Today's Thought - August
 

August 1

There is a basket of fresh bread on your head, and yet you go door to door asking for crusts.

~Rumi

We have often tried to satisfy a deep inner hunger that we could not describe and didn’t understand. We followed the seductive call of physical pleasures, the allure of alcohol or other drugs, the excitement of gambling, or even the satisfactions of being the "helpful" codependent hero, trying to save others from their problems. These hollow attractions never satisfied our hunger. No matter how much we tried, they only left us more trapped in a dead-end search and less satisfied than ever.

We find genuine satisfactions for our hunger when we develop self-respect, form caring bonds with friends, develop a relationship with our Higher Power, and follow a path with heart. All of that is available to us, and we only need to turn toward it to find it.

Today, I seek a real slice of satisfaction in life rather than settling for crumbs.

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

August 2

AA Thought for the Day

Having found my way into this new world by the grace of God and the help of AA, am I going to take that first drink, when I know that just one drink will change my whole world? Am I deliberately going back to the suffering of that alcoholic world? Or am I going to hang on to the happiness of this sober world? Is there any doubt about the answer? With God's help, am I going to hang on to AA with both hands?
Meditation for the Day

I will try to make the world better and happier by my presence in it. I will try to help other people find the way God wants them to live. I will try to be on the side of good, in the stream of righteousness, where all things work for good. I will do my duty persistently and faithfully, not sparing myself. I will be gentle with all people. I will try to see other people's difficulty and help them to correct it. I will always pray to God to act as interpreter between me and the other person.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may live in the spirit of prayer. I pray that I may depend on God for the strength I need to help me to do my part in making the world a better place.

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

August 3

There is glory In a great mistake.

~Nathalia Crane

Once there was a big girl who liked to play with little kids and their toys. One day she rode one of their small bikes and her foot slipped off the little pedal and her leg got caught and dragged along the sidewalk.

She went home, limping and howling. Her mother put ice on the terrible scrape. The next day, the girl's mother told her she was too big for the little kids' toys. The girl looked up defiantly and said, "I can TOO ride that baby bike!"

The girl's mother didn't say anything else. She knew people must be free to make mistakes. We cannot protect another person from the experiences of the world. It would be harmful to both of us to try.

What mistakes have I made more than once before I learned my lesson?

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

August 4

Some things have to be believed to be seen.

~Ralph Hodgson

In recovery, we learn to trust. We trust that our Higher Power is on our side. Maybe we can't see our Higher Power, but once we start trusting, things change. Step Two says, "Came to believe..." Once we come to believe, we start to see our Higher Power working in many ways. We make new program friends. We find new peace. Our family and friends trust us again.

Life won't always be fair. We won't get all we want. But we'll find the love and care we need. If we're open to believing in love, the easy times will be easier and the harder times a bit softer. Do I believe in love?
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me believe, especially when times are hard. Help me not blame You for the hard times.
Action for the Day

I will write what I believe the program and my Higher Power want for me.

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

August 5

If I had my life to live over...I'd relax. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I'd start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.

~Nadine Stair

"Letting go" is a theme with many variations. When we live with gusto and are released to experience the full excitement of life, we are letting go. When we turn our lives and wills over to the care of our Higher Power, we are freed of many cares.

If we orient our lives with a compass that always points to fear and insecurity, or to power and success, we are giving ourselves over to those forces. But we can orient our lives to our Higher Power's care and support. That makes it possible to drop our guard, allow for some mistakes, and delight in the pleasures of creation.

Today, let me forget my worries and enjoy the fullness of life.

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

August 6

Strengths over Defects

When I first got into recovery, the program that I belonged to - the one that saved my life - emphasized the importance of working on my character defects. That concept resonated for me because, at the time, I felt like I was just one big, walking defect. It felt natural for me to ask questions and try to fix those things that were wrong about me, to dig into all the things that I did or didn't do that created problems for me.

Don't get me wrong; I needed to become aware of thoughts, habits, and behaviors that didn't serve me or hurt me or others. That remains true today. I will always have something to work on. But as I've grown in recovery, what I have found to be helpful is that focusing on my strengths and the things that I am doing well yields much better outcomes than focusing on where I fall short.

Have you experienced something similar in your journey? Has it seemed easier to see the negatives instead of the positives? That's also part of our growth. Our self-talk moves from negative to positive as we grow and learn to trust ourselves more.

What receives attention grows.
I choose to focus on my strengths.

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

August 7

Practicing HALT

The acronym HALT means never get too Hungry, too Angry, too Lonely, or too Tired. Each of these conditions can fog our minds so that we lose sight of our purpose - abstinence and recovery - and have a slip.

If we can become more aware of our thoughts and feelings, we will avoid some pain and some slips. HALT is a good slogan to keep in mind.

Do I practice HALT?

Higher Power, help me slow down and become more self-aware.

Today when I feel myself getting hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, I will..

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

August 8

Pulling Others Off the Battlefield

When I was in the Marine Corps, it was pounded into your head that you never leave a buddy behind; you never leave a fellow Marine behind. You don't give up on them or leave them on their own.

That message has carried through to me my whole life - especially now in AA. Because the addiction fight is like a battlefield. If I see somebody on that battlefield, and I think I can share something from my knowledge or experience that will help them get off that battlefield, I'm gonna do it. Because I've been on that battlefield and other sober people helped pull me off. I owe it to the next guy to help out if I can.

Today I will remember to help others out where I can.

~Mike D., U.S. Marine Corps, 1970–1974

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

August 9

Reflection for the Day

In a very real sense, we are imprisoned by our inability or unwillingness to reach out for help to a Power greater than ourselves. But in time, we pray to be relieved of the bondage of self, so that we can better do our Higher Power's will. In the words of Ramakrishna, "The sun and moon are not mirrored in cloudy waters, thus the Almighty cannot be mirrored in a heart that is obsessed by the idea of 'me and mine.'" Have I set myself free from the prison of self-will and pride that I myself have built? Have I accepted freedom?
Today I Pray

May the word freedom take on new meanings for me, not just "freedom from" my addiction, but "freedom to" overcome it. Not just freedom from the slavery of self-will, but freedom to hear and carry out our Higher Power’s will.
Today I Will Remember

Freedom from means freedom to.

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

August 10

We are empowered to decide exactly what kind of day we will have, every day.

So many times throughout the day we are inclined toward anger, frustration, criticism, or perhaps all three. We love to blame a situation or another person for how we are feeling. Many of us have shirked responsibility for our feelings and our behavior.

When we came into the program and first learned that we needed to be wholly accountable both for our feelings and for our behavior, we panicked. The responsibility seemed overwhelming. On occasion, it still does. But it's also exhilarating to know that we, and only we, can decide how we are going to feel. No one can trigger behavior that we aren't willing to display. No one can decide who we will be or how we will feel; we are the ones in charge. That's a wonderful gift.

I am in charge of myself today. I'll enjoy my life, all of it, if I choose to.

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

August 11

In that case, what is the question?

~Gertrude Stein

Sometimes, we're thrown off balance by another person's questions - or by the confidence of his or her assumptions. Our certainties may be shattered when the way we see our identity, circumstances, or commitments seems to be called into question.

We don't have to come up with an answer simply because we have been questioned. Instead of rushing to defend ourselves when we feel put on the spot, we can take a deep breath and stop to consider what it is about ideas and beliefs different from our own that challenges us. We have choices about how to respond.

Some circumstances require that we simply state our own truth, others that we protect ourselves from an invasion of our boundaries, and still others that we keep an open mind and consider broadening our point of view. We can take time to decide which response is appropriate.

Today, I don't react; I respond from my understanding of the truth.

Today's reading is from the book Glad Day

August 12

Fun becomes fun, love becomes love, life becomes worth living. And we become grateful.

~Beyond Codependency

There is a new energy, a new feeling coming into our life. We cannot base our expectations about how we will feel tomorrow, or even a few hours from now, on how we feel at this moment.

There are no two moments in time alike. We are recovering. We are changing. Our life is changing. At times, things haven't worked out the way we wanted. We had lessons to learn. The future shall not be like the past.

The truly difficult times are almost over. The confusion, the most challenging learning experiences, the difficult feelings are about to pass.

A new energy is coming. A new feeling is on the way. We cannot predict how it will be by looking at how it was or how it is, because it shall be entirely different. We have not worked and struggled in vain. It has been for and toward something.

Times are changing for the better. Continue on the path of trust and obedience. Be open to the new.

Today, God, help me not judge or limit my future by my past. Help me be open to all the exciting possibilities for change, both within and around me.

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

August 13

I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday.

~Susie McD.

Many adult children, for very understandable reasons, feel unworthy, guilty, and ashamed much of the time. We may feel a kind of gnawing at our self-esteem that makes it hard for us to see our own progress. We may be afraid to feel good.

It takes courage to look back down the road to see how far we have come toward daylight. But the rewards are great. When we give ourselves credit for all the progress, desire, and willingness to investigate the dark corners of our souls, we have good cause to celebrate who we are! Facing up to and facing down the demons of guilt and low self-esteem require great courage. And when we can look not only backward but forward - our task is more courageous still.

It's not where we came from, or even where we are, that tells the story. It's where we are headed that gives rise to hope and the joyous shout, "I'm getting there! I'm doing just fine!"

Today, I will be grateful for the freedom I am capable of claiming and, in fact, am claiming every day I work my program.

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

August 14

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change...

~The Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer starts by having us ask our Higher Power to grant serenity that leads to acceptance of the unchangeable. We reach out. We let our Higher Power put an end to our struggle.

As using addicts, we refused to accept our illness; we struggled against chains that we could not remove. The good thing about acceptance is that it saves energy. When we accept our illness, energy that went to our illness and defenses is freed up to be used for our recovery, our healing.

Prayer is always about reaching outside of ourselves, about stepping outside of our egos, our instincts, our all-consuming troubles. The Serenity Prayer is about us reaching out for our Higher Power's peace, grace, and healing.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, touch me with your peace and grace. Help me to accept my illness and the things I can't change. Please use the energy that acceptance frees up to help me be the person you want me to be.
Today's Action

Today I will make a list of all the things I am now struggling against that I can't change. Throughout the day, I will ask my Higher Power to help me accept the things I can't change.

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

August 15

I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.

~Henry David Thoreau

There will be times when we find ourselves alone, despite our best efforts to reach out. That's often when we most need help, and it's usually when nobody is home or it's the middle of the night. The reality of being alone can lead to panic and to the belief we will be alone forever. But after the initial fear passes, we need to believe we can take care of ourselves. We have many more resources in us than we may realize.

If we ask ourselves what we really need, we'll find an answer. It may be a walk, doing the dishes, sitting down with our journal or praying. It may even be finding the courage to experience our feelings all alone and let go of the outcome.

The voice that tells us we can't manage alone will have its say, but it can't run the show. Our inner voice, by which we know what's best for us, is doing that.

If I am unable to be with others, I will accept that and be with myself. I may just find I'm pretty nice to be with.

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

August 16

Intolerance

I'm slipping when I accept certain faults in myself, but I don't accept them in other people.

~Anonymous

Our fellowship can pull good deeds out of people who have normally acted badly. Our Steps suggest ways to greatly change our behavior.

We are careful to separate what we say we are going to do and what we actually do. When we go to meetings and start talking about what wonderful things we are going to do rather than sharing what we have already done, we roll up our sleeves and get to work, because we have a lot to learn. Our friends and sponsor can suggest ways of getting started.

The fellowship doesn't want to hear sermons or judgments on past behavior. That's what happens when we judge ourselves and others, and talk about how we're going to change everybody and everything. We can't just "Talk the talk." We need to "Walk the walk."

I don't want to judge anybody, including myself. Let me learn to be forgiving and tolerant.

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

August 17

"Came to believe": The three most beautiful words in our language.

~Anonymous

"Came to believe" has become a magical phrase for many of us. It is indeed beautiful. What did we come to believe? That a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. And it has happened in so many lives that it is a tenet of our program. The lost have come home; we've been restored.

As we enjoy the fruits of recovery, though, we sometimes fail to realize that insanity isn't far away; it's just around the corner. And when we experience that insanity, it isn't that God has moved, but that our faith has wandered and shaken hands with the craziness of self-sufficiency.

Coming to believe isn't usually a sudden happening, but a gradual change. And with daily renewal, it makes our life work.

"Came to believe": those three beautiful words remind me today that I didn't get here alone.

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

August 18

Establishing goals and following through on them help women build self-confidence.

~Sharon Walters

Alcohol and other drugs created the illusion of confidence for many of us before our recovery. Some of us held prominent positions in corporations. Others of us raised children and held jobs too. All of us took on responsibilities that might have overwhelmed us had we lacked the false security that drugs could offer. But their time ran out. Luckily for us, their time ran out.

Since giving up our drugs, we have had to develop new ways to build confidence. Fortunately, having this program and the Steps as guides, we have been able to make progress.

The confidence we are building now through reliance on our Higher Power is substantive and real, not illusionary and temporary. We are learning who we are through our inventories, and that has made it possible to determine what we want to do with our lives. Our goals and our ability to follow through on plans are manifestations of our hard work. Self-confidence is the lasting reward.

My confidence will not waver today if I remember to let God help me handle each responsibility.

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

August 19

Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have.

~Doris Mortman

Marketers call us consumers. Ads suggest that a new car will make us happy or that when we buy our special loved one a beautiful diamond, we will really be somebody. But our awakening into a healthy, new life has nothing to do with what we own. Sure, it's fun to buy something new, but it doesn't make us happy for long. We don't define ourselves as mere consumers; rather, we are men with meaning in our lives.

When we haven't got ourselves on track, when we don't have a focus for our lives, we are easily seduced by distractions and dead-end promises. Peace of mind hasn't come easily for most of us. We had to accept some things about ourselves that we didn't want to accept. We had to learn some lessons that we couldn't easily learn at first. Now we feel like real men. We have something much better than anything we could buy with money, and no one else can take it away.

Today and every day, I restore my peace of mind by making peace with myself.

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

August 20

AA Thought for the Day

We who have learned to put our drinking problem in God's hands can help others to do so. We can be used as a connection between an alcoholic's need and God's supply of strength. We in Alcoholics Anonymous can be uniquely useful, just because we have the misfortune or fortune to be alcoholics ourselves. Do I want to be a uniquely useful person? Will I use my own disease, defeats, and failures to help others?
Meditation for the Day

I will try to help others. I will try not to let a day pass without reaching out an arm of love to someone. Each day I will try to do something to lift another human being out of the sea of discouragements into which he or she has fallen. My helping hand is needed to raise the helpless to courage, to strength, to faith, to health. In my own gratitude, I will turn and help other alcoholics with the burden that is pressing too heavily upon them.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be used by God to lighten many burdens. I pray that many souls may be helped through my efforts.

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

August 21

Drag your thoughts away from your troubles...by the ears, by the heels or any other way you can manage it. It's the healthiest thing a body can do.

~Mark Twain

It requires very little effort - and no imagination - to start feeling sorry for ourselves. Often, it is easy to feel sorry for ourselves in our families. Instead of being inspired by the sports talents of an older brother, the popularity of a lovely sister, or the fame of a parent or relative, we often take the easier attitude: "I'm denied all that he or she has."

If we work hard at developing our own abilities so that we can excel, we will find ourselves proud of, and applauding, what others do. If a personal problem brings us self-pity, we must remind ourselves that all people have problems. We can cope as well as the best of people if we learn from them and think positively.

Who among those close to me can I be proud of today?

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

August 22

Skill to do comes of doing.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Often, we just want to sit and do nothing. And why not? We go to meetings, work the Twelve Steps, read, make new friends. All this takes energy and means taking risks. Haven't we earned the right to just sit and take a break from it all?

No! In the past, we avoided life. Now we're becoming people of action. We take risks. We're becoming people who get involved in life. We practice caring about people and caring about ourselves. At times, we may complain, but we do what is needed to stay sober. We gain skills by doing.

Why? We do it to save our lives. How? By trusting. We now trust that our Higher Power and friends will be there for us. They will help us push past our fears. As we practice daily how to stay sober, our skills grow.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, Yours is a spirit of action. Allow me to become skilled at being active.
Action for the Day

Today I'll work at being active and alive. Maybe I'll start a new friendship or try a new meeting.

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

August 23

I have never for one instant seen clearly within myself. How then would you have me judge the deeds of others?

~Maurice Maeterlinck

We have been given the job of getting to know ourselves and reclaiming our own sanity. We aren't so good at it that we have spare time and energy left to make judgments about those around us. We are tempted to become absorbed in their behavior and choices, and it does feel like a welcome distraction from anxieties about ourselves. So we must learn to detach from the family members and friends that we are tempted to fix, or monitor, or judge.

Although we are very close, we are on separate paths in life. We were not born together, and we will not die together. We will make our family or our friendships and the world a little bit better by staying centered on our own sanity.

I pray for a clear separation between what is on my path in this program and what is on someone else's path. Then we can make good bridges between us.

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

August 24

Recovery Is a Process,
Not an Event

I write and talk about how recovery is an ongoing process because it really is worth repeating. Take away the fact that our lives are complicated and that our healing unfolds layer by layer, and let go of the idea that we can change incredibly complex things about ourselves overnight, and you are left with several holy truths.

The first holy truth is that recovery doesn't have an end point - for anyone. If recovery were a symbol, the infinity symbol would be appropriate. The second holy truth is that our recovery - our individual, unique experiences of healing and growth - expands and progresses on our own timelines. We can "be recovered" in some ways in our lives, but we're always recovering in others.

Recovery is not a race, and we get to address the pieces that need attention when we determine the time is right for each piece. There will be important events taking place along our recovery journey, and many will be celebratory, but they are just markers of the journey, not the journey itself.

I am not sure where I am headed in the process, but I'm excited to keep going.

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

August 25

Living today

Sometimes we expect so much so fast that we become nervous wrecks. Expecting answers for tomorrow's or next week's problem is not living today.

If we have a problem today, let us retake the Third Step, offer the problem to our Higher Power for an answer, and practice patience with the future.

Can I work on just today's problem?

Higher Power, help me live one day at a time and to accept your answers when you send them.

My plan for working on today's problem is...

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

August 26

Building a Framework for Recovery

As I've changed, so has my support system. It's about what and who is helping me grow. I didn't use around my family members, so they didn't see the destruction of my addiction. I'd get high and leave. Just disappear. So I'm rebuilding a lot of those relationships.

I'm a veteran, and I work at the VA now. I tell the vets I work with that recovery is like laying bricks. We create a foundation on which we build straight walls of recovery. We build that foundation with people and support. But, just as with bricks, sometimes relationships crack and break, and you have to either get rid of them or mend them.

If people aren't helping you build your network of recovery, it might be time to move on or reconstruct a healthier relationship.

Today I will strengthen those relationships that build upon my solid foundation of recovery and growth.

~Berlynn F., U.S. Marine Corps, 2009–2011

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

August 27

Reflection for the Day

If we don't want to slip, we'll avoid slippery places. For the addict, that means avoiding people who used to provide substances; for the alcoholic, that means avoiding old drinking haunts; for the overeater, that means bypassing a once-favorite pastry shop; for the gambler, that means shunning poker parties and racetracks. For me, certain emotional situations can also be slippery places; so can indulgence of old ideas such as a well-nourished resentment that is allowed to build to explosive proportions. Do I carry the principles of the program with me wherever I go?
Today I Pray

May I learn not to test myself too harshly by "asking for it," by stopping in at the bar or the bakery or the track. Such "testing" can be dangerous, especially if I am egged on, not only by a thirst or an appetite or a craving for the old object of my addictions, but by others still caught in addiction whose moral responsibility has been reduced to zero.
Today I Will Remember

Avoid slippery places.

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

August 28

Let's place principles above personalities.

We don't like everyone. Even the people we place on pedestals don't like everyone. But whom we like or dislike matters less than our reaction to those feelings. A Twelve Step meeting is a gathering place for men and women who are similar to the individuals we know from work or other activities. Some of them we identify with immediately. A few are cynical or perhaps bossy; some are self-effacing. Some try to manipulate the group as they used to manipulate the alcoholic or addict. The program is a "classroom" that offers an opportunity to practice principles we are learning.

Can we get beyond a person's actions and give love unconditionally, as we hope to be loved? Can we accept that we can't change a group member? Can we learn to acknowledge that everyone has a perspective that has value and deserves respect? If we make progress in any of these assignments, we will enhance our relationships outside the group too. And that’s what it's all about.

I don’t have to like someone to show him or her the respect that every child of God deserves. The more quickly I realize this and put it into practice, the better my life will unfold.

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

August 29

For many people the most difficult thing in the world is to learn to mind their own business.

~J. Krishnamurti

Perhaps we think we know the perfect medical alternative or nutritional plan for a sick friend, have the name of a counselor who could help the couple whose relationship is in trouble, or know someone in desperate need of Twelve Step recovery. We have difficulties of our own, but working to resolve them seems somehow less pressing than the problems of our friends and loved ones.

It’s human to want to help others, but we may be evading our own problems when we insist on having the answers for others. When people near us are in crisis, it is best to offer advice only when asked. Often, all that’s needed is a listening ear.

When we're tempted to rescue others, we should ask ourselves whether we are helping or simply interfering. We ourselves don't want others to try to fix us. We appreciate simply being heard and validated. Instead of urging our solutions on others, we can listen with respect and understanding. It is a gift.

Today, I listen and support. I don't give unwanted advice.

Today's reading is from the book Glad Day

August 30

Moving Forward

Much as we would like, we cannot bring everyone with us on this journey called recovery. We are not being disloyal by allowing ourselves to move forward. We don't have to wait for those we love to decide to change as well.

Sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to grow, even though the people we love are not ready to change. We may even need to leave people behind in their dysfunction or suffering because we cannot recover for them. We don't need to suffer with them. It doesn't help.

It doesn't help for us to stay stuck just because someone we love is stuck. The potential for helping others is far greater when we detach, work on ourselves, and stop trying to force others to change with us.

Changing ourselves, allowing ourselves to grow while others seek their own path, is how we have the most beneficial impact on people we love. We're accountable for ourselves. They're accountable for themselves. We let them go, and let ourselves grow.

Today, I will affirm that it is my right to grow and change, even though someone I love may not be growing and changing alongside me.

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

August 31

Why do I feel so lonely all the time? I just can't figure it out.

~LaVonne D.

Loneliness is part of the human condition, and it really doesn't have a lot to do with whether we’re around other people or not. Many of us have, at times, felt lonely in a crowd.

The essence of loneliness is isolation from self. As we learn to know and comfortably accept ourselves, silence can become a friend. Those who have grown to this level of self-acceptance are never truly alone.

There is a rub, of course. For years, we may not have wanted our own company because we haven't liked ourselves. We haven't been willing to peek beyond the walls of our most private and personal secrets. And why? Were we afraid nothing would be there but damage and disappointment?

But the program shows us that it isn’t true. There is not damage, disappointment, and failure at our core. What is there is a beautiful person doing the best possible with the tools at hand.

As we go on, we need never be lonely as we once were.

Today is "gratitude day." Today, I am thankful for my growth.

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