TODAY'S GIFT FOR NOVEMBER 2014

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, November 1, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Oh, this is the creature that doesn't exist . . . . In fact, it never was. But since they loved it, a pure beast came to be.
—Rainer Maria Rilke

The unicorn, serene and white, is a strong and graceful animal with the body of a horse. A single white horn grows from its brow, making it unique among all animals. It is gentle, shy, and good, and though stories have been told about it for centuries, many people say it never existed. We call it a myth, yet in telling its story, we make it real.

Friendship is like the unicorn: created from faith. Before we speak, reach out, believe in the possibility of relations with another, friendship does not exist. But when we share a meal, a joke, or a walk - a piece of ourselves - we open up to two friends . . . one in the other person, the other within ourselves.

How does sharing myself with another create a friend within me?

The the thought that came to mind was "...the sum of the parts, two parts become a whole." Not sure where or how, I just know I found a little of me, my sharing with others in the rooms of recovery, by learning to identify.

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, November 2, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

For no actual process happens twice; only we meet the same sort of occasion again.
—Suzanne K. Langer

Today is not going to be like yesterday. Nor will it resemble tomorrow. Each day is special and promises us many new ideas - perhaps the chance to make a friend, or to learn something interesting from a teacher or a book. Some activities today will be familiar, just like playing a game for the second, third, or tenth time is familiar. And yet, the way each player moves the pieces around the board will be different. The excitement about today is that it is full of surprises. Every thing we do, every conversation we have, will not be repeated in just the same way again, and this reminds us how special each of us is.

What new discovery will I make today?

Not always new, but for me, "It is generally my stuff not theirs"!

[MajestyJo]

Monday, November 3, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Here's Sulky Sue
What shall we do?
Turn her face to the wall . . . .
—Mother Goose

When she put her Sulky Sue up against the wall, was this mother a wise or silly goose? If Sue was confused, could she talk sense with a wall? If she was angry, would the wall ever know why? If she was sad, would the wall wipe her tears away? If she was lonely, would the wall take her by the hand? Some walls are built for support, others to keep people away. To sulk is to look for support, someone strong to hold us up, not a silly goose who will turn us away.

Sulking is not the best way to look for help, and when we sulk, we are likely to end up isolating ourselves in some corner of our own making. And on the other hand, when we see another sulking, how much better it is to offer support instead of isolation!

Do I build walls of isolation, or walls of support?

Love the picture that sulking brings to mind. There was a lady in NA who use to say, "I don't do 'hissy fits' any more. So often we are a prisoner of our own mind, either by our own thoughts of 'being so hard done by' or 'people are out to get us' or 'they just don't understand' or 'if they knew what I had gone through' and the list goes on and on, not recognizing, that we isolate ourselves instead of supporting others because for the most part, been there, done it wore the t-shirt, in one form or another. We experienced our own trauma. We are not the only ones who suffered trauma. We all have to heal and deal with our own trauma, each in our own way and allow ourselves to heal. When we isolate, we block that healing power from coming in and changing us. It prevents us from letting go of the past, allowing the scars to heal, and making a new life for ourselves.

[MajestyJo]

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.
—Sigmund Freud

The truth is our friend. It is a rough and humble kind of friend - but a friend nonetheless. Each of us will need to learn to spend time with this friend because it is one that is not easy to escape. It is always turning up when we least expect it. The truth about ourselves is hard to avoid. It seems to knock at our door until we let it in.

Perhaps we have played the game of hide and seek sometime in our lives. Sometimes we tell little lies about ourselves to impress others, or we act in ways that, deep down, we know are not really the way we want to be. We can never be comfortable this way. We know what it is like to hide and try to keep from being found. The truth about us is an expert player. It seeks us out until we put our arms around it and welcome it.

Is there something I am hiding from today?

Always had a fear of growing old. Told myself I was going kicking and fighting all the way and yet in today, I seldom wear make up and beauty creams and use very basic Dove soap and water and put creams on when I remember to. I have been reaching for the creams a little more often lately. Part of it is also the loss of memory, not liking the fact that I keep forgetting, and asking myself, "What if I hadn't forgot?" ;)

[MajestyJo]

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Nature, the Gentlest Mother, is
Impatient of no Child . . . .
—Emily Dickinson

When a girl sits on the seashore, the waves do not try to slap her around. When a boy wanders alone in a field, the sky does not accuse him of talking back. When a man is alone in the woods, does the earth nag him for failing once more? And when a woman is alone in the park, does the wind whisper behind her back? Nature never blames or condemns: she gives us freedom of thought and plenty of space. Nature's ways are proven and true; she lets us grow at our own rate. Nature brings us sleep, dawn, new days; she is full of new life.

We are a part of nature, and everything we do is part of it. We can find comfort in this knowledge, if we take the time to remember it when we are feeling bad. Nature is always willing to share its serenity.

When we escape to nature, what feelings do we have that we want to take back home with us?

When I am out in nature, it reinforces the power of the Creator. It makes me aware of how each living thing gets just what it needs to grow and survive unless man interferes. When you just sit and soak up the energy around you, you come home with many gifts if you are open to receive them.

[MajestyJo]

Thursday, November 6, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Work is love made visible.
—Kahlil Gibran

Family members show love and concern for others through their work. Parents might build a bookcase or prepare the meals. Children might help by emptying the wastebaskets. All are showing love through what they do. In our lives together, our work is an important way of saying I love you. We will still want to give them lots of hugs and kisses. But our work shows how much we care, and who is important to us. Our work around the house is an investment. It makes a home for all of us, constructed of visible love.

How can I make our home a better one today?

Secure you home by making it a safe place show your love. What the home contains means nothing if love can't be expressed within the four walls.

[MajestyJo]

Friday, November 7, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.
—Henry David Thoreau

One of the greatest gifts of our lives is the ability to enjoy solitude. Many of us are unable to enjoy this gift. We are too busy - busy with work, with friends, with entertainment.

When we slow down, we find out we can feel peaceful when we are alone. For most of us, solitude is ordinary - we each find our private place and take up our favorite activities: fishing, sewing, writing, building models, and making pictures. These simple activities are so much fun it's hard to figure out why it took us so long to calm down and enjoy them.

Our dreams may be quite ordinary. We can learn how to find them.

What ordinary activities have I been putting off because I think I'm too busy?

Just got caught up, cleaned out my closets! :) Not just my apartment, but some recovery material too.

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, November 8, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

All acts performed in the world begin in the imagination.
—Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

We use our imaginations to plan how we're going to build a model car or plane, rearrange the furniture in our rooms, even dress for a special party. The imagination is like a big piece of drawing paper on which we sketch the way we want something to look.

When we don't know just how to begin a task, the imagination gets us started. It's like having the directions for playing a new game. Dreams about the future, where we want to go, the jobs we want to have, are made more real when we "draw" them in our minds. The imagination gives us courage, too.

Do I have the courage today to imagine a better me?

Sometimes I think my imagination works overtime, and I have to bring it back to reality and make sure I am grounded. ;) Some days when the pain is bad, it is hard to envision a good day and yet it is good in today to see people and receive a smile and a compliment for all the hard work and effort for that has gone into the past months of trying to heal and feel better. A big part was coming off the medication the doctor gave me, making healthy food choices, and getting some exercise when I can.

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, November 9, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Love is something if you give away, you end up having more.
—Malvina Reynolds

The other side of giving is taking. Many of us were brought up to believe that it's not okay to take, so we diminish admiration that people give us. "Oh, this old rag, I got it at a garage sale for next to nothing." This response to a compliment can take away the joy of giving it from the person who admired the way we looked.

Giving needs taking to complete it. We can keep the cycle of generosity going by taking gracefully. A world without those who take would be unbalanced. When someone gives us love, appreciation, or a gift, we can show our real pleasure with a simple thank you, and stop thinking we don't deserve it.

Can I accept what's given to me today in the spirit it's offered?

Yes, that is one of the gifts of recovery. It is nice to be able to be able to say, "Thank you" without having you discounting it or myself, justifying, excusing, or put a long tale of woe or explanation behind it, although I still find myself doing it at times.

I gift graciously given, should be graciously received. It was hard for me to do so.

[MajestyJo]

Monday, November 10, 2014
You are reading from the book Today's Gift
He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery!
—Anne Frank

Someone once said happiness is like a butterfly: if we chase it, we'll never find it. But if we sit quietly, it will come and land on us. Faith and courage are the same. All we have to do is sit quietly and ask for these gifts from God. In time, and with patience, they will be ours, and so will the happiness we can then pass on to others.

Anne Frank wrote the above words facing a concentration camp and certain death. If she could find happiness and faith and courage within herself under those circumstances, then certainly we can too. These gifts are ours, already within us, if we but look for them.

What can I ask for today?

For me, I am asking for the right words when I talk to my doctor today. Last night I asked for clarity of thought and the knowing I needed for what I needed, to live in the moment each day.

[MajestyJo]

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

We shall not cease from exploration,
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive from where we started
And know the place for the first time.
—T. S. Eliot

We spend much of our lives looking forward to milestones we hope will mark our passage into wisdom - that time and place when once and for all we will know all there is to know.

When I am 13, I'll be grown up, we say. When I am 16, 18, 21, drive a car, graduate, marry, write a book, own a house, find a job, or retire; then I'll be grown up.

When we seek complete transformation, mere insight is disappointing. We find we don't know all there is to know - not at thirteen or 35 or 80. We are still growing up.

The baby, the child, the younger person each of us was yesterday is still with us; we continue to love, hate, hurt, grieve, startle, delight, feel.

There is no magic moment of lasting enlightenment; simply a series of fleeting moments lived one at a time each day. They bring us home to who we've always been.

What small thing have I learned today?

Things will either happen or they won't! If they are meant to be, they will be. If I try to make them happen, they often have a distorted sense of being or they seem to be missing a key component. i.e. Like trying to sleep, I have tried to go to bed three times and so far it hasn't happened. So what did I do? I got up and posted. Hopefully, now I will be able to sleep.

:42:

[MajestyJo]

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

No life is so hard that you can't make it easier by the way you take it.
—Ellen Glasgow

Jimmy and Karen were out catching insects for their science class. Jimmy had caught a gray moth and Karen a monarch butterfly.

"My moth sure isn't very pretty," Jimmy said as he looked at the two insects. "Now I'll have to catch something else."

"Oh, but it is," said Karen. "See what a fat body your moth has compared to my butterfly, and it's got fuzzies on its wings."

"You're right," said Jimmy, beginning to smile at his moth. "I was almost going to let him go."

How many times in the past have we taken just a quick look at something before rejecting it? Often, simply because a thing isn't quite what we expected, we don't give ourselves a chance to discover what it is that makes that thing beautiful. There is a secret beauty in everything, even ourselves. When we take the time to seek it out in other people and things, especially those that have disappointed us, that beauty is reflected in us, too.

Can I find the beauty in something common today?

A lesson learned in recovery, there is something good in everything and everyone if we but look for it. I firmly believe that everything is not all positive or all negative. I feel it isn't fair to discount something or someone, without giving them a chance. Someone did that for me. That is why we have Steps 4-9.

[MajestyJo]

Thursday, November 13, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he could never be found out.
—Thomas Macaulay

Remember the tale about the poor, tired shoemaker who cut out his last bit of leather and awoke to find a beautiful pair of shoes sewn for him? Night after night two little elves secretly worked from midnight to dawn sewing shoes to help the old craftsman. Helping the shoemaker without his knowing who they were made the elves very happy, and they danced and sang as they worked away. These elves knew their reward was in the doing of the good deed, not in the discovery of them doing it.

What secret gift of kindness can I give today?

The list is long:

A smile

A door opened

A compliment

A greeting

A prayer

A gift (small, medium, or large)

A blessing

A meal

A flower

A hope stone

A stuffed animal

A book

and so much more.

[MajestyJo]

Friday, November 14, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.
—Joseph Fort Newton

Communication is much more than words. Words are merely fingers pointing the direction to understanding - they are not understanding itself. To really communicate with someone, we have to allow ourselves, just for a moment, to become that other person. When we do this, we begin to be able to see beyond the masks that hide what another person is really feeling.

When we take the time to really see others, we may discover they are frightened, timid people longing for understanding. When we get beyond reacting to their outward behavior and move toward viewing their inner selves, it is much easier to extend a hand of friendship, to say we care, and truly mean it.

Who can I see as they really are today?

This is true for most people, if we place ourselves in their shoes and recognize the fact that many are wearing masks and they too have been where we have been or they need a hand to get to where we are at.

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, November 15, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Growing is like running a twenty-six mile marathon. If we give up on the twenty-fourth mile, we will never know what it feels like to finish the race.
—Anonymous

There will be times in our growth when we will want to give up. Our pain seems to have no end to it. In a sense, we are like the runner of a marathon on her twenty-fourth mile. She may think she cannot finish the race; she may lose her ability to see things as they are.

If she can remember previous successes, she will no doubt make the decision to go on, to at least give the race her best shot. It does not matter how may people come in before or after her. It matters only that she has not given up. When she crosses the finish line, the pain turns quickly into joy.

When we refuse to give up, we give ourselves an accomplishment we can rejoice in, the reward of knowing we have done our best.

What can I finish that I gave up on earlier?

Doing another 4th Step. Have always felt that if there is growth and change, a new inventory needs to be done.

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, November 16, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

One is forever throwing away substance for shadows.
—Jennie Jerome Churchill

Sometimes we trade possessions with our friends. Maybe we want to add to our collection, or perhaps we just do it to get someone to like us. But if we try to buy friendship, we'll be sad later when we realize we've lost a prized possession and not gained a friend.

Our friendships come when we least expect them, often with people who have something in common with us. They will not be friendships we have to buy, but relationships to treasure and have for years. These friendships will teach us to respect ourselves and our friends.

Am I making good friends, or bad trades?

One of the few questions that I tend to query, as I think my God puts all people into our life for a reason, and I tend to look at things as good or bad for us in the moment, and if I meet a friend, they are such for life unless they choose otherwise. It doesn't matter if they never speak to me for the rest of my life, that is there choice. A friend is a friend and someone my God put in my life. I may may have to detach from them for my own sobriety and piece of mind in the moment, but that doesn't mean that they are no longer my friend. I don't see it as trading off friends. I think that is a very ugly thought.

Maybe my perception is off on this as it late and they mean something different, I hope so. I know they say, "Sell your soul to the devil to get a deal, but that isn't what I am referring too, maybe they are. Giving up a friend in order to make a new friend to obtain something else, like favour and kudos for something, is just not a game I play any more, I forget that those kinds of game are still being played. Trading on your friendship, to get something you want and feel you need, forgetting that God meets our needs and He doesn't play those games either.

[MajestyJo]

Monday, November 17, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Down in a green and shady bed
A modest violet grew;
Its stalk was bent, it hung its head,
As if to hide from view.
—Jane Taylor

Shyness can be painful. Those of us who are shy do not choose to be this way. There are no quick and easy solutions to shyness, but it isn't the worst thing that could happen to us. And there are some things we can do about it. We can be willing to talk about it with someone we trust. We can exercise to build strength and self-confidence, and we can avoid dwelling on the problem. Most of all, we should not let shyness keep us from doing things. We may be a little uncomfortable, but that doesn't have to stop us from doing the task at hand to the best of our ability.

We can be assured that the ability to succeed is within us, and keep in mind that, if we offer love to those around us, their answering love will help us overcome our shyness.

What am I no longer too shy to try today?

Not to sure I have a shy bone left. It was more lack of self-confidence then shyness that prevented me from doing things.

[MajestyJo]

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

One comes in the end to realize that there is no permanent pure relationship and there should not be.
—Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Whether we are teenagers in love for the first time, or parents who have been married for twenty years, relationships can turn into obsessions if we're not careful.

We can lose our sense of self and only feel complete when we're with the other person. We can become totally attached and dependent on the primary person in our lives for all our needs.

We need to remember that we can be a good partner in a relationship only if we feel complete within ourselves. Keeping ourselves open to change in our surroundings, our loved ones, and especially ourselves helps us stay whole.

We learn, first, to be ourselves, to make independent choices. We dare to do things on our own. Things as simple as going for a walk by ourselves and smelling the scents of nature. Being ourselves means bringing our own world to meet the world of our loved ones, rather than depending on them to make our world.

Am I making my own happiness so I may share it with others?

For so many years, I lived my life through others. I didn't feel happy unless they were a part of my life. I didn't know I was responsible for my own happiness. I coined the phrase, "I am happy if you are happy dear," which in truth is a crock of you know what, but didn't know back then.

[MajestyJo]

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

We all fear what we don't know - it's natural.
—Leo Buscaglia

If we put a blindfold over our eyes and begin to walk around an open field, we would feel unsure with each step. We might be afraid of falling, afraid of walking over some unseen edge and hurting ourselves.

When any of us face something and we don't know what the outcome will be, we often feel blindfolded. We fear we may get hurt. We fear we can't do it. We have a hard time trusting ourselves. A blind person often finds help or guidance from others, or will gain confidence by walking on - slowly at first, finding trust and sureness with each step.

These same things help us when we are afraid. It is also helpful to remember there is no right or wrong way to explore what faces us - only our own way.

What new trust can I place in myself today?

A spiritual adviser told me that if I turned things over to my God, I would know, if I didn't know, the time was not right. I had to trust my God, myself, and trust in the process. As a sponsor told me in early recovery, if you are doubting yourself, you are doubting your God. They are words that have stayed with me for 20+ years.

[MajestyJo]

Thursday, November 20, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Without solitude, there can be no real people.
—John Euder

We all need some time alone. It's a good idea to set aside a few minutes every day to be alone with ourselves. This is a very special time that is all our own. It's a time to relax and refresh ourselves.

This goes for every member of the family, and it's important that we allow others some time for themselves. It shows them we respect, love, and care about them. Without that solitude, they cannot be truly themselves - and neither can we.

Nature teaches us that each thing, even the earth itself, needs a retreat. Bears hibernate; cats crawl off out of sight, even the plants disappear for the winter. It is this time that refreshes life for the Spring to come. If we want to have healthy, fulfilling relationships with each other, we all need time to ourselves every day. Without being "real people"--truly ourselves - how can we be full members of our family?

How can I better spend my time alone today?

The last two days I have been spending it with a good book and music. Snowed in, can't get out so taking some me time. Not much TV time, shows I watch have been nature, food and health related, doing meditation, and just cuddling up with my comforter and staying warm.

[MajestyJo]

Friday, November 21, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

We decided that it was no good asking what is the meaning of life, because life isn't an answer, life is the question, and you, yourself, are the answer.
—Ursula K. LeGuin

How many times have we felt like we were drifting aimlessly, constantly searching for meaning in a world that seems so mixed up, seeking direction but getting nowhere? But looked at differently, "nowhere" becomes "now here." When we take things apart, stand back, and examine them from a different angle, we often find we held the answer from the beginning. Sometimes, when we're convinced we are the problem, we discover we were the solution all along.

When we look for true understanding, we can be sure it exists in this moment, and that we can find it within ourselves, with God's help.

What question do I seek an answer to today?

What is wrong with my computer? :) My patience and tolerance has just about got about got up and went. It is really slow, and just when I think I have it fixed, it gets really slow, so going to shut down again, reboot, do an update, just what the program teaches me. Go back to basics, say the Serenity Prayer, take an inventory, ask to be led to what I need, and let go and let God.

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, November 22, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances.
—Martha Washington

We all have friends who seem happy even though they run into lots of bad luck. And we all know other people who seem grumpy all the time. Nothing makes them very happy. It's puzzling, but some people have decided, maybe without even knowing it, that life is fun and should be enjoyed. No bit of bad luck has to make us miserable unless we let it.

A broken bike, a lost math assignment, a rained-out picnic are things that might make us miserable. But, we can decide they won't. Feeling happy can be a habit - just like brushing teeth before bedtime.

Will I stop and think today before I let things make me unhappy?


Glad I had the thought to switch servers and go back to Internet Explorer and quit using Google Chrome, because things are working alright. Last night I found myself very angry, I even got a medication card that told me so. It had a picture with a lot of flames like I was going to blow my top. And as a result, I am happy, happy, happy. I even remembered how to put on a picture.
:85:

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, November 23, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


Happiness is not a place to travel to. It's a way of getting there.
—Anonymous

Those of us who climb mountains find joy in reaching the top. However, the climb would not make much sense if there were not things to enjoy on the way up. If we groan and complain, it will be hard to feel joy at the summit. However, if we are able to enjoy each day's journey, it makes all the difference in the world. In the midst of each chore, we can notice the sunset or the unique and beautiful surroundings of each day.

Each of our days is different. Happiness is not a goal we are struggling to reach some time in the future. It is a gift we can give ourselves today. If we enjoy some parts of each day of our hike, we will also feel joy at the summit.

What form will my gift of happiness take today?


By sharing with others today.

[MajestyJo]

Monday, November 24, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible day.
—Judith Viorst

Some days, for all our good intentions, seem to go sour from the start. Maybe we're tired or feeling ill or preoccupied with a problem that seems insurmountable. Maybe we just got up on the wrong side of the bed.

Living one day at a time means getting the most we can out of today. It also means we know today does not have to doom or dictate tomorrow. If we have a bad day today, that's all it is - a bad day. It does not mean we're bad or that the world is against us or that we might as well give in to our worst attitudes and behaviors since nothing is going right anyway. And it does not mean tomorrow will be a bad day, too.

When we have a bad day - and everyone does - there are a few things we can do while we wait it out. We can slow down. We can be quiet. We can pray. And we can let go. How else will we be able to recognize a wonderful day?

Am I living today - good or bad - and not tomorrow or yesterday?

Try to make the most of now. I like the old saying perfume commercial from Exclaimation that says, "Make a statement without saying a word."

[MajestyJo]

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


All music is what awakes from you when you are reminded by the instruments.
—Walt Whitman

A small group of friends sat in a room around a record player. It was a heavy old thing, with parts that had to be operated by hand and only one speaker - nothing like a modern stereo at all, but more like an antique phonograph. The record - a recording of their favorite music - was old, too, and scratched, its grooves worn smooth as a stone in some places. The tone arm skipped and scratched, and the sound was tinny, hard on the ears.

Most of the friends squirmed in their seats as they listened, and several grumbled that it was impossible to hear the music with such inferior equipment.

But one of the group sat listening, her eyes closed, swaying to the music and humming softly to herself.

"How can you enjoy this?" the others asked.

"Ah," she said with a mysterious smile. "I am listening beyond the recording to the music I know is there!"

Can I find the music that's playing for me today?


How ironic! When I sat down, my first thought was "It is a month to Christmas." Yesterday I took special note of how much Christmas music was playing on the jazz music station I listen to on my TV digital box. As the country music song says, "Play me some country music," for me at the time, it is play me some "Christmas" music. It is on now until January. The jazz station plays all instrumental.

[MajestyJo]

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


Giving up is not giving in, nor is it failing. It is no longer needing to be right.
—Anonymous

When someone tells us a riddle, we may give up if we don't know the answer. We give up because we are tired of trying to get it, or because we are eager to find out what it is.

Giving up in other situations, may be more difficult. We may need to give up eating something that isn't healthy for us. We may need to give up trying to win an argument. We may need to give up old clothes that we love which no longer fit us. When we don't want to give up, it may be because we have forgotten the knowledge, health, or peace of mind we gain by doing so.

In each case, giving up means growth and going on with our lives. Giving up may mean many different things in different situations, but it does not mean doing nothing. It means doing what seems right for us and giving up the expectation that what happens will be exactly what we want.

What can I gain by giving up something that is harmful today?


It reminds me, that to surrender is to win. The part about clothes brought a smile to my face. I have some nightshirts that are thread bare that almost leave me bare because I just don't want to part with them. It isn't until the material is 'parting of the ways' that I become willing to replace it. It is especially true in night shirts more so in any other wearing apparel, although a pair of jean can and has become near and dear to my heart, which I had to lovingly detach from.

As my sponsor said, "If you have recovery show it." As my mother use to say, "That is more (w)holy than righteous!"

[MajestyJo]

Thursday, November 27, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.
—Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein knew in his heart that the source of all his knowledge was not himself, but a mystery - something or someone outside himself. And it left him in awe and wonder. He knew also that while genius may be ninety percent hard work and only ten percent inspiration, all the hard work in the world amounts to nothing without that outside, mysterious inspiration. He was right. We can work hard and play hard. We can paint and draw and write and develop formulas all our lives, but none of it will be new or different unless we are open to inspiration from some power outside ourselves that also, somehow, is deep within us. To be really good at anything, whether it's playing baseball, designing fashion clothing, fixing an engine, or cooking, we must believe in some creative force that helps us excel. When we see that force at work, we stand in awe at the wonderful and mysterious gift we have been given.

How have I been inspired to discover something?


Went back to playing bridge. Went back to school to learn computers in 2001 and ended up with a certificate for Business Administration on Computers, only to find that I didn't want to go back into the rat race, I had done my time. I was quite happy to volunteer. I was 59. I did get called to an interview and a call back which made me feel good. The experience helped me to build my recovery web sites. Sadly MSN closed all their sites and my sites are no more.

[MajestyJo]

Friday, November 28, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


for most this amazing day . . .
. . . for everything
which is natural which is infinite
which is yes.
—e. e. cummings

Let us be thankful today for all simple obvious things: for the sun's rising this morning without our having to awaken it; for another good turn the earth makes today without expecting anything in return; for our ability to know right and wrong by heart. Let us give thanks for all small things that mean the world to us; for bread and cheese and clean running water; for our ability to call our enemies our friends, to forgive even ourselves; for our own bodies, however sagging and worn, which insist on continuing for at least another day.

How much ordinary daily good do I take for granted?


Try not to go there these days. Those little things in today are big things to me.

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, November 29, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


When written in Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters--one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.
—John F. Kennedy

Family crises are unavoidable. At times, things are going to break down. This is no reason to give up and abandon ship. These breakdowns are the things, which will strengthen our lives together if we do not lose faith. The Einstein family had a crisis of sorts when their little boy, Albert, did not talk until he was four years old. But what looked like a problem at first did not end up that way in the long run.

We can expect downhill slides once in a while, and we may even start to feel full of self-pity. With faith that these setbacks are meant to help us grow stronger, we won't waste them and end up having to face them again and again until we do recognize their true purpose.

What setback can I use to grow stronger today?


Not sure, it hasn't happened yet! ;) Thanks to the program, the difference in today is that I have a new found awareness in today, and I will recognize it when it happens and I will have a choice as to whether I will deal with it or whether I will pull on the blanket of denial or put it on the shelf or take it off the shelf and dust it.

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, November 30, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


I've never sung anything that I wasn't ready to sing.
—Claudia Schmidt

Most of us are curious about the "olden days" before we were born. We ask our parents what life was like when they were kids, what they did, what they looked like, and what they thought about. But most of us, even those who are parents ourselves, have probably never asked our parents, "Were you ready to go to school, to grow up, to get married, to get a job, to have me?"

So often we are afraid to take even a small new step, afraid of change. We feel so alone in our uncertainty. From our point of view, if often looks as though everybody's ready except us.

Perhaps another way to look at it is that, for most of our lives, readiness really isn't much of an issue. Were we ready to be born? Were we ready to walk, to read, to sing? Maybe we were; maybe not. What's important is what we did, not what we were ready to do. For life is mostly a matter of jumping in feet first shouting, "Here I come, ready or not!"

What am I going to do today, ready or not?


My laundry, my laundry, my laundry! Osho says that doing dishes, which I guess means all forms of house works, can be a form of housework can be an act of meditation. I need a change of attitude to bring about change and have my defect of character, procrastination removed. Laundry has bee a thought which hasn't been followed up by action for several days.