[bluidkiti]

January 5

Step by Step

“There is a solution. Almost none of us like the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others, and we had to come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it. When, therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet.” – Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 2 (“There Is a Solution”), p 25.

Today, if I cannot or am not ready to surrender to a spiritual being and experience, let me begin or renew my sobriety and recovery by looking to my peers who have not only sobered up but have undergone a personality and an emotional overhaul. If I cannot understand that something good can be stronger than me is similar in comparison to alcohol being more powerful than me, let me understand that the process of recovery is an evolutionary one and that the spiritual concept of the program is not a prerequisite to begin the process. Let me believe today that the spiritual awakening or experience promised me by the program may yet to be, if it hasn’t already and if I do not recognize it. And our common journey continues. Step by step. – Chris M.

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

MUSTS

Not what we would, but what we must, makes up the sum of living.

~ Richard Henry Stoddard ~

“We must do the things we must” is frequent advice in the Program. Each Step is evidence of what our founders did in order to achieve abstinence and keep it going with serenity and security. All of the musts” implied in the Steps and frequently mentioned throughout the Big Book are also spiritual. We will find the importance of “must” in the favorite quotes from that book.

The Steps aren’t based on the theory of “thou shalt not.” They are based on the theory that “thou shall.” That’s why we say “there are no musts” in our Program.

Fortunately, those Twelve Steps we work require positive action. They tell us what we can do in order that each of us can live a joyous, happy, and free existence.

“Must” appears many times in the Big Book, along with a few “absolutes.” This doesn’t refer to my requirements for working the Program. It just lets me concentrate on what I can do, not on what I can’t

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

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.

~ Hal Borland ~

In the midst of winter, the short days and the long nights may seem to last forever. But we know that the turn of the cycle is inevitable. Every winter is followed by spring. When we feel depressed and discouraged, we may not feel optimistic about anything. We may not see the path from here to a place where life feels brighter and warmer. That is when we must remind ourselves that all things eventually change. We do find life beyond our current problems. We do regain our energy and our joy in life.

All pain is finite. It has its beginning and its end. Our path may require us to learn to endure and live with some pain. Some Native Americans’ training for youth included fasting and solitary journeys that strengthened them and showed them how to deal with shortage and difficulty. Life must contain dark times, and when we learn that we can carry on until we find light, we have something permanent to fall back on. While we may feel pessimistic, we can remind ourselves that it is only a feature of our current mood, not a permanent state.

Today I live in the knowledge that spring is eternal.

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

It is important that we plan for the future, imperative that we accept an outcome unplanned.

~ Molly McDonald ~

We sometimes feel confused over how to live just one day at a time while making strategic plans for the future. It seems contradictory to try to do both. Yet that is what a healthy recovery means.

Goals help direct our attention. They give us needed focus. They give us enthusiasm for making the most of our recovery. But just as we need goals to strengthen our resolve to move forward, we need willingness to let God be involved in our effort and, even more important, in charge of the outcome. God’s role and ours, though related, are in fact quite separate. In our rush to move forward we sometimes forget to turn over the reins when our part is done.

We are learning the joys of living one day at a time. We are letting God be responsible for the outcomes of our endeavors. Each day in recovery gives us more time to practice doing only what we need to do and leaving the rest in God’s hands.

I must let God take charge of the outcomes of my efforts today. If I do, I will be cared for in the most loving fashion.

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

I am learning to ask for help

Some months before I finally got diagnosed (accurately) with a dual disorder, I knew I had a problem—maybe two problems. I could see that using chemicals wasn’t helping my intense and disturbing moods. In fact, chemicals were becoming a separate problem. Yet I was afraid (ashamed?) to talk to anyone. I couldn’t ask for help, not for a long time.

Just by entering recovery, but especially by going to therapy and Step meetings, I’ve come to see that asking for help is a very good thing. It means I know something is wrong and that I can’t fix it alone (Steps One and Two). Asking for help suggests that I’m willing to trust a power greater than myself (Step Three).

I will ask a recovering friend to call me tonight to ask me how I’m feeling.

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

Making prompt amends is the fresh air of each new day.

~ Sandra Little ~

Today brings us a new hill to climb and a new view from the top. Taking time to reflect about our daily journeys is a challenging adventure in self- discovery. Looking down, we see our past trials and difficulties as lessons to learn from. Letting go of old baggage as we end our day will give us a bright window to open onto tomorrow.

Completing a daily inventory creates a good foundation for living peacefully. Honestly acknowledging the things we have done or said to hurt ourselves or others enables us to say, “I’m sorry” and to begin each day with a clean slate and a peaceful heart. As we empty ourselves of regret by making amends to ourselves and others, we make room for the love and comfort of our Higher Power.

Today help me take inventory and make amends where I need to.

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

We should think seriously before we slam doors, before we bum bridges, before we saw off the limb on which we find ourselves sitting.

~ Richard L. Evans ~

Sometimes you may feel as if you are at war with yourself and others. Conflict is created by the simple fact that you made the decision to no longer engage in your addiction. So it is not unusual to resent those who seem to have it all together. Such feelings can build into self-directed anger or anger toward others.

Acting upon your anger rarely leads to any good. You may say things that cause others to distance themselves from you, or make poor decisions that take considerable effort to undo. You may lash out at yourself in ways that disrupt your sense of serenity and put your recovery at risk.

What matters most is not the situation you are presented with, but the way you handle it. Rather than lash out in anger, ask, “What can I do to create greater harmony within myself?” You can achieve greater peace and serenity by talking through your anger with a trusted friend, sharing your feelings at a meeting, and using prayer and meditation to calm yourself.

“When one door closes, another opens.” Today I will see everything as a positive opportunity for learning and growth.

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

You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away.

~ Job 11:16 ~

Many of us have painful memories we carry with us like pictures in a wallet. We keep these memories alive through feelings generated by those moments. Why are we so attached to unpleasant memories?

It’s difficult to let go of memories, no matter how unpleasant. Sometimes they’re a reminder of the past, but more often we clutch them because we’re afraid to feel pleasant feelings today. Because the program is working in our lives, we have fewer painful times now. That may not be comfortable, so we invent new pain or dredge up the sludge of the past. As ugly as it may be, it’s still familiar.

Tonight we don’t have to look back. We don’t have to feel misery or pain because it’s familiar. We don’t have to drag out that wallet and look at the images of unhappy times again. Tonight we can leave those spaces in our wallets empty, ready to be filled with new moments to remember.

I can try to make some new moments to remember. I don’t need to look back anymore.

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

Being able to be wrong

We had to compete with everyone, some-times subtly, sometimes less subtly. We al-ways had to be right; to be wrong seemed unbearable. We could never seem to bring ourselves to say simply, “I was wrong.” We were afraid of what would happen to us if we did. Our egos were very fragile; we were never as strong as we had led ourselves to believe.

We came to discover, however, that real strength comes from being able to be wrong and from being willing to change our ways of thinking and living.

Can I face being wrong and learn from it?

Higher Power, help me realize each day that it is okay to be wrong, that real communication with other people depends on my being willing to see other points of view, and that being teachable is a divine quality.

Today I will handle being wrong by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

Life is not made up of yesterdays only.

~ CARL JUNG ~

Newcomer

I heard a bunch of jargon at the meeting I went to last night. I didn’t understand any of it. What does “ninety in ninety” mean?

Sponsor

I can understand your bewilderment at unfamiliar program phrases and customs. In the beginning, it may feel as if we’re participating in a culture that’s new to us. I’m glad I can help, and if I’m not here to translate, almost anyone you see at a meeting would be happy to explain unfamiliar expressions.

“Ninety in ninety” is an abbreviated way of saying, “Go to ninety meetings in ninety days.” One of the strongest suggestions this program makes to newcomers is to attend a meeting every day for at least the first three months. Intermittent attendance, a few meetings here or there, won’t provide enough information about whether we belong here or not. Ninety days of meetings can make it clear.

At first, it may sound like a lot. But when we think of the time we have given to our addiction—pursuing it, trying to control it, acting on it, feeling sick and guilty about it- then an hour or an hour and a half doesn’t seem like too much of a commitment. Meetings create a sense of belonging to a community and a solid basis of support over time. It’s such a good use of time: an hour in a room with my peers gives me a reserve of strength and hope for an entire day.

Today, I am part of a community of people in recovery.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

Living all the days of our lives, living them to their utmost; putting all our life into them; getting all the life that each day has to offer; this truly is living at its best, at its fullest.

Every day, then, will be fully lived — a grand succession of experiences both pleasant and unpleasant (for life is made up of both), and without the one the other would not be recognized or appreciated.

Live each day as though it were your last day on earth.

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~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) If you can’t get what you want, learn to want what you get.

2) FEAR: False Expectations Appearing Real

3) When the horse dies, dismount.

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

Sanskrit Proverb

Look to this day,
For it is life,
The very life of life.
In its brief course lies all
The realities and verities of existence,
The bliss of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power.
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision.
But today, well lived,
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.

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

YOUR COUNSELOR

The prophet Isaiah also calls this Child “Counselor.” A counselor is one who gives guidance. If you are worried because do not know whether to take some important step, to accept a business offer, to sign an important document, to enter upon a partnership, to resign your position, to trust someone, to say something, the Child will be your Counselor.

In the third place the prophet reveals to us who the child really is. It is no less than god Himself, “The Mighty God.” And truly the mystic Power that transforms, and transmutes, is God Himself, always present with you, and always available.

… the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works (John 14:10)

Read John 14:10-17

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

Be Firm

If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

~ Yogi Berra ~

I was struck by an unusual ad in the classified section of the local newspaper: “Dodge truck for sale. $5,000 firm or best offer.” Was the price firm, or was the seller willing to negotiate? Apparently he couldn’t make up his mind.

Life will support us in our decisions, but we have to make a decision around which the universe can gather. Often it is better to make a wrong decision than no decision. If you make an error, you can either correct it or learn from it; in either case you will move ahead. If you make no decision, you will likely remain just where you are.

A friend of mine had an inspiring bumper sticker on her washing ma–chine: Sin Boldly. I loved it! The message, as I understood it, was an advisory to live life with conviction and a whole heart. Be fully whatever you are. The Bible tells us that God “spews the lukewarm out of His mouth. ” If you are in life, then be fully in life. Don’t sit around wondering what you might do until it is too late to do anything. Will Rogers said, “You might be on the right track, but if you are sitting on it, you are going to get run over.”

Live by choice, not self-protection. Be active rather than reactive. Make a stand for your truth, and your truth will make a stand for you.

Support me to walk my talk.

My power comes from being what I am.