Daily Recovery Readings - 6/7

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Daily Reflections

LONG-TERM HOPE

Since most of us are born with an abundance of natural desires, it isn't
strange that we often let these far exceed their intended purpose.
When they drive us blindly, or we willfully demand that they supply us
with more satisfactions or pleasures than are possible or due us, that is
the point at which we depart from the degree of perfection that God
wishes for us here on earth. That is the measure of our character
defects, or, if you wish, of our sins.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 65

This is where long-term hope is born and perspective is gained, both of
the nature of my illness and the path of my recovery. The beauty of
A.A. lies in knowing that my life, with God's help, will improve. The
A.A. journey becomes richer, the understanding becomes truth, the
dreams become realities and today becomes forever.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

Alcoholism is a progressive illness. We go through the three stages of
social drinking, trouble drinking, and merry-go-round drinking. We
land in hospitals and jails. We eventually lose our homes, our families,
and our self-respect. Yes, alcoholism is a progressive illness and there
are only three ends to it--the insane asylum, the morgue, or total
abstinence. Will I choose not to take the first drink?

Meditation For The Day

You not only can live a new life but you also can grow in grace and
power and beauty. Reach ever forward and upward after the things of
the spirit. In the animal world, the very form of an animal changes to
enable it to reach that upon which it delights to feed. Your whole
character changes as you reach upward for the things of the spirit for
beauty, for love, for honesty, for purity, and for unselfishness.
Reaching after these things of the spirit, your whole nature becomes
changed so that you can best receive and delight in the wonders of the
abundant life.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may reach forward and upward. I pray that my character
may be changed by this reaching upward for the things of the spirit.

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As Bill Sees It

"The Only Requirement. . .", p. 186

In Tradition Three, A.A. is really saying to every serious drinker, "You are an A.A. member if you say so. You can declare yourself in; nobody can keep you out. No matter how low you've gone, no matter how grave your emotional complications--even your crimes--we don't want to keep you out. We just want to be sure that you get the same
chance for sobriety that we've had."

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

We do not wish to deny anyone his chance to recover from alcoholism. We wish to be just as inclusive as we can, never exclusive.

1. 12 & 12, p. 139
2. Grapevine, August 1946

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Walk In Dry Places

Deciding outcomes
Guidance
No matter how limited our opportunities may be, we always have choices and decisions to make. With any choice or decision, it’s only good sense to make the one that seems likely to have the best outcome.
If we’re following our program, however, we should not be dismayed when outcomes turn out to be unfavorable or take turns that disappoint us. We can see only dimly into the future, and we have no way of knowing what will eventually come about as a result of our choices.
We do know that the meeting of the first two AA members actually came about as a result of a business disappointment. We can always find other examples of disappointing outcomes that proved to be good breaks as time passed.
This is not an attempt to rationalize bad situations, if God is in charge of our lives, we need not fear what each outcome might be.
Though I will choose and decide as sensibly as possible, I'll not be excessively concerned about outcomes. My long-term good is assured as I follow God's plan in my life. "For those who love God, all things work together for good."

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Fear Of Fear

This lady was cautious. She decided she wouldn't let herself go in her drinking. And she would never, never take that morning drink!

I try to live our program as it has been outlined to me, one day at a time. I try to live today so that tomorrow I won't be ashamed when I wake up and look back at what last night had been like. I never could face it the next morning. And unless I had some rosy picture of what was going to happen that day, I wouldn't even feel like getting up in the morning at all. It really wasn't living. Now I feel so grateful not only for my sobriety, which I try to maintain day by day, but I'm grateful also for the ability to help other people. I never thought I could be useful to anyone except my husband and my children and perhaps a few friends. But A.A. has shown me that I can help other alcoholics.

pp. 293-294

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Seven - "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings."

Still more wonderful is the feeling that we do not have to be specially distinguished among our fellows in order to be useful and profoundly happy. Not many of us can be leaders of prominence, nor do we wish to be. Service, gladly rendered, obligations squarely met, troubles well accepted or solved with God's help, the knowledge that at home or in the world outside we are partners in a common effort, the well-understood fact that in God's sight all human beings are important, the proof that love freely given surely brings a full return, the certainty that we are no longer isolated and alone in self-constructed prisons, the surety that we need no longer be square pegs in round holes but can fit and belong in God's scheme of things--these are the permanent and legitimate satisfactions of right living for which no amount of pomp and circumstance, no heap of material possessions, could possibly be substitutes. True ambition is not what we thought it was. True ambition is the deep desire to live usefully and walk humbly under the grace of God.

pp. 124-125

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God's gracious gifts can be experienced by all who believe, and we can
fully enjoy its blessings without diminishing their enjoyment by others.
Knowing God and His limitless provisions, we are never deprived,
even though others are drawing on them, too. Joy, assurance, peace
and the awareness of God's presence are just a few of the many
benefits that are given without measure for everyone to enjoy. We
need only accept our gifts. Remember, the well of God's blessings will
never run dry.
--Our Daily Bread

We must be the change we wish to see in the world.
--Mahatma Gandhi

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.
--Confucius (551 - 479 B.C.) Philosopher

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.
--Khalil Gibbon (1883 – 1931) Poet

Our greatest glory consists not in never falling but in rising every time
we fall.
--Oliver Goldsmith

"We learn the magical lesson that making the most of what we have
turns it into more."
--Codependent No More

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

GREED

"One of the weakness of our age is
our apparent inability to
distinguish our needs from our
greeds."
--Don Robinson

I was a greedy drunk. A greedy man. Spoiled, selfish and demanding. I
felt that the world owed me a living and if I did not get my way, I
sulked, cried or tried to hurt people. And this greedy attitude to life
only made me sad, dull and boring. Greed, in this sense, could not work
because what I was craving would never satisfy me.

Then I learned how to "let go". Instead of demanding, I learned how
to wait. Instead of consuming large amounts of alcohol, I practiced
abstinence. Instead of expecting life on my terms, I went with the
natural flow of life. I became happy, joyous and free. A miracle? Yes. I
accepted my "needs" and with the acceptance came the satisfaction.

Lord, only when I accept my hunger for You am I truly satisfied.

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Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become
blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a
crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in
the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day
of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Philippians 2:14-16

"From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after
another."
John 1:16

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Daily Inspiration

Your thoughts can be your worst enemy if you let them run away with you. Lord, free me to enjoy each moment of my day no matter what circumstances surround me.

Be honest with yourself in every situation. Lord, help me recognize that my needs, feelings and my being are important just as they are in all others.

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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
The human brain forgets ninety percent of what goes on. --Jan Milner
There were two women who shared a house and raised their daughters, two toddlers, together. Then one of the women got transferred to another city and moved with her daughter.
Ten years later, they had a reunion. The mothers asked their kids what they remembered about living together. Did they remember all the books? No. Did they remember a mom in the kitchen every morning, fixing eggs and toast? No.
What they remembered was playing in the pink bathtub for hours, pulling the pink shower curtain shut for privacy. And the morning the mothers sneaked in, turned off the lights, threw plastic cups and spoons over the curtain and cried, "It's raining spoons!" They laughed and laughed.
We are lucky in this life--our minds think laughter is what's worth remembering.
What laughter from yesterday can I remember today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
A shortcut is often the quickest way to some place you weren't going. --Classic Crossword Puzzles
We try shortcuts when we are in a hurry. The founders of this program tell us many people tried to find an easier, softer way because this one seemed too hard and too slow. Shortcuts to growth lead to dead ends and detours. Many men have experimented with shortcuts like "the geographical cure," "controlled use," "get rid of this partner and try someone else," "abstinence without the spiritual part of recovery," or "selecting some of the Steps and bypassing others."
The shortest road to one's own spirituality is the long road we see before us. We may wish for something more to our liking. But that is not an option for those of us who choose to grow toward full manhood. We deal with one day's - or one hour's - part of the road at a time. Maybe we see a job we have to do, a challenge to face, an unfinished talk with someone. Our task is to take this day and, in partnership with our Higher Power, see it in the light of our spiritual path.
I pray for faithfulness to this program. I will avoid shortcuts, allowing my spirituality to grow and deepen.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Without discipline, there's no life at all. --Katharine Hepburn
Procrastination is habitual. It's perhaps a habit we've struggled with over the years, and not one that can be willed away. It eats at us, no doubt. How many times have we gone to bed at night depressed, discouraged, angry with ourselves for not finishing a job we promised ourselves, or someone else, we'd do! Sometimes it feels hopeless. The tasks awaiting our attention pile up, seem impossible to complete. But there is hope. The program has offered us an easy solution.
We have only this day to concern ourselves with. We can break the spell of procrastination, lethargy, immobility, if we choose. We can pick a task that needs attention, any task, preferably a small one for today. Maybe it's writing a letter, or fixing a hem, or making an appointment to see a doctor. Deciding to do something, and then doing it, breaks through the barriers that have caged us. Immediately we will sense the surge of freedom. In this moment we can always act. And any act will free us.
When procrastination blocks us, our senses are dead to the friends close to us. It's as though we have stepped outside of the circle of life. The real gifts of sobriety are beyond our reach when we choose inaction.
I will get free. I will tackle a small task today. It will bless me in special ways.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Into Orbit
It doesn't matter if they're hurting themselves. It doesn't matter that we could help them if they'd only listen to, and cooperate with, us. IT DOESN'T MATTER, DOESN'T MATTER, DOESN'T MATTER, DOESN'T MATTER. --Codependent No More
I think I can change him. Nobody's ever really loved him and appreciated him before. I'll be the one to do that, and then he'll change. . . . She's never been with anybody trustworthy before. I'll prove how trustworthy I am, and then she'll be able to love. . . . Nobody's been able to get to her, to conquer her, before. I'll be the one to do that. . . . Nobody's ever really given him a chance. . . . Nobody's ever really believed in him before. . . .
These are warning signs. Red lights. Red flags. In fact, if we're thinking these thoughts, they need to be stop signs.
If we have gotten hooked into believing that somehow we will be the one who will make the difference in someone's life, if we are trying to prove how good we can be for someone, we may be in trouble.
This is a game. A deception. It won't work. It'll make us crazy. We can trust that. We're not seeing things clearly. Something's going on with us.
It will be self-defeating.
We may be "the one" all right - the one to wind up victimized.
The whole thought pattern reeks of codependency, of not being responsible for oneself, and of victimization. Each person needs to do his or her own work.
Nobody in the past has really understood him. . . . Nobody has seen what I see in her. . . . It's a set up. It sets us up to stop paying attention to ourselves while we focus too much on the other person. It takes us away from our path and often puts us in orbit.
Nobody has appreciated him enough. . . . Nobody has been good enough to her, or done for her what I can do. . . . It's a rescue. It's a game move, a game we don't have to play. We don't have to prove we're the one. If we're out to show people we're the best thing that ever happened to them, it may be time to see if they're the best thing that ever happened to us.
We have not been appointed as guardian angel, godmother, godfather, or "the one who will."
The help, support, and encouragement that truly benefits others and ourselves emerges naturally. Let it.
God, help me let go of my need to meet dysfunctional challenges in my relationships.


Today I am willing to experience all my feelings without hiding or running away. I am feeling alive in all moments and I am living this day to the fullest. --Ruth Fishel

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Someone Who Believes In Me

"Just for today I will have faith in someone in NA who believes in me and wants to help me in my recovery."
Basic Text, p. 96

Not all of us arrive in NA and automatically stay clean. But if we keep coming back, we find in Narcotics Anonymous the support we need for our recovery. Staying clean is easier when we have someone who believes in us even when we don't believe in ourselves.

Even the most frequent relapser in NA usually has one staunch supporter who is always there, no matter what. It is imperative that we find that one person or group of people who believes in us. When we ask them if we will ever get clean, they will always reply, "Yes, you can and you will. Just keep coming back!"

We all need someone who believes in us, especially when we can't believe in ourselves. When we relapse, we undermine our already shattered self-confidence, sometimes so badly that we begin to feel utterly hopeless. At such times, we need the support of our loyal NA friends. They tell us that this can be our last relapse. They know from experience that if we keep coming to meetings, we will eventually get clean and stay clean.

It's hard for many of us to believe in ourselves. But when someone loves us unconditionally, offering support no matter how many times we've relapsed, recovery in NA becomes a little more real for us.

Just for today: I will find someone who believes in me. I will believe in them.
pg. 165

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Wisdom for Today

Boredom can be a real enemy of an addict or alcoholic early in recovery. Idle time can bring on a busy mind. I know I struggled with this issue a lot in my early days. I had grown so attached to the excitement and rush of the nightlife that going to another meeting just didn’t seem to take the place of chasing the dream of being high or wasted again. Now that I was clean and sober didn’t mean that I was out of the woods yet. I had time on my hands and didn’t know what to do with it. My mind frequently would be preoccupied with romancing the high again. It wasn’t that I was bored; it was the fact that I was grieving the loss of my previous lifestyle. I didn’t miss the insanity, but I did miss the fun, I missed the camaraderie of my using and drinking buddies.

But I told myself I was bored. In truth I was depressed and lonely and sad. I would even get into playing games with myself and trying to convince myself I didn’t need to go to a meeting. Then one night I heard someone say, “When I think I don’t need a meeting, that is when I need to go the most.” This didn’t make any sense to me at the time, but I am glad I listened to this suggestion. Months later when I really began to settle into recovery and my brain started to clear more, I could really see how I was setting myself up. I could see the addictive preoccupation I had. I do not know how I made it through this time without using or drinking; I just know that going to meetings saved me from returning to the insanity. Do I accept that I will always need meetings?
Meditations for the Heart

In the program, camaraderie with drinking buddies and using friends is replaced with fellowship. This fellowship often happens before meetings and again after meetings. It occurs in time spent with sponsors and in time spent at conventions, workshops, and program social events. It also occurs in relationship with a Higher Power. Today I know how important this fellowship is with others in the program. Much of what I have learned along the way has occurred outside of the meetings themselves. The reality is that many of my toughest battles in recovery have been fought with the help of others who were willing to spend time with me before or after a meeting. Service work also has helped me gain a deeper appreciation of all that goes on behind the scenes. It has also helped me grow in many ways. Do not underestimate the importance of this fellowship with others; for many of us this is where real change occurs. Do I take advantage of opportunities to build fellowship with others?
Petitions to my Higher Power

God,

This day is not unlike others. I stand here before You as an alcoholic and addict. Help me this day to do the next right thing. Encourage me to be in fellowship with others. Grant me this day ears to listen to every suggestion that is offered. Give me wisdom to use these suggestions in ways to help me grow in my recovery.

Amen

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You are reading from the book Food for Thought.

Perfectionism

Part of the ego reduction necessary to our recovery is the acceptance of the fact that we are not and never will be perfect. Perfectionism gets in the way of recovery because it imposes impossible, unrealistic goals which guarantee failure. If we do not think we have to be perfect, then we can accept our mistakes as learning experiences and be willing to try again.

Deepening acquaintance with our Higher Power is good insurance against perfectionism. We come to believe that He accepts and loves us as we are, and this gives us the courage and humility to accept ourselves.

We are not perfect, but we are growing. In spite of our weaknesses, we can serve others according to God's plan for our lives. Accepting our own limitations makes us more tolerant of the faults and weaknesses of those around us. Together, we progress.

I am thankful that I don't need to be perfect.

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Keep It Simple

Forgiveness is the way to true health and happiness.---Gerald Jampolsky

We can't afford to hold grudges. We have all felt hurt by others at times. But when we stay angry at another person, it hurts us. It keeps our wounds open. It takes our energy away from healing.
We can forgive now. We know that living our program of honesty and love make us safe. We don't have to be afraid. We don't have to be angry. We don't have to let old hurts stand in our way. We let them go. We empty the angers from the hearts to clear the way for love.

Prayer for the Day
Higher Power, help me forgive the people I'm still angry with. Help me see that each of those people taught me something about myself.

Action for the Day
Am I holding on to anger and resentment? If so, I'll make a list today, and I'll talk with my sponsor about ways to let go of them.