Today's Thought - March

[bluidkiti]

March 16
Fear Factor

For me, the motivating factor for not telling people I was in recovery was fear. I didn't know what that was going to be like. I was always afraid, not only about how I was going to be perceived but also of whether it would be held against me. Would it limit me? Would I be different? So I never let my superiors know, because I wasn't going to give them an opportunity to treat me differently. I'm not saying they would, but that was my way of protecting myself from the unknown.

Sometimes I met with people outside of my command. One such person was a Navy counselor on a ship; we would meet for lunch. The neat thing was - he was in recovery. Talking to somebody like me was a lot easier than somebody who's judging me based on my education or training. Who better to go see on the other side of the desk?

Today I will have a spirit of discernment when sharing my recovery with others.

~Joe H., U.S. Navy, 1988–2015

Today's reading is from the book Leave No One Behind: Daily meditations for Military Service Members and Veterans in Recovery*

[bluidkiti]

March 17

Reflection for the Day

The program enables us to discover two roadblocks that keep us from seeing the value and comfort of the spiritual approach: self-justification and self-righteousness. The first grimly assures me that I'm always right. The second mistakenly comforts me with the delusion that I'm better than other people - "holier than thou." Just for today, will I pause abruptly while rationalizing and ask myself, "Why am I doing this? Is this self-justification really honest?"
Today I Pray

May I overcome the need to be "always right" and know the cleansing feeling of release that comes with admitting, openly, a mistake. May I be wary of setting myself up as an example of self-control and fortitude and give credit where it is due - to a Higher Power.
Today I Will Remember

To err is human, but I need to admit it.

Today's reading is from the book A Day at a Time: Daily Reflections for Recovering People*

[bluidkiti]

March 18

Compassion doesn't mean taking care of people.

Feeling compassion for a friend in pain is a loving way to respond. It softens the harsh edges of reality for the sufferer as well as for ourselves. Trying to take away the pain, however, is not appropriate. Each of us is on a journey of experiences and opportunities that will help us grow and fulfill God's plan for our lives. What we learn from the difficult steps we have to take is part of the plan.

It's not always easy to draw the line between showing compassion and trying to solve a friend's problem. Some of us have made it a practice to intrude on other people's lives. Neither they nor we have been helped by it. Learning how to maintain healthy boundaries between ourselves and others is part of our journey today. Practicing this kind of compassion will give us growth.

I will show compassion today by maintaining healthy boundaries and not intruding on other people's lives.

Today's reading is from the book A Life of My Own: Meditations on Hope and Acceptance*

[bluidkiti]

March 19

With each sunrise, we start anew.

~Anonymous

Like a tree, our life depends on new growth. There are many ways to bring new ideas and growth into our lives. We can attend Twelve Step retreats. We can study books and other literature on spirituality. We can attend different Twelve Step meetings.

But our spiritual newness may not just come from the Twelve Steps. We can do volunteer work or be active in other types of groups. We need to invite new ideas into our lives. We need to stay open to change. It doesn't matter what renews our spiritual growth. What matters is that we keep our spiritual lives fresh and growing.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, spring is one of the four seasons. Help me feel like spring. Help me to be strong but not stuck. Help me be firm yet open to spiritual growth.
Action for the Day

Today I'll try to do something new. When I get stuck or stubborn, I'll see that it's due to my fear of trying new ideas.

Today's reading is from the book Keep it Simple: Daily Meditations for Twelve Step Beginnings and Renewal*

[bluidkiti]

March 20

If I'm standing in line in the supermarket...I ask, how can I spend my time there without just being impatient? And the way to do it is by paying attention to the environment.

~John Cage

Truly paying attention to what is in front of us can be a meditation. It is a way of being alive in the moment and appreciating reality, instead of having an attitude of impatience or boredom. If we engage actively with what we see and hear - noticing what is, not just our judgments about it - we will find the unexpected.

When we have tasks to perform, we can give them our whole attention, instead of simply hurrying to finish. Cooking for ourselves, caring for a sick friend, and even paying our bills needn't be tedious experiences if we don't resist them. When we cook, for example, we can take time to appreciate the color, texture, smell, and taste of the food we're preparing. We can give thanks for the gift of nourishment and eat with gratefulness. Whatever we are engaged in doing, we can live each moment as if it were created for us, meant to allow us to pause and be refreshed.

Today, I bring my full attention to whatever I do.

Today's reading is from the book Glad Day

[bluidkiti]

March 21

Religious Freedom

"…a Power greater than ourselves." "God as we understood Him." These words introduce spirituality in the Twelve Steps. They are the first two references to God, and they are worded that way for a reason.

We each have the freedom to define, and understand, our Higher Power - God - as we choose.

That means we do not bring our religious affiliation into our recovery groups. It means that we do not try to impose our religious beliefs, or our understanding of God, on anyone else. We do not use our groups or meetings as a soap box to gain religious converts. We do not try to force the particulars of our religious beliefs on others.

We give ourselves, and each person, the right to a personal understanding of a Higher Power.

Today, I will respect other people's understanding of God, as well as my own. I will not allow others' judgment of my beliefs to cause me anxiety and distress. I will seek to grow spiritually in recovery, with or without the assistance of a particular religion or denomination.

Today's reading is from the book The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations on Codependency*

[bluidkiti]

March 22

'Tis peace of mind, lad, we must find.

~Theocritus

What could be more valuable than peace of mind? With it, no other valuables are necessary. Without it, all the valuables in the world aren't enough. Truly, no human condition is more desirable.

All languages have words for the profound sense of serenity that is peace of mind. Liberians talk about peace of mind in words that literally mean "My heart sits down." In other parts of Africa, peace of mind is called a "body song" or "where the cool water runs." In any tongue, the sentiment is the same.

Peace of mind isn't something we go out and get. It's the result of something we do and keep on doing. Peace is the reward for turning our lives and our wills over to the care of God as we understand Him, so we can do what is necessary. When our response to shame is not a food binge, the afterglow is peace of mind; when we want to run from a relationship but don't, we have earned the sensation of peace; when we want to hide but we extend a heart and hand, we have won peace.

Today, I will prepare myself to receive peace of mind. I will thank God in advance for giving it to me.

Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy: Daily Meditations for Adult Children*

[bluidkiti]

March 23

Caring is the greatest thing; caring matters most.

~Friedrich von Hügel

The Third Step clearly asks us to turn our wills and lives over to the care of our Higher Power. Care is to become our guide when we choose our actions. Is it caring for an alcoholic to drink? No. Is it caring for an addict to turn to drugs instead of people? No. Is it caring for us to not seek help when we need it? No. Whenever we are at a crossroad, let us stop and look for the caring path. If we can't find the caring path, we ask our sponsors or those who have gone before to help us find the way.

Care is the path of our Higher Power; it is the path of recovery. We will learn in recovery that care is the greatest and best guide we could ever have. It is our Higher Power’s gift to us.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me to seek out and find the caring path. Help me to care again for others and myself. Let my last words of the day, and especially my actions, be those of care.
Today's Action

I will list five ways I can act in caring ways toward myself and others today. Then I will put this list into action.

Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me: More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple*

[bluidkiti]

March 24

The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.

~Bernard Malamud

If we are fortunate enough to enjoy freedom, we know we must be vigilant and protect it for ourselves. Freedom implies responsibility, and we willingly assume it because we know that in freedom we have the chance to grow and thrive. It gives us the opportunity to make the best of our lives.

We also need to be attentive to the deprivations and desires of others. There are many who are not free and who, like us, prize freedom above all else. How can we help them? What can we do?

Our Twelfth Step asks us to reach out to others and carry the message of our program to those in need. Addiction denies people the freedom to be fully themselves and fully alive. People cannot be free and sane if their lives are ruled by addiction. By carrying our program to others, we can help them return to sanity and growth and freedom.

I want to be free and help others find freedom from their addictive behavior.

Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart

[bluidkiti]

March 25

The Eleventh Promise

We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

~Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

When we are new in recovery and survive a major problem or make progress, we try to explain it by saying we have been saved by coincidence. Then our new friends are quick to tell us that there are no coincidences in recovery, only miracles. God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

As we meditate on this promise, we must practice patience, belief, and trust in our Higher Power. God always lets us know that miracles come in His time, not ours.

This promise tells us we must accept God's help, not merely be resigned to it. We must let go of our problems personally and turn them over to God with faith.

When I drank or used, my Higher Power was the substance I was using. I seldom admitted it. The eleventh promise tells me I have found a Higher Power that can and will do great things for me in spite of myself.

Today's reading is from the book Easy Does It: A Book of Daily Twelve Step Meditations*

[bluidkiti]

March 26

Let us work as if success depended upon ourselves alone; but with heartfelt conviction that we are doing nothing and God everything.

~St. Ignatius Loyola

It's a spiritual paradox that the more successful we feel in this program, the more convinced we are that it is not our doing. Our success depends on our Higher Power. None of us can say, "I did it." As the quality of our life improves, though - as we grow calmer and more self assured - it is only natural for us to feel we’ve done something right.

We most assuredly have done something right if we are working the Twelve Steps of this program, for it is a stairway to communion with God, a stairway to serenity. The more time we spend on the Steps, the more time we spend with God. It's that simple. So it is true that we work for our own success, and it is just as true that it comes from God.

My success depends on the effort I make in putting myself in the hands of God.

Today's reading is from the book In God's Care: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery*

[bluidkiti]

March 27

Choices are not irrevocable… They can be remade.

~Julie Riebe

Knowing that we can make choices about every circumstance in our lives fills us with awe at the breadth of our personal power. For decades, perhaps, we felt we had none. Life was bleak, and we were at its mercy. How thrilled we are to understand, finally, where our power begins!

We are learning so much from this program. At times we wonder how we survived for so long on so little understanding. Our condition felt hopeless, and because we took no responsibility for changing our circumstances, nothing changed.

That's true no more. Every day we intentionally make choices about what's happening in our lives. Some choices, like changing a job or confronting a friend, are big. Others, like deciding whether to exercise today or tomorrow, are small. Large or small, our choices allow us to decide who we are, and none of our choices are without significance. That's exciting!

I will choose carefully today. If a change of mind is in my best interest, then I can change my mind.

Today's reading is from the book A Woman's Spirit: More meditations for Women*

[bluidkiti]

March 28

Anger is a great energizer if you don't get stuck in it.

~Lavonne Stewart

Many of us have to face up to our anger and the negative ways we have handled it. For most men, the real problem is not anger itself, but how we express it. Some of us never express it; others of us get abusive when we express it. Either way calls for more growth. Often, people confuse anger with abuse. They may say, "I just have to express my feelings, and when I’m angry, I have to let it out." Other people say, "Anger is so hurtful. I will avoid it at all costs."

Healing requires that we look to see the sources of our anger, how we have expressed it or failed to, and then learn how to say our feelings honestly and with respect. When we see what we are actually angry about, it gives us energy, it motivates us. It's a life force. There is no rule that we have to show our anger in destructive ways. We can be flat?out angry at someone we love and still maintain the respect we hold for that person. It is possible to learn to look at a friend and say, "I feel angry about this, and I'm here to tell you about it because I care about our friendship."

Today, I will accept my angry feelings as a source of life energy, and I will find honest, respectful ways to show them.

Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones: More Daily Meditations for Men*

[bluidkiti]

March 29

AA Thought for the Day

In AA we forget about the future. We know from experience that as time goes on, the future takes care of itself. Everything works out well, as long as we stay sober. All we need to think about is today. When we get up in the morning and see the sun shining in the window, we thank God that He has given us another day to enjoy because we're sober, a day in which we may have a chance to help somebody. Do I know that this day is all I have and that with God's help I can stay sober today?
Meditation for the Day

All is fundamentally well. That does not mean that all is well on the surface of things. But it does mean that God's in His heaven and that He has a purpose for the world, which will eventually work out when enough human beings are willing to follow His way. "Wearing the world as a loose garment" means not being upset by the surface wrongness of things, but feeling deeply secure in the fundamental goodness and purpose in the universe.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that God may be with me in my journey through the world. I pray that I may know that God is planning that journey.

Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day: A Spiritual Resource with Practical Applications for Daily Life*

[bluidkiti]

March 30

Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.

~Robert Frost

Our home is a place of roots, a place where we can always turn in time of need. Some of us may have had the experience of being away from home and not being able to make it on our own. We know what a relief it was to reach out at last and call our family, who we knew would take us in.

We became people in our homes, we learned to eat and walk and talk there. We feel comfortable there, safe from the pressures of the outside world. It is up to us to keep it safe and healthy by growing in love and generosity there.

Home is a place to really give of ourselves and put our best into making it happy and secure. It will affect our futures more than almost anything else in our lives, It deserves our prayers of blessing. It is our foundation, the source of our first feelings for others. May we treasure our home and the people who make up our family.

What small thing can I do right now to make home a better place?

Today's reading is from the book Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families*