[bluidkiti]

July 6

Step by Step

Today, simplify and "de-mystify" recovery with three basic but essential concepts: choice, consequences, and personal responsibility. Discarding all the reasons I can produce to "justify" my drinking - I have a compulsion that compels me to feed it with anger, fear, resentment, loneliness, grief. In the end, drinking comes down to an essential truth: it is my choice and mine alone. And my choice to drink, as with all other choices I make, brings consequences, and with those consequences comes responsibility to the consequences. I thus have a simple choice, namely if I want to be responsible to the consequences of my choice to drink. For me, the past consequences of drinking grew progressively harsher, costlier and never less. And because now I do not want to face the consequences, I will not be responsible to them by making a simple but obvious choice: don't drink. Today, I have the choice to drink or not. I pick the latter because the first bears consequences that are too heavy for 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) ~

EMPLOYMENT

A man's work is rather the needful supplement to himself than the outcome of it.

~ Max Beerbohm ~

Our time in recovery allows us to redefine our vocation. We no longer seek the "right job" to fulfill our lives. We realize the right job will not make us whole people. We are already complete and need only maintain a conscious contact with our Higher Power to remain so. We need to work and earn money so we can feed, clothe, and shelter ourselves and our loved ones, but to demand from our job any greater significance will tempt us to create a Higher Power out of our work. We know the resentment and anxiety we cause ourselves whenever we do this.

Many times in recovery we may find ourselves in positions and jobs that seem strange to us. Not to worry; God has a plan for us that we sometimes cannot understand. We remember to increase our Program service work when we get too upset about our employment concerns.

The life of recovery is avocation in itself. I will remember a job is a job. Recovery is a way of life.

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

You’re never too old to grow up.

~ Shirley Conran ~

A child’s view of adults is that they have arrived at some fixed point where they are emancipated and have all the tools necessary for life. An adult knows that we never stop growing. Many of us have been stuck in an immature level of development. Our life stresses and our addictions took us off the track of emotional growth. We found substitutes and evasions for truly dealing with the normal life problems. Now we are back on the much more rewarding path of truly living and growing.

We accept the adult wisdom that we all need help and we all continue to learn and grow throughout our life span. We finally feel like adults because we take responsibility for our actions. We don’t blame others for our problems, and when our days feel challenging, we can ask for help. Back on our path, we are never alone.

Today I am grateful to be on the path of dealing with my life and continuing to grow truly stronger.

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

I always thought some people were just bom with self-esteem and others not. The fact is, the people with self-esteem may have learned to develop it sooner than others, and now it’s my turn

~ Laurel Lewis ~

One element of our growth is making new choices for ourselves. One of our choices is to have the self-esteem that is our right as a human being.

Some women may have never struggled with low self-esteem. Certainly, many women were born into families where unconditional love helped to develop the kind of self-esteem we crave. Yet with the help of this program and our Higher Power, we too will begin to feel a full measure of self-esteem.

Having self-esteem is really nothing more than beginning to understand and then accepting our worthiness in this vast panorama called life. We have always mattered to God and our fellow travelers, or we wouldn’t be here. It’s our beliefs that need to change—nothing more. We are worthy and loved children of God.

Self-esteem does not have to elude me today. My worth is guaranteed. God doesn’t make junk!

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

I am having a spiritual awakening

When I first got into the program, I felt a serious burden. It was all I could do to cope with my addiction and psychiatric illness. For a while, working even Step One seemed too difficult.

It's hard to describe, but these days I feel lighter. I've been working the Steps as best I can and my effort is paying off. I still have some problems to deal with, but they no longer seem overwhelming. Nor do I feel badly about having them; they're simply part of the process I am working on. They may still hurt, but the pain is bearable because I understand and accept this process. I have faith that they will be resolved.

I will use Step Twelve to quietly pass along my experience, strength, and hope.

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

Prayer does not change God but changes him who prays.

~ Soren Kierkegaard ~

How often we pray for our will to be done. We pray for riches, prestige, a certain outcome in uncertain times. We pray with the idea that if we pray hard enough, and in the right way, God will hear our pleas and grant our special wishes.

But are these prayers any more than those of a small child who wants his or her own way, a list of requests and demands?

As we pray, we need to confide in our Higher Power, to share our concerns, worries, and joys. As we share these concerns with God, we hear ourselves with new insight. We come to realize that God has already given us all we need to be happy. We come to accept that we can let go of demands, and ask instead for courage and strength.

As we spend time listening, our prayers gradually change as we change. In time, we learn, not my will, but Thy will, be done. God does not change — we change.

Today I thank You for changing me through prayer. Help me to continue to pray for knowledge of Your will.

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

In stillness the world is restored.

~ Lao Tzu ~

To be able to sit and let your mind wander is a form of meditation. You can close your eyes and simply focus on your breathing. Pay attention to what it feels like to take in a deep, cleansing breath of air and then slowly release it along with the toxins from your body.

When you combine focused breathing with imagery— creating a picture in your mind that replicates the gentle action of taking in the good and releasing the bad—you make your meditation more powerful. Imagine ocean waves coming to shore and then slowly receding. Or think of a morning glory slowly opening up to sunshine, and then gently closing as daylight dims.

While meditating, you can also release tension from your body. Begin with your hands. As you expand your lungs, slowly squeeze your hands into fists. Then, as you exhale, open your fists and relax your hands. Do this with each muscle group in your body, and you will feel a wonderful relaxation spread throughout your entire body. You may also enjoy greater focus and concentration, a more positive outlook, and renewed energy.

I begin my day with a meditation consisting of focused breathing, imagery, and muscle relaxation. I will use this same meditation at night to help me unwind from the day’s activities.

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

Panics, in some cases, have their uses. Their duration is always short; the mind soon grows through them and acquires a firmer habit than before.

~ Thomas Paine ~

Any anxious feeling is a signal that needs attention. It means there's something going on, and it's a way our bodies communicate that they are being overwhelmed. If we ask ourselves what’s going on, we might hear answers of frustration, shame, guilt, or fear over things that are over and done with or things that have yet to occur.

One of the ways to get through an attack is to center ourselves in the present. We can do this by remembering the date, time, and temperature. Then we can identify objects around us, including what we're wearing. This exercise will bring us back into the present where we won't have the feelings that contributed to our attacks. When our minds are clear, we can learn from anxiety and grow through it.

Tonight I can keep myself in the present by identifying the things and people around me that exist for this moment.

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

First things first

There is no substitute for the Twelve Step program, but that doesn’t exclude other forms of mutual or professional help. Some of us may need a firm foundation in the program, however, before other activities and therapies can be added without causing confusion.

If we are chemically dependent, we need to work with others who are chemically dependent in order to recover. If we combine other kinds of help to meet our needs, we neglect our Twelve Step work at the risk of relapse. Am I putting first things first?

Higher Power, help me realize what my program does for me and to keep it strong.

I will make a commitment to my program today by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

I could get through anything, if only I didn’t have to have my feelings!

~ WOMAN IN RECOVERY ~

Newcomer

Someone I counted as a friend has rejected me. I’m trying to be brave about it, but I’ve been on the verge of tears all day today. I’m embarrassed to be so needy.

Sponsor

“Trying to be brave” about a hurt sounds admirable, but is it really bravery?

Acknowledging and accepting our feelings is not a sign of weakness, but the opposite. True bravery in my opinion, is not picking up a drink, a drug, a compulsive behavior. That takes courage, especially for someone who’s been using addiction as a tool for survival.

I’m sorry that you’ve experienced a rejection, and I want you to know that your feelings about it don’t lower my opinion of you. On the contrary, I admire your honesty and openness in speaking about what’s happening. Your vulnerability is human and real. When you don’t deny your feelings or dismiss yourself for having them, in time they will pass through you, and there will be room for new ones.

Today, I extend compassion to myself. My dedication to recovery reminds me that I have real courage.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

Youth might be termed a zest for living. As long as we have enthusiasm for living we are young, regardless of years. Too often the alcoholic has taken so many hard knocks from life that life has lost its attraction, We have seen so many hopes and ambitions fade that life appears to us a total loss.

AA brings into our lives a new purpose in living; it restores our faith and hope, and thereby rejuvenates our minds to the point of a new zest for living.

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

Where There Is Charity and Wisdom

Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.
Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor annoyance.
Where there is love and joy, there is neither greed nor selfishness.
Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt.

~ by St. Francis of Assisi ~

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

SELF ANALYSIS

Jesus told us that we always demonstrate our consciousness. We always demonstrate what we habitually have in our mind. What sort of mind have you! Do not let anyone else tell you, because they do not know. People who like you will think your mentality is better than it is; those who do not like you will think it is worse. Just examine your conditions and see what you are demonstrating. This method is scientific and infallible.

If an automobile engineer is working out a new design for an engine, for instance, he doesn't say: "l wonder what Smith thinks about this. I like Smith. If Smith is against this I won't try it." Nor does he say, "l won't try this idea because it comes from France." He is impersonal and unemotional about it. He says, "l will test it out, and decide by the results I obtain." All that anyone can do for you is to help you change your thought. You yourself must keep it changed. No one else can think for you. "No man can save his brother's soul or pay his brother's debt."

. . . and I will put o new spirit within you . . . (Ezekiel 11:19).

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

Do You Agree?

Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I.

~ Jesus Christ ~

“You need to replace a small metal roller about the size of a pencil," my laser printer technician told me. "Although it's a little part, you have to buy the cartridge to which it is attached, which costs about $700, plus a hundred dollars labor."

I could not believe that I needed to pay $800 for a roller the size of a pencil. I turned to my assistant Noel and asked her, "Do you agree that I can get this job done for less money?" Noel agreed enthusiastically.

I called another technician who offered to sell me the cartridge at wholesale cost which, with labor, would total $550. The estimate still sounded too outrageous to be true. Again, I turned to Noel and asked her, "Do you agree that I can get this machine fixed for a fraction of the original estimate?"

"l know you can!" she answered.

I made a few more calls and found a technician who told me, "Sure, I can replace the roller." The next day he showed up at my office, sat down, took out a screwdriver, disassembled the machine, replaced the roller—without a new cartridge—and put the machine back together, all in about half an hour. As he walked out, he presented me with a bill for $88—one-tenth of the original estimate.

We create our reality by agreement. When two or more agree that something is so, we attract results consonant with our belief. We can agree that we are small and powerless, or we can agree that we are co-creators with God. Never agree to your limits, but always agree to your infinite power. The universe will grow whatever you plant with your intentions.

I pray that my thoughts and beliefs deliver me to an ever more loving and expansive universe.

I agree with my good and reject all else.