"Humility is a result of getting honest with ourselves."
Basic Text p. 35
Humility was an idea so foreign to most of us that we ignored it as long as we could. When we first saw the word "humbly" ahead in Step Seven, we may have figured it meant we had quite a bit of humiliation in store. Perhaps we chose to look it up in the dictionary, only to become even more confused by the definition. We didn't understand how "lowliness and subservience" applied to recovery.
To be humble does not mean we are the lowest form of life. On the contrary, becoming humble means we attain a realistic view of ourselves and where we fit in the world. We grow into a state of awareness founded on our acceptance of all aspects of ourselves. We neither deny our good qualities nor overemphasize our defects. We honestly accept who we are.
No one of us will ever attain a state of perfect humility. But we can certainly strive to honestly admit our faults, accept our assets, and rely on our Higher Power as a source of strength. Humility doesn't mean we have to crawl life's path on our hands and knees; it just means we must admit we cannot recover on our own. We need each other and, above all, we need the power of a loving God.
Just for today:
To be humble, I will honestly accept all facets of myself, seeing my true place in the world. For the strength I need to fill that place, I will rely on the God of my understanding.
pg. 324
Copyright Narcotics Anonymous
November 07, 2004
Realm of the Spirit Open to All
"As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative Intelligence, A Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of power and direction, provided we took other simple steps. We found that God does not make too hard terms for those who seek Him.
To us, the Realm of the Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 46
Thought to Consider . . .
Take a walk with God. He will meet you at the Steps.
To us, the Realm of the Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 46
Thought to Consider . . .
Take a walk with God. He will meet you at the Steps.
November 05, 2004
Ancient Wisdom
Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.
Lao-Tzu (fl. B.C. 600)
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.
Lao-Tzu (fl. B.C. 600)
Our Higher Power is Always With Us
"Our Higher power is accessible to us at all times. We receive guidance when we ask for knowledge of God's will for us."
Basic Text p. 92
It's not always easy to make the right decision. This is especially true for addicts learning to live by spiritual principles for the first time. In addiction, we developed self-destructive, anti-social impulses. When conflict arose, we took our cues from those negative impulses. Our disease didn't prepare us to make sound decisions.
Today, to find the direction we need, we ask our Higher Power. We stop; we pray; and, quietly, we listen within for guidance. We've come to believe that we can rely on a Power greater than ourselves. That Power is accessible to us whenever we need it. All we need do is pray for knowledge of our God's will for u and the power to carry it out.
Each time we do this, each time we find direction amidst our confusion, our faith grows. The more we rely on our Higher Power, the easier it becomes to ask for direction: We've found the Power we were lacking in our addiction, a Power that available to us at all times. To find the direction we need to live fully and grow spiritually, all we have to do is maintain contact with the God of our understanding.
Just for today: My Higher Power is a source of spiritual guidance within me that I can always draw upon. When I lad direction today. I will ask for knowledge of my Higher Power will.
Basic Text pg. 323
copyright by Narcotics Anonymous
Basic Text p. 92
It's not always easy to make the right decision. This is especially true for addicts learning to live by spiritual principles for the first time. In addiction, we developed self-destructive, anti-social impulses. When conflict arose, we took our cues from those negative impulses. Our disease didn't prepare us to make sound decisions.
Today, to find the direction we need, we ask our Higher Power. We stop; we pray; and, quietly, we listen within for guidance. We've come to believe that we can rely on a Power greater than ourselves. That Power is accessible to us whenever we need it. All we need do is pray for knowledge of our God's will for u and the power to carry it out.
Each time we do this, each time we find direction amidst our confusion, our faith grows. The more we rely on our Higher Power, the easier it becomes to ask for direction: We've found the Power we were lacking in our addiction, a Power that available to us at all times. To find the direction we need to live fully and grow spiritually, all we have to do is maintain contact with the God of our understanding.
Just for today: My Higher Power is a source of spiritual guidance within me that I can always draw upon. When I lad direction today. I will ask for knowledge of my Higher Power will.
Basic Text pg. 323
copyright by Narcotics Anonymous
November 04, 2004
Go With the Flow
Let go of fear and your need to control. Relinquish anxiety. Let it slip away, as you dive into the river of the present moment, the river of your life, your place in the universe.
Stop trying to force the direction. Try not to swim against the current, unless it is necessary for your survival. If you've been clinging to a branch at the riverside, let go.
Let yourself move forward. Let yourself be moved forward.
Avoid the rapids when possible. If you can't, stay relaxed. Staying relaxed can take your safely through fierce currents. If you go under for a moment, allow yourself to surface naturally. You will. Appreciate the beauty of the scenery, as it is. See things with freshness, with newness. You shall never pass by today's scenery again!
Don't think too hard about things. The flow is meant to be experienced. Within it, care for yourself. You are part of the flow, an important part. Work with the flow. Work within the flow. Thrashing about isn't necessary. Let the flow help you care for yourself. Let it help you set boundaries, make decisions, and get you where you need to be when it is time. You can trust the flow, and your part in it.
Today, I will go with the flow.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Today's meditation comes from the book
The Language of Letting Go, © 1990, pg. 161
by Melanie Beattie; Hazelden Meditation Series
The Language of Letting Go - Meditations for Codependency
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Stop trying to force the direction. Try not to swim against the current, unless it is necessary for your survival. If you've been clinging to a branch at the riverside, let go.
Let yourself move forward. Let yourself be moved forward.
Avoid the rapids when possible. If you can't, stay relaxed. Staying relaxed can take your safely through fierce currents. If you go under for a moment, allow yourself to surface naturally. You will. Appreciate the beauty of the scenery, as it is. See things with freshness, with newness. You shall never pass by today's scenery again!
Don't think too hard about things. The flow is meant to be experienced. Within it, care for yourself. You are part of the flow, an important part. Work with the flow. Work within the flow. Thrashing about isn't necessary. Let the flow help you care for yourself. Let it help you set boundaries, make decisions, and get you where you need to be when it is time. You can trust the flow, and your part in it.
Today, I will go with the flow.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Today's meditation comes from the book
The Language of Letting Go, © 1990, pg. 161
by Melanie Beattie; Hazelden Meditation Series
The Language of Letting Go - Meditations for Codependency
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Spirituality Requires Practice
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
TEACHING
"I hear and I forget. I see and I
remember. I do and I
understand."
-- Chinese Proverb
I suppose the best way to learn a thing is to do it, practice it, demonstrate it, make it real in our lives. Spirituality needs to be experienced, not talked about. You cannot learn spirituality, get spirituality from a famous guru, read and acquire spirituality from a book--spirituality needs to be discovered in our lives. It needs to be found in body, sexuality, sweat, anger, morning exercise and kneeling in prayer and gratitude at the end of the day.
God, may You be real in my life.
TEACHING
"I hear and I forget. I see and I
remember. I do and I
understand."
-- Chinese Proverb
I suppose the best way to learn a thing is to do it, practice it, demonstrate it, make it real in our lives. Spirituality needs to be experienced, not talked about. You cannot learn spirituality, get spirituality from a famous guru, read and acquire spirituality from a book--spirituality needs to be discovered in our lives. It needs to be found in body, sexuality, sweat, anger, morning exercise and kneeling in prayer and gratitude at the end of the day.
God, may You be real in my life.
Tap in to Your Creativity
Today's thought is:
Creativity and self-expression are the keys, which open the door to my soul.
--Betty MacDonald
Why do we find it so hard to believe that we are creative and talented? Generally we look upon artists as being far different from us. When we were young, we were encouraged to be ordinary, like everyone else. Those who dared to see the world differently were "weird." Thus our creative juices lay untapped.
But every spirit, by its very nature, is creative and talent-filled. Fortunately, the well of our creative spirits hasn't run dry. We can prime the pump and bring them bubbling to the surface. The first step is to acknowledge our creative potential.
The real gift of this journey is that hope has been inspired in us. We hear the stories of how others have changed and tapped into their creativity. We understand it can happen to us too.
Being willing to have my talents revealed is necessary for it to happen. I will work on willingness today.
You are reading from the book:
A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey
Copyright 1994 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
Creativity and self-expression are the keys, which open the door to my soul.
--Betty MacDonald
Why do we find it so hard to believe that we are creative and talented? Generally we look upon artists as being far different from us. When we were young, we were encouraged to be ordinary, like everyone else. Those who dared to see the world differently were "weird." Thus our creative juices lay untapped.
But every spirit, by its very nature, is creative and talent-filled. Fortunately, the well of our creative spirits hasn't run dry. We can prime the pump and bring them bubbling to the surface. The first step is to acknowledge our creative potential.
The real gift of this journey is that hope has been inspired in us. We hear the stories of how others have changed and tapped into their creativity. We understand it can happen to us too.
Being willing to have my talents revealed is necessary for it to happen. I will work on willingness today.
You are reading from the book:
A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey
Copyright 1994 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
November 01, 2004
Awaken from the Nightmare of Self-Centeredness
Just For Today
November 1 Awakening
"God helps us as we help each other." Basic Text p.51
Our addiction caused us to think almost exclusively of ourselves. Even our prayers-if we prayed at all-were self-centered. We asked God to fix things for us or get us out of trouble. Why? Because we didn't want to live with the problems we'd created for ourselves. We were insecure. We thought life was about getting, and we always wanted more.
And in recovery we get more-more than just not using. The spiritual awakening we experience in working the Twelve Steps reveals to us a life we never dreamed possible. We no longer need to worry about whether there will be "enough;' for we come to rely on a loving Higher Power who meets all our daily needs. Relieved of our incessant insecurity, we no longer see the world as a place in which to compete with others for the fulfillment of our desires. Instead, we see the world as a place in which to live out the love our Higher Power has shown us. Our prayers are not for instant gratification; they are for help in helping each other.
Recovery awakens us from the nightmare of self-centeredness, strife, and insecurity that lies at the core of our disease. We wake up to a new reality. All that is worth having can be kept only by giving it away.
Just for today: My God helps me as I help others. Today, I will seek help in giving away the love my Higher Power has given me, knowing that is the way to keep it. pg. 319
Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.
November 1 Awakening
"God helps us as we help each other." Basic Text p.51
Our addiction caused us to think almost exclusively of ourselves. Even our prayers-if we prayed at all-were self-centered. We asked God to fix things for us or get us out of trouble. Why? Because we didn't want to live with the problems we'd created for ourselves. We were insecure. We thought life was about getting, and we always wanted more.
And in recovery we get more-more than just not using. The spiritual awakening we experience in working the Twelve Steps reveals to us a life we never dreamed possible. We no longer need to worry about whether there will be "enough;' for we come to rely on a loving Higher Power who meets all our daily needs. Relieved of our incessant insecurity, we no longer see the world as a place in which to compete with others for the fulfillment of our desires. Instead, we see the world as a place in which to live out the love our Higher Power has shown us. Our prayers are not for instant gratification; they are for help in helping each other.
Recovery awakens us from the nightmare of self-centeredness, strife, and insecurity that lies at the core of our disease. We wake up to a new reality. All that is worth having can be kept only by giving it away.
Just for today: My God helps me as I help others. Today, I will seek help in giving away the love my Higher Power has given me, knowing that is the way to keep it. pg. 319
Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous ©
1991 by World Service Office Inc.
Free Choice and God's Will Not in Opposition
Growing Each Day
By Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski
If I surrender my will and turn my life over completely to the will of G-d, do I not thereby abrogate my power of free choice?
Certainly not. Take the example of a child who receives money for his birthday. An immature child may run off to the toy store or candy store and spend the money on everything his heart desires. He may indeed have several moments of merriment (although a stomach ache from indulging too heavily in confections is a possibility). Without doubt, however, after a short period of time those moments of enjoyment will be nothing but a memory, with the candy long since consumed and the broken toys lying on the junk heap.
A wiser child would give the money to a parent and ask that it be put into some type of savings account where it can increase in value and be available in the future for things of real importance.
Did the second child abrogate his prerogative of free choice by allowing the parent to decide how to invest the money? Of course not. In fact, this was a choice, and a wise choice as well as a free choice.
We can choose to follow our own whims or we can choose to adopt the will of an omniscient Father. We a wise when we make the second choice.
TODAY I SHALL ...
... turn my will over to G-d, and seek to do only that which is His will for me.
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. is a psychiatrist and ordained rabbi. He is the founder of the Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, a leading center for addiction treatment. An Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he is a prolific author, with some 30 books to his credit, including, "Growing Each Day", from which this was excerpted.
By Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski
If I surrender my will and turn my life over completely to the will of G-d, do I not thereby abrogate my power of free choice?
Certainly not. Take the example of a child who receives money for his birthday. An immature child may run off to the toy store or candy store and spend the money on everything his heart desires. He may indeed have several moments of merriment (although a stomach ache from indulging too heavily in confections is a possibility). Without doubt, however, after a short period of time those moments of enjoyment will be nothing but a memory, with the candy long since consumed and the broken toys lying on the junk heap.
A wiser child would give the money to a parent and ask that it be put into some type of savings account where it can increase in value and be available in the future for things of real importance.
Did the second child abrogate his prerogative of free choice by allowing the parent to decide how to invest the money? Of course not. In fact, this was a choice, and a wise choice as well as a free choice.
We can choose to follow our own whims or we can choose to adopt the will of an omniscient Father. We a wise when we make the second choice.
TODAY I SHALL ...
... turn my will over to G-d, and seek to do only that which is His will for me.
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. is a psychiatrist and ordained rabbi. He is the founder of the Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, a leading center for addiction treatment. An Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he is a prolific author, with some 30 books to his credit, including, "Growing Each Day", from which this was excerpted.
Let Go of the Past
Today's thought is:
Let us not go over the old ground, let us rather prepare for what is to come.
--Marcus Tullius Cicero
Sometimes we hang on to the oddest things. For instance, many of us go to a lot of trouble to hang on to old guilt, old mistakes, old loneliness, old hurts, and old crimes. We fight like crazy to keep these little darlings near and dear. If we make a mistake, we feel we don't deserve to let go of the self-punishment.
The healthy and sober thing to do is let go of the past. We can cut the chains and shackles of the past that keep us from moving forward. When we cut even one link of that chain, we begin to move more freely toward health and self-love.
Today let me understand that I'm not helping anyone by holding on to the past.
You are reading from the book: Our Best Days by Nancy Hull-Mast
Copyright 1990 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
Let us not go over the old ground, let us rather prepare for what is to come.
--Marcus Tullius Cicero
Sometimes we hang on to the oddest things. For instance, many of us go to a lot of trouble to hang on to old guilt, old mistakes, old loneliness, old hurts, and old crimes. We fight like crazy to keep these little darlings near and dear. If we make a mistake, we feel we don't deserve to let go of the self-punishment.
The healthy and sober thing to do is let go of the past. We can cut the chains and shackles of the past that keep us from moving forward. When we cut even one link of that chain, we begin to move more freely toward health and self-love.
Today let me understand that I'm not helping anyone by holding on to the past.
You are reading from the book: Our Best Days by Nancy Hull-Mast
Copyright 1990 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
October 29, 2004
The Greatest of these is Love
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Pray for those who wrong you
"God, I realize that the people who wronged me are perhaps spiritually blocked people. I ask you to help me show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that I would cheerfully grant a sick friend. Please show me how to be helpful to those I resent, and save me from my anger. Show me where I have been selfish, self-seeking, dishonest or fear-based, thus causing my own trouble, and relieve me of the notion that I have to retaliate or that I am a victim."
Power of Forgiveness
From InnerSelf.com Magazine:
"'Forgiveness is the demonstration that you are the light of the world. Through your forgiveness does the truth about your self return to your memory.'
.....Course in Miracles
It is a reality of life that you will occasionally experience pain, disappointment, upset, loss, and injury. Whether physical, emotional, spiritual, familial, or economic - someone, somewhere at some time will contribute to a negative experience that will affect you. Even angels have their traumas. The question then becomes, HOW LONG DO YOU PROLONG THIS NEGATIVITY BEFORE MOVING FORWARD?
Each moment you cling to this trauma after it occurs, you cause the past trauma to generate an entirely new sequence of thoughts, emotions, and actions. Until you can give up your attachment to the past incident, you are cursed to maintain and magnify the pain... "
"'Forgiveness is the demonstration that you are the light of the world. Through your forgiveness does the truth about your self return to your memory.'
.....Course in Miracles
It is a reality of life that you will occasionally experience pain, disappointment, upset, loss, and injury. Whether physical, emotional, spiritual, familial, or economic - someone, somewhere at some time will contribute to a negative experience that will affect you. Even angels have their traumas. The question then becomes, HOW LONG DO YOU PROLONG THIS NEGATIVITY BEFORE MOVING FORWARD?
Each moment you cling to this trauma after it occurs, you cause the past trauma to generate an entirely new sequence of thoughts, emotions, and actions. Until you can give up your attachment to the past incident, you are cursed to maintain and magnify the pain... "
October 27, 2004
Focus on Gratitude, not Annoyances
Growing Each Day
By Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski
“They praise G-d for His kindness and relate His wonders to other people.”
— Psalms 107:8
This verse is repeated four times in this chapter, emphasizing the obligation people have to express their gratitude to G-d for His kindnesses.
Human beings have the capacity for complaining about their distress as well as being thankful for benevolence. Unfortunately, in many people these traits are not balanced, and the capacity to complain may outweigh that of being grateful.
There is a story about a mother who was walking along the seashore with her son. Unexpectedly, a huge wave descended upon them and carried the child out to sea. The distraught mother began begging to G-d: "Please, G-d, save my child! Give me back my little son!" Shortly afterwards, another huge wave deposited the child, unharmed, right at her feet.
The mother embraced the child, and turning her eyes toward heaven, exclaimed, "Thank You, G-d. Thank You, thank You forever." A moment later, she looked at her child, then turned her eyes to heaven once again and asked: "Where is the hat he was wearing?"
Many humorous stories have a kernel of truth. How often do we forget kindnesses and focus instead on annoyances, even when the disparity between them is in the magnitude of the saving of a child versus the loss of a hat.
TODAY I SHALL ...
... try to bear in mind the many great kindnesses that G-d has done for me, and ignore the relatively insignificant displeasures in my life.
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. is a psychiatrist and ordained rabbi. He is the founder of the Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, a leading center for addiction treatment. An Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he is a prolific author, with some 30 books to his credit, including, "Growing Each Day", from which this was excerpted.
By Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski
“They praise G-d for His kindness and relate His wonders to other people.”
— Psalms 107:8
This verse is repeated four times in this chapter, emphasizing the obligation people have to express their gratitude to G-d for His kindnesses.
Human beings have the capacity for complaining about their distress as well as being thankful for benevolence. Unfortunately, in many people these traits are not balanced, and the capacity to complain may outweigh that of being grateful.
There is a story about a mother who was walking along the seashore with her son. Unexpectedly, a huge wave descended upon them and carried the child out to sea. The distraught mother began begging to G-d: "Please, G-d, save my child! Give me back my little son!" Shortly afterwards, another huge wave deposited the child, unharmed, right at her feet.
The mother embraced the child, and turning her eyes toward heaven, exclaimed, "Thank You, G-d. Thank You, thank You forever." A moment later, she looked at her child, then turned her eyes to heaven once again and asked: "Where is the hat he was wearing?"
Many humorous stories have a kernel of truth. How often do we forget kindnesses and focus instead on annoyances, even when the disparity between them is in the magnitude of the saving of a child versus the loss of a hat.
TODAY I SHALL ...
... try to bear in mind the many great kindnesses that G-d has done for me, and ignore the relatively insignificant displeasures in my life.
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. is a psychiatrist and ordained rabbi. He is the founder of the Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, a leading center for addiction treatment. An Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he is a prolific author, with some 30 books to his credit, including, "Growing Each Day", from which this was excerpted.
October 26, 2004
Kindness is all that matters...pass it on
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
KINDNESS
"Kindness in words creates
confidence. Kindness in thinking
creates profoundness. Kindness
in giving creates love."
-- Lao-tzu
It costs me nothing to say "hello" and yet it might make all the difference to my neighbor. It costs me nothing to give a hug and yet that hug might make all the difference to a friend. It costs me nothing to listen to anothers pain and yet the listening might make all the difference to another person.
Love is to be found in the small, ordinary acts of kindness as well as in the extravagant gesture. I need to seek God in the everyday happenings of life alongside the "religious". Spirituality is in the smile that is real!
Today I know that I give only what I received --- and I received a great deal. People loved me enough to be patient, they cared enough to telephone, they encouraged me with the gentle word of hope: I am in the flow.
Lord, You have created this wondrous patterned fabric of life --- may I find You in its smallest detail.
KINDNESS
"Kindness in words creates
confidence. Kindness in thinking
creates profoundness. Kindness
in giving creates love."
-- Lao-tzu
It costs me nothing to say "hello" and yet it might make all the difference to my neighbor. It costs me nothing to give a hug and yet that hug might make all the difference to a friend. It costs me nothing to listen to anothers pain and yet the listening might make all the difference to another person.
Love is to be found in the small, ordinary acts of kindness as well as in the extravagant gesture. I need to seek God in the everyday happenings of life alongside the "religious". Spirituality is in the smile that is real!
Today I know that I give only what I received --- and I received a great deal. People loved me enough to be patient, they cared enough to telephone, they encouraged me with the gentle word of hope: I am in the flow.
Lord, You have created this wondrous patterned fabric of life --- may I find You in its smallest detail.
Troubles Double as Blessings
As Bill Sees It
Trouble: Constructive or Destructive?, p. 110
"There was a time when we ignored trouble, hoping it would go away. Or, in fear and in depression, we ran from it, but found it was still with us. Often, full of unreason, bitterness, and blame, we fought back. These mistaken attitudes, powered by alcohol, guaranteed our destruction, unless they were altered.
"Then came A.A. Here we learned that trouble was really a fact of life for everybody--a fact that had to be understood and dealt with. Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could, under God's grace, be converted into unimagined blessings.
"Indeed, that was the essence of A.A. itself: trouble accepted, trouble squarely faced with calm courage, trouble lessened and often transcended. This was the A.A. story, and we became a part of it. Such demonstrations became our stock in trade for the next sufferer."
Letter, 1966
Trouble: Constructive or Destructive?, p. 110
"There was a time when we ignored trouble, hoping it would go away. Or, in fear and in depression, we ran from it, but found it was still with us. Often, full of unreason, bitterness, and blame, we fought back. These mistaken attitudes, powered by alcohol, guaranteed our destruction, unless they were altered.
"Then came A.A. Here we learned that trouble was really a fact of life for everybody--a fact that had to be understood and dealt with. Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could, under God's grace, be converted into unimagined blessings.
"Indeed, that was the essence of A.A. itself: trouble accepted, trouble squarely faced with calm courage, trouble lessened and often transcended. This was the A.A. story, and we became a part of it. Such demonstrations became our stock in trade for the next sufferer."
Letter, 1966
October 25, 2004
My Favorite Recovery Sayings - part 6
There are a million excuses to drink, but no good reason.
A sober alcoholic s like a turtle on a fence post: You know he had help.
God didn't save you from drowning to beat you up on the beach.
Sobriety is God's gift to me; what I do with it is my gift to God.
When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear.
If you're too busy to pray, you're too busy.
Follow the advice you hear yourself giving to others.
Talking about the spiritual part of the program is like talking about the wet part of the ocean.
Most good ideas are simple.
Don't believe everything you think.
Don't try to teach a pig to sing. First, pigs can't sing and secondly, it annoys the pig.
On a good day, things are okay and you don't drink; on a great day, things are lousy and you don't drink.
Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair; you can do it all day long and get nowhere.
A sober alcoholic s like a turtle on a fence post: You know he had help.
God didn't save you from drowning to beat you up on the beach.
Sobriety is God's gift to me; what I do with it is my gift to God.
When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear.
If you're too busy to pray, you're too busy.
Follow the advice you hear yourself giving to others.
Talking about the spiritual part of the program is like talking about the wet part of the ocean.
Most good ideas are simple.
Don't believe everything you think.
Don't try to teach a pig to sing. First, pigs can't sing and secondly, it annoys the pig.
On a good day, things are okay and you don't drink; on a great day, things are lousy and you don't drink.
Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair; you can do it all day long and get nowhere.
My Favorite Recovery Sayings - part 1
First things first
Keep it simple
Easy does it
One day at a time
Have an Attitude of Gratitude
Just for today
Let go and let God
Easy does it, but DO IT.
Accept, don't expect
Be here now
Turn it over.
Utilize, don't analyze.
Those who laugh - last.
Today, we have a choice.
Identify, don't compare
It isn't "me" and "you" anymore; it's "we" and "us."
Live and let live.
Keep it simple
Easy does it
One day at a time
Have an Attitude of Gratitude
Just for today
Let go and let God
Easy does it, but DO IT.
Accept, don't expect
Be here now
Turn it over.
Utilize, don't analyze.
Those who laugh - last.
Today, we have a choice.
Identify, don't compare
It isn't "me" and "you" anymore; it's "we" and "us."
Live and let live.
My Favorite Recovery Sayings - part 5
We come to the program thinking we are at the end of the line, whereas we are just at the start of a journey.
Although we are not responsible for our disease, we are responsible for our recovery.
The problem with isolating is that you get such bad advice.
All the happiness there is in this world comes from thinking about others, and all the suffering comes from preoccupation with yourself.
I often obsessively pursue feeling good...no matter how bad it makes me feel.
If you want to quit drinking, you are going to have to quit drinking.
I would rather go through life sober, believing I am an alcoholic, than go through life drunk, trying to convince myself that I am not.
An alcoholic is a person who wants to be held while he's isolating.
Resentments are like stray cats: if you don't feed them, they'll go away.
Although we are not responsible for our disease, we are responsible for our recovery.
The problem with isolating is that you get such bad advice.
All the happiness there is in this world comes from thinking about others, and all the suffering comes from preoccupation with yourself.
I often obsessively pursue feeling good...no matter how bad it makes me feel.
If you want to quit drinking, you are going to have to quit drinking.
I would rather go through life sober, believing I am an alcoholic, than go through life drunk, trying to convince myself that I am not.
An alcoholic is a person who wants to be held while he's isolating.
Resentments are like stray cats: if you don't feed them, they'll go away.
My Favorite Recovery Sayings - part 4
It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.
The smallest good deed is better than the grandest good intention.
Alcohol gave me wings to fly, then it took away the sky. (Big Book)
You can act your way into right thinking, but you can't think your way into right acting.
Don't be so humble, you're not that great.
Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel. (Old Arab Saying)
Be aware that tomorrow's resentments are fed by today's expectations. (Bill R.)
A joy shared is twice the joy; a pain shared is half the pain.
Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. (Abe Lincoln)
In sobriety, you can no longer deceive yourself as sincerely as you did before
The smallest good deed is better than the grandest good intention.
Alcohol gave me wings to fly, then it took away the sky. (Big Book)
You can act your way into right thinking, but you can't think your way into right acting.
Don't be so humble, you're not that great.
Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel. (Old Arab Saying)
Be aware that tomorrow's resentments are fed by today's expectations. (Bill R.)
A joy shared is twice the joy; a pain shared is half the pain.
Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. (Abe Lincoln)
In sobriety, you can no longer deceive yourself as sincerely as you did before
My Favorite Recovery Sayings - part 3
You teach best what you most need to learn
Where God guides, God provides.
I can't do His will my way.
You can't change the wind, but you can adjust the sails.
Those who anger you, conquer you.
The measure of your anxiety is the measure of your distance from God.
If you feel guilty - stop doing what's making you feel guilty.
No God - No Peace; Know God - Know Peace.
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.
If you're thinking about going to a meeting, go to the meeting and think about it later.
AA is like riding a bicycle - you can coast for awhile but if you don't start pedaling, you'll soon fall on your ass.
Where God guides, God provides.
I can't do His will my way.
You can't change the wind, but you can adjust the sails.
Those who anger you, conquer you.
The measure of your anxiety is the measure of your distance from God.
If you feel guilty - stop doing what's making you feel guilty.
No God - No Peace; Know God - Know Peace.
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.
If you're thinking about going to a meeting, go to the meeting and think about it later.
AA is like riding a bicycle - you can coast for awhile but if you don't start pedaling, you'll soon fall on your ass.
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