Daily Recovery Readings - 6/14

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Daily Reflections

WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH

It is a design for living that works in rough going.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 15

When I came to A.A., I realized that A.A. worked wonderfully
to help keep me sober. But could it work on real life problems,
not concerned with drinking? I had my doubts. After being
sober for more than two years I got my answer. I lost my job,
developed physical problems, my diabetic father lost a leg,
and someone I loved left me for another - and all of this
happened during a two-week period. Reality crashed in, yet
A.A. was there to support, comfort, and strengthen me. The
principles I had learned during my early days of sobriety
became a mainstay of my life for not only did I come through,
but I never stopped being able to help newcomers. A.A. taught me
not to be overwhelmed, but rather to accept and understand my
life as it unfolded.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

In A.A. we have to learn that drink is our greatest enemy.
Although we used to think that liquor was our friend, the time
came when it turned against us and became our enemy. We don't
know just when this happened, but we know that it did because
we began to get into trouble - jails and hospitals. We realize
now that liquor is our enemy. Is it still my main business to
keep sober?

Meditation For The Day

It is not your circumstances that need altering so much as
yourself. After you have changed, conditions will naturally
change. Spare no effort to become all that God would have you
become. Follow every good leading of your conscience. Take each
day with no backward look. Face the day's problems with God, and
seek God's help and guidance as to what you should do in every
situation that may arise. Never look back. Never leave until
tomorrow the thing that you are guided to do today.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that God will help me to become all that He would have me
be. I pray that I may face today's problem as with good grace.

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As Bill Sees It

Coping With Anger, p. 179

Few people have been more victimized by resentments than have we alcoholics. A burst
of temper could spoil a day, and a well-nursed grudge could make us miserably
ineffective. Nor were we ever skillful in separating justified from unjustified anger. As
we saw it, our wrath was always justified. Anger, that occasional luxury of more balanced
people, could keep us on an emotional jag indefinitely. These "dry benders' often led
straight to the bottle.

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

Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen. We must avoid quick-tempered
criticism, furious power-driven argument, sulking, and silent scorn. These are emotional
booby traps baited with pride and vengefulness. When we are tempted by the bait, we
should train ourselves to step back and think. We can neither think nor act to good
purpose until the habit of self-restraint has become automatic.

12 & 12
1. p. 90
2. p. 91

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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.

I should have realized that alcohol was getting hold of me when I started to become secretive in my drinking. I began to have to have supplies on hand for the people "who might come in." And of course a half-empty bottle wasn't worth keeping, so I finished it up and naturally had to get more in right away for the people who "might come in unexpectedly." But I was always the unexpected person who had to finish the bottle. I couldn't go to one wine store and look the man honestly in the face and buy a bottle, as I used to do when I had parties and entertained and did normal drinking. I had to give him a story and ask him the same question over and over again, "Well, now, how many will that bottle serve?" I wanted him to be sure that I wasn't the one who was going to drink the whole bottle.

p. 296

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

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

So at the outset, how best to live and work together as groups became the prime question. In the world about us we saw personalities destroying whole peoples. The struggle for wealth, power, and prestige was tearing humanity apart as never before. If strong people were stalemated in the search for peace and harmony, what was to become of our erratic band of alcoholics? As we had once struggled and prayed for individual recovery, just so earnestly did we commence to quest for the principles through which A.A. itself might survive. on anvils of experience, the structure of our Society was hammered out.

pp. 130-131

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The memories of tomorrow depend on your attitude today.
--Dave Weinbaum

"Make sure the thing you're living for is worth dying for."
--Charles Mayes

"I have a special purpose!"
--Steve Martin

"When we become aware of our humility, we've lost it."
--Anonymous

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have
the life that is waiting for us.
--Joseph Campbell

Injure others, injure yourself.
--Chinese Proverb

"I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I
can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do."
--Helen Keller

"I've never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep
down in his heart, didn't appreciate the grind, the discipline... I firmly
believe that any man's finest hour - this greatest fulfillment to all he
holds dear – is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a
good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious."
--Vince Lombardi

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

LIFE

"To be free is to have achieved
your life."
--Tennessee Williams

Yesterday's tapes: I need a drink. I can't exist without a fix. How will
I get through the morning without taking something? Do people see
me shake? Are people watching me? Where can I get money? The
prison of addiction!

Today I am free because I took courage and asked for help. Today I
am free because I still ask for help. Today I have learned to say "no"
to the first drink and life is more comfortable and less painful.

Freedom is a precious spiritual gift that I work for on a daily basis.
God is involved - but so am I. The freedom from alcoholism is only
guaranteed by the creative choices I make and in the choice is the
freedom.

God, my memory is the key to today's freedom; may I continue to
remember.

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"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy
name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who
forgives all your inquiry, who heals all your diseases."
Psalm 103:1-3

"For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39

"I will praise You, O LORD, among the peoples, And I will sing praises
to You among the nations."
Psalms 108:3

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Daily Inspiration

To be successful in the projects you undertake today, you must believe in yourself and your abilities even if you are walking on new ground. Lord, guide me in my endeavors and open my mind to new solutions if things aren't going as I have planned.

The smallest kindness is worth more than the greatest intention. Lord, help me not to overlook the opportunities that I have to enrich the lives of others or think I am too busy to reach out with a word or even a smile.

[admin]

You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Fear not that life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning. --J. H. Newman
Our fears lock us up if we let them. They can prevent us from tasting adventure, from experiencing new wonders. We are often terrified of unknowns and fret about what might happen if we try something new. We worry if new people will like us--if we'll fit in.
It is natural to be cautious about the unknown, and anything new is just that. But we can keep our caution from becoming fear by taking action, with the faith that we never encounter anything we can't handle in some way.
Unknowns are merely joys we haven't met. We hold the keys to our own cages and can free ourselves when we use our courage and inner strength to overcome our fears.
What new joy can I discover beneath my fear today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt.
--Max Lerner
When we consider all of the troubles and crises in our lives and all of the scrapes we've gotten into, we might feel overwhelmed. With what we have gone through, it seems miraculous for many of us to be here today. When we stop feeling sorry for ourselves and when we stop complaining about the unfairness of it all, we may get a new insight: "I have survived!"
We see the strength and persistence, which brought us through the toughest times we have known. Even when some of us did not know it, we were being carried along by our Higher Power. We can draw strength from that knowledge. We can remind ourselves today that, knowing what we have lived through with the help of our Higher Power, we can deal with anything to come.
I am grateful to my Higher Power for help in surviving the hard times in life.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
All of us have unique talents and gifts. No obstacle, be it physical, mental or emotional, has the power to destroy our innate creative energies. --Liane Cordes
Believing this fully is difficult at times; for some of us, most of the time. But it is true. What each of us can contribute to the world is unlike every other contribution. Each talent is slightly different from every other talent. And they are all needed. We are all needed.
Creativity--any kind--writing, photography, cooking, child care, weaving, managing, woodworking--nourishes the self that feels isolated and worthless. And as the self is nourished, it grows; it recovers.
Recovery means changing our lifestyle. It means reaching out to others and being there for one another. It means rejoining the human race by giving of ourselves. Our talents are the gifts the human race awaits, needs, in fact. Do we know our talents?
I will search out my secret dreams today. In them lie my talents. I will develop them. Help awaits me.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Letting Go of Timing
When the time is right, child. When the time is right. How often have we heard those words - from a friend, a sponsor, our Higher Power?
We want things so badly - that job, that check, a relationship, a possession. We want our life to change.
So we wait, sometimes patiently, sometimes anxiously, wondering all the while: When will the future bring me what I long for? Will I be happy then?
We try to predict, circling dates on the calendar, asking questions. We forget that we don't hold the answers. The answers come from God. If we listen closely, we'll hear them. When the time is right, child. When the time is right.
Be happy now.
Today, I will relax. I am being prepared. I can let go of timing. I can stop manipulating outcomes. Good things will happen when the time is right, and they will happen naturally.


Today I will be aware not to judge myself when I feel less than perfect. I am beginning to love myself just as I am and that feels so nice. --Ruth Fishel

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Maintaining Our Faith

"If we maintain our spiritual condition daily, we find it easier to deal with the pain and confusion."
Basic Text, p. 92

When we first began searching for a Power greater than ourselves, many of us got stuck in old beliefs or ideas. These ranged from the fear of a punishing or vengeful God to no belief at all. Some of us felt we had done such terrible things that a loving Power would never have anything to do with us. Others were convinced that the "bad" things that happened to us would not have occurred if a loving Power had actually existed. It took time, effort, open-mindedness, and faith to acquire a working belief in a loving Higher Power that would guide us through life's challenges.

Even after we come to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, our old ideas can come back to haunt us. Major setbacks in our lives and the insecurity such events can trigger may give rise to the return of our old, inadequate ideas about God. When this happens, we need to assure ourselves that our Higher Power has not abandoned us but is waiting to help us make it through the hard times in our recovery. No matter how painful our loss may be, we will survive our setback and continue to grow if we maintain the faith our program has given us.

Just for today: I have worked hard to build my faith in a loving, caring Higher Power that will guide me through life's challenges. Today, I will trust that Power.
pg. 172

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Wisdom for Today
When active in my addiction, I found lots of reasons to keep on drinking and using. Many of these reasons were just excuses, but I was also using to help fulfill many of the needs I had. I needed to feel like I fit in. I needed to feel strong and confident. I needed to find relief. I needed to have a sense of security. Simply returning to the bottle or my drugs over and over again filled many different needs. I entered the program and soon realized that it was not just the alcohol and drugs I was giving up, but I was also giving up a way to meet those needs. I began to wonder if I was now simply to go through life depressed, lonely, bored and stupid. Even worse was I to end up like many of those self-righteous people I had met.
I knew I needed to stay clean and sober, but the real question was how. I also had no idea how to meet the many other needs I had. Fortunately, the program offered the answers I was looking for. Not only did the program teach me how to stay clean and sober, but it also helped me to meet my needs in a new and healthier way. I gained a sense of belonging and felt like I fit in. I also began to feel less fearful and gained strength. The steps and the fellowship not only provided a sense of relief, but also a sense of real security. I no longer worry so much about how to meet my needs, I have found a healthier way to meet my needs. Have I found a good substitute for alcohol and drugs?
Meditations for the Heart
I always walked around feeling like a total failure until I found the program. Today I know I do not need to rely on my strength, ability, or wisdom. I can rely on the strength, ability and wisdom of the program and my Higher Power. In God there can be no failure. My sponsor would ask me over and over again, “Do you want to make the best life you can for yourself?” I think this is a question that each of us would say yes to. He would go on to say, “Then live close to God.” This simple suggestion has become a guide for my life. Living close to my Higher Power and following His will does provide me with all the strength, ability, and wisdom I need. I do not need to have fear of failure any more than I need to fear success. If living close to God is sure, I can know that as long as I walk the path with Him I will succeed. This may or may not happen in the way that I expect it to, But I am confident it can and will happen. Do I continue to feel like a failure?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
I walk the path that I am given and hold close to You. Let me not become overconfident and rely on myself. Give me knowledge that my real security comes from You. Let me bring every need that I have to you confident that You will show me the way to fulfill these needs.
Amen

[admin]

You are reading from the book Food for Thought.

Positive Addiction

Since we seem to have addictive types of personalities, we can make this characteristic work for us, rather than against us. We can develop life enhancing habits -- positive addictions.

The OA program is an example of positive addiction. We become habituated to writing down a food plan, attending meetings, making phone calls, working the program. We replace the negative addiction to compulsive overeating with a positive commitment to abstinence.

Other activities which we perform regularly take on the character of positive habits. Exercise is a healthy routine. Hobbies and creative self-expression can be habitual parts of our daily schedule. Whenever we choose a life-enhancing activity and perform it regularly until it becomes an ingrained habit, we are using our addictive tendency to build ourselves up rather than tear ourselves down.

Thank You, Lord, for positive addictions.

[admin]

Walk in dry places _______True Satisfaction
Contentment
True satisfaction never comes from feeding addition. Nothing is ever enough. The only possible outcomes for those who do not seek recovery from their additions will be complete breakdown and untimely death.

St. Augustine explained why it’s impossible for humans to find true satisfaction in pursuing pleasure. “Thou hast made us for thyself and our hearts are restless until they repose in thee,” he wrote, with reference to the Divine.
As we come to understand that true satisfaction comes from the Spirit, we will, surprisingly, receive more satisfaction from the worldly things we use. We will begin to look upon our possessions for the service they give rather than as things that should make us happy. A new car should give us comfortable satisfactory transportation, but it cannot give us peace and true self-esteem. New clothes can please us, but they will not do anything for our spiritual depression.
Why didn't we know this all along? Probably because we falsely believed that certain possessions would bring fulfillment. They can't do that, but when we are thinking right, our appreciation of everything should increase.

......... I'll not expect true satisfaction in this world, although I'll get more out of it if I put things in right order.

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Keep It Simple

Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening at once.---unknown


Time always seems to pass too slowly or too quickly for us. .We want the fun times to last longer. We want the boring or painful times to go faster. But times goes at just the right pace. Any faster, and we wouldn't have enough time to learn as we go. Any slower, and we'd lose interest. In our program, we learn to respect the pace of time. We let go, and we let time go at it's own pace. We call this patience.

Prayer for the Day
Higher Power, thank-you for patience. Help me look forward to the future without rushing. Help me live fully in the here and now. Help me make today a good one by doing Your will.

Action for the Day
I'll list five ways I can use time to be more healthy---in body, mind and spirit. Which of these five things can I do today?