Even More Recovery Readings and Meditations - June

[bluidkiti]

June 5

Step by Step

"A body badly burned by alcohol does not often recover overnight nor do twisted thinking and depression vanish in a twinkling. We are convinced that a spiritual mode of living is a most powerful health restorative." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 9, p 133.

Today, patience to recover and overcome the years of physical, emotional and spiritual abuse to which I subjected my entire being with alcohol. The promise of a spiritual remedy we need - if we apply it honestly and diligently - will restore us to some level of physical, emotional and spiritual wellness and sanity. In my impatience that is bred of my addiction, let me remember that I am, by nature, hungry for everything now but that not even my impatience can rush the speed of recovery. Today, I take it One Day at a Time. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M.

**************************************************

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

FORGIVENESS

Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it foregoes revenge and dares forgive an injury.

~ E.H. Chapin ~

Unless we can freely forgive others, we will never be able to forgive ourselves. The Freedom to give ourselves a second (or third, or fourth) chance to right a wrong or perform a helpful act opens the way to spiritual growth.
Unqualified forgiveness, both for others and for ourselves, keeps.us from being overcome by guilt or shame over not being kind to ourselves and those around us. Forgiveness is a first step in making emotional progress; all succeeding steps become easier.

My sponsor told me to imagine climbing a beautiful hill and sitting in the sunlight, then to imagine my enemy climbing the same hill and sitting with me. Then I was to leave my enemy in the sunlight while I walked down the hill. This, my sponsor said, was forgiveness.

**************************************************

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

Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself.

~ Tom Wilson ~

If we live long enough, we will grow old. During that time we will make plenty of mistakes and have plenty of opportunities to learn from them. However, sometimes we refuse to accept the lessons that are wrapped in our experience. We may be so determined to have what we want that we deny the truth of what we can actually have. We may be so prideful or so stubborn or so insecure that we defy the lessons we are being taught and refuse to open ourselves to a new idea. We grow older, but not smarter.

Some men become very grown-up and very strong in wisdom at a young age. They are blessed with an open, engaging attitude and a willingness to surrender to truth when it faces them. We should cultivate an attitude of learning, of openness to new lessons, and of willingness to learn the lessons taught by our mistakes.

Today I will learn from my experience and become a little stronger and a little wiser.

**************************************************

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

I empower myself when I choose not to be a victim anymore.

~ Kathy Kendall ~

During a rational discussion with friends, we easily reject the victim persona. We claim control over ourselves, and we definitely don’t intend to give others power to harm us. However, when alone and faced with the “bullies” in our lives, we struggle to gather our strength and resistance.

Bullies come in many sizes and shapes. They aren’t always easily recognized: some are female, others male; some are young, others old. More often than not, they don’t do us physical harm. But the emotional harm they wreak can be truly damaging. Their effects on our minds and spirits can immobilize us as severely as a broken bone.

Fortunately, we have the Twelve Step program to shield us from the “abusers” in our lives. It also gives us the strength of numbers. Sponsors and friends will help us remember to follow God’s direction when we get momentarily led astray by the words or actions of those who’d harm us.

I am in good company in my recovery program. I will look to those I trust for support when I need to stand up for myself.

**************************************************

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

My appearance is important to me now

When I was using drugs and having serious symptoms, I didn't much care what happened to me‒except staying high as long as I could. And I didn't much care about how I looked to anyone else. It didn't matter.

But with a little abstinence and stability, I care about myself more. I feel a new respect for myself that includes my body and especially my face. In recovery it's important to me that I look OK. When I take care of my appearance, I feel better about myself.

Today I will shower, comb my hair and put on clean clothes.

*************************************************

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

Life does not need to be changed, only our attitudes do.

~ Sri Swami Rama ~

Clowns can change their attitudes at will, with the help of make-up, color, and posture. And clowns can reach out and grab our hearts with sadness or smiles. We also can bring sadness or smiles to life each day.

We are the makers of our daily attitude, and we are responsible for the light or gloom we put on each morning. What a wonderful gift we bring to ourselves and others when we choose to wear a happy smile and look at the bright side of life. This doesn’t mean we should neglect our sorrow and losses for we can share those with our group, our sponsor, or our Higher Power. It does mean we have a choice each morning, as we decide whether the world feels basically friendly or unfriendly.

Greeting the day by expecting the best in people and events helps us create an atmosphere of joy and goodwill wherever we go. It is our program in action.

Today let me believe the world is basically friendly and trust that good things will come to me.

**************************************************

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

When I found out I thought God was white, and a man, I lost interest.

~ Alice Walker ~

Out of all the work that you need to do in recovery, one of the hardest tasks may not be abstinence but the development of trust and belief in your concept of a Higher Power.

Within the program, the terms God or Higher Power simply signify something greater than you. It is up to you, in your recovery, to determine how you personally develop a greater understanding of a spiritual presence in your life. Maybe you feel, as Alice Walker writes in The Color Purple, that “God ain’t a he or a she, but a It.” Perhaps, for you, a Higher Power is not a being but a feeling or an essence—the unfolding of a sunrise or the sound of ocean waves lapping the shoreline.

The form your spiritual guide takes or the name you apply to it is not as important as the substance of what this guide symbolizes and how you can embrace its guidance and wisdom. Belief in something other than yourself and greater than yourself is where your spiritual awakening begins. Where this essence takes you is your spiritual journey.

Today I believe in something greater than myself that will restore me to sanity and empower me to become a better person.

**************************************************

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

Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable.

~ Harry Emerson Fosdick ~

It has been said that the opposite of fear is faith. But how do we change our fears into faith if we have little or no faith? How do we start having faith? One of the easiest ways to develop an alternative to fear is to ask ourselves during a moment of fear: What is the worst that could happen? Once we know the answer to that question, we have dealt with the source of our fears−the unknown.

What do we fear now? First we need to identify all the unknowns that we fear. Once we recognize all the things that can happen, we will be able to prepare ourselves for possible failure, loss, or sadness. By recognizing the fears, we take away some of their power over us. We can then believe we will be all right.

What do I fear and why do I fear it? I know I am okay because I have identified my fear.

**************************************************

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

Taking the Fourth Step

It is very easy, when talking in general terms, to sweep away our past and say we want forgiveness and understanding of our wrongs. But this should not be confused with doing a Fourth Step. There, we don’t generalize or simplify the nature of our wrongs; we talk about their exact nature. If we put this on a personal level, we begin to see how difficult the inventory Steps are.

Often we must pray for the willingness to go on. Becoming willing to be specific may be the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do. But seeing the living miracles around us testifies to the fact that the rewards are great. If we are willing, God provides the opportunities for working the Steps.

Have I stopped generalizing about my defects?

Higher Power, help me be specific about the exact nature of my wrongs.

Today I will be specific about my defects, including

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

**************************************************

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

Every road is rough to one that has no friend to cheer it.

~ ELIZABETH SHANE ~

Newcomer

Good things are happening in my life now. But I still find myself uncomfortable a lot of the time and wishing I could run. I imagine leaving everyone and everything I’m connected to behind me.

Sponsor

Our disease wants us alone. When we’re isolated from other recovering people, our own demons have their way with us. Even when we’ve experienced a success, we may be afraid that it can’t happen again or that we may have to pay a penalty for so much good. Our minds start working overtime. We’re haunted by our thoughts. Escape seems appealing. Our “fight-or-flight” mechanism, originally intended to help us survive, turns against us.

The antidote for craving escape is, surprisingly, bringing ourselves into contact with people. We can go to a meeting and, if possible, share what’s going on with us. As addicts, we have a history of medicating our feelings—one way of running from them. If we allow ourselves to experience our feelings, accept them, and share them with others, they’ll pass through us. Surrender is required.

Today, I surrender to happiness.

**************************************************

~ THE EYE OPENER ~

Alcoholics are by nature the great “I AM.” We work ourselves into a lather in doing AA work and sometimes we are rewarded with a degree of success and we begin to puff up like a pouter pigeon, forgetting we are of ourselves able to do nothing. We are still but a drink away from a stumble-bum.

We are what we are by the Grace of God only. We accomplish what little we do by a Power greater than ourselves. How can you help anybody? You were never even able to help yourself.

**************************************************

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

MICHAL’S PRAYER

Lord, take me where You want me to go,
Let me meet who You want me to meet;
Tell me what You want me to say,
And
Keep me out of Your way.

(Father Mychal Judge, NYC Fire Department Chaplain, killed September 11, 2001.)

*************************************************

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

ONLY YOUR OWN THOUGHTS

No matter what problem you may have to face today, there is a solution, because you have nothing to deal with but your own thoughts. As you know, you have the power to select and control your thoughts, difficult though it may be at times to do so. As long as you think that your destiny is in the hands of other people, the situation is hopeless.

Remind yourself constantly that you have nothing to deal with but your own thoughts. Write it down where you will see it often. Have it on your desk. Hang it in your bedroom. Write it in your pocketbook. Write it on your soul. It will transform your life. It will lead you out of the land of Egypt and out of the House of Bondage. It will bring you to God.

I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies (Psalm 119:59).

**************************************************

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

Where Is the Jungle?

Calm soul of all things! Make it mine to feel amid the city’s jar
That there abides a peace of things man did not make, and cannot mar.

~ Matthew Arnold ~

My parrot was swept on a gust of wind and deposited in a jungle valley across a gulch from his aviary. Yogi landed in a tree near the hut of a hermit, a bearded mountain man named Tom who had holed up in seclusion for many years. As I approached Tom's make-shift dwelling, I saw he was living on a wooden palette under a thin plastic tarpaulin. A few meager possessions were scattered around the pallet, but what caught my eye was his television. Tom was engrossed in watching the news on an old TV hooked up to a car battery.

“Armageddon is on its way!" he announced. "It's all over the news; just watch what's going on—the Bible tells us these are the end times!" Well, I thought, anytime you watch the news it looks like the end times. It turns out that Tom spends most of his time in the jungle watching disaster news on television. While it might appear that he has renounced the world, he has actually taken it with him.

In an old Honeymooners episode, Ed Norton longed to return to work after he was fired from his job in the sewer department. Ed's classic comment to Ralph Kramden was, "You can take the man out of the sewer, but you can't take the sewer out of the man!"

By contrast, my teacher Hilda lived in one of the toughest sections of New York City, and she carried heaven with her wherever she went. She regularly encountered drug addicts, thieves, prostitutes, and murder victims, but the light within her was so strong she transformed everyone she met. You can take the person out of heaven, but you can't take heaven out of the person.

We may live in a jungle, but whether it is heaven or hell depends on the thoughts we carry with us.

I pray to carry the light with me wherever I go.

I live in the world I choose with my thoughts.