admin
10-11-2008, 10:32 PM
Wisdom for Today
There was no way that I ever would have learned how to stay clean and sober on my own. All I wanted to do was get wasted. I wanted to drink and use more than anything else. If I ever was going to get into recovery and stay there, I had to learn to want something else more than I wanted to get high. I had no idea what it would be like to live life without drugs and alcohol. I thought it would be boring. I thought it would be painful. I thought it would be lonely. At first I know that it simply was faith that kept me clean and sober -- faith that there could be a better way to live my life. I don't think I really believed that I could be happy, but it had to be better than the self-destructive insanity that I was living in.
As I started to go to meetings, I saw over and over that the people there were happy. Yes, many of them still had problems; but they were happy. Slowly I began to want what they had. I wanted to find that inner peace, and I wanted to find out how they got it. I began to want recovery more than I wanted to get high. I began to want to go to meetings more than I wanted to go to the tavern. Soon I found that my life was going better. I no longer dreaded waking up in the morning. I actually began to look forward to the day. I looked forward to going to meetings. I began to enjoy the camaraderie of the fellowship. I felt like I belonged. I felt like people really cared about me. I also began to feel like God really cared about me. I began to really like what was happening to me, and I wanted to keep it more than I wanted to drink or use. Do I want recovery more than I want my addiction?
Meditations for the Heart
Impatience was something that followed me into recovery. I had walked though life in a very self-centered manner. My attitude was, "I want what I want, and I want it right now." Learning to wait was hard for me. I never liked standing in line, unless I was first in line. I never could wait till my next party-time. I always wanted it now. My sponsor encouraged me to begin to pray for patience. Then one day it seemed as if everything that could go wrong did. Family problems, car problems and work problems all in the same day! That night I went to a meeting and told everyone there about the miserable day I had. I wanted my friends to feel sorry for me. As people around the tables began to comment, each of them talked about similar bad days and how the program helped them. Then this old-timer, sitting across from me, said, "It sounds like God gave you many opportunities today to practice patience." Not what I wanted to hear, but it was what I needed to hear! My impatience through the day made me miserable. It was me that had made things so bad, not the events of the day. Have I learned to be quietly patient?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Some days I just want to throw in the towel. I feel like giving up. On the days that I struggle, remind me that You have a plan for me. Teach me to be patient and wait for Your will to be done in my life. Strengthen my faith each day that life in recovery will indeed make my life better. Give me that inner peace I seek.
Amen.
-----
NA Just For Today
Being Right
"When we admit that our lives have become unmanageable, we don't have to argue our point of view... We no longer have to be right all the time."
Basic Text p. 56
Nothing isolates us more quickly from the warmth and camaraderie of our fellow NA members than having to be "right." Insecure, we pretend to be some kind of authority figure. Suffering from low self-esteem, we try to build ourselves up by putting others down. At best, such tactics push others away from us; at worst, they draw attack. The more we try to impress others with how "right" we are, the more wrong we become.
We don't have to be "right" to be secure; we don't have to pretend to have all the answers for others to love or respect us. In fact, just the opposite is true. None of us have all the answers. We depend upon one another to help bridge the gaps in our understanding of things, and we depend upon a Power greater than our own to make up for our personal powerlessness. We live easily with others when we offer what we know, admit what we don't, and seek to learn from our peers. We live securely in ourselves when we cease relying on our own power and start relying on the God we've come to understand in recovery.
We don't have to be "right" all the time, just recovering.
Just for today: God, I admit my powerlessness and the unmanageability of my life. Help me live with others as an equal, dependent upon you for direction and strength.
pg. 298
-----
October 12 - Daily Feast
The path to the woods is soft and silent underfoot. Wet leaves pad the ground beneath the trees and bright patches of green moss cover every rock. Many plants in sheltered places thrive even now. This place is sweet solitude-but never silent. Twittering birds have moved in for the winter and the red and blue of the cardinals and bluejays color the darkening woods. Time hangs between autumn and winter in mellow breezes and a few bright yellow sunflowers. It is a pensive time, a time to reflect and let go and enjoy.
~ The old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of propping himself up and away from its life-giving forces. ~
STANDING BEAR - LAKOTA SIOUX
'A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II' by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*
Elder's Meditation of the Day - October 12
"The obstacle to the internal nature is the mind. If it relies on logic such as the white man's mind, the domain of the inner nature is inaccessible.The simple fact is a man does not challenge the wisdom of the Holy Mystery.
--Turtleheart, TETON SIOUX
Why is it we need to analyze and understand everything? The Great Mystery has designed certain areas of creation to be a mystery because humans usually miss-use it. We use the Great Mystery and see It unfold only under the direction of the Great Spirit. The Creator is in charge.
Great Spirit, let me realize You are in charge. I'm to do what You want.
*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*
'THINK on THESE THINGS'
by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
It is easy to have faith God and love everyone on days when the world is all in order.
There are other days that seem to require more effort than any normal person can possibly muster. Each step seems to be an obstacle to overcome. Every hurt and thought of resentment presents itself in a clamorous roar.
Weariness of body, soul, and spirit will nag the strongest beings into dark moods unless they can find a time away from all that plagues them. That time may be hard to come by, but even a few moments can bring a problem to light.
Twinges of jealousy, feelings of anxiety, all scatter in that light. When the attention is turned from those things that make life all too ordinary they immediately, like a procession, march toward the God-self.
To spend only a few moments counting our blessings will tell us that life is well worth living....the satisfaction of a job well done, the companionship of good friends with whom we share the lighter side and the ones who understand our darkest moods are all blessings.
-----
Daily Relationship Reading
Do differences over religion ever affect our relationship?
Whether or not religion is discussed in our relationship, whatever spiritual beliefs I have are important to me. Maybe I believe in God, or a supreme being by another name. I may consider myself a member of a particular religious faith, or feel that religion is a crock, or be somewhere in between.
Whatever my beliefs, it's likely that at times during my life and in our relationship, I'll be confronted by religious or spiritual direction or values. If I am, I'll probably struggle with some of them. Are prayers answered? Should I go to church? Does religion mess up as many lives as it professes to save? There are many more questions I could ask.
If I do believe in spiritual forces, maybe it's time to ask myself whether anyone is wise enough to know the truth for others. When I search for my own personal answers, and let my partner do the same, I might find that we're both heading toward the same truths, just on different paths.
Just for Today
Today, whatever spiritual beliefs I have, I'll respect my right to find truths in my own way and do the searching I need to. I'll extend the same respect to my SO, and realize that whatever I find, I can share with love.
Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there is one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded faith. - Thomas Jefferson
-----
You are reading from the book Food for Thought.
Moving Forward
Time past is gone forever, and we can never go back to it. Even our disease progresses forward. We cannot expect to control it by a return to measures, which may have worked for a time in the past. Those methods eventually failed, and trying them again will only bring us to the same point of failure.
The only way to avoid repetitious failure is to move forward creatively as our Higher Power leads us. Each day is a new creation, and each day brings new lessons and opportunities. We build on what is past, but we do not need to repeat it.
Moving forward involves risking what is unknown. The old, familiar rut, depressing as it is, is a known quantity. Moving out of it requires that we have courage and that we trust in One who knows and cares. To move on, we must act. Insights do not produce growth until they are accompanied by specific actions.
May I risk new actions as You lead me forward.
-----
You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
We can secure other people's approval, if we do right and try hard; but our own is worth a hundred of it. . . . --Mark Twain
There was once a young girl who thought that if only she tried a little harder, she could please her parents; if only she were prettier, her friends would like her better. She tried constantly to gain their approval. Sometimes they said they liked her, and sometimes they didn't.
Then one night a fairy came to her in a dream and told her, "You are fine just the way you are. You don't have to change. I want you to start noticing your own beauty and loving yourself exactly the way you are."
Doing what the fairy suggested--giving love and approval to herself--wasn't easy, but she found that when she did it she felt a peace that was not dependent on what others thought. She thanked her fairy for caring enough to come and give her such wise advice.
What are some things I like about myself?
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
I resolve to meet evil courageously, but when even a small temptation cometh, I am in sore straits. That which seemeth trifling sometimes giveth rise to a grievous temptation. --Thomas a' Kempis
Even in recovery, we know we are vulnerable men, always subject to a return to old patterns. Sometimes we can understand the triggering event; other times there is no apparent reason for temptation to reappear. Perhaps it comes when we least expect it, when our guard is lowest. We may be tempted simply because we are addicts or codependents. Our powerlessness reminds us of our need for faithfulness to the program.
When we think we have moved beyond the draw of old behaviors, we veer away from our path of recovery. In saying we have grown out of our powerlessness, or that our resolve can now protect us, we are heading back into old troubles. Admitting the truth is unsettling. It also makes us more honest, more accessible, more spiritual, and more ready to deal with threats to our recovery.
I live with my powerlessness every day. Help me admit it to myself.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
...there are two entirely opposite attitudes possible in facing the problems of one's life. One, to try and change the external world, the other, to try and change oneself. --Joanna Field
God grant us the courage to change what we can--ourselves. How difficult it is to let go of our struggles to control and change someone else. How frequently we assume that everything would be fine if only someone else would change. All that needs to change is an attitude, our own.
Taking responsibility for improving one's own life is an important step toward emotional health. Blaming another for our circumstances keeps us stuck and offers no hope for improved conditions. Personal power is as available as our decision to use it. And it is bolstered by all the strength we'll ever need. The decision to take our lives in hand will exhilarate us. The decision each day to be thoughtful, prayerful, and wholly responsible for all that we do will nourish our developing selves. Each responsible choice moves us toward our wholeness, strengthening our sense of self, our well-being.
I will change only who I can today: myself.
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Being Gentle with Ourselves
During Times of Grief
The process of adapting to change and loss takes energy. Grief is draining, sometimes exhausting. Some people need to "cocoon for transformation," in Pat Carnes's words, while going through grief.
We may feel more tired than usual. Our ability to function well in other areas of our life may be reduced, temporarily. We may want to hide out in the safety of our bedroom.
Grief is heavy. It can wear us down.
It's okay to be gentle with ourselves when we're gong through change and grief. Yes, we want to maintain the disciplines of recovery. But we can be compassionate with ourselves. We do not have to expect more from ourselves than we can deliver during this time. We do not even have to expect as much from ourselves as we would normally and reasonably expect.
We may need more rest, more sleep, more comfort. We may be more needy and have less to give. It is okay to accept ourselves, and our changed needs, during times of grief, stress, and change.
It is okay to allow ourselves to cocoon during times of transformation. We can surrender to the process, and trust that a new, exciting energy is being created within us.
Before long, we will take wings and fly.
God, help me accept my changed needs during times of grief, change, and loss.
I do not let pain or discomfort stop me from looking at myself in a true and honest light. I do not run away from myself today or block or disguise my reality. I face my life fully today to learn from its lessons. --Ruth Fishel
God help me to stay sober and clean today!
There was no way that I ever would have learned how to stay clean and sober on my own. All I wanted to do was get wasted. I wanted to drink and use more than anything else. If I ever was going to get into recovery and stay there, I had to learn to want something else more than I wanted to get high. I had no idea what it would be like to live life without drugs and alcohol. I thought it would be boring. I thought it would be painful. I thought it would be lonely. At first I know that it simply was faith that kept me clean and sober -- faith that there could be a better way to live my life. I don't think I really believed that I could be happy, but it had to be better than the self-destructive insanity that I was living in.
As I started to go to meetings, I saw over and over that the people there were happy. Yes, many of them still had problems; but they were happy. Slowly I began to want what they had. I wanted to find that inner peace, and I wanted to find out how they got it. I began to want recovery more than I wanted to get high. I began to want to go to meetings more than I wanted to go to the tavern. Soon I found that my life was going better. I no longer dreaded waking up in the morning. I actually began to look forward to the day. I looked forward to going to meetings. I began to enjoy the camaraderie of the fellowship. I felt like I belonged. I felt like people really cared about me. I also began to feel like God really cared about me. I began to really like what was happening to me, and I wanted to keep it more than I wanted to drink or use. Do I want recovery more than I want my addiction?
Meditations for the Heart
Impatience was something that followed me into recovery. I had walked though life in a very self-centered manner. My attitude was, "I want what I want, and I want it right now." Learning to wait was hard for me. I never liked standing in line, unless I was first in line. I never could wait till my next party-time. I always wanted it now. My sponsor encouraged me to begin to pray for patience. Then one day it seemed as if everything that could go wrong did. Family problems, car problems and work problems all in the same day! That night I went to a meeting and told everyone there about the miserable day I had. I wanted my friends to feel sorry for me. As people around the tables began to comment, each of them talked about similar bad days and how the program helped them. Then this old-timer, sitting across from me, said, "It sounds like God gave you many opportunities today to practice patience." Not what I wanted to hear, but it was what I needed to hear! My impatience through the day made me miserable. It was me that had made things so bad, not the events of the day. Have I learned to be quietly patient?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Some days I just want to throw in the towel. I feel like giving up. On the days that I struggle, remind me that You have a plan for me. Teach me to be patient and wait for Your will to be done in my life. Strengthen my faith each day that life in recovery will indeed make my life better. Give me that inner peace I seek.
Amen.
-----
NA Just For Today
Being Right
"When we admit that our lives have become unmanageable, we don't have to argue our point of view... We no longer have to be right all the time."
Basic Text p. 56
Nothing isolates us more quickly from the warmth and camaraderie of our fellow NA members than having to be "right." Insecure, we pretend to be some kind of authority figure. Suffering from low self-esteem, we try to build ourselves up by putting others down. At best, such tactics push others away from us; at worst, they draw attack. The more we try to impress others with how "right" we are, the more wrong we become.
We don't have to be "right" to be secure; we don't have to pretend to have all the answers for others to love or respect us. In fact, just the opposite is true. None of us have all the answers. We depend upon one another to help bridge the gaps in our understanding of things, and we depend upon a Power greater than our own to make up for our personal powerlessness. We live easily with others when we offer what we know, admit what we don't, and seek to learn from our peers. We live securely in ourselves when we cease relying on our own power and start relying on the God we've come to understand in recovery.
We don't have to be "right" all the time, just recovering.
Just for today: God, I admit my powerlessness and the unmanageability of my life. Help me live with others as an equal, dependent upon you for direction and strength.
pg. 298
-----
October 12 - Daily Feast
The path to the woods is soft and silent underfoot. Wet leaves pad the ground beneath the trees and bright patches of green moss cover every rock. Many plants in sheltered places thrive even now. This place is sweet solitude-but never silent. Twittering birds have moved in for the winter and the red and blue of the cardinals and bluejays color the darkening woods. Time hangs between autumn and winter in mellow breezes and a few bright yellow sunflowers. It is a pensive time, a time to reflect and let go and enjoy.
~ The old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of propping himself up and away from its life-giving forces. ~
STANDING BEAR - LAKOTA SIOUX
'A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II' by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*
Elder's Meditation of the Day - October 12
"The obstacle to the internal nature is the mind. If it relies on logic such as the white man's mind, the domain of the inner nature is inaccessible.The simple fact is a man does not challenge the wisdom of the Holy Mystery.
--Turtleheart, TETON SIOUX
Why is it we need to analyze and understand everything? The Great Mystery has designed certain areas of creation to be a mystery because humans usually miss-use it. We use the Great Mystery and see It unfold only under the direction of the Great Spirit. The Creator is in charge.
Great Spirit, let me realize You are in charge. I'm to do what You want.
*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*
'THINK on THESE THINGS'
by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
It is easy to have faith God and love everyone on days when the world is all in order.
There are other days that seem to require more effort than any normal person can possibly muster. Each step seems to be an obstacle to overcome. Every hurt and thought of resentment presents itself in a clamorous roar.
Weariness of body, soul, and spirit will nag the strongest beings into dark moods unless they can find a time away from all that plagues them. That time may be hard to come by, but even a few moments can bring a problem to light.
Twinges of jealousy, feelings of anxiety, all scatter in that light. When the attention is turned from those things that make life all too ordinary they immediately, like a procession, march toward the God-self.
To spend only a few moments counting our blessings will tell us that life is well worth living....the satisfaction of a job well done, the companionship of good friends with whom we share the lighter side and the ones who understand our darkest moods are all blessings.
-----
Daily Relationship Reading
Do differences over religion ever affect our relationship?
Whether or not religion is discussed in our relationship, whatever spiritual beliefs I have are important to me. Maybe I believe in God, or a supreme being by another name. I may consider myself a member of a particular religious faith, or feel that religion is a crock, or be somewhere in between.
Whatever my beliefs, it's likely that at times during my life and in our relationship, I'll be confronted by religious or spiritual direction or values. If I am, I'll probably struggle with some of them. Are prayers answered? Should I go to church? Does religion mess up as many lives as it professes to save? There are many more questions I could ask.
If I do believe in spiritual forces, maybe it's time to ask myself whether anyone is wise enough to know the truth for others. When I search for my own personal answers, and let my partner do the same, I might find that we're both heading toward the same truths, just on different paths.
Just for Today
Today, whatever spiritual beliefs I have, I'll respect my right to find truths in my own way and do the searching I need to. I'll extend the same respect to my SO, and realize that whatever I find, I can share with love.
Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there is one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded faith. - Thomas Jefferson
-----
You are reading from the book Food for Thought.
Moving Forward
Time past is gone forever, and we can never go back to it. Even our disease progresses forward. We cannot expect to control it by a return to measures, which may have worked for a time in the past. Those methods eventually failed, and trying them again will only bring us to the same point of failure.
The only way to avoid repetitious failure is to move forward creatively as our Higher Power leads us. Each day is a new creation, and each day brings new lessons and opportunities. We build on what is past, but we do not need to repeat it.
Moving forward involves risking what is unknown. The old, familiar rut, depressing as it is, is a known quantity. Moving out of it requires that we have courage and that we trust in One who knows and cares. To move on, we must act. Insights do not produce growth until they are accompanied by specific actions.
May I risk new actions as You lead me forward.
-----
You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
We can secure other people's approval, if we do right and try hard; but our own is worth a hundred of it. . . . --Mark Twain
There was once a young girl who thought that if only she tried a little harder, she could please her parents; if only she were prettier, her friends would like her better. She tried constantly to gain their approval. Sometimes they said they liked her, and sometimes they didn't.
Then one night a fairy came to her in a dream and told her, "You are fine just the way you are. You don't have to change. I want you to start noticing your own beauty and loving yourself exactly the way you are."
Doing what the fairy suggested--giving love and approval to herself--wasn't easy, but she found that when she did it she felt a peace that was not dependent on what others thought. She thanked her fairy for caring enough to come and give her such wise advice.
What are some things I like about myself?
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
I resolve to meet evil courageously, but when even a small temptation cometh, I am in sore straits. That which seemeth trifling sometimes giveth rise to a grievous temptation. --Thomas a' Kempis
Even in recovery, we know we are vulnerable men, always subject to a return to old patterns. Sometimes we can understand the triggering event; other times there is no apparent reason for temptation to reappear. Perhaps it comes when we least expect it, when our guard is lowest. We may be tempted simply because we are addicts or codependents. Our powerlessness reminds us of our need for faithfulness to the program.
When we think we have moved beyond the draw of old behaviors, we veer away from our path of recovery. In saying we have grown out of our powerlessness, or that our resolve can now protect us, we are heading back into old troubles. Admitting the truth is unsettling. It also makes us more honest, more accessible, more spiritual, and more ready to deal with threats to our recovery.
I live with my powerlessness every day. Help me admit it to myself.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
...there are two entirely opposite attitudes possible in facing the problems of one's life. One, to try and change the external world, the other, to try and change oneself. --Joanna Field
God grant us the courage to change what we can--ourselves. How difficult it is to let go of our struggles to control and change someone else. How frequently we assume that everything would be fine if only someone else would change. All that needs to change is an attitude, our own.
Taking responsibility for improving one's own life is an important step toward emotional health. Blaming another for our circumstances keeps us stuck and offers no hope for improved conditions. Personal power is as available as our decision to use it. And it is bolstered by all the strength we'll ever need. The decision to take our lives in hand will exhilarate us. The decision each day to be thoughtful, prayerful, and wholly responsible for all that we do will nourish our developing selves. Each responsible choice moves us toward our wholeness, strengthening our sense of self, our well-being.
I will change only who I can today: myself.
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Being Gentle with Ourselves
During Times of Grief
The process of adapting to change and loss takes energy. Grief is draining, sometimes exhausting. Some people need to "cocoon for transformation," in Pat Carnes's words, while going through grief.
We may feel more tired than usual. Our ability to function well in other areas of our life may be reduced, temporarily. We may want to hide out in the safety of our bedroom.
Grief is heavy. It can wear us down.
It's okay to be gentle with ourselves when we're gong through change and grief. Yes, we want to maintain the disciplines of recovery. But we can be compassionate with ourselves. We do not have to expect more from ourselves than we can deliver during this time. We do not even have to expect as much from ourselves as we would normally and reasonably expect.
We may need more rest, more sleep, more comfort. We may be more needy and have less to give. It is okay to accept ourselves, and our changed needs, during times of grief, stress, and change.
It is okay to allow ourselves to cocoon during times of transformation. We can surrender to the process, and trust that a new, exciting energy is being created within us.
Before long, we will take wings and fly.
God, help me accept my changed needs during times of grief, change, and loss.
I do not let pain or discomfort stop me from looking at myself in a true and honest light. I do not run away from myself today or block or disguise my reality. I face my life fully today to learn from its lessons. --Ruth Fishel
God help me to stay sober and clean today!