May 26, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Saturday, May 26, 2012

" ...We realized that the people who wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick. Though we did not like their symptoms and the way these disturbed us, they, like ourselves, were sick too. We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 5, pp 66-7.

Just for today, the words of the Big Book strike a profound chord as they apply to letting go or at least to handling resentments and other ill feelings I might harbor for someone else: I cannot justify feeling anger and anything else bad against anyone else if I hope or expect no one to have such feelings against me. If I claim spiritual dis-ease as the root of my own misconduct, I have to afford the same to those who have offended me. While I might never grow to the point that I like those who I believe - rightly or not - have offended me, I need to at least work toward purging dreams of revenge or hopes that something bad befalls someone else. Just for today, as I hope no one wishes me ill, I cannot justify hoping the worst for someone else. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

May 26, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Today's thought from Hazelden is:

Today I will rest. I've been doing a lot of emotional work, and now it's time for a break. Do I cry easily? Am I quick to become angry? Have I been depressed?

It's normal for my emotions to be close to the surface when I'm doing emotional work. I will allow myself my emotions. I can tell my children or loved ones that I may be feeling more sensitive or vulnerable lately. I can ask for their support and patience. I don't have to share my healing process with them if I choose not to.

Today I will be gentle with myself, knowing that I'm exactly where I need to be – free.

From the book:

Time to Fly Free by Judith R. Smith

Time to Fly Free © 2001 by Judith R. Smith. All rights reserved.

May 26, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

A Day at a Time
Saturday, May 26, 2012

Reflection for the Day
I know today that I no longer have to proceed on my own. I've learned that it's safer, more sensible and surer to move forward with friends who are going in the same direction as I. None of us need feel shame at using help, since we all help each other. It's no more a sign of weakness to use help in recovering from my addiction than it is to use a crutch if I have a broken leg. To those who need it, and to those who see its usefulness, a crutch is a beautiful thing.

Do I sometimes still refuse to accept easily-obtained assistance?

Today I Pray
God make me see that it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, that the comraderie of the group is what makes it work for each of us. Like a vaccine for diptheria or polio, The Program and the strength of the group have proved themselves as preventives for slips and backsliding. Praise God for the tools of recovery.

Today I Will Remember
Help is as near as my telephone.

Hazelden Foundation

May 26, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Saturday, May 26, 2012

Reflection for the Day
I know today that I no longer have to proceed on my own. I've learned that it's safer, more sensible and surer to move forward with friends who are going in the same direction as I. None of us need feel shame at using help, since we all help each other. It's no more a sign of weakness to use help in recovering from my addiction than it is to use a crutch if I have a broken leg. To those who need it, and to those who see its usefulness, a crutch is a beautiful thing.

Do I sometimes still refuse to accept easily-obtained assistance?

Today I Pray
God make me see that it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, that the comraderie of the group is what makes it work for each of us. Like a vaccine for diptheria or polio, The Program and the strength of the group have proved themselves as preventives for slips and backsliding. Praise God for the tools of recovery.

Today I Will Remember
Help is as near as my telephone.

Hazelden Foundation

May 26, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Saturday, May 26, 2012

Doubt is the opposite of Faith. No man has either one completely, but even those of little faith have by far more faith than doubt. He may not admit a belief in God or the inherent good in mankind, but still there are numberless things in which he has no doubt.

If he did not have some faith, he would be afraid to go to sleep for fear he wouldn't waken; he would refuse to eat a meal unless he cooked it himself. He would be afraid to leave his wife to go to work or to leave his job to return to his wife for fear they would not be there when he returned.

Reduced to its simplest form, life is good or bad in proportion to our faith and our doubts.

Hazelden Foundation

May 25, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Friday, May 25, 2012

"The remorse, horror and hopelessness of the next morning are unforgettable. The courage to do battle was no there. (The) brain raced uncontrollably and there was a terrible sense of impending calamity. ...(A) mental fog settle down. Gin would fix that. So two bottles, and - oblivion." - Alcoholics Anonymous, Third Edition, 1976, Ch 1, p 6.

Just for today, I can be grateful that I awoke to a day without the remorse of what I might have done or said the night before, without a sense of hopelessness of what this new day will bring and without the fear of some unknown and unidentified pending disaster that feels like a bomb is about to explode and I don't know where to hide. Today, I have clarity of all I said and did last night, no dread of what these 24 Hours will serve and no need to run from a non-existent fear. My AA Program has empowered me with faith and trust in God who, in turn, has graced me with confidence and safety in the 12 Steps and, above all, with sobriety. But I cannot take for granted that I awoke to this day sober and with a sense of purpose. My reprieve from all those morning after's of so many yesterdays is only for this day, and this day I must continue to work that I awaken to the next 24 Hours without "remorse, horror and hopelessness." And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

May 25, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Friday, May 25, 2012

Today's thought from Hazelden is:

I don't do what I do just so people will think kindly of me. I like doing what I do. -- Janice Clark

We're lucky if we like everything that we do. But many of us have to develop a willingness to like many of the activities we're involved in. Is that unusual? Probably not. Nor does it matter. Acting as if we enjoy a menial task or an unusual pursuit offers us a different perspective on it. Just looking at it through more willing eyes changes not just how we see it, but how we feel about it. Often we discover that we can enjoy that which we dreaded before.

Because we wanted to be liked, and it's human nature to want that, we often volunteered for committees, for jobs, for assignments of all kinds that we didn't want to do. There's no shame in that. But at long last, we can dare to be more selective about what we'll do.

We are needed. That's why we're still alive. And while not everybody likes us, those currently in our circle of acquaintances need us and we need them. The work that is yet to be done relies on all of us. Pitching in begins to feel good when we have the right attitude.

I don't have to like everything I need to do today, but I'll feel more open to all the tasks if I remember they need my input.

From the book:

Keepers of the Wisdom by Karen Casey

Keepers of the Wisdom © 1996 by Karen Casey. All rights reserved.

May 25, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Friday, May 25, 2012

AA Thought for the Day
In Twelfth-Step work, the third thing is conviction. Prospects must be convinced that they honestly want to stop drinking. They must see and admit that their life is unmanageable. They must face the fact that they must do something about their drinking. They must be absolutely honest with themselves and face themselves as they really are. They must be convinced that they must give up drinking and they must see that their whole life depends on this conviction.

Do I care enough about other alcoholics to help them reach this conviction?

Meditation for the Day
There is no limit to what you can accomplish in helping others. Keep that thought always. Never relinquish any work or give up the thought of any accomplishment because it seems beyond your power. God will help you in all good work. Only give it up if you feel that it's not God's will for you. In helping others, think of the tiny seed under the dark, hard ground. There is no certainty that, when it has forced its way up to the surface, sunlight and warmth will greet it. Often a task seems beyond your power, but there is no limit to what you can accomplish with God's help.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may never become discouraged in helping others. I pray that I may always rely on the power of God to help me.

Hazelden Foundation

May 25, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Friday, May 25, 2012

Reflection for the Day
When we're new in The Program, we're novices at reaching out for friendship - or even accepting it when it's offered. Sometimes we're not quite sure how to do it or, indeed, whether it will actually work. Gradually, however, we become restored; we become teachable. We learn, for example, as Moliere wrote, "The more we love our friends, the less we flatter them."

Just for today, will I not show anyone that my feelings are hurt?

Today I Pray
May God help me to discover what true friendship is. In my new relationships, I pray that I may not be so eager for approval that I will let myself be dishonest - through flattery, half-truths, false cheeriness, protective white lies.

Today I Will Remember
A friend is honest.

Hazelden Foundation

May 24, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Thursday, May 24, 2012

"Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family back. This just isn't so. In some cases, the (spouse) will never come back ...(R)ecovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God." - Alcoholics Anonymous, Third Edition, 1976, Ch 7, pp 99-100.

Just for today, grant me understanding of why my alcoholism, sobriety and recovery are dependent only on me and that I cannot make my recovery a condition of what someone else does or how some situation plays out. Just as none of those dynamics can be "blamed" for my alcoholic drinking, neither can they be the reason for my recovery. To place conditions of my sobriety or someone or something else does little more than substantiate my refusal to take responsibility and consequence and exert emotional blackmail on an external source that I cannot or will not stop drinking if I don't get from them what I want. Today, my addiction, my character defect, my soul sickness are my responsibility, the result of my reckless and selfish behavior, and no one else's fault; likewise, no one and nothing outside of me is responsible for my recovery. And if addiction is as selfish as the Program says, then so it is for my recovery. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012

May 24, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Today's thought from Hazelden is:

Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.
-- Ursula K. Le Guin

In the first phases of a relationship, everything is new and exciting. It seems as though nothing could ever go wrong.

Yet as we move out of this "honeymoon" phase of the relationship, problems begin. Suddenly we notice things about the other person that bother us. We seem to have more disagreements and more difficulties that take longer to solve. We may even silently choose corners, put up walls, and back away from each other.

It's easy at this stage to want to end the relationship. But now is when the outcome of the relationship is most critical. If we run away from renewing our love and rebuilding the foundations of trust and faith in each other, we will deprive our love of its nourishment for growth. Love takes constant work and needs plenty of patience. Each day can reveal a new layer of love; each stage in a relationship moves us to a new plateau. But only if we are willing.

I can look at my relationships and see the potential for growth. Help me renew my feelings of love through faith.

From the book:

Night Light by Amy E. Dean

Night Light by Amy E. Dean. © 1986, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.

May 24, 2012 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Thursday, May 24, 2012

AA Thought for the Day
In Twelfth-Step work, the second thing is confession. By frankly sharing with prospects, we get them talking about their own experiences. They will open up and confess things to us that they haven't been able to tell other people. And they feel better when this confession has been made. It's a great load off their minds to get these things out and into the open. It's the things that are kept hidden that weigh on the mind. They feel a sense of release and freedom when they have opened up their hearts to us.

Do I care enough about other alcoholics to help them to make a confession?

Meditation for the Day
I should help others all I can. Every troubled soul that God puts in my path is the one for me to help. As I sincerely try to help, a supply of strength will flow into me from God. My circle of helpfulness will widen more and more. God hands out the spiritual food to me and I pass it on to others. I must never say that I have only enough strength for my own need. The more I give away, the more I will keep. That which I keep to myself, I will lose in the end.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may have a sincere willingness to give. I pray that I may not hold back the strength I have received for myself alone.

Hazelden Foundation

May 24, 2012 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Thursday, May 24, 2012

Reflection for the Day
Getting over years of suspicion and other self-protective mechanisms can hardly be an overnight process. We've become thoroughly conditioned to feeling and acting misunderstood and unloved - whether we really were or not. Some of us may need time and practice to break out of our shell and the seemingly comfortable familiarity of solitude. Even though we begin to believe and know we're no longer alone, we tend to sometimes feel and act in the old ways.

Am I taking it easy? Am I learning to wear The Program and life like a loose garment?

Today I Pray
May I expect no sudden, total reversal of all my old traits. My sobriety is just a beginning. May I realize that the symptoms of my disease will wear off gradually. If I slip back, now and then, into my old self-pity bag or my grandiosity, may I not be discouraged but grateful. At last, I can face myself honestly and not let my delusions get the best of me.

Today I Will Remember
Easy does it.

Hazelden Foundation

May 24, 2012 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Thursday, May 24, 2012

The only impossible thing in the world is a full conception of the things that are possible.

Within the limits of our lifetime, we have seen many marvels: the transmission of sound and pictures across the continent without visible means; we cook and freeze with the same unit of energy; man can now exert a force of 20,000 tons simply by pushing a button. Nothing seems beyond the vision of the scientist in his study and use of the unlimited forces of Nature.

The power of God, however, is still virgin territory. Man hasn't scratched the surface in his efforts to put this force to work for man. When this is accomplished, the word "impossible" will not be in anybody's dictionary.

Hazelden Foundation

May 23, 2012 - Just for Today

Just for Today
Wednesday, May 23, 2012

"It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. ...But with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave. We found that it is fatal." - Alcoholics Anonymous, Third Edition, 1976, Ch 5, p 66

Just for today, I will understand and accept that resentments are both futile and unhappy and, by holding onto them, other words in the Big Book are gospel: " ...(H)arboring such (resentment), we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit. The insanity of alcohol returns and we drink again. And with us, to drink is to die." Because I cannot afford to empower anything so strongly that my sobriety and, subsequently, my life are imperiled, I will listen to my Higher Power for the Way to release to Him my resentments without taking them back. By holding onto and later taking back resentment, I must follow the Big Book's conclusion that I am still spiritually sick and that the sickness can magnify to trigger a slip or relapse. Today, I beg in sincerity and humility for the courage, strength, willingness and humility to release that which I cannot control. And our common journey continues. Just for today. - Chris M., 2012