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Today's Thought - April
April 1
Talk doesn’t cook rice. ~Chinese Saying Some of us are crazy about self-help books, inspirational tapes, and personal improvement seminars. We’ll buy or sign up for anything, whatever the price, if it promises revolutionary insights or a foolproof new system. We want relief in a day and deliverance in a weekend. And we want the expert of the hour to do it for us. There’s nothing wrong with wishing, of course. But there’s a lot wrong with kidding ourselves as a way of life. Think about it: If progress could be bought, we wouldn’t need to be meditating. If personal transformation resulted from collecting new ideas, we’d have been transformed long ago. Exploring is great. And looking for all the inspiration and wisdom we can find is necessary for growth. But changing is doing. All the plans and schemes for improvement put together won’t change a thing if we don’t put the principles into daily practice. Even catchy words are just words. Today, I will take the best plan I have and put it into action. Today, I will say less and do more. Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy, Daily Meditations for Adult Children |
April 2
Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. ~Confucius Our program asks us “to be fearless and thorough from the very start.” We are warned that some of us will hold on to old ideas and that the result will be nil unless “we let go absolutely.” Recovery asks that we put our heart into our programs. How? By working the Steps. By calling group members to see how they’re doing or to let them know how we’re doing. By meeting with our sponsors so they can get to know us and guide us in working the Steps. This is just what we need. We must not sit on the sidelines of the program. We should not settle for the illusion of commitment that we got by drinking and drugging. We need to surrender, to let go absolutely and enjoy the ride. Prayer for the Day Higher Power, I give my heart and soul to you to do with as you want. Place me where I can do the most good. I pray for willingness to let go absolutely. Today's Action For today I will work at stepping into the day with all my heart. I will work at having the attitude and actions of letting go absolutely. Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me, More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple |
April 3
What I wanted Was to be myself again. ~Sandra Hochman When we lose faith in our feelings, we lose faith in ourselves and become outer-directed. We look to the world to tell us what to do and how to feel. We seek approval and love from others so we can prove to ourselves that we’re worthy. Paradoxically, to be outer-directed is to be self-absorbed. Because we feel so unsure of who we are, we cannot let go and be spontaneous, be real. The task in recovery is to reclaim ourselves by becoming inner-directed. This means looking within for the direction we need. When we’re just learning to trust our feelings, this can be truly agonizing. It means trusting the reality of our needs and our right to express them. Only then can we find the faith in ourselves and in life that we have lacked. To become inner-directed takes self-acceptance and self-love. It also takes time. But there is no real peace otherwise, for it is the only way to find ourselves. I can be true to my own feelings. I am my own best teacher because I know what I truly need. Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart, Daily Meditations for Men and Women Recovering from Sex Addiction |
April 4
Slippery Places If you sit in the barber chair long enough, you’re bound to get your hair cut. ~Anonymous In recovery, we stay aware and keep in contact with our Higher Power. We keep our addictions in check with our Step work. We now know the difference between what is right and wrong for us. We know we are weak and powerless over our addictions. We know it is only by the grace of our Higher Power that we can keep ourselves clean and sober. So we learn to stay away from slippery places and slippery people. We know we are always just one step away from relapse. We have learned how our wills, uncontrolled, will always look for shortcuts to happiness. When our contact with our Higher Power is weak, we begin to listen to the voices that call us back into the dark days before the program. Our minds play tricks on us. They only let us remember the true and beautiful moments, not the dark and ugly days and nights before the program. I will stay clear of slippery people and places. Today's reading is from the book Easy Does It, A Book of Daily Twelve Step Meditations |
April 5
One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life. ~Eleanor Roosevelt We are not here without purpose. We are being called to fulfill a destiny. When we look around, we’ll see men and women who have been invited to share this spirit-filled journey. As sharing, caring members of the recovering community, we’ll see God is orchestrating our life and our growth as individuals. Our program has given us the gift of rebirth. We have memories of more difficult, pain-filled times. Many of us through some miracle escaped death. We’ve been given another chance for a good life. We’re asked only to try to help someone else discover a second chance, too. When we do, we know it’s not coincidence that we’re here sharing recovery at this time. We have work ahead of us, work that we don’t want to turn our back on. We know this work is God’s will for us and is meant to bring peace, joy, and gratitude. Today I will remember that I am necessary to others, that my life is not an accident, and that God has a purpose for me. Today's reading is from the book In God's Care, Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery |
April 6
One cannot have wisdom without living life. ~Dorothy McCall Living life means responding, wholly, to our joys and our pitfalls. It means not avoiding the experiences or activities that we fear we can't handle. Only through our survival of them do we come to know who we really are; we come to understand the strength available to us at every moment. And that is wisdom. When we approach life tentatively, we reap only a portion of its gifts. It's like watching a movie in black and white that's supposed to be in Technicolor. Our lives are in color, but we must have courage to let the colors emerge, to feel them, absorb them, be changed by them. Within our depths, we find our true selves. The complexities of life teach us wisdom. And becoming wise eases the many pitfalls in our path. Living life is much more than just being alive. I can choose to jump in with both feet. Wisdom awaits me in the depths. Today's reading is from the book Each Day a New Beginning, Daily meditations for Women |
April 7
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. ~Rachel Carson Where do we turn for contemplation and contact with a spiritual source? Many men find it in nature. They look out the window at a handsome tree. They go for a walk outdoors, feed the birds, let themselves be awed by the sight of the moon on a dark night. The natural world offers our most direct, tangible contact with something eternal. We are part of something much larger than ourselves, something that endures for the ages. The beauty of nature inspires awe, which is a form of reverence. We walk along a canyon rim and God is there. We walk through prairie grasses and wildflowers teeming with wildlife, the wind blows in our faces, and our spirits rise. These natural beauties endure forever. Today, as I look at the natural world, I see God. Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones, More Daily Meditations for Men |
April 8
AA Thought for the Day But even faith is not the whole story. There must be service. We must give this thing away if we want to keep it. The Dead Sea has no outlet and it is stagnant and full of salt. The Sea of Galilee is clear and clean and blue, as the Jordan River carries it out to irrigate the desert. To be of service to other people makes our lives worth living. Does service to others give me a real purpose in life? Meditation for the Day Seek God early in the day, before He gets crowded out by life’s problems, difficulties, or pleasures. In that early, quiet time gain a calm, strong confidence in the goodness and purpose in the universe. Do not seek God only when the world’s struggles prove too much and too many for you to bear or face alone. Seek God early, when you can have a consciousness of God’s spirit in the world. People often only seek God when their difficulties are too great to be surmounted in any other way, forgetting that if they sought God’s companionship before they needed it, many of their difficulties would never arise. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may not let God be crowded out by the hurly-burly of life. I pray that I may seek God early and often. Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day, A Spiritual Resource with Practical Applications for Daily Life |
April 9
We are only as sick as the secrets we keep. ~Anonymous It is dangerous for us to keep secrets. Shame builds, and we’ll want relief. We may turn to alcohol or other drugs. True relief comes by talking about our secrets, by sharing who we really are with others. Our program helps us live a life based on honesty. Our program helps us battle shame. We don’t keep secrets anymore. We start our meetings and share what we tried to keep secret before. “Hi, my name is … and I’m an alcoholic.” Hi, my name is … and I’m an addict.” We keep telling our secret, and the shame gets less and less. Prayer for the Day Higher Power, I pray to live an honest life. Action for the Day I’ll list any secrets I’ve been keeping. I’ll talk with my sponsor about them. Today's reading is from the book Keep it Simple, Daily Meditations for Twelve Step Beginnings and Renewal |
April 10
Train Wreck I have been out-maneuvered by The Addict, who keeps turning the right thing into the wrong thing. A train wreck (or two) is coming; I can feel it. A train wreck is coming if someone (or two) doesn’t get onto the right track, fast. I am hunkered down behind the protective wall I’ve erected in my heart and head, awaiting the disaster that seems impossible to avoid. I don’t know the scope of the devastation looming ahead—I don’t know when it will occur, or which one of us will be crushed first. Caught up in this slow-motion nightmare, I’m chugging along toward some unknown tragedy—maybe even my child’s death—yet I can’t think of what I need to do to stop it. I cower here, stunned into inaction by events that are too frequent, too awful, and too out of control. Caught up for too long in the tailwind of my child’s wild ride with addiction, I have been dragged and battered and bruised. I wonder if I’ll still be standing at the end of this ordeal, whenever that might be and wherever this might go. Sometimes we have to let go of what’s killing us, even if it’s killing us to let go. Today's reading is from the book Tending Dandelions, Honest Meditations for Mothers with Addicted Children |
April 11
I’d like to get away from earth awhile And then come back to it and begin again. ~Robert Frost Do we think it’s weak to need a break? Do we ignore the need to recharge our batteries? Responsibility for our own lives requires us to recognize the need to restore our energy. Maybe our former escape from the world was by using food, or drugs, or spending money, or sexual release, or preoccupation with another person. Now, since we are developing the ability to be with ourselves, we can take a break from the world and come back restored. This meditation time generates more energy for our lives. Recreation with friends, a walk, a movie, or a concert does the same. Taking responsibility to get away is a good cure for self-pity and exhaustion. Today, I will be aware of my need to restore my energy. Today's reading is from the book Touchstones, A Book of Daily Meditations for Men |
April 12
Dealing with depression When we felt depressed, we used to take the “quickest” escape route: getting high or drunk. But we found that we couldn’t escape feelings for very long and that using drugs or alcohol leaves us feeling no better, and often worse, both physically and emotionally. At times like these, it would be more helpful to simply acknowledge the feelings without using the substances. It would be more useful to remember our Higher Power, the program, and our fellow members. Can I use the program to help deal with feelings of depression? Higher Power, when I feel depressed, help me use my program, avoid self-medication, and reach out for help. I will practice dealing with feelings of depression today by… Today's reading is from the book Day by Day, Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts |
April 13
Reflection for the Day On studying the Twelve Steps, many of the first members of the program exclaimed, “What an order! I can’t go through with it.” “Do not be discouraged,” we’re told at meeting after meeting. “No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.” Can I believe, in the words of Browning, that my business is not to remake myself, but to make the absolute best of what my Higher Power made? Today I Pray Even if I am an old hand at the program, may I not forget that the Twelve Steps do not represent an achievement that can be checked off my “things to do” list. Instead, they are a striving for an ideal, a guide to getting there. May I keep my mind open to deepening interpretations of these principles. Today I Will Remember Progress rather than perfection. Today's reading is from the book A Day at a Time, Daily Reflections for Recovering People |
April 14
Our principles determine our behavior. Giving other people power over our actions, and not respecting or remembering our own values, is part of our problem. If she uses drugs again, we get mad and hurt. If he fails to come home when promised, we get anxious and imagine the worst. For years, perhaps, we have let the behavior of others control how we feel and what we do. We simply reacted without thinking. Our friends in the program remind us there is another way to live. We can decide how we want to act. Pausing for a moment before reacting to any affront or situation will give us a chance to take charge of ourselves and thus our actions. In the process, we’ll begin redefining or recalling the values that are important to us. Learning to live by our values will simplify every action we’ll take today. Going to my own core for guidance on who I will be today will help me to know peace. Today's reading is from the book A Life of My Own, Meditations on Hope and Acceptance |
April 15
The urge for adventure seems instinctive to the human species. Our natural impulses of curiosity, creativity, problem solving, and exploration have helped us colonize our planet. We have found ways to survive and thrive, even in places with the most extreme, hostile conditions. Technological advances continue to offer us the equipment and resources to survive harsh circumstances in relative safety. Deep sea and outer space investigations continue to capture our imagination, and every day, what once was science fiction becomes our current reality. Whether it is a weekend camping trip, longer vacation travel, or a full-fledged expedition, the unknowns and uncertainty inherent in adventure pull us out of ourselves, expand who we are, and allow us to marshal inner resources we did not know existed. Now that we are in recovery, we have the opportunity to discover such possibilities. No longer consumed with just satisfying our addiction, we can choose to explore new frontiers. Saving money to travel for a few months, or getting it together to visit a destination we have always dreamed of seeing, can now become reality. Name the place, create the space, and enjoy the novelty we will face! Every day, I am grateful for the new adventures sobriety allows me to undertake. Today's reading is from the book Cornerstones, Daily Meditations for the Journey into Manhood and Recovery |
April 16
Letting Go of Fear Picture yourself swimming—floating—peacefully down a gentle stream. All you need to do is breathe, relax, and go with the flow. Suddenly you become conscious of your situation. Frightened, overwhelmed with “what if’s?” your body tenses. You begin to thrash around, frantically looking for something to grab on to. You panic so hard you start to go under. Then you remember—you’re working too hard at this. You don’t need to panic. All you need to do is breathe, relax, and go with the flow. You won’t drown. Panic is our great enemy. We don’t need to become desperate. If overwhelming problems appear in our life, we need to stop struggling. We can tread water for a bit, until our equilibrium returns. Then we can go back to floating peacefully down the gentle stream. It is our stream. It is a safe stream. Our course has been charted. All is well. Today, I will relax, breathe, and go with the flow. Today's reading is from the book The Language of Letting Go, Daily Meditations on Codependency |
April 17
Because I have been athirst I will dig a well that others may drink. ~Arabian Saying Most of us do as we please. When we want to go, we go; when we want to stay, we stay. We’re accustomed to moving around freely and never even think about it. We trust that a door will open if we turn the knob and push. Unfortunately, we never appreciate what we take for granted, and we are less for that. A young man at an adult child meeting shared that he had just been released from prison, where doors are locked. After his release, the first thing he had done, he said, was to walk back and forth across the pressure plate of the bus station door. He wanted to be the one to make a door open and close. Onlookers had laughed at him, he said, but he didn’t care. He appreciated the chance to move, to go where he wanted. Having known the hell of doors that won’t open, he had an awareness that the rest of us didn’t have. As his recovery continues, he will have much to share with people who’ve been trapped in prisons of their own. May I have the insight to recognize my own special qualifications, and the willingness to share them with others. Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy, Daily Meditations for Adult Children |
April 18
Every night the river sings a new song. ~Eva-Lis Wvorie Ours is a program of twenty-four hours. We are to live “One day at a time.” We are to live in the moment, for only in the moment can we connect with our Higher Power. How? By bringing life to the spiritual principles our Higher Power has given to us. By choice. By choosing to live by spiritual principles, moment by moment, we stay connected to our Higher Power. We work to keep the channel open in order to receive the gifts our Higher Power wants us to embrace. To stay open and to live by spiritual principles is hard. Our instinctual side wants us to take the easier, softer way. In addition, we addicts are afraid of the future. We tend to focus on the entire journey instead of what is right in front of our face. But our recovery program tells us, “Just today, live by spiritual principles today.” Focus on today’s song, for tomorrow life will teach you a new song. Prayer for the Day Higher Power, help me to live by the spiritual principles you gave me through recovery. Help me to learn your lessons and help me stay open to the gifts they will give to me. Today's Action Today I will work to be mindful of the moment and to see choice in the moment. I’ll work to remember that the quality of my life depends on the choices I make. Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me, More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple |
April 19
Such is the human race. Often it does seem such a pity that Noah didn’t miss the boat. ~Mark Twain Was it a pity? Would it have been better if humanity had disappeared in the Flood? Perhaps if we are in the depths of our addiction we may be tempted to agree—people are rotten, sex is wretched, we’re no good, life is vile. On the days we dwell in the misery of our shame, the world does indeed seem a dark and gloomy dungeon. This is the misery of sex addiction: it takes the heart and guts out of our lives and turns the world into a place of shadows and despair. Then, everything we do is marked and marred by our feelings of unworthiness and melancholy. But we know there is a way out. We must open up to others in recovery and speak our pain and our sorrow. We can be sure that they will listen to us because they have been there before; and now they are here, for us. When our addiction seems like a flood that God has sent into our lives, our program can be our Ship of Hope. As we join our new companions, our First Step will be the beginning of a new life. When I rise above my addiction I see the world in a new light. Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart, Daily Meditations for Men and Women Recovering from Sex Addiction |
Aptil 20
Second Lives We are here to add what we can to, not get what we can from, life. ~Sir William Osler Many of us used to moan, “I wish I were dead.” Our addictions and obsessions made us hate ourselves. Other people scorned and pitied us. We wanted to die. We hoped that a life after death would give us rest from our constant battle with compulsions. But today we can find a better answer. There is life before death. Those of us who once cried out, “nobody cares” have found loving, caring friends who share our problems and help us find the answers. They guide us daily through wonderful adventures in living. We all receive great truths in recovery. I have been given the chance to live two lives. The cruel one has gone. The second one is rich with blessings. Nothing must tempt me to return to the old. Today's reading is from the book Easy Does It, A Book of Daily Twelve Step Meditations |
April 21
If God be for us, who can be against us? ~Romans 8:31 We go out into the world each day armed. We are not looking for a fight, but we are ready for it. Muscles tense, breathing shallow, we know trouble is coming. People will surely cause us problems today, we think. Things would go well if certain people would only cooperate, but we know they won’t. Some of them are out to get us, we think. And these thoughts frighten us. We are apt to be revealed as the incompetents we sometimes feel we are. No wonder we’re tense. Such thoughts are common to everyone. But we need not suffer all that wear and tear on our nerves. If each day we practice turning our life and our will over to the care of God, as we understand God, no harm will befall us. Our decision to do that is enough to ensure our complete protection. We can drop our armament and be assured that with our Higher Power in charge, all will turn out well. I will practice arms control today. Today's reading is from the book In God's Care, Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery |
April 22
God knows no distance. ~Charleszetta Waddles As close as our breath is the strength we need to carry us through any troubled time. But our memory often fails us. We try, alone, to solve our problems, to determine the proper course of action. And we stumble. In time we will turn, automatically, to that power available. And whatever our need, it will be met. Relying on God, however we understand God's presence, is foreign to many of us. We were encouraged from early childhood to be self-reliant. Even when we desperately needed another's help, we feared asking for it. When confidence wavered, as it so often did, we hid the fear sometimes with alcohol, sometimes with pills. Sometimes we simply hid at home: Our fears never fully abated. Finding out, as we all have found, that we have never needed to fear anything, that God was never distant, takes time to sink in. Slowly and with practice it will become natural to tum within, to be God-reliant rather than self-reliant. Whatever our needs today, God is the answer. There is nothing to fear. At last, I have come to know God. All roads will be made smooth. Today's reading is from the book Each Day a New Beginning, Daily meditations for Women |
April 23
To have more, desire less. ~Anonymous So many of us are caught up in such a busy pace of life that we feel we don’t have time for the basic things like dinner with our family, time to talk to our intimate partner, or quiet time to unwind and reflect. What is the problem? Often the problem is that we are caught in a never-ending search for more material things than our income can comfortably afford. In modern life, we are daily subjected to well-crafted advertising that tells us we would be happy if we bought another alluring item. Turning aside from those seductions, deciding we can live more comfortably if we seek happiness elsewhere, frees us from that demanding cycle. If we examine our desires, we will quickly recognize that we already have enough material goods. Happiness, gratitude, and peace of mind will come from the abundance of our relationships and the knowledge that we are the kind of men we hope to be. We can limit our desires for more goods and free ourselves from the feeling that we don’t have enough. Today, I will remind myself that I have enough. I am grateful for the abundance in my life. Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones, More Daily Meditations for Men |
April 24
AA Thought for the Day The AA way of living is not an easy one. But it’s an adventure in living that is really worthwhile. And it’s so much better than our old drunken way of living that there’s no comparison. Our lives without AA would be worth nothing. With AA, we have a chance to live reasonably good lives. It’s worth the battle, no matter how tough the going is from day to day. Isn’t it worth the battle? Meditation for the Day The spiritual life has two parts. One is the life apart—the life of prayer and quiet communion with God. You spend this part of your life apart with God. Every day your mind can be set in the right direction so that your thoughts will be of the right kind. The other is the life impart—imparting to others what you have learned from your own meditative experience. The victories you have won over yourself through the help of God can be shared with others. You can help them by imparting to them some of the victory and security that you have gained in your life apart. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may grow strong from my times apart with God. I pray that I may pass on some of this strength to others. Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day, A Spiritual Resource with Practical Applications for Daily Life |
April 25
I never think of the future. It comes soon enough. ~Albert Einstein None of us knows anything for sure about the future. We don’t know if we’ll be sober tomorrow. But we can be sure of this moment. We get sober by moments. Our sober moments then stretch into hours, days, and years. Our program tells us to live in the present moment. This is because we can control this moment. We can’t control the past or the future. We need to have a sense of control in our life. In our illness, we were out of control. This was because we wouldn’t live from moment to moment. Each moment is filled with as much life as we can handle. Each moment is filled with enough to keep us alive, interested, and growing! Prayer for the Day Higher Power, help me find You in each moment. Action for the Day Today I’ll stop and focus on the present moment. I will work to see how much control I can have if I stay with the moment at hand. Today's reading is from the book Keep it Simple, Daily Meditations for Twelve Step Beginnings and Renewal |
April 26
What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. ~Hugh Mulligan We show self-respect in how we choose to spend our time. Do we give tasks the time required for our best efforts? Or do we feel unworthy of quality work? Do we have a right to stop working and just play? Are we worth spending time with—just ourselves, or do we feel meaningful time is only spent with others? Are we worth caring enough about to enjoy bathing, grooming, or getting haircuts? Do we care enough about ourselves to see a dentist or a physician when needed? Choices about how we use our time are basic ethical and creative choices. Beyond self-respect and care, we need to put time into our day for nourishing and enriching our spirits. We do that by reading something thoughtful or meaningful, talking to a friend about the events and feelings of our lives, listening to music, fixing a pleasant meal, exercising, and giving unpaid time and energy to worthwhile causes. I am grateful for the gift of another day, and I will live it creatively and respectfully. Today's reading is from the book Touchstones, A Book of Daily Meditations for Men |
April 27
Making mistakes As addicts we made a lot of mistakes; as addicts, we blanketed those mistakes in denial. In recovery, denial is no longer an option. Yet we still make plenty of mistakes. But mistakes are okay, because we’re learning that every situation, good or bad, is an opportunity for growth. And with the right attitude, we can make the most of it. Can I let go of my mistakes enough to learn from them? Higher Power, help me to forgive my mistakes and to accept them as a useful way to learn. Today I will practice what I learned from my most recent mistake by… Today's reading is from the book Day by Day, Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts |
April 28
Reflection for the Day In our first weeks or months in the program, our shaky emotional condition sometimes affects our feelings toward old friends and family. For many of us, these relationships heal quickly in the initial stages of our recovery. For others, a time of “touchiness” seems to persist; now that we’re no longer drinking or using other substances, we have to sort out our feelings about spouses, children, relatives, employers, fellow workers, and even neighbors. Experience in the program over the years has taught me that we should avoid making important decisions early in our recovery—especially emotionally charged decisions about people. Am I becoming better equipped to relate maturely to other people? Today I Pray May my Higher Power help me through the edginess, the confusion of refeeling and rethinking my relationships, the getting-it-all-together stages of my recovery. May I not rush into new relationships or new situations that demand an investment of my emotions—not yet. Today I Will Remember No entangling alliances too soon. Today's reading is from the book A Day at a Time, Daily Reflections for Recovering People |
April 29
Perfection, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Is the desire to be perfect keeping us from being our best? Are mistakes okay? Trial and error is how healthy people learn. However, our expectation of perfection when we make a first attempt keeps us frustrated, or maybe we are too fearful of failure to even start. We waste so much living wanting to be perfect that we fear to try anything new. Because we suffer from the need to be perfect, we judge other people harshly too. Perfection quickly becomes the bane of our existence. Fortunately, we can ask our Higher Power and the friends in our groups to help us accept ourselves as less than perfect human beings. We’ll be able to do this with greater ease when we learn to accept others as they are. I will be good enough at every activity today if I simply do the best I can. Today's reading is from the book A Life of My Own, Meditations on Hope and Acceptance |
April 30
On the inner plane, the call to explore our edge involves risk, facing our fears, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. The essence of an adventure—inner or outer—is encountering the unknown and unpredictable, which can be both scary and exciting. For many men, venturing into the vast terrain of their feelings can be such a long, illuminating voyage. For others, really listening to their heart for the first time, dropping the noisy expectations of others so they might hear their own truth, can be a rewarding odyssey. Learning to perceive more clearly the feedback our body is offering us in terms of stress and anxiety can also be a novel frontier filled with helpful insights. Being in treatment has helped us begin these perilous but rewarding journeys within. We finally grasp that creating lasting changes in the outer circumstances of our lives begins within. We have, no doubt, come to realize how much unexplored territory there is within our own being. Perhaps we have even become inspired by the imperative “know thyself,” which holds enormous relevance for us in our daily lives. I am in awe of how much there still is to discover about myself. Today's reading is from the book Cornerstones, Daily Meditations for the Journey into Manhood and Recovery |
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