Even More Recovery Readings and Meditations - August

[bluidkiti]

August 23

Step by Step

"Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitude." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, "They Stopped in Time," Ch 17 ("Doctor, Alcoholic, Addict"), p 449.

Today, grant me understanding and accept that my alcoholism and recovery depend on ME to make fundamental changes internally - and that those changes will not come by the world changing to accommodate me. If I have not yet accepted that I must live life on life's terms or if I have not accepted or surrendered to the basic truth that I am powerless over alcohol, I am undoubtedly going to stumble not too far out of the starting gate. I cannot expect the realities of life to change any more than I would change myself to comply with someone else's expectations of me. Thus, for the basic changes that I must make for a quality sobriety, I have to look inward to begin making those changes. Today, I scrap my expectations of the world and everyone to meet MY standards; instead, I ask if maybe the problem isn't ME. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M.

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

QUIET TIMES

Listen to the sounds of silence.

~ Paul Simon ~

Sharing experiences, strengths, and hopes, and reading during recovery is very important. But just as important are the times of silence we allow ourselves to think over the information we're receiving during times of sharing and reading.

Before recovery, being quiet may have meant having to face our problems alone. We avoided being by ourselves. We may think we don't have time for silence in our busy lives. But quiet moments in the morning or evening for meditation, moments going to and from work, moments spent doing household chores, moments during exercise-all of these moments add up to the precious times of silence we need to absorb all we are learning, feeling and experiencing.

I now look forward to my quiet times. I am learning how to relax and be with my Higher Power in prayer, meditation and reflection.

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

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

~ Alice Walker ~

On our path, spiritual development and renewal is constant. We make time for conscious contact with God as we understand God, and our understanding keeps forming. Our childhood images of God may be too limited. That doesn’t mean we have to toss out the whole concept, but our understanding has to grow up with us.

To some, God is the spirit and the feeling of camaraderie in group. To some, God is the God expressed in their traditional religion. Others say that God is simply beyond all definition, an ultimate that exceeds our rational mind. Others say God is the sense we have that we are never alone. And to some, God is found in the beauty of nature. This program of healing and recovery guides us to make a decision to turn our life and our will over to the God of our understanding. And we can expect that as the relationship grows so will our understanding.

Today I am grateful for the presence of God as I carry on with my life.

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

Advice from others applies to them.

~ Georgette Vickstrom ~

Those of us who share this program are learning liow to care about others, and it is natural that we want to help one another. Of course, that means we may suggest, sometimes too strongly, what we think a friend ought to do. We are frequently on the receiving end of similar suggestions. We can be glad that others want to help. We suffered alone with our problems for far too long. However, no one’s advice can exactly fit our situation. Nor can ours fit theirs. The perspective that guides each of us is unique to our experiences.

It is never wrong to offer our support. Nor is it wrong, if asked, to share what we would do if the problem were ours. But to say to anyone, “Here is what you should do,” is harmful. Let God play God.

I will not give unwanted suggestions or advice to any-one today. God is the best guide for each of us.

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

I can put up with some side effects

I knew I didn't want to take psychiatric medication. I knew there would be problems. That's why I hesitated at first-and I was right. Now I feel edgy and tired out much of the time. I'm often thirsty And to top it off, my sex drive is diminished. I don't like trading in one sort of problem for another.

On the other hand, the medication is helping to reduce my symptoms. I don't feel as sad and I'm sleeping better. Most of the day I can function pretty well. I guess relief from my major symptoms is worth putting up with some side effects.

I will follow my medication regimen carefully and call my doctor with any questions.

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

Every day is a holiday.

~ P. Gustavson ~

The janitor in a school was an extremely positive, spiritual person. When asked how his day was going, he said in a loud, cheerful voice, “Every day is a holiday.” When overloaded by work or family schedules, what a great thought to remember. Every day is a holiday!

The original meaning of “holiday” was simply a happy or festive day, a day to celebrate, to rejoice, to give thanks. In recovery, every day is a holiday, a holy day, something special. Each day is a gift, given by a Power greater than ourselves, to use as we choose. What a change from active addiction, when every day was misery.

Thinking of each day as special helps us be grateful, and to give thanks for every day in our new lives. As we grow in recovery, we look forward to every day with joy and excitement.

Thanks for today. Let me live it as a holiday, a day to celebrate recovery and sobriety.

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

Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.

~ Glenn Turner ~

You may be someone who is in a constant state of worry. But where has all of your worrying gotten you? Worry prevents you from living in the present. It does not rob your time from yesterday—that is already over and done with—and it cannot take anything from tomorrow, because that has not yet arrived. What worry does is sap the life of the day you have before you.

While many people worry about a lot of things, worry is based predominantly on self-doubt. Worry is the voice in your head that prevents you from believing in yourself. Even though you have friends and family who truly think you are special, worry strives to convince you that you are not as good as others think you are. Worry is the “but” that butts into praise you receive, achievements you make, and the time you have before you. Today ease your worry by replacing some of worry’s buts with positive thoughts of your own.

Whenever the voice of worry tells me I am not good enough, I will answer, “But I am good enough, and here are some things that prove that.”

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

You want me to succeed so much.
Could you understand if I failed? . . .
Could you love me if I failed?

~ Sister Mary Paul ~

What is it we fear the most about success? Sometimes we fear we'll fail. But failure isn't as scary as losing the admiration, respect, or even the love of those we're trying to impress.

We sometimes look outside of ourselves too much for the love, rewards, and approval for our actions. We may feel we're not good enough, so we set nearly impossible feats in which we strive to succeed.

Tonight, we're a success. No matter what we've done or what we'll do, we are a success. If we've set out to do something today and fallen short of our goals, we haven't lost the admiration, respect, or love of those around us. There are those who will love us whether we fail or succeed, for they are the ones who love us for ourselves and believe in us. Their love will always be there.

Who loves me and believes in me? Tonight I can be grateful for their love and belief and know that is the greatest success I can achieve.

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

Treasuring our triumph

It is said that the tougher the problem, the greater the triumph. Some of us feel that we would gladly have forgone the conflict and the triumph. If that is how we’re thinking, we have not fully experienced the triumph.

Our lives have ultimate value. Getting clean and sober after years of addictive living is an amazing and wonderful achievement. It is also said that heaven knows the proper price of its goods.

Can I realize the full value of what I have done?

Higher Power, help me to love and respect myself for the life-saving work I have done.

I will express my gratitude for my being clean and sober today by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

I am my own universe, I my own professor.

~ SYLVIA ASHTON-WARNER ~

Newcomer

I've been trying to meditate every day this week, closing my eyes and concentrating on my breathing. I was hoping that it would help me with the depression I've been feeling on and off, A strange thing has been happening, though. Instead of feeling relaxed and refreshed, I become oddly disconnected and I start to panic.

Sponsor

Obviously, something that causes panic isn't a good choice for us, no matter how highly it's been recommended.

Anyone experiencing depression is not advised to meditate with the eyes closed for more than fifteen minutes at a time. If meditating with eyes closed feels disorienting and upsetting, we can try another method; there are numerous alternatives. Meditating with open eyes, focusing our vision on a natural object such as a shell, flame, or flowe4 can bring a sense of inner peace. Meditating while walking or chanting a mantra aloud can also be good choices for those suffering from depression.

I'm glad that you're alert to the instinct that's telling you not to force situations.

Today, I trust my intuitive sense of what I need.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

Alcoholism is now recognized as a disease, and this recognition brought about countless studies and experimentations on the part of the physicians, scientists, educators, employers, etc. Clinics are being set up, new medicines, new cures, new therapeutics are being experimented with. There are almost as many theories as there are alcoholics. There are almost as many failures as there are theories.

Alcoholics Anonymous is no theory, it is a proven fact.

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

Expectations

Higher Power, help me stop expecting so much from myself. I set unrealistic standards, and when they are not met, unhappiness follows. Help me be true to myself and only expect what I am capable of doing. As I grow in recovery and do my assignments every day, I am able to do more. Your will provides realistic goals. Your will provides what I need to succeed.

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

YOUR INVISIBLE DICTAPHONE

Your destiny depends entirely upon your own mental conduct. You may think that you know this already, but if you do not act upon it, it is certain that you do not really know it. Most people would be amazed to discover how much negative thinking they indulge in. Thought is so swift and habit is so strong that unless you are very careful you will constantly transgress.

Suppose that, quite without your knowledge, an invisible dictaphone were strapped on your shoulders the first thing tomorrow morning, and that you carried it about all day until the last thing tomorrow night. Then suppose that this record were played over to you so that every word you had uttered for a whole day was repeated to you. Well, if you are an average human being you would probably be embarrassed, yet it really does happen that everything we say, and think, and do, is recorded—in the subconscious mind—and our daily experience is simply that record being played over to us by the Law of Being.

Never forget that the circumstances of your life tomorrow are molded by your mental conduct of today.

I have chosen the way of truth . . . (Psalm 119:30).

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

Don’t Drop the Baby

The peace of God is my one goal.

~ A Course in Miracles ~

Author Hugh Prather likens the peace of God to a tender infant. "If you were carrying a little baby," Hugh suggests, "you would make that child your first priority. If someone bumped into you on the street, you wouldn't just drop the baby to follow the person and yell at him. And if your car broke down, you wouldn't abandon the child as you walked to get help. In the same way, we cannot afford to put the peace of God aside for any worldly distraction. The peace of God is more valuable than anything the world has to offer, and we must protect it as consistently as a tender infant."

What have you placed before the peace of God? Money? Anger? Fear? Time? Possessions? Drama? Romance? Guilt? Sex? Work? If you've traded joy for any passing entity or experience, you've struck a poor bargain indeed.

Make an inner commitment to hold peace above all else for one day. It will be the most beautiful day of your life.

Beloved God, I want to know Your love fully. Help me to remember You above all else.

The peace of God is my one goal. Any priorities are in order.