[bluidkiti]

March 26

Step by Step

Today, recognize that that much of my life has been expecting other people to meet my demands and expectations to fulfill my needs and wants. In selfishness and vanity, I often rejected those who failed or would not give me what I wanted or needed when I wanted or needed it. In those times of looking to the outside for fulfillment, I had not a clue how to look inside myself and beyond something stronger than other people to attain what since have become different needs and expectations. In AA, I understand now that I put my sobriety first and foremost above everyone and all else to earn acceptance, friendship, love and empathy. And my expectations of others were so unrealistic and selfish that I became needy to the point of being pathetic. Now I see the consequences, sometimes disastrous, of putting all my expectations on others but am able to look inside myself and to a stronger power stronger to earn what I need. Today, I will take from what AA has given me to meet my needs and not weigh anyone with expectations so selfish and heavy that I ignore that they, too, have their own needs. And our common journey continues. Step by step. – Chris M.

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~ EASY DOES IT ~ (A Book of Daily 12 Step Meditations) ~

CHOICES

Use wisely your power of choice.

~ Og Mandino~

Escape from physical, emotional and mental control of our old obsessions and dependencies has given all of us the freedom to make choices. But the right to choose is only an opening. We need to exercise that right and to choose well.

We learn that we cannot misuse or neglect choices once we have determined a course to take. We come to know how to choose between positive and negative, humility and arrogance, gratitude and self-centeredness, pride and dejection, high and low spirits. Knowing is not enough, however. We carry out our choices and use wisely the power of choice.

As we work our Program, we find that the fear of making decisions slips away. If our choice proves wrong, we can learn from the experience.

I am the result of any choice. I am, at any given moment of life, the sum total of the choices I have made.

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~ WISDOM TO KNOW ~ (More Daily Meditations For Men) ~

Tuning and training the mind as an athlete tunes and trains his body is one of the primary aims of all forms of meditation.

~ Lawrence LeShan ~

The longer we follow the steps that guide our path, the more we grow as men. We all know about getting in shape and staying in shape physically. Working out brings results very quickly, and if we are working on our golf game or improving our running time, the more we practice, the more progress we make. We can attend to our minds in the same way. One difference between these kinds of development is that age is on our side as we train our minds. No aging process can diminish the kind of person we are.

Spiritual growth moves forward by paying attention to it and by devoting some time every day to prayer and meditation. Conscious contact with our Higher Power, sitting quietly for a few minutes every day, influences us throughout the day in the background of our minds.

Today I will quietly open my mind to the deep truths and allow them to train my thoughts.

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~ A WOMAN’S SPIRIT ~ (More Meditations For Women) ~

When we loosen our grasp on our concerns, there is room for the spiritual essence of all life to move through us in such a way that healing occurs.

~ Carol Sheffield ~

When we stay focused on a problem, we exaggerate it. The solution can’t reach us when the mind isn’t free to accept it. What we must do is develop the desire and the skill to release all thoughts from our mind. Then and only then can we be receptive to the spiritual solutions that reside within.

This recovery program, with its Steps and slogans and principles can reeducate us. We are up to the challenge. It’s human nature to hang on to old ideas, old ways of doing things. But we are growing, perhaps in spite of ourselves, and our old methods don’t live up to current demands. It’s time to trust what our sponsors tell us. Release the grip on a problem, any problem. The answer will come.

I will not be caught in a problem today if I am quiet and ready for the solution. Stillness engulfs me now.

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~ TODAY I WILL DO ONE THING ~ (Daily Readings for Awareness and Hope) ~

I want to stop feeling sad

Sometimes I am overwhelmed with sadness. Suddenly I feel alone and helpless. I don’t know where it comes from, but I know how much it hurts and frightens me.

I am grateful to my therapist. With his help I am exploring my sore spots, what he calls my buttons, and how they get pushed. It seems that the more I know myself and my moods, the better I can take care of myself. I want to stop feeling so sad, to stabilize my emotions, and avoid a relapse to my addiction.

I will review my day’s events and look for triggers of a sad mood.

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~ BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT ~ (Inspiration and Support for Recovery) ~

Cast all your cares to God; that anchor holds.

~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson ~

To surrender is to win. To fight or run is to lose. When we lose we are isolated and lonely. When we fight, we can’t reach our potential. But when we surrender, we are alive and connected with society.

Surrender does not make us weak. It has helped so many before us reach quality sobriety. What surrender does is make us humble. It forces us to admit to ourselves and to others that we are not perfect. We make mistakes and it’s ok. Surrender brings us face to face with the humility we avoided when we were drinking and using. Humility deepens us, improves our character and self-esteem.

Humility is based on a foundation of trust in our Higher Power. We can’t let go unless we’re sure we won’t fall. With the help of our Higher Power, we know we’re protected. Now we can fully surrender and cast our cares to God.

Today help me surrender.

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~ MORNING LIGHT ~ (Meditations to Begin Your Day) ~

Total absence of humor renders life impossible.

~ Colette ~

What one person considers funny can be quite different from what another appreciates as humor. Think about fellow addicts who, despite having a very tragic story that brought them into the program, can, with their wit and wry way of telling a story, bring laughter to a meeting. Then think about those who continually shed tears at meetings or with whom conversations always turn to the dark side, the things that cannot be done, and the impossibilities of life. Which person do you choose to be around? Which person seems to impart the greatest advice?

There are certainly those in meetings who act as if they are playing a room in Vegas. They provide entertainment, but after a while you may feel like saying, “Enough al-ready.” Too, there are those who rarely talk about any-thing with depth and keep what they say at a very surface level. With such people you may feel like asking, “But how do you feel?”

Striking a balance between being lighthearted and humorous and having a depth of feeling is part of the delicate dance of recovery. The greatest benefit comes when the two coexist. Feelings enable you to see the truth; humor keeps the truth from becoming too overwhelming.

Today I will strive to take things with a more lighthearted approach and outlook.

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~ NIGHT LIGHT ~ (A Book Of Nighttime Meditations) ~

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon—instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

~ Dale Carnegie ~

How we love to think about all the things we want to do! Our lists are probably quite long to include all the things we want, when we have the time or the money.

What are we waiting for? What are our excuses? Many times we make excuses to avoid planning, saving money, or changing schedules. Many times we use our excuses like bricks, building a higher and higher wall until it’s impossible to scale. To live is to experience new, exciting, interesting, and diverse things.

To live is to break schedules and change patterns and do things out of the ordinary. To live is to participate in all the fun, all the travel, all the people, all the activities. Are we going to live—starting tomorrow?

I will think about one thing I really want to do and write down what I need to do to accomplish it. To help achieve it, I’ll then share this plan with another.

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~ DAY BY DAY ~ (Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts) ~

Worshipping

What we worship says a lot about the direction of our lives. Whatever else we worshipped, eventually we worshipped our addiction—going to any length to obtain and use our drug of choice. In our new life, however, we are learning to worship a new spiritual Higher Power.

As we work our Twelve Step program and learn about our new Higher Power—one who offers us no guilt, shame, danger, or losses— it might help to look at how others are coming to understand their Higher Power. We can learn from their example, just as we teach others indirectly by our own example.

What are my actions saying now about the direction of my life?

Higher Power, help me to express my developing and deepening beliefs.

I will express my love of God today by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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~ IF YOU WANT WHAT WE HAVE ~ (Sponsorship Meditations) ~

I think even lying on my bed I can still do something.

~ DOROTHEA DIX ~

Newcomer

I’m not doing well with meditation. I tried going to a class, and I got fidgety after ten or fifteen minutes. I tried paying attention to my breath, but my back hurt, I was nervous and distracted, and I kept thinking how badly I wanted to leave. Forget about doing it at home—I can sit for five minutes, then I have to get up. How do people endure all-day meditations?

Sponsor

You may not be ready for long sessions of sitting meditation. For a beginner, even fifteen minutes may be too long. If you sense that the form of meditation you have tried is the one you’re best suited to, you might consider starting with very brief sessions, as little as three to five minutes. After a few weeks, you may want to try adding another minute or two. You can work up to fifteen minutes gradually, over a long period of time, and then see whether you wish to add a bit more or not. Surprisingly, the key is knowing when to stop.

When something makes me anxious, I limit the amount of time I do it. I may have the willingness to do something for a few minutes every day that would frighten me for half an hour once a week. Lengthening the time little by little, being sure that I don’t exceed the time limit I’ve set for the day, allows me to increase my tolerance gradually.

If sitting continues to be daunting for you, you may want to consider exploring forms of meditation that include walking or chanting.

Today, I do not judge my rate of progress.
I take one small step on my spiritual journey.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

We in AA have many religious affiliations and there are some of us who contend that AA is all the religion they need. Yet this fact remains: the spiritual facts on which AA is based would not have survived the ages but for the tenacity of formal religions.

Without religions, our moral, political and social structure would collapse. There is a lot in all denominations that can be criticized but without them life would be chaos.

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~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) Take the cotton out of your ears and stuff it in your mouth.

2) You cannot learn to love yourself until you learn to forgive yourself.

3) It says: “here are the steps we took,” not suggested, not understand.

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~ The 12 STEP PRAYER BOOK ~ (A Collection of Favorite 12 Step Prayers and Inspirational Readings) ~

Make Me

God, who touches earth with beauty,
Make me lovely too;
With Your Spirit re-create me,
Make my heart anew.

Like Your springs and running waters,
Make me crystal pure;
Like Your rocks of towering grandeur
Make me strong and sure.

Like Your dancing waves in sunlight,
Make me glad and free;
Like the straightness of the pine trees
Let me upright be.

Like the arching of the heavens,
Lift my thoughts above;
Turn my dreams to noble action,
Ministries of love.

God, who touches earth with beauty,
Make me lovely too;
Keep me ever, by Your Spirit,
Pure and strong and true.

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~ AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX ~ (A Book of Daily Readings) ~

THE BLESSED MEEK

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).
On the surface, this Beatitude seems to be contradicted by the facts of everyday life. But either Jesus knew what he was talking about, and is to be taken seriously, or his teaching should be dropped altogether. If He is to be relied upon, then let us pay him the compliment of assuming that he knew best about the art of living.

The fact is that when correctly understood, the teaching of Jesus is found to be the most practicable of all doctrines: and the whole essence of his teaching and of its application is summed up in this text. When you possess the spiritual meaning of this text you have the secret of dominion—the secret of overcoming every kind of difficulty.

We notice that there are two polar words in the text—meek and earth. First of all, the word earth in the Bible really means the whole of your outer experience, and to “inherit the earth” means to have dominion over that outer experience. So we see that when the Bible talks about possessing the earth, governing the earth, making the earth glorious, it is referring to the conditions of our lives, from our bodily health outwar4d to the farthest point in our affairs. So this text undertakes to tell us how we may possess, or govern, or be masters of our environment.

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~ A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE ~ (365 Daily Inspirations for Heart-Centered Living) ~

Stinkin’ Thinking

You can’t afford the luxury of a negative thought.

~ John-Roger ~

When I was a child, my mother told me never to flush the toilet when I was sitting on it because “you might catch a cold in your tush.” Trusting my mother’s advice, I was careful not to flush imprudently, and I successfully avoided the dreaded tush cold. One day when I was 30 years old, I began to flush while sitting on the toilet, and I could hear my mother’s voice warning me against it. But this time I decided to question her well-meaning advice. Would I truly catch a cold in my tush? Then it dawned on me: I didn’t even know what a “cold in the tush” was! Could her fears be unjustified? So I flushed and did not catch the ominous tush cold, which helped me let go of a long- held program that had run me for years without ever thinking about it.

As little children, we regarded our parents as gods. They were bigger than we were, they gave us valuable advice that helped us navigate our world, and they purveyed rewards that made us happy, and meted out punishments that hurt us. Our tiny minds did not have the ability to distinguish illusions from truth, so we accepted all of what our parents told us—even if some of it was untrue.

Our psyche is like an iceberg, a tiny portion of which is apparent, and most of which lies below the surface of our awareness. The belief systems we adopted as children can control our entire lives unless we call them to consciousness. If you have the courage to question what you have always accepted, you may discover that you have been living out many false beliefs. From your heart and your own experience, what do you really know to be true? Meditate on this question, dare to live the answers you discover, and you will find unprecedented healing and freedom.

Help me to discard all illusions and live the truth of my own soul.

I release all past beliefs and march forward in the light of my own wisdom.