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October 10

Step by Step

” …I think there are some of us who, at times, try to read extra messages and complexities into the Steps. …AA is within the reach of every alcoholic, because it can be achieved in any walk of life and because the achievement is not ours but God’s. …there is no situation too difficult, none too desperate, no unhappiness too great to be overcome in this great fellowship – Alcoholics Anonymous.” – Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, “They Stopped in Time,” Ch 11 (“A Flower of the South”), p 395.

Today, no searching for words of eloquence to convince anyone of the redemption, reconciliation and grace of AA and, instead, letting my example serve as its most powerful testament. ” …No situation too difficult, none too desperate, no unhappiness too great to be overcome.” If today I think or feel that I have fallen too deeply too fast, am beyond saving or that the damage I have inflicted is so beyond repair that a new beginning is impossible, let me have if nothing else blind faith to make the call that could be my new beginning. Today, I do not and cannot accept that I am beyond the reach of recovery, and I set out today to start anew. And our common journey continues. Step by step. – Chris M.

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~ EASY DOES IT ~ (A Book of Daily 12 Step Meditations) ~

THE PAST

Let Go and Let God. What's Turned Over Turns Out.

~ Anonymous ~

There is a bit of packrat in all of us. We've carried things around with us that should have been thrown away long ago. We have had bad experiences that we can recall in an instant. We play the scene back in our minds and bring up those old feelings, and suddenly we are back in time. We feel the anxiety, anger, and resentment of the moment.

We learn in recovery not to carry the effects of old feelings into our present reality. We ask our Higher Power for the willingness to let go and turn over those memories. All they do is cause us pain and remorse. Our willingness to venture beyond the past into the present is the key to the future.

I will learn what I can from my past. Then I turn it over and put it behind me in order to build my future. I trust my Higher Power to take over all the things I've tried to control.

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~ WISDOM TO KNOW ~ (More Daily Meditations For Men) ~

In America, sex is an obsession; in other parts of the world it is a fact

~ Marlene Dietrich ~

Most of us were given conflicting lessons about sex, and we were often confused about how to fulfill our sexual nature. As young boys, some of us were told that our sexual impulses were bad. At the same time, we were told that sex is a sacred gift from God. Many of us grew up to have regrets about our sexual activities. Some of us were captured by pornography, turning others into sex objects. And sex became a drug of escape for many of us.

Our spiritual goal is to fulfill our sexual and erotic nature in joyful, safe, and respectful ways. We move past our sexual anxieties by accepting the fact that sexual pleasure is God-given. It is simply a fact of life and its value depends upon how it is used. It is neither the path to life fulfillment nor the devil’s creation. When we align our sexuality with the rest of our lives, it is a pathway to connection and intimacy.

Today I am grateful for my sexual nature and will express it in ways that I respect.

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~ A WOMAN’S SPIRIT ~ (More Meditations For Women) ~

I can no longer afford the luxury of blaming others for my choices.

~ Jan Pishok ~

We may long for the years when we felt free to blame other people for our troubled lives. But living so irresponsibly didn’t benefit us. While it might seem overwhelming to shoulder the responsibility for all our choices, every action and reaction, this is the path to emotional maturity. That’s why we are here.

Being accountable for our lives builds our self-esteem. When we first make the decision to be in charge, we may think the responsibility is more than we can handle. But with each conscious choice, we discover our strength and our resolve being enhanced.

We do want emotional, mental, and spiritual health. That’s why we sought recovery. That’s why we have adopted these Twelve Steps as our guide-lines for living. Using them in all our daily affairs promises us the real luxury of growth and freedom from fear.

I am in charge of my choices today. God will never steer me wrong.

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~ TODAY I WILL DO ONE THING ~ (Daily Readings for Awareness and Hope) ~

I feel cared about

I didn't think I could talk about my problems. If I did talk, I wasn't sure anyone would listen or care. But I was sure hurting, and desperate for relief.

By getting into treatment for my dual disorder, I have found a way to get that relief. I now have a counselor and a support group. With their encouragement, I have found a Step group and a sponsor. Even all of these helpers cannot fix my problems, but they listen to me and they try to understand. They want me to feel better and this makes all the difference. I no longer feel as alone, unknown, or unwanted—I am very grateful.

I will practice saying what hurts in the supportive environment of my helpers.

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~ BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT ~ (Inspiration and Support for Recovery) ~

Finish each day and be done with it....

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

So often when we’ve had a hard day we dwell on it for a long time, preventing more pleasant thoughts from entering our minds. Peace eludes us and we can think only of the mistake we made, the dumb comment we blurted out, the important errand we forgot.

This is a spiritual problem. First of all, out of the billions of people in the world there is not one other person who is dwelling on our bad day. We stand alone. Yet when we refuse to let go of the day’s problems it’s usually because we think many other people will dwell on what we did or said. We think we are the center of the universe.

It’s also a spiritual problem because, by dwelling on the past, we ignore the gifts of the present and the blessings of tomorrow. Self-forgiveness is the key. If we find this hard at first, it’s okay. God will forgive us, and by asking for that forgiveness, we turn it over to Him and go on with our day. This is not hard to do, and the rewards are a better relationship with God and with ourselves, and the sure knowledge that we’re never alone and always forgivable.

Today help me to see each new day as a chance to begin again with a clean slate and opportunities for joy and growth.

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~ MORNING LIGHT ~ (Meditations to Begin Your Day) ~

One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.

~ Andre Gide ~

Imagine the stress Christopher Columbus and his crew felt as they set sail. At that time, the world was largely a place of unknowns. Columbus and his crew knew they were risking death and might never see their homeland and loved ones again. But that did not stop them from beginning their radical adventure.

Risk taking means attempting something new, different, or unknown, without the comfort of knowing what the outcome will be. Being ready to take a risk does nol mean you will not feel nervous or afraid; fear is a natural reaction to the unknown. But fearing and still taking the risk is what risk taking is all about. The most successful risk takers are those who ask two important questions: “What’s the worst possible thing that could happen?” and “What do I have to lose?”

Today, think of a risk you would like to take. First write down what you think you might lose by taking the risk. Then write down what you think you might gain, Keep the gain in mind, and take the risk!

I resolve today to shift my attitude from can’t to can. I will put my fears and doubts aside and take a risk.

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~ NIGHT LIGHT ~ (A Book Of Nighttime Meditations) ~

I think one must learn a different, less urgent sense of time here, one that depends on small amounts than big ones.

~ Sister Mary Paul ~

Up until the beginning of our adult lives, our growth depended on big moments: graduation from high school, leaving home, marriage, or entry into the job force. Now that we're adults, we still may have expectations that our lives will be composed of big moments,

But things aren't always so momentous. Job promotions happen over time, as do salary increases. The move from apartment living to ownership of a condominium or house comes after years of saving or years of training for the job with the big salary.

It's important to take our time and savor the smaller moments. Those are the moments we sometimes don't pay attention to because they seem minor and inconsequential when compared to bigger moments. Little moments, like small gift packages, can contain the richest and most satisfying rewards.

What are some of the small but precious moments that happened today? Tonight I can appreciate their rewards, even if they're not the biggest I could get.

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~ DAY BY DAY ~ (Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts) ~

Growing spiritually

The physical part of our addiction is not the main factor of our illness. Many of us have had allergies to products such as milk, but we didn’t have to join Milk Drinkers Anonymous because we couldn’t stop. The physical part would be of little consequence if it weren’t accompanied by an equally progressive spiritual deterioration.

Because the major contributing factor to substance abuse is spiritual deterioration, the emphasis in recovery is on the spiritual. That is why only two Steps mention the alcoholic and ten talk about spiritual growth.

Is my spiritual progress evident in all my actions?

Higher Power, may the spiritual illumination of the Twelve Steps become a reality for me and help me grow today.

Today, my plan for living spiritually is

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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~ IF YOU WANT WHAT WE HAVE ~ (Sponsorship Meditations) ~

You were born God's original.
Try not to become someone's copy.

~ MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN ~

Newcomer

I feel capable and competent today. It's such a satisfying feeling. I got a compliment from someone at work, and for a change, instead of reacting with embarrassment, I knew I agreed. I simply said, "Thank you."

Sponsor

It's wonderful to hear you acknowledging yourself and naming your gifts, learning not to minimize yourself. The real you has been here all along, and so have your talents; what's different in recovery is that there are fewer obstacles in the way of your seeing and accepting yourself.

We each came into the world with our own unique combination of qualities. There is no one else anywhere who is exactly like us. We've survived addiction. Our suffering has made us more compassionate, more capable of valuing our lives.

Our journey in recovery is one of getting to know and value ourselves, of accepting all of us, the good and the bad, of discovering what we were meant to do and who we were meant to be in this lifetime. Some of us go off in different directions from those we took initially; others continue on a previous path, this time with joy and gratitude.

Today, recovery is giving me the chance to be me.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

Who can estimate the Mozarts, the Shakespeares, the Edisons, the Raphaels or the Jeffersons who stumbled through life in an alcoholic haze and achieved no greater acclaim than the title of "Drunken Bum." Many may have arrived at a drunkard's grave with their talents remaining unsuspected. Their bodies died before their souls began to live.

You may never be a world-beater yourself, but you may say a word to someone else that might revolutionize his life, and that life may revolutionize the world.

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~ The 12 STEP PRAYER BOOK ~ (A Collection of Favorite 12 Step Prayers and Inspirational Readings) ~

Seeking Serenity

Higher Power, when I was using, I chased an elusive thing called serenity. My journeys outside reality brought a false peace. When I returned to reality, I found harshness and pain, which caused me to run back to using. Run, escape, pain, run, escape, pain.

Then something happened. My addiction wouldn't let me escape anymore. All that was left was the pain.

Recovery has shown me reality, not the problem. Trying to escape reality is the problem. Finding You and the Twelve Steps and turning my life and will over to You has created a reality of inner peace and strength. I pray and believe and trust these changes in recovery are necessary and good for me.

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~ AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX ~ (A Book of Daily Readings) ~

YOUR OWN BRAND

You cannot claim too much for yourself provided you claim the same thing for all other human beings. In fact, it is our duty to claim all good things and to continue claiming them until they demonstrate in our outer experience. Of course, this law works both ways and therefore you must be very careful not to claim the negative things that you do not want.

On the western ranches the owner of a steer brands it with his name, "Bar A Ranch" or some such cipher. Then if it should wander into strange territory it will always be returned to him. On the other hand, when an animal without his brand wanders into his corral, he says, "That is not my steer," and out it goes.

Many a foolish person puts his mental brand on a steer that he does not want in the least, and is surprised when the animal stays obstinately at home. People say my rheumatism, my forgetfulness, my poverty, et cetera, branding the steers they do not want instead of turning them out of the corral.

When you really want something' brand it deeply with your own name and it will be yours.

. . . but every one . . . shall keep himself to his own inheritance (Numbers 36:9).

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~ A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE ~ (365 Daily Inspirations for Heart-Centered Living) ~

With the Energy

If your morals make you dreary, depend upon it, they are wrong. I do not say give them up, for they may be all you have, but conceal them like a vice lest they should spoil the lives of better and simpler people.

~ Robert Louis Stevenson ~

As I was about to step up to the podium to speak at a church dedication in Virginia, it occurred to me that the service was probably on a strict schedule, and I did not want to exceed my time allotment. I turned to the minister and asked her, "How long would you like my talk to be?" She smiled and answered, "Just go with the energy." I was touched and surprised that she trusted me and Spirit so implicitly.

I have spoken at churches where ministers and board members cautioned me with dire seriousness not to exceed 20 minutes, since some church members complain if the service goes 5 minutes over schedule. I wonder why such people would go to church; is it out of joy and love, or are they simply paying their dues?

Structure and rules help life function more peacefully, but the spirit of an activity is more important than the form. In Hawaii, the colloquial name for Caucasians is Haole, which translates to "without breath." One explanation for the term goes back to the time when white missionaries first conducted church services in the Hawaiian islands. The native Hawaiians observed that the missionaries' practice of prayer was in sharp contrast to the Hawaiians'. While the Hawaiians prayed with song, dance, color, and laughter, the missionary services were somber, rote, muttered and, as far as the Hawaiians could tell, lifeless and "breathless."

The word spiritual implies spirit and aliveness. If we are not bringing vitality and joy to our spiritual path, we are missing its essence. Fear shuts down life, and joy opens it. Move with the energy; things go better when we let life flow.

I pray to make my spiritual practices come alive with joy and celebration. No longer will I worship at the altar of fear. From this dayan, I live from the heart.

My deep trust in life is rewarded with continual miracles.