Reflections for Every Day - August

[yukonm]

August 1

Today's Thought:

From my own personal experience, I tried controlling my drinking on lots of occasions. I went to counselors who tried cognitive therapies to reframe my "thoughts" surrounding drinking; sometimes it worked however, eventually I always got drunk. I got to a point where trying to control my drinking was exhausting and I always felt like a failure when I didn't manage my drinking.

Submitted By:

Ralph

[yukonm]

August 2

Today's Thought

The tough part for me on the fourth step is just recognizing and accepting things and then understanding that I have to change myself. This is character building. I have learned too that God places me in circumstances and places that will challenge me to change the way I handle those circumstances.

Submitted By

Carolyn

[MajestyJo]

Thanks for sharing this, I don't always have the time to get up here and read these.

I like the one for August 1st. If you have to control it, it is already out of control. Control is an illusion, we do not have the power.

When I surrender to the God of my understanding, I am empowered to do what I need to do, one day at a time, to stay clean and sober.

http://angelwinks.net/images/kayomi/kayomi1.jpg

[yukonm]

August 3

Today's Thought:

The first thing to be affected by the use of alcohol is our judgement! Everyone I know who is serious about recovery is certain to admit his/her responsibility for their actions. We cannot work a fourth step without looking at ourselves and the part we played in everything that has happened in our lives.

Submitted By:

Magic

[yukonm]

August 4

Today's Thought:

There's a million ways to stop a fight from starting; for protecting myself from emotional injury; for keeping a hurtful situation from turning into a real deep-down pain festival. I wish I followed my own advice every single time.

Submitted By:

Rose

[yukonm]

August 5

Today's Thought:

I told my sponsor I'd never do any of the amends ... that changing my attitudes and behaviors was just going to have to do. Wrong! She laughed at me and said I'd do just fine if I relaxed and waited for opportunities to pop up.

Submitted By:

Rose

[yukonm]

August 6

Today's Thought:

No one gives up their religious freedom when they walk into a 12 step meeting, and no one asks them to either. We just share what worked for us.

Submitted By:

Buddy

[yukonm]

August 7

Today's Thought:

The program has given me so many blessings in my life, just the ability and the humility to recognize when I am being self-righteous is a gift. I never could when I was drinking.

Submitted By:

Becky

[yukonm]

August 8

Today's Thought:

I did not even take the time to write it down. I just hunted people down and apologized ... sincerely to them. I found it impossible to not immediately apologize to all of those I could find on my list as soon as I could get in touch with them.

Submitted By:

Mascot

[yukonm]

August 9

Today's Thought:

Hearing others share their experience gave real life examples of what they were going through. They shared how they found solutions through working the steps and pointed out excerpts in the Big Book that guided them to those solutions. And, finally the hope of staying sober one day at a time, the happy, peaceful and productive days I had to look forward to if I just didn't drink that day.

Submitted By:

Magic

[yukonm]

August 10

Today's Thought:

The tough part for me on the fourth step is just recognizing and accepting things and then understanding that I have to change myself. This is character building. I have learned too that God places me in circumstances and places that will challenge me to change the way I handle those circumstances.

Submitted By:

Carolyn

[yukonm]

August 11

Today's Thought:

Well, because I didn't take it "seriously." I turned from an "entry level" alcoholic into a "professional" alcoholic. I do attend meetings now. I work the 12 steps. I spoke three times in my first meetings and all I want to say it "Thank God" for sobriety

Submitted By:

George

[yukonm]

August 12

Today's Thought:

My sponsor and I are not close friends. We do nothing together but 12 step meetings and 12 step work. We are almost completely opposite. We do not travel in the same circles. We are of very different ages and backgrounds. The only things we have in common are the 12 steps, we are both women, and we live in the same town. I am starting to like her as I get to know her better, but the only thing I knew about her when I asked her to help me is that she had something I wanted.

Submitted By:

Mascot

[yukonm]

August 13

Today's Thought:

If the disease concept doesn't work for you, let it go. No one says you have to believe anything. More importantly, I have found that the 'whys' of my drinking were interesting, but irrelevant. What I needed was some practical tools for permanent sobriety. That I found in the 12 steps.

Submitted By:

Oaktree

[yukonm]

August 14

Today's Thought:

I see a character strength I truly admire in someone else. I'd like to have it for my own. I have no foggy clue what it feels like nor looks like to act in that manner. So? I act as if I already have that strength and see how it works. In time, it'll either be discarded or become part of me. The belief has now followed the act.

Submitted By:

Rose

[MajestyJo]

If the disease concept doesn't work for you, let it go. No one says you have to believe anything. More importantly, I have found that the 'whys' of my drinking were interesting, but irrelevant. What I needed was some practical tools for permanent sobriety. That I found in the 12 steps.


If people didn't understand the disease part of addiction, I told them that I was at dis-ease within myself and looked outside of myself for something to make me feel better. To look out instead of inward, sounds like Step Two to me in today. The BB says according to a friend in recovery. "...that it could restore us to sanity, but doesn't promise it would."

[yukonm]

Today's Thought:

August 15

It's okay today for me to make one decision and if it turns out the be the wrong one back up and apply the Step 10 principle and admit it was wrong and get it right the next time. Just for today I don't have to be perfect.

Submitted By:

Buddy

[yukonm]

August 16

Today's Thought:

I halfheartedly started working the steps, pretty much because I didn't know what else to do, and somewhere along the line it hit me: I was an alcoholic, just like everyone else in AA. The fact that I hid it well didn't change the facts.

Submitted By:

Claire

[yukonm]

August 17

Today's Thought:

I started Al-Anon when he was in the hospital and I found it to be a big help. Before I wouldn't go anywhere especially with him. I just sat here and worried about him, his job and our marriage. Now I do what I want.

Submitted By:

Diane

[yukonm]

August 18

Today's Thought:

Friendship is fine, however, sponsorship is another thing. I can sponsor some people and never be friends with them. On the other hand I have life long friends that I have sponsored.

Submitted By:

Richard

[yukonm]

August 19

Today's Thought:

The first step has always been the one that I have always looked at as my favorite. It was the first time I was ever honest with me or anyone else. When I did look at that step, I thought, gee how simple, how come I never thought about that?

Submitted By:

Skip

[yukonm]

August 20

Today's Thought:

Today I know that I am an addict through and through and my disease will latch onto anything self destructive. I am doing my best to work through my underlying issues, to accept painful challenges and to continue to do the next right thing.

Submitted By:

Lake Ladey

[yukonm]

August 21

Today's Thought:

I started Al-Anon when he was in the hospital and I found it to be a big help. Before I wouldn't go anywhere especially with him. I just sat here and worried about him, his job and our marriage. Now I do what I want.

Submitted By:

Diane

[yukonm]

August 22

Today's Thought:

"Cured" of alcoholism would mean that I could go drink like a NON alcoholic. I do not believe that I am "cured". However, I AM "recovered" in the sense that I am not driven to take that first drink today, nor have I been for some time.

Submitted By:

Jeff

[yukonm]

August 23

Today's Thought:

When I first came into the program I basically traded one addiction for another. You know, just another way of running. It wasn't until after multiple relapses that I was finally able to confront all the issues, and I mean all of them!

Submitted By:

Magic

[yukonm]

August 24

Today's Thought:

On his death bed he admitted to his daughter that he was an alcoholic and had tried to stop drinking for years but couldn't and could not go to AA. The disease of alcoholism (not the drinking) is powerful, baffling and uncontrollable. The disease is what controlled his anger, his fears, not him.

Submitted By:

Edie

[yukonm]

August 25

Today's Thought:

When my fiancee got killed by a drunk driver, I did what we alcoholics do DRINK. After 8 months of drinking I asked GOD for help. He did, but first I had to thoroughly believe I was powerless over alcohol. Today, seven years later, when I am asked by others to help them take the steps, I state how important that first half of the 1st step is, and how thoroughly it must be done.

Submitted By:

Nury

[yukonm]

August 26

Today's Thought:

One friend would have had 30 years this year but he chose to take his life, as a result of the misery that drinking brought back into his life. I have been coming regularly for 11 years now, and am finding that even though at times, I feel it's a job to make myself go, meetings are more and more important to my maintaining continuous sobriety.

Submitted By:

Miss S.

[yukonm]

August 27

Today's Thought:

He needed nine more years of sobriety, relapse, sobriety, relapse before he attained continuous sobriety and today he's got 15.5 years. I can smile and say God Bless him now but I sure couldn't do that years ago. Notice that I said "he needed" those nine in-out years? I think it's what had to happen for him to realize how much more he needed sobriety than addiction.
Once he was finally brought to his knees, he was able to grab and hang onto the program. It took what it took and today I'm quite proud of him.

Submitted By:

Rose R.

[yukonm]

August 28

Today's Thought:

First few years was just dry. When I begin to study the BB and practice the steps, I got sober. My wife described my dryness as "stark raving sobriety" and how right she was. My 4 children had there own description.

However, today, I have 16 grand children and 3 great grand children, and 1 more on the way. Today, we are a "family unit" for the first time! That too, by the grace of God.

Submitted By:

Corky

[yukonm]

August 29

Today's Thought:

When you pretended to believe in God, it was like dialing a phone number while the receiver was still on the hook. But you got through anyway. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Submitted By:

GEM

[yukonm]

August 30

Today's Thought:

The tough part for me on the fourth step is just recognizing and accepting things and then understanding that I have to change myself. This is character building. I have learned too that God places me in circumstances and places that will challenge me to change the way I handle those circumstances.

Submitted By:

Carolyn

[yukonm]

August 31, 2014

Today's Thought:

I love to get up on Monday mornings or Sunday knowing I did not binge and feeling alive and alert. I love to listen to soothing music and smell the air in the mornings without a hangover and the headaches. I love being myself again. It is not easy the first few miles, but when you get there it is wonderful.

Submitted By:

Pam

[willbe275]

Thank you for sharing.