Twenty-Four Hours a Day Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012
AA Thought for the Day
It doesn't do much good to come to meetings only once in a while and sit around, hoping to get something out of the program. That's all right at first, but it won't help us very long. Sooner or later, we have to get into action by coming to meetings regularly, by giving a personal witness of our experience with alcohol and by trying to help other alcoholics. Building a new life takes all the energy that we used to spend on drinking.
Am I spending at least as much time and effort on the new life that I'm trying to build in AA?
Meditation for the Day
With God's help, I will build a protective screen around myself which will keep out all evil thoughts. I will fashion it out of my attitude toward God and my attitude toward other people. When one worrying or impatient thought enters my mind, I will put it out at once. I know that love and trust are the solvents for the worry and frets of life. I will use them to form a protective screen around me.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that frets and impatience and worry may not corrode my protective screen against all evil thoughts. I pray that I may banish all these from my life.
Hazelden Foundation
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Jan. 17, 2012 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012
Reflection for the Day
I have been told over and over that I must constantly work to give up my old ideas. "That's easy for you to say," I've sometimes thought. All my life, I have been programmed, computer-style; specific inputs brought forth predictable responses. My mind still tends to react as a computer reacts, but I am learning to destroy the old tapes and literally reprogram myself.
Am I fully willing to abandon my old ideas? Am I being fearless and thorough on a daily basis?
Today I Pray
Help me to take inventory each day of my stock of my new, healthy thoughts, throwing out the old ones as I happen upon them without regret or nostalgia. For I have outgrown those old ideas which are as scuffed and run-over as an old pair of shoes. Now, in the light, I can see that they are filled with holes.
Today I Will Remember
The Program reprograms.
Hazelden Foundation
Reflection for the Day
I have been told over and over that I must constantly work to give up my old ideas. "That's easy for you to say," I've sometimes thought. All my life, I have been programmed, computer-style; specific inputs brought forth predictable responses. My mind still tends to react as a computer reacts, but I am learning to destroy the old tapes and literally reprogram myself.
Am I fully willing to abandon my old ideas? Am I being fearless and thorough on a daily basis?
Today I Pray
Help me to take inventory each day of my stock of my new, healthy thoughts, throwing out the old ones as I happen upon them without regret or nostalgia. For I have outgrown those old ideas which are as scuffed and run-over as an old pair of shoes. Now, in the light, I can see that they are filled with holes.
Today I Will Remember
The Program reprograms.
Hazelden Foundation
Jan. 17, 2012 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012
In our Serenity Prayer, we accept with patience the things we cannot change in full knowledge that all emanates from God and is, therefore, Good, whether we recognize it as such or not. The courage to change the things we can, knowing full well that we are the instrumentalities through which God works. The knowledge to differentiate between the two is that to which we all aspire.
No longer can THINGS drive us to drink, for THINGS are something outside our being and can only enter our hearts and minds if we admit them. Our experience has taught us that our greatest misfortunes were frequently our ultimate good - even our years of drunken torture were a blessing in disguise, for only by this means would we have found our bigger and better way of life.
Hazelden Foundation
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012
In our Serenity Prayer, we accept with patience the things we cannot change in full knowledge that all emanates from God and is, therefore, Good, whether we recognize it as such or not. The courage to change the things we can, knowing full well that we are the instrumentalities through which God works. The knowledge to differentiate between the two is that to which we all aspire.
No longer can THINGS drive us to drink, for THINGS are something outside our being and can only enter our hearts and minds if we admit them. Our experience has taught us that our greatest misfortunes were frequently our ultimate good - even our years of drunken torture were a blessing in disguise, for only by this means would we have found our bigger and better way of life.
Hazelden Foundation
Monday, January 16, 2012
Jan. 16, 2012 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Monday, Jan. 16, 2012
"Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." - Step Four
Just for today, if not one of the most "feared" of the 12 Steps, one of the most intimidating. In even hoping to take on this one productively and honestly, I must be certain within myself that I have exercised Steps One, Two and Three to the best of my ability because, if I haven't, the consequences of taking on the Fourth could be devastating. In beginning the Fourth, may I have the wisdom to ask my Higher Power for the courage, strength, honesty and objectivity to be as searching as I can. And let me remember that the Fourth asks a moral inventory, not an immoral one, and of myself and not of another person. And making it objective is the reason I should take it with a sponsor or, at least, someone I trust unconditionally. Today, my inventory will be "searching" and, however, intimidating, "fearless." And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012
Monday, Jan. 16, 2012
"Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." - Step Four
Just for today, if not one of the most "feared" of the 12 Steps, one of the most intimidating. In even hoping to take on this one productively and honestly, I must be certain within myself that I have exercised Steps One, Two and Three to the best of my ability because, if I haven't, the consequences of taking on the Fourth could be devastating. In beginning the Fourth, may I have the wisdom to ask my Higher Power for the courage, strength, honesty and objectivity to be as searching as I can. And let me remember that the Fourth asks a moral inventory, not an immoral one, and of myself and not of another person. And making it objective is the reason I should take it with a sponsor or, at least, someone I trust unconditionally. Today, my inventory will be "searching" and, however, intimidating, "fearless." And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012
Jan. 16, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Monday, Jan. 16, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
I've made mistakes and will continue to make mistakes.
Everybody makes mistakes. The difference now is that I can see them more clearly afterward, and I am not living in denial about them.
If I become too critical of myself when I do make a mistake, I can remind myself that it's part of being human. I can remind myself that it's a learning experience and a mistake I won't make so easily in the future. Mistakes are not made intentionally, but they are errors caused by a lack of information or lack of attention.
Today I pay attention more than ever before and have more information than I ever have had. Mistakes will still happen, but they probably won't be as serious or dangerous as they were in my past. I can allow myself to make mistakes, understanding that when I give myself this freedom, I am accepting myself for who I am and loving myself unconditionally.
Time to Fly Free © 2001 by Judith R. Smith. All rights reserved.
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
I've made mistakes and will continue to make mistakes.
Everybody makes mistakes. The difference now is that I can see them more clearly afterward, and I am not living in denial about them.
If I become too critical of myself when I do make a mistake, I can remind myself that it's part of being human. I can remind myself that it's a learning experience and a mistake I won't make so easily in the future. Mistakes are not made intentionally, but they are errors caused by a lack of information or lack of attention.
Today I pay attention more than ever before and have more information than I ever have had. Mistakes will still happen, but they probably won't be as serious or dangerous as they were in my past. I can allow myself to make mistakes, understanding that when I give myself this freedom, I am accepting myself for who I am and loving myself unconditionally.
From the book:
Time to Fly Free © 2001 by Judith R. Smith. All rights reserved.
Jan. 16, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Monday, Jan. 16, 2012
AA Thought for the Day
The AA program is more a way of building a new life than just a way of getting over drinking because, in AA, we don't just stop drinking. We did that plenty of times in the old days when we "went on the wagon." And, of course, we always started to drink again because we were only waiting for the time when we could fall off. Once we've got sober through the AA program, we start going uphill. In our drinking days, we were going downhill, getting worse and worse. We either go down or up.
Am I going uphill, getting better and better?
Meditation for the Day
I will try to obey God's will day in and day out, in the wilderness plains as well as on the mountaintops of experience. It is in the daily strivings that perseverence counts. I believe that God is Lord of little things, the Divine Controller of little happenings. I will persevere in this new way of life. I know that nothing in the day is too small to be part of God's scheme.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that the little stone which I put into the mosaic of my life may make a worthwhile pattern. I pray that I may persevere and so find harmony and beauty.
Hazelden Foundation
Monday, Jan. 16, 2012
AA Thought for the Day
The AA program is more a way of building a new life than just a way of getting over drinking because, in AA, we don't just stop drinking. We did that plenty of times in the old days when we "went on the wagon." And, of course, we always started to drink again because we were only waiting for the time when we could fall off. Once we've got sober through the AA program, we start going uphill. In our drinking days, we were going downhill, getting worse and worse. We either go down or up.
Am I going uphill, getting better and better?
Meditation for the Day
I will try to obey God's will day in and day out, in the wilderness plains as well as on the mountaintops of experience. It is in the daily strivings that perseverence counts. I believe that God is Lord of little things, the Divine Controller of little happenings. I will persevere in this new way of life. I know that nothing in the day is too small to be part of God's scheme.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that the little stone which I put into the mosaic of my life may make a worthwhile pattern. I pray that I may persevere and so find harmony and beauty.
Hazelden Foundation
Jan. 16, 2012 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Monday, Jan. 16, 2012
Reflection for the Day
When we first came to The Program, whether for ourselves or under pressure from others, some of us were all but sickened by the concept of "surrender." To admit defeat flew in the face of our lifelong beliefs. We thought of the immortal rallying cries of Churchill at Dunkirk, of FDR following the attack on Pearl Harbor. And so we secretly vowed, at first, that the very idea of surrender was unthinkable.
Have I truly come to believe that only through utter defeat am I able to take the first steps toward liberation and strength? Or do I still harbor reservations about the principle of "letting go and letting God ...?"
Today I Pray
May I really believe that the complete surrender of my whole being to a Higher Power is the way to serenity. For I can be whole only in Him, who has the power to make me whole. May I do away with any feelings of wanting to "hold out" and never admit defeat. May I unlearn the old adage which tells me that I must "never give up" and realize that such pridefulness could keep me from recovery.
Today I Will Remember
From Wholly His to Whole.
Hazelden Foundation
Monday, Jan. 16, 2012
Reflection for the Day
When we first came to The Program, whether for ourselves or under pressure from others, some of us were all but sickened by the concept of "surrender." To admit defeat flew in the face of our lifelong beliefs. We thought of the immortal rallying cries of Churchill at Dunkirk, of FDR following the attack on Pearl Harbor. And so we secretly vowed, at first, that the very idea of surrender was unthinkable.
Have I truly come to believe that only through utter defeat am I able to take the first steps toward liberation and strength? Or do I still harbor reservations about the principle of "letting go and letting God ...?"
Today I Pray
May I really believe that the complete surrender of my whole being to a Higher Power is the way to serenity. For I can be whole only in Him, who has the power to make me whole. May I do away with any feelings of wanting to "hold out" and never admit defeat. May I unlearn the old adage which tells me that I must "never give up" and realize that such pridefulness could keep me from recovery.
Today I Will Remember
From Wholly His to Whole.
Hazelden Foundation
Jan. 16, 2012 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Monday, Jan. 16, 2012
We are definitely what we think - as a man thinketh, so is he. The trick for all of us is to cull out of our thinking those thoughts that are injurious to us and to retain those that are beneficial.
We conceive our own thoughts, we give them birth, we nourish and sustain them - they are our brain children. Our lives become intertwined with them, and their influence on us and our behavior is enormous.
The thoughts we have must be purely conceived, carefully trained, well disciplined and encouraged. In so doing, we surround ourselves with a group of brain children whose influence on our lives brings the happy results we can hopefully expect.
Hazelden Foundation
Monday, Jan. 16, 2012
We are definitely what we think - as a man thinketh, so is he. The trick for all of us is to cull out of our thinking those thoughts that are injurious to us and to retain those that are beneficial.
We conceive our own thoughts, we give them birth, we nourish and sustain them - they are our brain children. Our lives become intertwined with them, and their influence on us and our behavior is enormous.
The thoughts we have must be purely conceived, carefully trained, well disciplined and encouraged. In so doing, we surround ourselves with a group of brain children whose influence on our lives brings the happy results we can hopefully expect.
Hazelden Foundation
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Jan. 15, 2012 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012
"Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him." - Step Three
Just for today, for the alcoholic stumbling out of the fog of an extended drunk, there could be a problem with the use of the word "God" with a capital "G" and the reference to Him, with a capital "H." "God" and "Him" might smack of religious connotations, a potential turnoff to the person new to the Program. But recovery is a spiritual, not a religious, process, and the God referenced here could be the "Power" evoked in Step Two - and that power stronger than ourselves could be something as simple as our awakening to the reality that we could not sober up on our own. But Step Three requires another action - surrendering to something unseen but which, by sheer faith, is stronger than us. Step Three is the third, preceded by Steps One and Two, that leads us to the admission that we are powerless over what we cannot control and have come to believe in a Power greater than ourselves - and then deciding to entrust ourselves to the care of that stronger Power. Today, my decision is to turn my will and my life over to that force that I trust - on sheer faith - will handle me better than I ever could. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012
Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012
"Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him." - Step Three
Just for today, for the alcoholic stumbling out of the fog of an extended drunk, there could be a problem with the use of the word "God" with a capital "G" and the reference to Him, with a capital "H." "God" and "Him" might smack of religious connotations, a potential turnoff to the person new to the Program. But recovery is a spiritual, not a religious, process, and the God referenced here could be the "Power" evoked in Step Two - and that power stronger than ourselves could be something as simple as our awakening to the reality that we could not sober up on our own. But Step Three requires another action - surrendering to something unseen but which, by sheer faith, is stronger than us. Step Three is the third, preceded by Steps One and Two, that leads us to the admission that we are powerless over what we cannot control and have come to believe in a Power greater than ourselves - and then deciding to entrust ourselves to the care of that stronger Power. Today, my decision is to turn my will and my life over to that force that I trust - on sheer faith - will handle me better than I ever could. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012
Jan. 15, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012
AA Thought for the Day
The AA program is a way of life. It's a way of living and we have to learn to live the program if we're going to stay sober. The Twelve Steps in the book are like guideposts. They point the direction in which we have to go. But all members of the group have to find their own best way to live the program. We don't all do it exactly alike. Whether by quiet times in the morning, meetings, working with others or spreading the word, we have to learn to live the program.
Has the AA way become my regular, natural way of living?
Meditation for the Day
I will relax and not get tense. I will have no fear because everything will work out in the end. I will learn soul-balance and poise in a vacillating, changing world. I will claim God's power and use it because if I do not use it, it will be withdrawn. As long as I get back to God and replenish my strength after each task, no work can be too much.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may relax and that God's strength will be given to me. I pray that I may subject my will to God's will and be free from all tenseness.
Hazelden Foundation
Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012
AA Thought for the Day
The AA program is a way of life. It's a way of living and we have to learn to live the program if we're going to stay sober. The Twelve Steps in the book are like guideposts. They point the direction in which we have to go. But all members of the group have to find their own best way to live the program. We don't all do it exactly alike. Whether by quiet times in the morning, meetings, working with others or spreading the word, we have to learn to live the program.
Has the AA way become my regular, natural way of living?
Meditation for the Day
I will relax and not get tense. I will have no fear because everything will work out in the end. I will learn soul-balance and poise in a vacillating, changing world. I will claim God's power and use it because if I do not use it, it will be withdrawn. As long as I get back to God and replenish my strength after each task, no work can be too much.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may relax and that God's strength will be given to me. I pray that I may subject my will to God's will and be free from all tenseness.
Hazelden Foundation
Jan. 15, 2012 - A Day at a Time
A Day at a Time
Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012
Reflection for the Day
I must never forget who and what I am and where I come from. I have to remember the nature of my illness and what it was like before I came to The Program. I'll try to keep the memory green, yet not spend my time dwelling morbidly on the past. I won't be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful, and to believe that as I give to others, so others will give to me.
Can I ever afford to forget what it used to be like, even for one minute?
Today I Pray
May I never forget the painful days of my addiction. May I never forget that the same misery awaits me if I should slip back into the old patterns. At the same time, may such backwards glances serve only to bolster my own present strength and the strength of others like me. Please, God, do not let me dredge up these recollections in order to outdo or "out-drunk" my fellow members. Like others who are chemically dependent, I must be wary of my desire to be centerstage in the spotlight.
Today I Will Remember
I do more when I don't "outdo."
Hazelden Foundation
Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012
Reflection for the Day
I must never forget who and what I am and where I come from. I have to remember the nature of my illness and what it was like before I came to The Program. I'll try to keep the memory green, yet not spend my time dwelling morbidly on the past. I won't be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful, and to believe that as I give to others, so others will give to me.
Can I ever afford to forget what it used to be like, even for one minute?
Today I Pray
May I never forget the painful days of my addiction. May I never forget that the same misery awaits me if I should slip back into the old patterns. At the same time, may such backwards glances serve only to bolster my own present strength and the strength of others like me. Please, God, do not let me dredge up these recollections in order to outdo or "out-drunk" my fellow members. Like others who are chemically dependent, I must be wary of my desire to be centerstage in the spotlight.
Today I Will Remember
I do more when I don't "outdo."
Hazelden Foundation
Jan. 15, 2012 - The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener
Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012
Looking back at our ambitions and aspirations, we can recall many things we wanted and which we thought would make our lives complete. Some of them were impossible; they were the offspring of childish dreams and, later on, alcoholic wishing. Some of those things were possible for others but unattainable for us with our limited abilities.
We can now accept the fact that those things were not for us and wouldn't have been good for us if we had had them. Some of them we obtained and wished we hadn't. Their realizations were nothing compared to our expectations and, the more we got, the more we wanted. Ambitions were never realized because the more we advanced, the more the horizons receded.
Hazelden Foundation
Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012
Looking back at our ambitions and aspirations, we can recall many things we wanted and which we thought would make our lives complete. Some of them were impossible; they were the offspring of childish dreams and, later on, alcoholic wishing. Some of those things were possible for others but unattainable for us with our limited abilities.
We can now accept the fact that those things were not for us and wouldn't have been good for us if we had had them. Some of them we obtained and wished we hadn't. Their realizations were nothing compared to our expectations and, the more we got, the more we wanted. Ambitions were never realized because the more we advanced, the more the horizons receded.
Hazelden Foundation
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Jan. 14, 2012 - Just for Today
Just for Today
Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012
"Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity." - Step Two
Just for tdoay, I tried it my way, and it didn't work - frequently. But what "power" if not me. If I cannot believe in either a religious or secular "god," can I believe that the greater power is as simple as my own self-awakening to the powerlessness that I have admitted in Step One? If I can, I must accept that the phrase "restore us to sanity" implies I am insane. Am I? If I define insanity as expecting or hoping for a better outcome of repeat behavior that has always led to the same outcome, then, yes, I am insane. Today, the power greater than myself can be as simple as my own awakening to my powerlessness, and I can hope that same power can pull me from the insanity of the myth of a better outcome of conduct that has always led to disastrous results. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012
Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012
"Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity." - Step Two
Just for tdoay, I tried it my way, and it didn't work - frequently. But what "power" if not me. If I cannot believe in either a religious or secular "god," can I believe that the greater power is as simple as my own self-awakening to the powerlessness that I have admitted in Step One? If I can, I must accept that the phrase "restore us to sanity" implies I am insane. Am I? If I define insanity as expecting or hoping for a better outcome of repeat behavior that has always led to the same outcome, then, yes, I am insane. Today, the power greater than myself can be as simple as my own awakening to my powerlessness, and I can hope that same power can pull me from the insanity of the myth of a better outcome of conduct that has always led to disastrous results. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012
Jan. 14, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden
Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
I left because there was no room for me. But you could tell me not to go. Say it to me. Tell me not to go. -- Stephen Sondheim Sunday in the Park with George
To leave someone we love is to knowingly break a vital connection. Even if we chose to leave, we wonder why it often hurts so much. But the heart isn't logical; it feels the trauma of the loss and the responsibility of being the one to say good-bye.
Love is a process; it doesn't end because we say good-bye. No matter how painful or harmful a relationship was, there were good things about it, just as there were lovable things about the other person. The challenge is to accept with grace the choice we've made and to forgive whatever hurt we've received. We can refuse to indulge in self-righteousness or indignation. Those feelings are born out of the illusion of power that comes with being the one who leaves. Most of all, we can grieve the loss and then let go of the person we loved so that we can heal.
I have to break some relationships because it is healthier for my recovery. Still, I can hurt and grieve over the loss of those relationships.
Answers in the Heart © 1989 by P. Williamson and S. Kiser. All rights reserved.
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
I left because there was no room for me. But you could tell me not to go. Say it to me. Tell me not to go. -- Stephen Sondheim Sunday in the Park with George
To leave someone we love is to knowingly break a vital connection. Even if we chose to leave, we wonder why it often hurts so much. But the heart isn't logical; it feels the trauma of the loss and the responsibility of being the one to say good-bye.
Love is a process; it doesn't end because we say good-bye. No matter how painful or harmful a relationship was, there were good things about it, just as there were lovable things about the other person. The challenge is to accept with grace the choice we've made and to forgive whatever hurt we've received. We can refuse to indulge in self-righteousness or indignation. Those feelings are born out of the illusion of power that comes with being the one who leaves. Most of all, we can grieve the loss and then let go of the person we loved so that we can heal.
I have to break some relationships because it is healthier for my recovery. Still, I can hurt and grieve over the loss of those relationships.
From the book:
Answers in the Heart © 1989 by P. Williamson and S. Kiser. All rights reserved.
Jan. 14, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012
AA Thought for the Day
When we first came into AA, a sboer life seemed strange. We wondered what life could possibly be like without ever taking a drink. At first, a sober life seemed unnatural. But the longer we're in AA, the more natural this way of life seems. And now we know that the life we're living in AA, the sobriety, the fellowship, the faith in God and the trying to help each other, is the most natural way we could possibly live.
Meditation for the Day
I will learn to overcome myself, because every blow to selfishness is used to shape the real, eternal, unperishable me. As I overcome myself, I gain that power which God releases in my soul. And I, too, will be victorious. It is not the difficulties of life that I have to conquer so much as my own selfishness.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may obey God and walk with Him and listen to Him. I pray that I may strive to overcome my own selfishness.
Hazelden Foundation
Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012
AA Thought for the Day
When we first came into AA, a sboer life seemed strange. We wondered what life could possibly be like without ever taking a drink. At first, a sober life seemed unnatural. But the longer we're in AA, the more natural this way of life seems. And now we know that the life we're living in AA, the sobriety, the fellowship, the faith in God and the trying to help each other, is the most natural way we could possibly live.
Meditation for the Day
I will learn to overcome myself, because every blow to selfishness is used to shape the real, eternal, unperishable me. As I overcome myself, I gain that power which God releases in my soul. And I, too, will be victorious. It is not the difficulties of life that I have to conquer so much as my own selfishness.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may obey God and walk with Him and listen to Him. I pray that I may strive to overcome my own selfishness.
Hazelden Foundation
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