Daily Recovery Readings - 6/10

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Daily Reflections

IMPATIENT? TRY LEVITATING

We reacted more strongly to frustrations than normal people.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 111

Impatience with other people is one of my principal failings.
Following a slow car in a no-passing lane, or waiting in a
restaurant for the check, drives me to distraction. Before I
give God a chance to slow me down, I explode, and that's what
I call being quicker than God. That repeated experience gave
me an idea. I thought if I could look down on these events
from God's point of view, I might better control my feelings
and behavior. I tried it and when I encountered the next slow
driver, I levitated and looked down on the other car and upon
myself. I saw an elderly couple driving along, happily chatting
about their grandchildren. They were followed by me--bug eyed
and red of face--who had no time schedule to meet anyway. I
looked so silly that I dropped back into reality and slowed down.
Seeing things from God's angle of vision can be very relaxing.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

If we have had some moral, religious, or spiritual training,
we're better prospects for A.A. When we reach the bottom, at
this crucial moment when we're thoroughly licked, we turn
instinctively to whatever decency is left in us. We call upon
whatever reserves of morality and faith are left down deep in
our heart. Have I had this spiritual experience?

Meditation For The Day

The world wonders when it sees a person who can unexpectedly
draw large and unsuspected sums from the bank for some emergency.
But what the world has not seen are the countless small sums paid
into that bank, earned by faithful work over a long time. And so
is the bank of the spirit. The world sees the person of faith
make a demand on God's stores of power and the demand is met.
The world does not see what that person has been putting in, in
thanks and praise, in prayer and communion, in small good deeds
done faithfully, steadily over the years.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may keep making deposits in God's bank. I pray that
in my hour of need, I may call upon these.

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As Bill Sees It

A Viewer-with-Alarm, p. 183

"I went through several fruitless years in a state called 'viewing with alarm for the good
of the movement.' I thought it was up to me to be always 'correcting conditions.' Seldom
had anybody been able to tell me what I ought to do, and nobody had ever succeeded in
effectively telling me what I must do. I had to learn the hard way out of my own
experience.

"When setting out to 'check' others, I found myself often motivated by fear of what they
were doing, self-righteousness, and even downright intolerance. Consequently, I seldom
succeeded in correcting anything. I just raised barriers of resentment that cut off any
suggestion, example, understanding, or love."

<< << << >> >> >>

"A.A.'s often say, 'Our leaders do not drive by mandate; they lead by example.' If we
would favorably affect others, we ourselves need to practice what we preach--and forget
the 'preaching,' too. The quiet good example speaks for itself."

1. Letter, 1945
2. Letter, 1966

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Walk In Dry Places

Expecting quick results
Acceptance
Most human progress comes slowly, though we see exciting breakthroughs at various times. The same is true in the lives of individuals. Though a few people do make exciting leaps forward, most of us must be content with gradual, steady improvements.
Our problem as compulsive people is in wanting quick results all the time. In fact, one of the things that reinforced our addition was the continuous need for a quick fix. We saw life as something that should be taken in frantic gulps. When a sudden break or advantage appeared, it never really satisfied us. There was always the hunger for more.
We can find real satisfaction, however, in accepting progress in small stages. If we are having small gains here and there, we are on the road to improvement. A surprising amount can be accomplished when we are moving continuously ahead, one small step at a time.
The old fable of the tortoise and the hare still applies in human affairs. If we continue to move ahead, even at a slow speed, we will reach our goals.
I'll be content today with whatever progress I can make. If I'm expecting too many quick results, I might be setting myself up for disappointment.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

The Housewife Who Drank At Home

She hid her bottles in clothes hampers and dresser drawers. In A.A., she discovered she had lost nothing and had found everything.

My story happens to be a particular kind of woman's story: the story of the woman who drinks at home. I had to be at home---I had two babies. When alcohol took me over, my bar was my kitchen, my living room, my bedroom, the back bathroom, and the two laundry hampers.

p. 295

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition One - "Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. Unity."

The unity of Alcoholics Anonymous it the most cherished quality our Society has. Our lives, the lives of all to come, depend squarely upon it. We stay whole, or A.A. dies. Without unity, the heart of A.A. would cease to beat; our world arteries would no longer carry the life-giving grace of God; His gift to us would be spent aimlessly. Back again in their caves, alcoholics would reproach us and say, "What a great thing A.A. might have been!"

p. 129

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The quieter we become, the more we hear.
--unknown

There are glimpses of heaven in every act, or thought, or word that
raises us above ourselves.
--Arthur Stanley

When everything seems to go wrong, just P.U.S.H.!
When the job gets you down, just P.U.S.H.!
When people don't react the way you think they should, just P.U.S.H.!
When your money looks funny and the bills are due, just P.U.S.H.!
When you want to give up because it looks hopeless, just P.U.S.H.!
P.U.S.H - Pray Until Something Happens!!!!!
--Randy Walker

"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how
good things really are."
--Marianne Williamson

"I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all;
but whatever I have placed in Gods hands, that I still possess."
--Martin Luther

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

LAUGHTER

"God cannot be solemn, or he
would not have blessed man
with the incalculable gift of
laughter."
--Sydney Harris

I think the way to understand God is to begin to understand man!
Sometimes we forget that we bear the "image" of God - and this is
not so much physical as emotional, our inner selves, the soul. So much
of what I feel, what hurts me, what causes me distress and pain I
believe also affects God. Also the gifts, the creative intelligence and
spiritual sacrifice that has characterized so many people in history
reflects something of God. Involved in this is "laughter". I believe that
laughter is derived from God and is part of the spiritual gift He has
bequeathed to every one of us: we need only discover it.

"Let go - and let God." Sometimes we need to get out of our own way
so that we can begin to laugh.

You gave the gift of laughter to be used. May it be used in the precious
art of healing.

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"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
Proverbs 15:1

The joy of the LORD is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10

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Daily Inspiration

It is not as significant to have a good life, but rather to do good things with your life. Lord, I am grateful for the talents with which You have blessed me and I pray that they will not go unused.

Gossip betrays trust. The harm done is often irreparable. Lord, may I never be responsible for hurting anyone through my conversations.

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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Whoever I am or whatever I am doing, some kind of excellence is within my reach. --John W.Gardner
It's easy to forget how important we each are -- to our parents, to other family members, to our friends. We are in this world, even in our particular family, because we are important and necessary in the lives of others. It's easy to feel not so important though, especially when we think we're not good enough at anything we try. School or work comes easy for some. Maybe not us. Athletics come easy to others. May it's helping around the house that's easiest. Each of us is very good at some things. And it's okay to not be good at everything.
How can I show my talent today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
We learn more by seeing someone play good tennis than by reading a book about how to play good tennis. --W. Timothy Gallwey
In our program we learn from each other. Most of us would rather have thought our problems through on our own or read about them without having to ask for help. Recovery requires us to break this old habit. We can no longer say at a meeting, "I had some problems this week, but I've worked them out now" or "I know what I have to do." The change for us is to ask for help from other men in this program. We need to say, "What do you think about my problem?" or "Would you be willing to talk to me for a while?"
Having a sponsor is an important way of getting to know how another man applies his program to his life. We need to select a sponsor we admire, who has learned the Steps well and who truly lives them. Then we need to spend time with our sponsor outside of meetings, perhaps while drinking a cup of coffee or going for a walk. By associating with others who are diligent about recovery, we will learn more than we could any other way.
Today, I will make personal contact with others in this program.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
When we start at the center of ourselves, we discover something worthwhile extending toward the periphery of the circle. We find again some of the joy in the now, some of the peace in the here, some of the love in me and thee which go to make up the kingdom of heaven on earth. --G. F. Sear
Perhaps we have feared discovering our center; perhaps we have feared finding nothing there. The struggle to believe in ourselves, to know we have an important part to play in the circle of life, the circle encompassing all life, is a hard-fought struggle for many of us. But we are learning. We are finding treasures within ourselves. Others are helping us to find those treasures. Sharing special moments in time with loved ones and ones we are learning to love reveals many treasures.
All we have is here--now--us. We are all we ever need to be--here and now. We are, at every moment, what we need to be if only we'd trust revealing our true selves, our centers, to one another. Our centers each need that of another.
This program needs each of us for what we add to it. The worthiness of the program, of the whole circle, is enhanced by the inclusion of our centers.
I will share my center today with you.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Responsibility
Self care means taking responsibility for ourselves. Taking responsibility for ourselves includes assuming our true responsibilities to others.
Sometimes, when we begin recovery, we're worn down from feeling responsible for so many other people. Learning that we need only take responsibility for ourselves may be such a great relief that, for a time, we disown our responsibilities to others.
The goal in recovery is to find the balance: we take responsibility for ourselves, and we identify our true responsibilities to others.
This may take some sorting through, especially if we have functioned for years on distorted notions about our responsibilities to others. We may be responsible to one person as a friend or as an employee; to another person, we're responsible as an employer or as a spouse. With each person, we have certain responsibilities. When we tend to those true responsibilities, we'll find balance in our life.
We are also learning that while others aren't responsible for us, they are accountable to us in certain ways.
We can learn to discern our true responsibilities for ourselves, and to others. We can allow others to be responsible for themselves and expect them to be appropriately responsible to us.
We'll need to be gentle with ourselves while we learn.
Today, I will strive for clear thinking about my actual responsibilities to others. I will assume these responsibilities as part of taking care of myself.


Today my heart brings me to new places of giving and sharing that I have not yet experienced. I am a friend today and get great satisfaction when I put the needs of others first because I want to, not because I think I have to do so. --Ruth Fishel

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Changing Motives

"When we finally get our own selfish motives out of the way, we begin to find a peace that we never imagined possible."
Basic Text, p. 44

As we examine our beliefs, our actions, and our motives in recovery, we'll find that sometimes we do things for the wrong reasons. In our early recovery, we may have spent a great deal of money and time on people, wanting only for them to like us. Later on, we may find that we still spend money on people, but our motives have changed. We do it because we like them. Or perhaps we used to get romantically involved because we felt hollow inside and were seeking fulfillment through another person. Now our reasons for romantic involvement are based in a desire to share our already rewarding lives with an equal partner. Maybe we used to work the steps because we were afraid we'd relapse if we didn't. Today we work the steps because we want to grow spiritually.

We have a new purpose in life today, and our changing motives reflect that. We have so much more to offer than our neediness and insecurities. We have developed a wholesomeness of spirit and a peace of mind that moves our recovery into a new realm. We extend our love and share our recovery with complete generosity, and the difference we make is the legacy we leave to those who have yet to join us.

Just for today: In recovery, my motives have changed. I want to do things for the right reason, not just for my personal benefit. Today, I will examine my motives.
pg. 168

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Wisdom for Today
In recovery we also have good days. These days begin to happen more and more often the longer we stay clean and sober. But there is a catch. This only happens as long as we continue to work the steps and use the principles of the program. In my own life when I get lazy and don't use the tools I have been given, things seemed to fall apart. As soon as I got back on track, things started to go good again. This is not just my experience, but also the experience of others. I have heard this story time and time again from others. When I stop working the program, the program stops working for me.
What this means is that if I want to stay on track and string together more good days than bad ones, I have to keep doing my part. To keep the serenity going, I need to keep going. This by itself has convinced me that I still have this disease. I still think like an addict and an alcoholic. For me not to begin to behave like one, working the program on an ongoing basis is important. Today I will choose to use the tools and work the steps. I do this because I want more good days. I want everything that recovery offers me. Am I willing to use the tools each and every day?
Meditations for the Heart
Sometimes, I get so busy and seem to run from one task to another without stopping. These are the times when I am most likely to get myself tired. When I get tired, I know that I do not think real clearly. I also tend to over-react to situations. This is when "HALT" becomes very important for me. Halt tells me to slow down and get my rest. Halt tells me to take care of myself and my recovery. Rest is important in keeping a sense of balance in my life. If I get out of balance my whole world seems out of kilter. When this happens I find it is important to go back to the basics. I take my morning meditations more seriously. I work at eating right. I get to my meetings and I stick to a reasonable schedule. As I do these things, my life seems to come back into focus and I regain balance. Slowing down and getting back to the basics works. Do I use HALT when I need to?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Life is not always fair, but I know that You are. Help me to listen for Your cues that I need to slow down and get back to the basics. Let me use the tools I have been given to keep myself on track. Should I lose my balance, let me seek You out first, for nothing helps me more than being in a good place spiritually.
Amen

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You are reading from the book Food for Thought.

Procrastination

This is a particularly dangerous habit for compulsive overeaters, since when we put off unpleasant or difficult tasks, we may revert back to our old escape route -- eating. The result is that the unpleasant situation is still with us, and we are less able to deal with it. The longer we procrastinate, the larger the difficulty looms. Even small responsibilities left undone weaken our self-respect.

Often we procrastinate because of fear that we are inadequate for the job to be done. Sometimes we are simply rebelling against doing something we do not want to do. If we are taking a daily inventory, we will examine our motives and use the subsequent self-knowledge for constructive action.

Whatever it is that we are putting off, it will rarely become easier to do later. This is especially true if we are procrastinating about our abstinence! The time is now.

Since today is all I have, may I use it wisely.

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Keep It Simple

Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be.---Clementine Pappleford

At meetings, we meet people who have what we want. Our old way is to think these people are better or luckier than us. Our old way is to wish we were like them. But our program tells us how to work to change, not just wish for it. There is a big difference!
There are many ways to work for recovery. We practice the Steps. We attend meetings, and we help out at meetings. We welcome new members. We call our sponsor often. And we sponsor others when we're ready. It takes more than a wishbone. It takes courage and hard work, with the help of our Higher Power.

Prayer for the Day
Higher Power, help me know that wishing is lost energy. I must work at recovery. As I do today's work, guide me.

Action for the Day
Today, I'll do an extra bit of work on my recovery. I'll call a group member. I'll read. I'll spend extra time in prayer and meditation.