Today's Thought - October
 

October 1

The possibilities for tomorrow are usually beyond our expectations.

~Anonymous

When it is a struggle to believe that we're hopeful, productive, and capable of caring for and loving others, we may have to pretend that we are all of these things. The program calls this acting as if. We can act as if we're hopeful; we can act as if we're productive; we can act as if we care. We may not have a long record of being all these things, and we may not even know how sometimes, but we don't have to. We have a promise that our Higher Power is caring for us and will help us do the things we can't do on our own.

Acting as if is hard work; it takes constant letting go. We may feel totally unqualified to live in reality and resentful that we have to. Our grandiosity whispers that reality is boring and beneath us. We are "special"; we don't have to follow the same rules other people do.

Consciously turning our wills and our lives over to God stills the addictive voice and focuses our energy on real life. We become part of life, rather than an adversary. And we feel the pleasure of our efforts.

If today is a day to act as if, I will accept it and do my best.

October 2

Slogans

Live easy but think first.

~Anonymous

"Live and let live," "Easy does it," "But for the grace of God," "Think, think, think," and "First things first" are the five slogans we most often hear and see on the walls of our meeting rooms. The first word of each of these five slogans also creates a popular slogan: "Live easy but think first."

Many newcomers hear that we begin recovery on the slogans and stay in recovery on the Twelve Steps. The slogans were developed for use in recovery from the experience of many others. They at first appear to us as too simple (and sometimes too corny) for our use. The slogans are anything but corny. We need to check if we are using them in our daily lives.

The slogans helped me when I first came in. I continue to use them to keep me on the program, but I also remember not to be a "slogan slinger" and ram them down everyone's throat.

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

October 3

The only sense that is common in the long run, is the sense of change - and we all instinctively avoid it.

~E. B. White

The mysteries of life unravel like threads, moment by moment, every day of our life. Each thread offers us knowledge and opportunity that our Higher Power knows we’re ready to handle. During our life we'll experience at least a few dramatic changes at specific and meaningful junctures. These changes can deepen our understanding of our purpose.

It's pretty difficult to continue clinging to old ideas in the face of contrary new information. We may fight a change, even a small one, because our ego is invested in how it was. But within our Twelve Step fellowship, we're surrounded by people who exemplify the rewards of change. These men and women are grabbing the threads of new knowledge and special opportunities and weaving coats of many colors that will comfort them in the days ahead.

I will seize the threads of life today and trust in my Higher Power.

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

October 4

I have discovered that while God would do for me what I could not do for myself, God would not do for me what I could do for myself.

~Mary Norton Gordon

There are some things God is always in charge of. One is outcomes. Another is the big picture encompassing our lives. Each experience is part of God's design for us. On occasion, we may feel there is little for us to do, since God will handle it all. However, the truth is, our participation is necessary. Every day we have many opportunities to thoughtfully put one foot in front of the other. How lovingly, how gently, how honestly and openly we move through our lives - all these things color the experiences God has planned for us.

We may sometimes find ourselves sitting back, waiting for God to take charge, or aggressively trying to force an outcome that belongs only to God. But we are learning. With time in the program, we begin to realize what is God's work and what is ours. Our sponsors, the women who share their experiences in meetings, prayer, and meditation enlighten us about how it works.

I am surrounded by women who can help me distinguish between my job and God's job today. My confusion won't trouble me for long.

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

October 5

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

~Albert Einstein

In following the healing way, we open ourselves to truths that can never be established as concrete facts. Some of us have always been comfortable with a spiritual outlook. But some of us were hurt by damaging or even abusive experiences in religious institutions and gave up on them as meaningless. Now we all come together on a path that takes a very wide view of spirituality while making spiritual ideas central.

It is reassuring to learn that one of the greatest scientists of all time had a firm respect for realities that could not be pointed to or quantified. He excelled in the practical, objective world of science, and he also knew about spiritual truth. Now we, too, are learning how our spiritual life creates miracles we could not bring about by the force of our will.

Today, I am grateful to be tuned in to those forces that are outside objective, concrete reality.

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

October 6

AA Thought for the Day

When new members come into my AA group, do I make a special effort to make them feel at home? Do I put myself out to listen to them, even if their ideas of AA are vague? Do I make it a habit to talk to all new members myself, or do I often leave that to someone else? I may not be able to help them, but then again it may be something that I might say that would put them on the right track. When I see any members sitting alone, do I put myself out to be nice to them, or do I stay among my own special group of friends and leave them out in the cold? Are all new AAs my responsibility?
Meditation for the Day

You have let go and surrendered to a Higher Power, and it has worked a miracle in your life. Sharing the message with others who share your same disease keeps you connected to your Higher Power, to AA, and to your sobriety. View your work within the fellowship in this light. Try to do your day's work the way you believe God wants you to do it, never shirking any responsibility and often going out of your way to be of service.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may serve well this fellowship that I have needed and that needs me. I pray that I may be willing to go out of my way to be of service.

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

October 7

What we do upon some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are: and what we already are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline.

~H. P. Liddon

In the ninth inning of the baseball game with a tie score and the bases loaded, the batter hit a home run. The fans and the team cheered wildly, and the batter was jubilant.

What many fans did not know was that he had been playing on baseball teams for fifteen years. Many times he struggled without being noticed. He wondered if he was any good or not, and there were days he had to make himself go out and practice. He made many mistakes, but his love and dedication for the game had always won out.

It is the years of discipline that prepare us for our big moments in life. Daily practice and love give our lives a direction, even through times of doubt and despair. By doing our best each day and learning from our mistakes, we prepare ourselves for the big moments - the home runs - in our lives.

How are my mistakes and pains today a part of my future success?

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

October 8

May you live all the days of your life.

~Jonathan Swift

The truth is, life is hard. Accepting this fact will make life easier. Remember how well it worked in Step One? Once we admitted and accepted that we were powerless over alcohol and other drugs, we were given the power to recover. It works the same with life's problems.

We can spend a lot of energy trying to avoid life's hardships. But our program teaches us to use this same energy to solve our problems. Problems are chances to better ourselves and become more spiritual. We have a choice: we can either use our energy to avoid problems, or we can face them. When we stop wasting energy, we start to feel more sure of ourselves.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, life is to be lived, both the easy and the hard parts. Help me face and learn from it all.
Action for the Day

I'll work at not complaining about how hard life is. I'll take the same energy and use it to solve problems I may face.

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

October 9

What I have wanted is consistency, ever since the day back in Wyncote when my mom and dad split. I have wanted to be liked. I have wanted to be loved. I have wanted to be in a family-type atmosphere.

~Reggie Jackson

How many of us gave ourselves away trying to fix painful childhood longings? We thought if we were good boys, good men, caretakers, we would have the love we wanted. Sadly, our remedies for childhood pain have often been childish solutions. Our need for security may have become a self-centered obsession and blocked our ability to hear our loved ones. We may have become so fervent about accepting others that we failed to stand up for ourselves, and we lost their respect.

Most of us reach adulthood with leftover pain no person could ever fix. We learn grown-up responses by accepting our load of pain and by asking others for help. Intimacy and companionship reduce the weight. We tell our friends about our burdens, and we learn what they are carrying. In the process, we grow in wisdom and maturity.

Today, I will remember I do not have to be alone with my pain.

Today's reading is from the book Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men*

October 10

Taking a Me-Tour

My new friend Leena posted something in a WhatsApp chat a while ago that struck me as slightly brilliant. She was talking about being on her way home from one of our summer retreats, filled with ideas and lists of things that she needed to do, when she decided to take a "me-tour." Think detour, but more of a diversion for our soul. Leena found a spot to plant herself, took some time to sit by water, journaled a bit, and soaked up a beautiful sunset. It wasn't a huge detour - she did make her way home shortly thereafter - but she was filled up with both the regulating experience of the me-tour and the pride she felt for making herself a priority.

I think everybody should think about taking more me-tours. During our regular day-to-day lives, most of us are annoyed when we are forced to take a detour, but choosing to take a me-tour sounds totally replenishing. What might your me-tour look like?

We can switch up our routes to and from home or work, and in so doing find a little bit of time to feed our soul.

Today's reading is from the book She Recovers Every Day: Meditations for Women*

October 11

Slipping

A common rationalization about not making the program goes like this: Harry over there slipped ten times before he made it. So what if I slip a few times?

What is overlooked is that the last time Sophie slipped, she slipped into a coffin; the last time Bob slipped, his baby daughter died in her crib because of his negligence; the last time Ann slipped, she got strychnine poisoning and became blind; and the last time Jim slipped, he tried to kill his partner.

We're not playing games here. This is a matter of life and death.

Have I stopped slipping?

Higher Power, let me know that it is not only my life but the lives of others that I endanger by playing loaded games.

I will avoid slipping today by…

Today's reading is from the book Day by Day: Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts*

October 12

Living by Design

I love AA. It saved my life. When I was in the military, I found I could go to meetings anyplace in the world - walk in and say, "Hi, my name is Mike, and I'm an alcoholic."

The program is designed for living, and if I live by that design, I live a good life. It works for me, because I want to be sober today more than I want to drink. And believe me, I wanted to drink every day.

The first ten years of my sobriety were in and out. I didn't drink, but I didn't surrender to God all the time. I came the closest I ever came to drinking again in 1994, when I was in a very sick relationship. Fortunately for me, I had friends in AA who dragged me aside and asked, "What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to get drunk? Because you're headed that way."

Thanks to them, I was able to end the toxic relationship and get back on the path to recovery where I belonged.

I will think of recovery as a verb - it is ongoing and fluid, something I practice every day.

~Mike F., U.S. Navy, 1959–1965/1972–1990

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

October 13

Reflection for the Day

I've learned in the program that I'm wholly powerless over my addiction. At long last, I've conceded my powerlessness; as a result, my life has taken a 180-degree turn for the better. However, I do have a power, derived from my Higher Power, to change my own life. I've learned that acceptance does not mean submission to an unpleasant or degrading situation. It means accepting the reality of the situation and then deciding what, if anything, I can and will do about it. Have I stopped trying to control the uncontrollable? Am I gaining the courage to change the things I can?
Today I Pray

I ask my Higher Power for direction as I learn to sort out the things I can change from the things I can't, for that sorting process does, indeed, require Higher Power-given wisdom. May "the things I cannot change" not give me an excuse for inaction. May "the things I can" not include managing other people's lives. May I start to understand my own reality.
Today I Will Remember

Acceptance is not inaction. Change is not domination.

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

October 14

We can pray in whatever way we please.

Being willing to ask our Higher Power for help is the first step to getting it. And God has no expectations of how we pray. There isn't a wrong way. Chatting with God as we would a friend is as appropriate as kneeling in church or beside our bed. We'll be changed by our efforts regardless of our process.

We're developing many skills and new behaviors with the help of Al-Anon and other Twelve Step programs. Our lives are changing daily as a result. Some of our new program friends consider prayer the most important of all the tools we're getting acquainted with. It's certain that the more accustomed we are to relying on prayer, the more quickly we'll find calm in the midst of chaos.

Sponsors tell us to seek opportunities for prayer. If we need solutions to problems, prayer will help. If we feel anger or resentment against someone, praying for that person will help. If we want to feel better about ourselves, prayer will help. When prayer becomes habitual, we’ll discover our lives have really changed.

I feel calm and guided when I begin my day in conversation with God. Remembering that this friend will never desert me comforts me.

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

October 15

I've had an unhappy life, thank God.

~Russell Baker

We are blessed with the awareness that our past suffering has served a purpose. What we once feared would destroy us has instead led us to understanding and caring, for both ourselves and others. Isolation and loneliness have been replaced by membership in a supportive community. Our experience, strength, and hope are of use to those whose life journeys resemble our own. Survival has given us the gifts of shared laughter and compassion and the courage to take risks and to continue on paths of growth and change.

Whether we've lost everything or have kept whatever luck bestowed on us, each of us has had to change. We've begun learning that we can be fully present in the moment; we no longer fear being alive and awake, as our consciousness of a Higher Power and a loving fellowship sustains us.

Today, I celebrate my strength. I have survived.

Today's reading is from the book Glad Day