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12-31-2008, 02:54 PM
Wisdom for Today
Life is filled with lots of firsts. One thing I have learned in recovery is that my life cannot afford a first drink, pill or fix. I had my first drink already, and I don't want to go back. I don't think I really got to this point in my recovery until after I completed my Fifth Step. As difficult as it was to share my history with another human being, there was something almost magical about getting everything out in the open. It was very freeing. It was almost like the chains of bondage had been opened, and I could finally move on with my life. I didn't want to go back to the beginning anymore. I just wanted to move ahead.
I had reached a point in recovery where I could really accept the fact that I had a disease. I could see that because of my disease, I had behaved in ways I wished I had not. I could see all the mistakes and how I had wronged so many including myself. It was not a pretty picture. In spite of the ugliness that was behind me, I had reached a point where I could forgive myself. I could accept that much of what happened occurred as a consequence of my disease. I could look at myself in the mirror and believe that I was okay and that my Higher Power would help me put my life back together again. Have I forgiven myself?
Meditations for the Heart
I really had no idea what love was all about until I got into recovery. I know I had experienced love from others, but I didn't know how to give love to anyone. In recovery I began to look at others in the program as my brothers and sisters. We are all children of the same heavenly Father. I had to learn to think differently and to begin to reach out to others in a caring manner. I let go of my judgments, criticism and resentments. I didn't participate in gossip about others. Instead I worked on being patient and understanding. I began to develop a true compassion for others and worked at being helpful when I could. I found that when I did these things, I was actually helping myself. Have I begun the repair work of rebuilding my life?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
You have granted me a new freedom and a chance at rebuilding my life. Let me this day do the work necessary to put the pieces of my life back together again. I have no idea what my life may look like when I have finished the repair work I need to do, but I am willing to trust that You will lead me to that which is good. Help me this day to be compassionate and caring towards others, and let me always be patient.
Amen.
-----
NA Just For Today
Vigilance
"We keep what we have only with vigilance..."
Basic Text, p. 57
How do we remain vigilant about our recovery? First, by realizing that we have a disease we will always have. No matter how long we've been clean, no matter how much better our lives have become, no matter what the extent of our spiritual healing, we are still addicts. Our disease waits patiently, ready to spring the trap if we give it the opportunity.
Vigilance is a daily accomplishment. We strive to be constantly alert and ready to deal with signs of trouble. Not that we should live in irrational fear that something horrible will possess us if we drop our guard for an instant; we just take normal precautions. Daily prayer, regular meeting attendance, and choosing not to compromise spiritual principles for the easier way are acts of vigilance. We take inventory as necessary, share with others whenever we are asked, and carefully nurture our recovery. Above all, we stay aware.
We have a daily reprieve from our addiction as long as we remain vigilant. Each day, we carry the principles of recovery into all we do, and each night, we thank our Higher Power for another day clean.
Just for today: I will be vigilant, doing everything necessary to guard my recovery.
-----
You are reading from the book Food for Thought.
Good News
There is good news for those of us who overeat compulsively. We do not have to be trapped by our appetites. We do not have to carry a load of unnecessary fat. We can have a new life.
Others have become free and are standing by, ready to show us the way. The more OA meetings we attend, the more we learn. The more phone calls we make, the more encouragement and support we are given in our fight to break old, self destructive patterns of thinking and acting. The more we rely on the Power greater than ourselves, the stronger we become.
Learning to live a new life requires time and patience. The good news is that change is possible. Others have done it. So can you.
Lord, make me willing to change.
-----
You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose. --Hada Bejar
Nothing is more attractive than sharing with others. No trait will be admired as much as generosity. There is no surer way to gain the respect of friends and neighbors than to show by what we give that we care about others. We can give many things besides money, shelter, clothing, or food to those in need. We can give the rich person love and understanding that money can't buy. We can sympathize with those who are troubled, even though they appear wealthier than ourselves. We can share experience, strength, and hope with those who are ill or unhappy. We can even share our suffering with others who suffer, and hold up a light for them on the road to recovery.
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
He who is outside the door has already a good part of his journey behind him.
--Dutch proverb
When we see how far we've strayed from being the kind of men we wanted to be, we are overwhelmed by how far we have to go to get back on the track. Perhaps we see clearly for the first time how unfair we were or how much we hurt those we love. Maybe we see how pervasive our compulsions are in our lives and how much we missed.
That is when we are most ready to do the work of recovery and become most spiritual. It is helpful at those times to remember that this program is a journey. Although at times the distance seems overwhelming, all of us are on the path. As long as we live, we never reach a point where we can stop growing. The important thing is, we are on the path, and we have a good part of our journey behind us. Once begun, outside the door, we are progressing like all our brothers and sisters in the program.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
We don't always understand the ways of Almighty God--the crosses sent us, the sacrifices demanded . . . But we accept with faith and resignation the holy will with no looking back, and we are at peace. --Anonymous
Acceptance of our past, acceptance of the conditions presently in our lives that we cannot change, brings relief. It brings the peacefulness we so often, so frantically, seek.
We can put the past behind us. Each day is a new beginning. And each day of abstinence offers us the chance to look ahead with hope. A power greater than ourselves helped us to find this program. That power is ever with us. When we fear facing new situations, or when familiar situations turn sour, we can look to that power for help in saying what needs to be said and for doing what needs to be done. Our higher power is as close as our breath. Conscious awareness of its presence strengthens us, moment by moment.
The past is gone. Today is full of possibilities. With each breath I will be aware of the strength at hand.
You are reading from the book The Language Of Letting Go.
The New Year
Make New Year's goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you're interested in fully living life in the year to come.
Goals give us direction. They put a powerful force into play on a universal, conscious, and subconscious level.
Goals give our life direction.
What would you like to have happen in your life this year? What would you like to do, to accomplish? What good would you like to attract into your life? What particular areas of growth would you like to have happen to you? What blocks, or character defects, would you like to have removed?
What would you like to attain? Little things and big things? Where would you like to go? What would you like to have happen in friendship and love? What would you like to have happen in your family life?
Remember, we aren't controlling others with our goals - we are trying to give direction to our life.
What problems would you like to see solved? What decisions would you like to make? What would you like to happen in your career?
What would you like to see happen inside and around you?
Write it down. Take a piece of paper, a few hours of your time, and write it all down - as an affirmation of you, your life, and your ability to choose. Then let it go.
Certainly, things happen that are out of our control. Sometimes, these events are pleasant surprises; sometimes, they are of another nature. But they are all part of the chapter that will be this year in our life and will lead us forward in the story.
The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.
Today, I will remember that there is a powerful force motivated by writing dawn goals. I will do that now, for the year to come, and regularly as needed. I will do it not to control but to do my part in living my life.
Today I am on my spiritual path to recovery. A NEW YEAR! AND A HAPPY, PEACEFUL AND JOYOUS ONE FOR EVERYONE! --Ruth Fishel
God help me to stay sober and clean today!
Life is filled with lots of firsts. One thing I have learned in recovery is that my life cannot afford a first drink, pill or fix. I had my first drink already, and I don't want to go back. I don't think I really got to this point in my recovery until after I completed my Fifth Step. As difficult as it was to share my history with another human being, there was something almost magical about getting everything out in the open. It was very freeing. It was almost like the chains of bondage had been opened, and I could finally move on with my life. I didn't want to go back to the beginning anymore. I just wanted to move ahead.
I had reached a point in recovery where I could really accept the fact that I had a disease. I could see that because of my disease, I had behaved in ways I wished I had not. I could see all the mistakes and how I had wronged so many including myself. It was not a pretty picture. In spite of the ugliness that was behind me, I had reached a point where I could forgive myself. I could accept that much of what happened occurred as a consequence of my disease. I could look at myself in the mirror and believe that I was okay and that my Higher Power would help me put my life back together again. Have I forgiven myself?
Meditations for the Heart
I really had no idea what love was all about until I got into recovery. I know I had experienced love from others, but I didn't know how to give love to anyone. In recovery I began to look at others in the program as my brothers and sisters. We are all children of the same heavenly Father. I had to learn to think differently and to begin to reach out to others in a caring manner. I let go of my judgments, criticism and resentments. I didn't participate in gossip about others. Instead I worked on being patient and understanding. I began to develop a true compassion for others and worked at being helpful when I could. I found that when I did these things, I was actually helping myself. Have I begun the repair work of rebuilding my life?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
You have granted me a new freedom and a chance at rebuilding my life. Let me this day do the work necessary to put the pieces of my life back together again. I have no idea what my life may look like when I have finished the repair work I need to do, but I am willing to trust that You will lead me to that which is good. Help me this day to be compassionate and caring towards others, and let me always be patient.
Amen.
-----
NA Just For Today
Vigilance
"We keep what we have only with vigilance..."
Basic Text, p. 57
How do we remain vigilant about our recovery? First, by realizing that we have a disease we will always have. No matter how long we've been clean, no matter how much better our lives have become, no matter what the extent of our spiritual healing, we are still addicts. Our disease waits patiently, ready to spring the trap if we give it the opportunity.
Vigilance is a daily accomplishment. We strive to be constantly alert and ready to deal with signs of trouble. Not that we should live in irrational fear that something horrible will possess us if we drop our guard for an instant; we just take normal precautions. Daily prayer, regular meeting attendance, and choosing not to compromise spiritual principles for the easier way are acts of vigilance. We take inventory as necessary, share with others whenever we are asked, and carefully nurture our recovery. Above all, we stay aware.
We have a daily reprieve from our addiction as long as we remain vigilant. Each day, we carry the principles of recovery into all we do, and each night, we thank our Higher Power for another day clean.
Just for today: I will be vigilant, doing everything necessary to guard my recovery.
-----
You are reading from the book Food for Thought.
Good News
There is good news for those of us who overeat compulsively. We do not have to be trapped by our appetites. We do not have to carry a load of unnecessary fat. We can have a new life.
Others have become free and are standing by, ready to show us the way. The more OA meetings we attend, the more we learn. The more phone calls we make, the more encouragement and support we are given in our fight to break old, self destructive patterns of thinking and acting. The more we rely on the Power greater than ourselves, the stronger we become.
Learning to live a new life requires time and patience. The good news is that change is possible. Others have done it. So can you.
Lord, make me willing to change.
-----
You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose. --Hada Bejar
Nothing is more attractive than sharing with others. No trait will be admired as much as generosity. There is no surer way to gain the respect of friends and neighbors than to show by what we give that we care about others. We can give many things besides money, shelter, clothing, or food to those in need. We can give the rich person love and understanding that money can't buy. We can sympathize with those who are troubled, even though they appear wealthier than ourselves. We can share experience, strength, and hope with those who are ill or unhappy. We can even share our suffering with others who suffer, and hold up a light for them on the road to recovery.
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
He who is outside the door has already a good part of his journey behind him.
--Dutch proverb
When we see how far we've strayed from being the kind of men we wanted to be, we are overwhelmed by how far we have to go to get back on the track. Perhaps we see clearly for the first time how unfair we were or how much we hurt those we love. Maybe we see how pervasive our compulsions are in our lives and how much we missed.
That is when we are most ready to do the work of recovery and become most spiritual. It is helpful at those times to remember that this program is a journey. Although at times the distance seems overwhelming, all of us are on the path. As long as we live, we never reach a point where we can stop growing. The important thing is, we are on the path, and we have a good part of our journey behind us. Once begun, outside the door, we are progressing like all our brothers and sisters in the program.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
We don't always understand the ways of Almighty God--the crosses sent us, the sacrifices demanded . . . But we accept with faith and resignation the holy will with no looking back, and we are at peace. --Anonymous
Acceptance of our past, acceptance of the conditions presently in our lives that we cannot change, brings relief. It brings the peacefulness we so often, so frantically, seek.
We can put the past behind us. Each day is a new beginning. And each day of abstinence offers us the chance to look ahead with hope. A power greater than ourselves helped us to find this program. That power is ever with us. When we fear facing new situations, or when familiar situations turn sour, we can look to that power for help in saying what needs to be said and for doing what needs to be done. Our higher power is as close as our breath. Conscious awareness of its presence strengthens us, moment by moment.
The past is gone. Today is full of possibilities. With each breath I will be aware of the strength at hand.
You are reading from the book The Language Of Letting Go.
The New Year
Make New Year's goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you're interested in fully living life in the year to come.
Goals give us direction. They put a powerful force into play on a universal, conscious, and subconscious level.
Goals give our life direction.
What would you like to have happen in your life this year? What would you like to do, to accomplish? What good would you like to attract into your life? What particular areas of growth would you like to have happen to you? What blocks, or character defects, would you like to have removed?
What would you like to attain? Little things and big things? Where would you like to go? What would you like to have happen in friendship and love? What would you like to have happen in your family life?
Remember, we aren't controlling others with our goals - we are trying to give direction to our life.
What problems would you like to see solved? What decisions would you like to make? What would you like to happen in your career?
What would you like to see happen inside and around you?
Write it down. Take a piece of paper, a few hours of your time, and write it all down - as an affirmation of you, your life, and your ability to choose. Then let it go.
Certainly, things happen that are out of our control. Sometimes, these events are pleasant surprises; sometimes, they are of another nature. But they are all part of the chapter that will be this year in our life and will lead us forward in the story.
The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.
Today, I will remember that there is a powerful force motivated by writing dawn goals. I will do that now, for the year to come, and regularly as needed. I will do it not to control but to do my part in living my life.
Today I am on my spiritual path to recovery. A NEW YEAR! AND A HAPPY, PEACEFUL AND JOYOUS ONE FOR EVERYONE! --Ruth Fishel
God help me to stay sober and clean today!