger because I was afraid it would overwhelm me. I used food and other substances to stuff it down and the anger became rage and turned inward as depression. My compulsive eating spiraled out of control.
Many things have happened to me to justify the anger I’ve been carrying. Healthy anger indicates that someone has violated my boundaries or placed me in an untenable position. Anger that is felt and then released is a healthy emotion. But anger that is stuffed is toxic and will surely corrode my spirit and trap me even further in the cycle of addiction.
I have learned through the Twelve Steps that forgiveness is the only path to letting go of toxic anger. Forgiveness does not mean excusing others’ abusive behavior nor accepting my abusers back into my life. Forgiveness happens when I allow myself to feel and work through my anger, and then release it to my Higher Power. Forgiveness is self-love.
One Day at a Time . . .
I will feel and express my healthy anger and strive for forgiveness.
~ Suzanne
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AA 'Big Book' - Quote
I woke up. This had to be stopped. I saw I could not take so much as one drink. I was through forever. Before then, I had written lots of sweet promises, but my wife happily observed that this time I meant business. And so I did.
Shortly afterward I came home drunk. There had been no fight. Where had been my high resolve? I simply didn't know. It hadn't even come to mind. Someone had pushed a drink my way, and I had taken it. Was I crazy? I began to wonder, for such an appalling lack of perspective seemed near being just that. - Pg. 5 - Bill's Story
Hour To Hour - Book - Quote
One thing you will learn in early recovery from addiction, is that you can keep going long after you think you can't. This is because you are not alone. Even if you had no family, no friends, or no co-workers, you would not be alone--for you have us in the fellowships. We are family.
I know I am never abandoned even when I feel the most retched, even when I rant and push against this world, my family in the fellowship is waiting for me to reach out.
Looking Toward What is Good
I am a creative being. I have the power of reason, the ability to think, hope and dream. I can envision my life not only as it is, but as I might wish it to be. I can then think through the steps I might need to become more of who I wish to be. I have the power to think my way into a happy point of view, to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. My mind can be my greatest enemy or my greatest ally. It depends on how I choose to use it.
I hold a beautiful vision of life
- Tian Dayton PhD
Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote
Being lonely gets in the way of learning how to live alone. You are not alone even though you may have felt alone in a crowd in the past. The remedy for loneliness is service. Show up to a meeting 30 minutes early tonight and help set up. We promise you will not be lonely!
I never have to be alone again.
"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book
You cannot think yourself sober, read yourself sober or act yourself sober. You must live yourself sober.
Time for Joy - Book - Quote
Today I am open to all the powers of the universe. I am letting them work for me and carry me to my next step. JOY!
Alkiespeak - Book - Quote
Do I want to drink, get esophagus lesions, pee blood until I die a horrible death in a flophouse? Or do I want to go to AA, do some meetings, do some steps, live a certain way and stay sober? Ah... Can I get back to you on that? - Charlie C.
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AA Thought for the Day
April 26
Unity
For thousands of alcoholics yet to come, AA does have an answer.
But there is one condition. We must, at all costs, preserve our essential unity;
it must be made unbreakably secure.
Without permanent unity there can be little lasting recovery for anyone.
- The Language of the Heart, p. 70
Thought to Ponder . . .
There is no strength without unity.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
U S = United Spirits.
~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
Expectations
"My serenity is inversely proportional
to my expectations.
The higher my expectations of other people are,
the lower is my serenity.
I can watch my serenity level rise
when I discard my expectations.
But then my 'rights' try to move in,
and they, too, can force my serenity level down.
I have to discard my 'rights,'
as well as my expectations, by asking myself,
'How important is it, really?
How important is it compared to my serenity,
my emotional sobriety?'
And when I place more value on my serenity and sobriety
than on anything else,
I can maintain them at a higher level--
at least for the time being."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition p. 452
Thought to Consider . . .
Lower your standards and improve your program.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
GRACE
Gently Releasing All Conscious Expectations
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Popular
From When A.A. Came of Age:
At this point the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a series of pieces that ushered in a new period for Alcoholics Anonymous,
the era of mass production of sobriety.
Elrick B. Davis, a feature writer of deep understanding, was the author of a series of articles that were printed in the
middle of the Plain Dealer's editorial page, and these were accompanied every two or three days by red-hot blasts from
the editors themselves. In effect, the Plain Dealer was saying, Alcoholics Anonymous is good, and it works. Come and get it.
The newspaper's switchboard was deluged. Day and night, the calls were relayed to [early members] Clarence and
Dorothy and from them to members of their little group.
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 20
*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Every day is not a bed of roses, but it is such a relief to know that no matter what life throws my way, I never have to do
it alone. I can't wait to see what happens next."
Cincinnati, Ohio, June 2011
"Thirsty Thursday,"
AA Grapevine
~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*
"When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous, find out all
you can about him. If he does not want to stop drinking, don't
waste time trying to persuade him. You may spoil a later opportunity."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 90
"We represent no particular faith or denomination. We are dealing only
with general principles common to most denominations."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, Page 93~
As the day goes on, we can pause where situations must be met and decisions made, and renew the simple request:
‘Thy will, not mine, be done.’
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 103
Misc. AA Literature - Quote
Each Man's Vision
'Beyond a Higher Power, as each of us may vision Him, A.A. must never, as a society, enter the field of dogma or
theology. We can never become a religion in that sense, lest we kill usefulness by getting bogged down in theological contention.'
'The really amazing fact about A.A. is that all religions see in our program a resemblance to themselves. For example,
Catholic theologians declare our Twelve Steps to be in exact accord with their Ignatian Exercises for Retreat, and
though our book reeks of sin, sickness, and death, the Christian Science Monitor has often praised it editorially.
'Now, looking through Quaker eyes, you, too, see us favorably. What happy circumstances, these.'
1. LETTER, 1954
2. LETTER, 1950
Prayer For The Day: God our Father, with the gifts you have given to us we have responsibilities and duties. Lead us to
do our best and act responsibly. Give us courage when we face difficulties. Inspire us to make our choices wisely,
always remembering that there are consequences to what we choose to do. Amen.
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.
April 26
Daily Reflections
HAPPINESS IS NOT THE POINT
I don't think happiness or unhappiness is the point. How
do we meet the problems we face? How do we best learn from
them and transmit what we have learned to others, if they
would receive the knowledge?
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 306
In my search "to be happy," I changed jobs, married and
divorced, took geographical cures, and ran myself into
debt--financially, emotionally and spiritually. In A.A.,
I'm learning to grow up. Instead of demanding that people,
places and things make me happy, I can ask God for
self-acceptance. When a problem overwhelms me, A.A.'s
Twelve Steps will help me grow through the pain. The
knowledge I gain can be a gift to others who suffer with
the same problem. As Bill said, "When pain comes, we are
expected to learn from it willingly, and help others to
learn. When happiness comes, we accept it as a gift, and
thank God for it."
(As Bill Sees It, p. 306)
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Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
The A.A. program is one of submission, release, and action.
When we're drinking, we're submitting to a power greater than
ourselves, liquor. Our own wills are no use against the power
of liquor. One drink and we're sunk. In A.A. we stop submitting
to the power of liquor. Instead, we submit to a Power, also
greater than ourselves, which we call God. Have I submitted
myself to that Higher Power?
Meditation For The Day
Ceaseless activity is not God's plan for your life. Times of
withdrawal for renewed strength are always necessary. Wait for
the faintest tremor of fear and stop all work, everything, and
rest before God until you are strong again. Deal in the same way
with all tired feelings. Then you need rest of body and renewal
of spirit force. Saint Paul said: "I can do all things through
Him who strengthens me." This does not mean that you are to do
all things and then rely on God to find strength. it means that
you are to do the things you believe God wants you to do and only
then can you rely on His supply of power.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that God's spirit may be my master always. I pray that
I may learn how to rest and listen, as well as how to work.
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As Bill Sees It
The Sense of Belonging, p. 117
Perhaps one of the greatest rewards of meditation and prayer is the
sense of belonging that comes to us. We no longer live in a completely
hostile world. We are no longer lost and frightened and purposeless.
The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we
begin to see truth, justice, and love as the real and eternal things in life,
we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the
contrary that surrounds us in purely human affairs. We know that God
lovingly watches over us. We know that when we turn to Him, all will
be well with us, here and hereafter.
12 & 12, p. 105
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Walk in Dry Places
Never withholding ourselves.
Living Sober.
We may have let ourselves believe that we're supposed to display an attitude that expresses our opinions of others. If a person is crude and boorish, we should be cool and defensive for our self-protection. If a person is warm and friendly, we should respond in warm and friendly ways.
If we have believed these things, then we're actually letting others control our attitudes and behavior. We are letting personalities interfere with the high principles we are learning in AA. We are not living at the best possible level.
In reality, we should always display an attitude that reflects kindness, optimism, friendliness, and concern. There other person's disposition, whether it's sour or sweet, should have nothing to do with our being what we want to be. We should never withhold the fine inner qualities that develop and grow as we continue to live the program.
In time, we begin to learn that this attitude always comes back to us in the form of greater peace and happiness. And what's great about iti s that it's always under our direct control.
As I go about my business today, I will express a kindliness and concern toward everybody. Nobody's behavior can make me adopt a suspicious or defensive attitude.
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Keep It Simple
Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.---Maurice Setter
Silver shines as bright as gold does. So often we forget this. So often we push, push, push. We forget to live for the moment. Trying too hard can be a defect of character. It can be a way we avoid life. Gratitude, being thankful, is key part of recovery. Not just gratitude for getting our self-respect back. Not just gratitude for having a Higher Power. But gratitude for the moment. We're alive again. Let's see each moment as a time to explore life..
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thanks for helping me to enjoy each moment. I have gratitude for being alive.
Action for the Day: I'll list ten gifts of recovery for which I have gratitude.
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Each Day a New Beginning
. . . pain is the root of knowledge. --Simone Weil
We don't want pain in our lives. We dread the situations we anticipate will be painful. We probably even pray to be spared all painful experiences. But they come anyway, at times in profusion. And we not only survive the pain, we profit from it.
It seems that pain stretches us to our limits, generally forcing us to look for guidance from others, and it pushes us to consider new choices in our present situation. Pain is our common denominator as women, as members of the human family. It softens us to one another. It fosters empathy. It helps us to reach out and realize our need for one another.
New knowledge, new awareness, are additional benefits of accepting, rather than denying, the pain that accompanies life. This journey that we're on is moving us further and further along the path of enlightenment. We can consider that each problem, each crisis, is our necessary preparation for moving another step down the road.
I learn out of necessity. And when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
Foreword to First Edition
This is the Foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939
We are not an organization in the conventional sense of the word. There are no fees or dues whatsoever. The only requirement for membership is an honest desire to stop drinking. We are not allied with any particular faith, sect or denomination, nor do we oppose anyone. We simply wish to be helpful to those who are afflicted.
pp. xiii-xiv
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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories
EMPTY ON THE INSIDE - She grew up around A.A. and had all the answers--except when it came to her own life.
I still have a sponsor and a home group today. I am a member of Alcoholics Anonymous in good standing. I learned how to be a good A.A. member by watching good A.A. members and doing what they do. I learned how to have a good marriage by watching people with good marriages and doing what they do. I learned how to be a parent by watching good parents and doing what they do. And I finally have the freedom of believing that it is all right not to know.
p. 521
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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Twelve - "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."
Nearly every sound human being experiences, at some time in life, a compelling desire to find a mate of the opposite sex with whom the fullest possible union can be made --spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical. This mighty urge is the root of great human accomplishments, a creative energy that deeply influences our lives. God fashioned us that way. So our question will be this: How, by ignorance, compulsion, and self-will, do we misuse this gift for our own destruction? We A.A. cannot pretend to offer full answers to age-old perplexities, but our own experience does provide certain answers that work for us.
p. 117
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Children are our most valuable natural resource.
--Herbert Hoover
"Forgiving those who hurt us is the key to personal peace."
--G. Weatherly
"Being happy does not mean everything's perfect, It means I've decided to see beyond the imperfections."
--Unknown
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone
can start from now and make a brand new ending."
--Carl Bard
Spending time with God changes the rhythm of our life.
--Cheryle L. Cooper
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Father Leo's Daily Meditation
ANSWERS
"If the work of God could be
comprehended by reason, it would
be no longer wonderful, and faith
would have no merit if reason
provided proof."
--Pope Gregory I
Some things happen that I do not understand or comprehend, but I
have faith that they will happen tomorrow: sunsets, night following
day, the song of the bird, the colors of nature, and the joy and
adventure of being alive. Perhaps the biggest mystery for mankind to
grapple with is love - a man will suffer, endure persecution, even be
put to death for that which he loves; the pain and sorrow of love is
mingled into what it is to be a human being.
Reason does not have the answer to life. Faith is the medication for
our existence. We have a belief in tomorrow because of what we have
experienced today. If I can say "no" to alcohol today then I can do it
tomorrow - if I really want to.
Lord, let me not seek for proof but daily seek to grapple with the
problems of life.
************************************************** *********
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
James 4:10
"Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed;
blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
John 20:29
"Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Colossians 3:17
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Daily Inspiration
There are truly no bad days, just different kinds of days. Lord, thank You for today and for Your help through every situation.
Use your difficult times to learn more about God's love and blessings. Lord, may I see Your hand working in every moment of my life and realize that, even in my darkest hour, things are far better than they could be because You are blessing me with what I need to make it through.
************************************************** *********
NA Just For Today
Self-Acceptance
"The most effective means of achieving self-acceptance is through applying the Twelve Steps of recovery."
IP No. 19, "Self-Acceptance"
Most of us came to Narcotics Anonymous without much self-acceptance. We looked at the havoc we had wreaked in our active addiction, and we loathed ourselves. We had difficulty accepting our past and the self-image produced by it.
Self-acceptance comes more quickly when we first accept that we have a disease called addiction, because it's easier to accept ourselves as sick people than as bad people. And the easier it is to accept ourselves, the easier it becomes to accept responsibility for ourselves.
We achieve self-acceptance through the process of ongoing recovery. Working the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous teaches us to accept ourselves and our lives. Spiritual principles like surrender, honesty, faith, and humility help relieve us of the burden of our past mistakes. Our attitude changes with the application of these principles in our daily lives. Self-acceptance grows as we grow in recovery.
Just for today: Self-acceptance is a process set in motion by the Twelve Steps. Today, I will trust the process, practice the steps, and learn to better accept myself.
pg. 120
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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
"The horror of that moment," the King went on, "I shall never forget." "You will, though," the Queen said, "if you don't make a memorandum of it." --Lewis Carroll
Crises come in many forms. When we are in the middle of any kind of crisis, we may feel like we have fallen into a deep hole. We may see no way out, and begin to feel hopeless and overwhelmed by the size and darkness of the hole.
Yet we are not alone. An animal caught in a hole would cry out until someone came along and helped it out. We, too, can call out for help--to our Higher Power and to the important people in our lives. We can learn to trust that, with the help of our friends and our Higher Power, we will be able to crawl out of our holes.
With trust, we will climb out of our crises and be healed with the passage of time. Such holes are a part of our landscape, yet every time we will be able to climb out and walk, leaving the darkness behind us.
What help can I ask for today?
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
I drink not from mere joy in wine nor to scoff at faith - no, only to forget myself for a moment, that only do I want of intoxication, that alone. --Omar Khayyam
What has been our drug of choice? It may be alcohol. It may be sugar or gambling or dependent relationships. Some men have used anger, sex, sports, or the accumulation of money. Growing in this program, we learn there is a great brotherhood among us. Our problems have not been only with a certain substance or a given behavior. We have been seduced and trapped by a ritual of forgetting ourselves. If we hadn't found one way, we may have found another. In giving one up, we often found ourselves drawn to a new substitute.
Now we are learning to accept ourselves and to forget ourselves in healthier ways. We all need to move beyond the bounds of an oppressive ego. In our old style, we could not learn healthy releases because we were hooked on unhealthy ones. Now we are learning meditation, making friends, helping others, and letting go as ways to forget ourselves.
I pray for help today in staying away from self-destructive intoxications so I am able to learn healthy releases.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
. . . pain is the root of knowledge. --Simone Weil
We don't want pain in our lives. We dread the situations we anticipate will be painful. We probably even pray to be spared all painful experiences. But they come anyway, at times in profusion. And we not only survive the pain, we profit from it.
It seems that pain stretches us to our limits, generally forcing us to look for guidance from others, and it pushes us to consider new choices in our present situation. Pain is our common denominator as women, as members of the human family. It softens us to one another. It fosters empathy. It helps us to reach out and realize our need for one another.
New knowledge, new awareness, are additional benefits of accepting, rather than denying, the pain that accompanies life. This journey that we're on is moving us further and further along the path of enlightenment. We can consider that each problem, each crisis, is our necessary preparation for moving another step down the road.
I learn out of necessity. And when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Negativity
Some people are carriers of negativity. They are storehouses of pent up anger and volatile emotions. Some remain trapped in the victim role and act in ways that further their victimization. And others are still caught in the cycle of addictive or compulsive patterns.
Negative energy can have a powerful pull on us, especially if were struggling to maintain positive energy and balance. It may seem that others who exude negative energy would like to pull us into the darkness with them. We do not have to go. Without judgment, we can decide its okay to walk away, okay to protect ourselves.
We cannot change other people. It does not help others for us to get off balance. We do not lead others into the Light by stepping into the darkness with them.
Today, God, help me to know that I don't have to allow myself to be pulled into negativity - even around those I love. Help me set boundaries. Help me know its okay to take care of myself.
Positive energy attracts positive energy. Today my Higher Power continues to guide my growth so that I am more and more open. I am becoming free and unblocked and am attracting all that is good and right in my life. --Ruth Fishel
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Journey To The Heart
Change Is in the Air
Just as the world around us changes and evolves, so do the circumstances and situations in our lives. We live in a universe that is alive, vibrant, and constantly evolving. Change is the way nature, the universe, and the Divine move us through each period of our lives and into destiny. We are led to our next lesson, our next adventure. There’s no need to deny change, to fear it or fight against it. Change is inevitable. Just as the earth is constant motion and transformation, so are we.
Take your place in the universal dance, the universal rhythm. Allow change to happen. Work with it as your life unfolds. Sometimes change comes in one smashing moment like a volcanic eruption. Other times it happens more alowly, the way the winds and rain sculpt bridges out of canyons.
Learn to trust your body– its signs, signals, warnings, and excited proclamations. We let the gathering clouds warn us of impending storms, and we learn to study and predict tremors in the earth. In much the same way, our body can function as a barometer for our soul and its place in the constantly changing and evolving universe.
You are open now, more sensitive than you’ve been before. Change is coming. It’s here. You can feel it in the air. You can feel it in yourself.
Thank your body for helping you. Thank the universe for what it is about to do. Then thank God because change will bring you closer to love.
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More Language Of Letting Go
Practice diplomacy
Taking care of ourselves doesn’t give us the right to be mean. Just because we’re telling the truth, we don’t need to tear people apart. Sometimes when we start to own our power after years–maybe a lifetime– of being timid and weak, we become overly aggressive trying to get our point across.
We can be honest with other people without being mean. We can be diplomatic in whatever we need to say, at least most of the time. And we usually don’t have to scream and shout.
I’ve learned a little trick along the way. The weaker and more vulnerable I feel, the more I holler and the meaner I react. The more truly powerful, clear, and centered I am, the quieter, gentle, and more loving I speak.
The next time you feel threatened or start to scream and yell, stop yourself. Take a deep breath. Deliberately speak more softly than you normally would.
You can speak softly and still carry a great big stick.
God, help me be a diplomat. Teach me how to own my power in a gentle, peaceful way.
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In God’s Care
Self-love is not opposed to the love of other people. You cannot really love yourself and do yourself a fovor without doing other people a fovor, and vice versa.
~~ Dr. Karl Menninger
Self-love is not the same thing as egotism. As recovering people we hated ourselves for so long that we were crippled by it. Learning to love ourselves again becomes a form of therapy – and appreciation for God’s creation. And the delightful thing we learn is that we don’t love ourselves without loving others, and we can’t love others without loving ourselves. How wonderful!
We can’t begin to love ourselves, however, without other people. People are essential, and so is God from whom all love flows. We are thankful for God’s love and ask God to teach us how to love others. And the more we practice doing loving acts for others, the more love we feel for ourselves.
I will practice loving myself today by loving others.
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Universal Feelings
Everything is Relative
by Madisyn Taylor
Pain is pain and yours is not greater than or less than anybody else's pain and deserves to be acknowledged as such.
Every day we hear stories of personal suffering and loss that far exceed our own. When we compare our situations to those of people living in war-torn countries or those who have lost their homes and livelihoods to natural disasters, it is tempting to minimize our own experiences of suffering. We may feel that we don’t have a right to be upset about the breakup of a relationship, for example, because at least we have food to eat and a roof over our heads.
While awareness of the pain of others in the world can be a valuable way to keep our own struggles in perspective, it is not a legitimate reason to disregard our own pain. Disparaging your feelings as being less important than other people's emotions leads to denial and repression. Over time, an unwillingness to experience your own feelings leads to numbness. It is as if our internal systems become clogged with our unexpressed emotions. This in no way helps other people who are suffering in the world. In fact, it may do just the opposite because when we devalue our own sorrow, we become impervious to the sorrow in others.
Fully experiencing our own hurt is the gateway to compassion toward other human beings. Feelings of loss, abandonment, loneliness, and fear are universal, and, in that sense, all feelings are created equal. Regardless of what leads us to feel the way we do, our comprehension of what it means to be human is deepened by our own experiences. Our personal lives provide us with the material we need to become fully conscious. If we reject our emotions because we think our experiences are not dramatic or important enough, we are missing out on our own humanity. We honor and value the human condition when we fully inhabit our bodies so we can experience and feel life fully. Accepting our emotions and allowing ourselves to feel them connects us to all human beings. Then, when we hear the stories of other people’s suffering, our hearts can resonate with understanding and compassion—for all of us. Published with permission from Daily OM
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A Day At A Time
Reflection For The Day
When I first came to The Program, I was stunned by the constant sound of laughter. I realized today that cheerfulness and merriment make for usefulness. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into laughter over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn’t e laugh? We have recovered, and have helped others to recover. What greater cause could there be for rejoicing than this? Have I begun to regain my sense of humor?
Today I Pray
May God restore my sense of humor. May I appreciate the honest laughter that is the background music of our mutual rejoicing in our sobriety. May I laugh a lot, not the defensive ego-laugh which mocks another weakness, not the wry laugh of the self-put-down, but the healthy laugh that keeps situations in perspective. May I never regard this kind of laughter as irreverent. I have learned, instead, that it is irreverent to take myself too seriously.
Today I Will Remember
A sense of humor is a sigh of health.
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One More Day
Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.
– Eric Hoffer
Our own simple words to others can brighten our day. Too often we are caught up in the personal miseries of our lives, too involved to reach out to other people. We have forgotten that other people have the same needs we do. So many times, because we are ill or old or hurting, we expect others to come to us. That’s not fair to them, and it’s not good for us.
Kind words and actions toward others can help us through the hard times. We can smile at the elderly man all alone in the grocery check-out line. We can talk to neighbors, thank the young man who courteously holds a door open, and reach out in dozens of other ways to the people who even briefly touch our lives. It’s good for them — and for us.
I will make an extra effort to reach out in kindness to my neighbors and friends.
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Food For Thought
Overcoming Sloth
Another of the seven deadly sins, which we do not talk much about anymore, is sloth. Webster defines it as laziness or indolence. It is our experience that the more we eat, the lazier we become. We procrastinate, we do not feel like undertaking anything difficult, and we avoid movement as much as possible.
Abstinence puts our bodies into high gear. With proper nourishment and without an excess amount of food to digest, we feel alert and alive. We find ourselves requiring less sleep and fewer naps. Lifetime habits of laziness do not change immediately, but if we are willing to become more energetic, our Higher Power will provide the motivation.
Sometimes the thought of a large task looming ahead of us is overwhelming, and we feel that we will never be able to manage it. Here is where the willingness to take one step at a time can make the difference. If we will begin, God will keep us going when the task is part of His plan.
Deliver us from slothfulness.
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One Day At A Time
Forgiveness
“You keep carryin’ that anger, it’ll eat you up inside.”
Don Henley
I have been carrying around so much anger in my life that it has fanned the flames of my addiction. I wouldn’t allow myself to feel the anger because I was afraid it would overwhelm me. I used food and other substances to stuff it down and the anger became rage and turned inward as depression. My compulsive eating spiraled out of control.
Many things have happened to me to justify the anger I’ve been carrying. Healthy anger indicates that someone has violated my boundaries or placed me in an untenable position. Anger that is felt and then released is a healthy emotion. But anger that is stuffed is toxic and will surely corrode my spirit and trap me even further in the cycle of addiction.
I have learned through the Twelve Steps that forgiveness is the only path to letting go of toxic anger. Forgiveness does not mean excusing others’ abusive behavior nor accepting my abusers back into my life. Forgiveness happens when I allow myself to feel and work through my anger, and then release it to my Higher Power. Forgiveness is self-love.
One Day at a Time . . .
I will feel and express my healthy anger and strive for forgiveness.
~ Suzanne
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AA 'Big Book' - Quote
I woke up. This had to be stopped. I saw I could not take so much as one drink. I was through forever. Before then, I had written lots of sweet promises, but my wife happily observed that this time I meant business. And so I did.
Shortly afterward I came home drunk. There had been no fight. Where had been my high resolve? I simply didn't know. It hadn't even come to mind. Someone had pushed a drink my way, and I had taken it. Was I crazy? I began to wonder, for such an appalling lack of perspective seemed near being just that. - Pg. 5 - Bill's Story
Hour To Hour - Book - Quote
One thing you will learn in early recovery from addiction, is that you can keep going long after you think you can't. This is because you are not alone. Even if you had no family, no friends, or no co-workers, you would not be alone--for you have us in the fellowships. We are family.
I know I am never abandoned even when I feel the most retched, even when I rant and push against this world, my family in the fellowship is waiting for me to reach out.
Looking Toward What is Good
I am a creative being. I have the power of reason, the ability to think, hope and dream. I can envision my life not only as it is, but as I might wish it to be. I can then think through the steps I might need to become more of who I wish to be. I have the power to think my way into a happy point of view, to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. My mind can be my greatest enemy or my greatest ally. It depends on how I choose to use it.
I hold a beautiful vision of life
- Tian Dayton PhD
Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote
Being lonely gets in the way of learning how to live alone. You are not alone even though you may have felt alone in a crowd in the past. The remedy for loneliness is service. Show up to a meeting 30 minutes early tonight and help set up. We promise you will not be lonely!
I never have to be alone again.
"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book
You cannot think yourself sober, read yourself sober or act yourself sober. You must live yourself sober.
Time for Joy - Book - Quote
Today I am open to all the powers of the universe. I am letting them work for me and carry me to my next step. JOY!
Alkiespeak - Book - Quote
Do I want to drink, get esophagus lesions, pee blood until I die a horrible death in a flophouse? Or do I want to go to AA, do some meetings, do some steps, live a certain way and stay sober? Ah... Can I get back to you on that? - Charlie C.
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AA Thought for the Day
April 26
Unity
For thousands of alcoholics yet to come, AA does have an answer.
But there is one condition. We must, at all costs, preserve our essential unity;
it must be made unbreakably secure.
Without permanent unity there can be little lasting recovery for anyone.
- The Language of the Heart, p. 70
Thought to Ponder . . .
There is no strength without unity.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
U S = United Spirits.
~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
Expectations
"My serenity is inversely proportional
to my expectations.
The higher my expectations of other people are,
the lower is my serenity.
I can watch my serenity level rise
when I discard my expectations.
But then my 'rights' try to move in,
and they, too, can force my serenity level down.
I have to discard my 'rights,'
as well as my expectations, by asking myself,
'How important is it, really?
How important is it compared to my serenity,
my emotional sobriety?'
And when I place more value on my serenity and sobriety
than on anything else,
I can maintain them at a higher level--
at least for the time being."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition p. 452
Thought to Consider . . .
Lower your standards and improve your program.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
GRACE
Gently Releasing All Conscious Expectations
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Popular
From When A.A. Came of Age:
At this point the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a series of pieces that ushered in a new period for Alcoholics Anonymous,
the era of mass production of sobriety.
Elrick B. Davis, a feature writer of deep understanding, was the author of a series of articles that were printed in the
middle of the Plain Dealer's editorial page, and these were accompanied every two or three days by red-hot blasts from
the editors themselves. In effect, the Plain Dealer was saying, Alcoholics Anonymous is good, and it works. Come and get it.
The newspaper's switchboard was deluged. Day and night, the calls were relayed to [early members] Clarence and
Dorothy and from them to members of their little group.
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 20
*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Every day is not a bed of roses, but it is such a relief to know that no matter what life throws my way, I never have to do
it alone. I can't wait to see what happens next."
Cincinnati, Ohio, June 2011
"Thirsty Thursday,"
AA Grapevine
~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*
"When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous, find out all
you can about him. If he does not want to stop drinking, don't
waste time trying to persuade him. You may spoil a later opportunity."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 90
"We represent no particular faith or denomination. We are dealing only
with general principles common to most denominations."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, Page 93~
As the day goes on, we can pause where situations must be met and decisions made, and renew the simple request:
‘Thy will, not mine, be done.’
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 103
Misc. AA Literature - Quote
Each Man's Vision
'Beyond a Higher Power, as each of us may vision Him, A.A. must never, as a society, enter the field of dogma or
theology. We can never become a religion in that sense, lest we kill usefulness by getting bogged down in theological contention.'
'The really amazing fact about A.A. is that all religions see in our program a resemblance to themselves. For example,
Catholic theologians declare our Twelve Steps to be in exact accord with their Ignatian Exercises for Retreat, and
though our book reeks of sin, sickness, and death, the Christian Science Monitor has often praised it editorially.
'Now, looking through Quaker eyes, you, too, see us favorably. What happy circumstances, these.'
1. LETTER, 1954
2. LETTER, 1950
Prayer For The Day: God our Father, with the gifts you have given to us we have responsibilities and duties. Lead us to
do our best and act responsibly. Give us courage when we face difficulties. Inspire us to make our choices wisely,
always remembering that there are consequences to what we choose to do. Amen.
Ask and you shall receive,
Seek and ye shall find,
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7