Even More Recovery Readings and Meditations - December

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December 17

Step by Step

Today: A conscious decision not to say anything negative to or about anyone or any situation in my life. Instead, I will let only the positive in and, if I cannot find anything good to say or do, I will say or do nothing. Despite any problems in my life or their enormity, I have literally everything if I am sober, and I have a start if I haven’t drunk in the last 24 Hours. And I still have hope if I am drinking but have been tossed the lifeline of AA. Without sobriety or even the hope for it, other problems in my life will likely worsen simply because I’m either too drunk to deal with them or I’m trying to avoid them. And as for those other problems in my life, instead of complaining, I will deal with them as best I can and know that I have given my best. I might also learn that the positive is a much more serene place than the negative. Today, I have no time or need for the negative. And our common journey continues. Step by step. – Chris M.

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A YEAR OF MIRACLES ~ (Meditations Written by Members of Nicotine Anonymous) ~

Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness … it is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.

~ MOHANDAS GHANDI ~

My most sincere and heartfelt prayer is, “Thank you God.” It is gratitude.

Yes, I pray with many words and express desires, fears and feelings other than gratitude. Those prayers share the theme of “please help me.” They are genuinely felt prayers, admissions of my weakness, and I believe they are heard by God. But nowhere do I feel that sense of sincerity other than in praying, “Thank you God for this life to share with You here in this moment.”

Prayer and meditation are so solidly recommended by the Twelve Steps. They are my bridges to know God. I cannot thus far in my recovery let go of the more selfish prayers but in meditation I reach out to God for anything that comes.

Today, I will add prayers of gratitude to any cries for help.

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

MEETINGS

It takes the good and bad meeting—the good and bad speaker — to make the Program work

~ Anonymous ~

We are told that every meeting we at-tend will be a good meeting. Our sponsor will tell us that there are no bad meetings; all meetings are good, some are just better than others. Newcomers are asked not to even consider whether the meetings are good or bad. “Just bring your body and the mind will follow,” and “take what you need and leave the rest.”

Even when we think we didn’t get much out of a meeting, we will find that many others who were there benefited a great deal. We may remember something we heard at a “baa” meeting more often than what we heard at a “good” meeting. The old-timers tell us, “The most important part of any meeting, for you, is the moment you walk through the door into it. It’s not so much what you do there, it’s the fact that you are there.”

Today I’ll remember some meetings may be better than others, but it’s more important that I’m there.

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

Until you are willing to let go of your parents, you continue to conceive of yourself as a child.

~ Frederick Peris ~

Emancipation is a lot more than living away from our parents and supporting ourselves. Many things can still hold us within the limitations of childhood. Some of us haven’t shaken the criticisms we heard as children. Some of still turn to indulgent parents who pick up the pieces and don’t expect us to stand on our own two feet. Some of us hold onto resentments about our parents. These things imprison us within our expired childhood.

By its nature, emancipation cannot be handed to us. It is only won by taking it—by our own maturity. Letting go of our parents means we choose to be grown up and independent. We tear up the I.O.U. and go forward into manhood. After letting our parents go, we can have adult relationships with them and enjoy them for who they are.

Today I am letting go of my parents so that I can live in the present as an adult man.

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

When I remember to listen and savor another’s experience as valuable and sacred, I touch a sense of mystery.

~ Rita Casey ~

As much as we may want to deny it, few of us are truly attentive listeners. We try to listen. We even work hard to keep our own obsessive thoughts quiet. But turning our entire attention to a friend in need is a trait we may never perfect. Even so, listening is a worthy pursuit, because very frequently God’s wisdom comes to us through another person’s words.

Our intimate moments with another soul are never accidental or inconsequential. We are like dancers in a ballet. Each of our movements has its complement in another’s movement. We have been drawn together to complete the story for one another. And it’s imperative to hear another’s words if we are to fulfill our very special role. We can know God’s will if we listen closely to the words of others.

We should remember that God is present always in our friends with the message our souls await.

Dear God, help me listen today to your message as it is expressed through my friends.

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

I want to succeed

I’ve tried to stop using alcohol and drugs many times on my own, and I’ve tried many ways. Here I am again, looking at yet another way, the Twelve Step fellowship. Sometimes I wonder, what’s the use? Why should I believe that this will work any better than the others?

Yet from what I’ve learned about the Steps in talking with my therapist about my using and recovery, I feel more open and willing. I’ve learned that: (a) The Twelve Step program is considered especially helpful for people with addiction. (b) At dual recovery meetings, for example, I would be with people who experience and understand my addiction and mental health problems, (c) At meetings, there’s no requirement (except to listen) and I will not be judged, (d) Since I’m tired of going it alone and failing, I might as well give the fellowship a try.

I will make a commitment to attend six Twelve Step meetings and give the program a chance to work for me.

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

The sweetest of all sounds is praise.

~ Xenophon ~

When we were little and had just learned a new skill such as tumbling head-over-heels in the grass, the first thing we wanted was for Mom or Dad to watch us do it. “Look at me… look what I can do,” we said. If we were lucky, our parents praised us, and we soaked it up and felt grand.

As small children, we knew we needed praise and we weren’t shy in seeking it. Sadly, as adults we often pretend we don’t need any praise, or else we feel we don’t deserve it. And even if we did deserve it, it wouldn’t be “proper” to ask.

But today we are learning that we do indeed deserve it, and it’s okay to want and seek recognition. If we can’t yet ask for it anywhere else, we can always find it in our fellowship. Soon, as we learn to ask for and accept praise, we also learn to praise ourselves and to value our own opinion as much as we do others’.

Today help me believe I deserve praise and give me the courage to ask for it.

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

One should eat to live, not live to eat.

~ Moliere ~

The stress of the holidays, combined with holiday gatherings offering delicious treats, can tempt you to over-indulge. When you consume too many sweets or junk food, your overall health can be affected.

You can satisfy your nutritional needs and boost your energy by planning meals that include a bright array of colorful fruits and vegetables. Depending on their color, fruits and vegetables offer a range of beneficial effects.

Green foods such as green beans, grapes, and dark leafy lettuces have antioxidants, promote vision, and reduce the risk of cancer. Orange and deep yellow produce such as carrots, peppers, and butternut squash strengthen the immune system and promote vision. Purple and blue foods such as eggplant, blackberries, and blueberries contain antioxidants, improve memory, and enhance urinary tract health. Red foods such as cranberries, strawberries, and red peppers offer heart-healthy benefits and may reduce some cancer risks.

If you cannot find fresh fruits, substitute frozen fruits and use as a topping for oatmeal or in a smoothie. Eat a balanced meal before you go to a gathering and then limit your intake of sweets and empty calories as you socialize.

I will pay attention to my nutritional needs to enhance my health and wellness.

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

We crucify ourselves between two thieves: regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.

~ Fulton Oursler ~

Some women who had been victims of violence banded together to “take back the night” in a series of public demonstrations. Rather than hold regret over the violence or their fear of what might happen, they chose to live in the moment with no fear or regrets.

Tonight we can “take back the night” from our own fears. This can mean easing our minds from the stress of the day so we can have a peaceful sleep. It can mean letting go of any fearful thoughts so we’re at peace in our homes. It can mean blocking out crazy thoughts that will make us toss and turn.

This night is ours. It’s our time for uninterrupted sleep, pleasant dreams, and gentle rest for our weary bodies.

Tomorrow will be waiting for me, after I’ve taken back the night to feel peace, trust, and serenity. 

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

Remembering

We are survivors! We lived long enough to let our Higher Power save our lives. We managed not to OD or die of cirrhosis, in a car accident, in jail, or by a bullet. We somehow avoided meeting these and countless other horrible ends associated with our disease.

By the grace of our Higher Power, we may never have to live in that world again. If we forget where we came from, let us visit the detox units of our local hospitals. We will be reminded by observing addicts with DTs, brain damage, and many other injuries resulting from the abuse of mind-altering chemicals.

Do I remember where I came from?

Higher Power, let me never forget where I came from and where I will return to if I fail to live by your principles.

Today I will recall the past by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

You do not notice changes in what is always before you.

~ COLETTE ~

Newcomer

My schedule has changed, and now I’m rarely able to go to the meetings where I got sober. It’s been a hard adjustment for me; I’m still not used to it. I know that it’s the same fellowship wherever we go, but nothing really feels the same to me as it did in early recovery.

Sponsor

When we make a major change in our lives, we sometimes feel as if we’re required to give up everything associated with the past, but there are ways of preserving connections we value. While you are reaching out to new friends, you may want to keep making phone calls to stay in touch with people who’ve been important in your early recovery.

Even if we can continue going to the meetings we went to in early recovery, things won’t always feel the same. Everything changes. As we and those around us grow, we experience meetings differently. We will also face different challenges; the problems we entered recovery with are not likely to be the ones that concern us a year later. Our lives in recovery are full of change, and far more often than in our past, the changes we experience are positive. The less we fight the necessity for change, the more easily we’ll go through it.

Today, I accept change as necessary and focus on its benefits. I celebrate the ways I’ve changed in recovery.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

The world is a looking glass; it returns to you what you give to it. All the world and everything in it are but reflections of yourself, and if the world doesn’t look good to you, rest assured, you don’t look good to the world.

The words of every person you meet are but an echo of your own, and wherever you go the world will be the same unless you, yourself, change.

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

1) Al-Anon: Keep your eyes on yourself.

2) Drink(ing,): Every drink you drank got you here. Every drink you don’t drink keeps you here.

3) Heal(ing): If you’re paining…you’re gaining; if you’re feeling…you’re healing.

by Shelly Marshall

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

Fear

Dear God, fear used to be my worst enemy when I was locked up in my addiction. It prevented me from living fully. It kept me standing still. I now see how fear kept me a prisoner of my addiction and character defects. I will share my fears with You and others in the Program. I pray to work to get past my fears.

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

—AND MEAN IT

Think of God. Review some of the things that you know to be true about Him—His perfect goodness, infinite intelligence, all presence, limitless power, unbound love, and so forth. Claim that God who is all those things, is with you—and believe it.

Read a few verses of Scripture or any spiritual book that helps you.

Say silently that you forgive everyone who may seem to need it; without exception or mental reservation—and mean it.

Ask God to forgive you for all mistakes you have ever made; and say you accept His forgiveness—and mean it.

Claim that God is now inspiring you, teaching you, and healing you. Claim that He is giving you the greatest of all gifts—HIMSELF—because, having Him, you will have everything else too.

Give thanks in advance for the peace of mind, the harmony, and the spiritual growth that is yours—and mean it.

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High (Psalm 50:14).

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

Look in My Eyes

The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions.

~ Cicero ~

While traveling in the West, Cheeah found a community and friends with whom she resonated deeply. After meditating on this feeling, she recognized that she was being guided by Spirit to move there and begin a new life. When Cheeah told her parents, friends, and business clients about her decision, many challenged her. Some told her she was crazy. Rather than argue with her critics, Cheeah simply told them, “Look in my eyes.”

The eyes never lie; they are indeed the windows of our soul. Your eyes speak for you in ways that words cannot. People who do not love or believe in themselves have a hard time looking others in the eye because they are afraid to look themselves in the eye. They fear that if they looked upon themselves directly, they would find an ugly, evil, or punishable person. This is not so. If you look at yourself or another long enough, you will pierce through the outer veils of fear and scattered thoughts and arrive at the jewel of the inner being.

Practice connecting with the eyes of others. You do not have to engage in a weighty staring contest; simply give others your full attention and eye contact. In this way, you will invite them to do the same, and your communication will deepen immensely.

We keep enemies by not looking at them, and we make friends by showing others who we are. Let your eyes reveal the riches of your soul.

Help me to see myself clearly and to be unafraid to show others who I really am.

I see clearly through the eyes of God, which are my own.