[bluidkiti]

July 27

Step by Step

"What is this power that AA possesses? This curative power? I don't know what it is. I suppose the doctor might say, 'This is psychosomatic medicine.' I suppose the psychiatrist might say, 'This is benevolent interpersonal relations.' I suppose others would say, 'This is group psychotherapy.'
To me, it is God." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Part II ("They Stopped in Time"), Ch 6 ("Physician, Heal Thyself!"), p 352.

Today, how many more voices of experience must I hear until I simply consider the possibility of a higher power if I am still struggling with the concept? If I continue to listen skeptically to the many voices of those who have recovered by giving their will to a higher power, maybe I can simply trust the AA command to "Keep It Simple" - simply take a leap of nothing but blind faith that something as good can exist if something as evil as alcohol can bring me to my knees. But if I still resist those voices of experience, hopefully I can muster the honesty to see that doing things my way hasn't worked and that maybe something outside myself can do a better job. Today, I seek if nothing else the blind faith to trust the voices of experience or, at least, my own history of not doing such a great job on my own. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M.

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

CONFUSION

Lord Ronald . . . flung himself upon his horse and rode madly away in all directions.

~ Stephen Leacock ~

Before the Program, we were like Lord Ronald. We flung ourselves upon our addiction and rode madly away in all directions and into many strange mental states. This included frightening, impulsive behavior while in a "blackout." Those who had blackouts were in complete disbelief when told of the wild and incredible things they did.

Sometimes the addict is conscious of how they are behaving and either does not care or is unable to resist acting that way. Loved ones, close friends, and coworkers frequently become concerned and frightened by the confused state of someone "under the influence." The worst reaction of others is an acceptance of "confused" states of the addict as “it's something they can’t help” or "there's no use trying to help the helpless."

The confusion I created when I was using was harmful to everyone, especially me. That confusion has now been thankfully replaced with clarity.

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

In running, it doesn’t matter whether you come in firsts in the middle of the pack or last. You can say, “I have finished.” There is a lot of satisfaction in that.

~ Fred Lebow ~

In the ancient Greek competitions at Olympia, young men came from all over the Greek nation to participate, and great honor was bestowed upon the winners. But just to be a participant, in the Greek democratic mind, was a high honor in itself.

We modern men sometimes lose that sense of true honor. We think winning is the only goal. Such misguided beliefs have crippled us and made us feel like losers. Have you ever watched wheelchair racers giving their all? These racers honor the true notion of participation.

Today I will participate with all of those around me, to play, to run, and to work for a better world.

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

To not accept all of ourselves creates polarity.
Try to live your life only inhaling for five minutes.

~ Niro Asistent ~

Not all of our qualities are admirable. In fact, some embarrass us. There is nothing preventing us from developing more positive characteristics, but the inspiration to do so often wanes. It might be more reasonable to strengthen the good ones with more frequent use and learn to love the rest as evidence of our very human nature.

We are complex personalities. We have been years in development, and we aren’t finished yet. Each day gives us opportunities to demonstrate a whole range of qualities.

We can accept each personal trait. That doesn’t mean we have to love every aspect of what we say or do. Nor does it mean we should never try to change. But taking our life, our behavior, more in stride will give us the heart to change what we can.

I am both good and bad. If I want to accentuate my positive traits, it is up to me to practice them today.

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

I know what to do when I feel overwhelmed

Sometimes it feels overwhelming to try to stay off alcohol and get a grip on my emotional illness. I feel so unsure of anything. So much is changing—my habits, thinking, friends, lifestyle. I feel off-balance and I get afraid.

Dual recovery is work. But I have a feeling that if I can just keep putting one foot in front of the other, I will get better. (And I don't have to do the work all on my own or all at once.) I can't predict how my life will change in dual recovery. But I trust that it will be better. And I trust that in this process, I am becoming a happier and healthier person.

When I feel overwhelmed, I will pray to my higher power for strength and call a supportive friend.

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

And we are put on earth a little space, that we may learn to bear the beams of love.

~ William Blake ~

Since addiction robs us of the ability to love ourselves and share that love with others, it’s no wonder we enter sobriety full of longing. We have come to live by unhealthy rules: “Don’t talk, don’t trust, don’t feel.” These survival skills helped us withstand active dependency, but now they are obstacles keeping us from full recovery, and we must change them. This isn’t easy. No matter how much pain and isolation our old ways have brought to our lives, they are familiar ways, and attraction to the familiar is hard to resist. As unhealthy as we were in every way, we may sometimes long for comfort and predictability in our lives.

Healthy love seems risky. It can be a fearsome task to open ourselves to another, to risk shame and rejection. Healthy love requires honesty and faith, careful attention to our feelings, and sharing.

But now we are physically, mentally, and spiritually ready for love. The payoff is life itself, lived and shared in the moment, and the glow of self-esteem we feel when we are accepted as we are by another.

Today grant me the willingness to talk, trust, and feel.

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

“It’s a question of discipline,” the little prince told me . . .
“When you’ve finished washing and dressing each morning, you must tend to your planet.”

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~

Most consider procrastination to be the action taken to avoid an unpleasant task—for example, rather than mow the lawn you watch the baseball game. Recovery can fall into that category of an unpleasant task. You might think, then, that being in recovery means you are not a procrastinator. After all, you joined the program even though you knew it would not be easy. But even if you never procrastinated before you entered the program, you may find it is something you now do quite well.

Perhaps the process of working the Steps seems so daunting that you have delayed getting started. Or, since you were so adept in the past at ignoring your short-comings and fears, the program’s requirement that you come to terms with them has you backing away.

You may become more adept at procrastination when-ever you compare the pace of recovery to the pace of your life. It is far easier to do those things that will have an immediate reward than attend to those that will require diligence and attention over an extended period of time. By understanding the reasons why you are procrastinating, you can be more capable of overcoming it.

Today my motto is: Action, not procrastination!

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

Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines.

~ Sachel Paige ~

When children are tired they make their feelings very clear. They just sit down and start to cry. As adults, we may sometimes feel like a child, ready to sit down and give up. But we're not tired children anymore. We're grown-ups, living with responsibilities and duties.

Instead of giving up, we need to find another way of handling responsibilities. To begin with, we can ask for help. There are others who can help with meals, family care, and household duties. We can also rearrange our schedules so we're not doing too much at one time and not enough at other times. Whenever we feel like giving up under the pressure of responsibilities, we can remember there are always solutions. Nothing is cast in stone, unless we want it to be.

Tonight I can begin thinking about making changes in my responsibilities. I can ask for help and do some rearranging so no day is overwhelming.

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

Making progress

As addicts, we have a disease; as recovering addicts it is important for us to recognize that we are getting better. It is exciting and encouraging to see how we are changing.

We are sick, but we are getting better. For example, it used to be that every time some-thing went wrong, we had to run; now we just want to run. The running feeling is still there, but we now have a choice. Later, by the grace of God, we may not even want to run.

Can I see the progress I am making?

Higher Power, while I know there is always room for improvement, help me see the progress I have already made.

I will seek to improve myself today by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.

~ INDIRA GANDHI ~

Newcomer

I attended a meeting outside of my neighborhood and had a surprising experience. As I looked around the room, I didn’t see anyone who looked or dressed the way I do. I assumed I wouldn’t connect with anyone here, but thought I’d at least hear enough of the program to get me through another day. I began by saying, “You don’t know me; I’m a stranger to this meeting, but...”

When I finished sharing, the chairperson looked at me, addressed me by name, and said, “We do know you; all of us have had the feelings you’re talking about. Welcome; we’re glad you’re here.” I was shaken by her sincerity and warmth. It was humbling, after I’d blithely assumed that no one in the room would be able to relate to me. I seem to have to keep learning this lesson: I belong here.

Sponsor

I keep learning this lesson, too. Whether we wear black leather jackets or beige cardigans; live in trailers, farmhouses, or high-rises; however we speak, vote, or pray, we share the common problem of addiction and the bond of our commitment to recovery. If we listen well to others, we hear ourselves. If we share honestly, others hear us.

Your willingness to see yourself in those who appear different from you is an attitude that can also help you accept the diverse parts of yourself.

Today, I don’t make myself an outsider. I see what connects me to others and to myself.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

Everything you can buy with money will either die, rot, wither, evaporate or decay. There is nothing you can purchase that will surely last as long as you will, unless it be bad health.

Friends can be bought, not with money, but by a liberal expenditure of yourself. A dollar is a poor weapon to fight off real troubles.

God is Good and the truly Good things of this life were put here on earth for our use by Him and not one of them carries a price tag.

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

All the Good I Can

Dear God, guide me to
Do all the good I can
By all means I can
In all ways I can
In all places I can
To all people I can
As long as I can.

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

CLARITY AND INTEREST

The key to life is to build in the mental equivalents of what you want, and to expunge the equivalents of what you do not want. You build in the mental equivalents by thinking with clearness or definiteness, and interest. Remember clarity and interest; those are the two poles. If you want to be healthy, happy, prosperous, doing a constructive work, having a continuous understanding of God, you think, feel, and get interested in these ends. What we call "feeling" in connection with thought is really interest. Ninety-nine times in a hundred the reason why Christians do not demonstrate is that they lack feeling in their desires or prayers.

How are you going to expunge the wrong mental equivalents? Suppose you have a mental equivalent of resentment, or of unemployment, or of criticism, or of not understanding God. The only way to expunge a wrong mental equivalent is to supply the opposite. The right thought automatically expunges the wrong thought. If you say: "I am not going to think resentment any more," what are you thinking about except resentment? The key to the management of your thinking, and therefore, the key to the management of your destiny, is to substitute an affirmative thought for a negative thought.

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. . . (Psalm 138:8).

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

Right in Front of You

Just open your eyes and realize the way it’s always been.

~ from the song, "The Balance," by The Moody Blues ~

While Frank Baum was writing his classic series of children's fantasy books, he had not yet chosen a name for the kingdom in which his characters would play out their adventures. As Baum was sitting with a friend in his office, the fellow asked, "What is the name of the land that will be the setting for your books?" The author shifted his eyes as he pondered, and his vision fell upon his file cabinet, in particular the drawer labeled "O-Z"

"Oz," Baum answered. "I shall build the story on Dorothy's adventures in the land of Oz.'' Thus was born the setting for the perennial and beloved Wizard of Oz.

While we may search high and low for an answer to our need, sometimes it is right in front of us. Hilda used to say, “Take whatcha got and make whatcha want.'' Life is not a mystery to be solved; it is a game to be played. Rather than spending a lot of energy hunting and pecking. We sometimes do better to just take what is before us and use it to our advantage.

Many of us have been taught that the best solution is the most complicated one. We believe we must strive and strain and pay a high cost for what we want. But often the reverse is the case: The simplest answer is the one that will work best. God does not play hide-and-seek. The truth is simple; it is obvious, and it works.

Bless the simple things in your world. Appreciate your friends for the simple gifts they offer you. Rather than seeking to replace what you have, look for ways that you may more fully tap into the gifts that you have been given. You are already rich.

Show me the good I already possess.

Everything I need comes to me at the perfect time in the perfect way.