Even More Recovery Readings and Meditations - December

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December 24

~ A YEAR OF MIRACLES ~ (Meditations Written by Members of Nicotine Anonymous) ~

We must so live that, when it comes time to die, even the undertaker is sorry.

~ MARK TWAIN ~

When I first came to Nicotine Anonymous, a Promise was read to me that I will realize I haven’t given up anything at all.

I did not believe this as I knew I was giving up something huge. I was quitting because I knew if I kept doing the crime that eventually I was going to have to do the time. 1 did not want to do time with cancer, heart disease, emphysema, so it was worth giving up my little friends.

In fact they were not my friends. I have gained so much by getting freedom from addiction and I now know the Promises are true. I was slowing dying. Now I am living.

Today, I will pause and give thanks for the realization of the Promises in my life.

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

HOLIDAYS

Keep your recovery First to make it Last.

~ Anonymous ~

We all encounter places, people, and times of the year which trigger memories of our old lifestyle, pleasant or painful events. Holidays and family gatherings may be especially stressful times for us.

There have always been a lot of expectations associated with holidays. Many of us may feel pressured to fulfill those expectations. We need to remember that it is a naturally stressful time and we may feel more nervous than usual. We can avoid forcing moods or events on ourselves or those around us.

In recovery, we are given tips that have helped many members during the holidays. We plan extra Program activities and keep our phone list handy. We skip any slippery occasions that make us uneasy. We attend special Program events. We take a fellow member with us to a possibly slippery party if we feel uncomfortable going alone.

When I keep my recovery Number One in my mind, the holidays, with the help of my friends, will be enjoyable and less stressful

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

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

~ Winston Churchill ~

As we grow spiritually, we naturally become more generous. It’s a quality of a well-developed person. Rather than being anxious over whether we will have enough— and rather than hungrily seeking more and more—we become more openhearted. We feel more abundant within ourselves and find that our spirit of generosity even adds to our own abundant feelings. Where we see a need, we help out.

A generous person doesn’t need to shower others with material gifts. The most precious gifts are things such as paying attention to others, respecting them for who they are, and giving our time. Often a material gift is a symbol of the good feelings in a relationship. In our generosity, we also learn to receive others’ gifts to us with humility and respect.

Today I take pleasure in my spirit of generosity.

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

God’s gifts are slowly revealed.

~ Michele Fedderly ~

We are so certain about what we need and when we need it that we become anxious and agitated. Patience is a virtue, we know, but we’re not moved to practice it when an outcome in our lives is at stake.

How fortunate that we have the gift of hindsight. The impatience we feel now is not unlike what we’ve felt thousands of times, yet God has never let us down. We may not have gotten exactly what matched our will, but we see now that God had many gifts in store for us. In every case they were right for us, even though we may have resisted them at first.

When we are in pain we think God has forgotten us. On the contrary, our pain is often caused by not acknowledging the direction God is trying to give us. At the right time, in the right place, the right gift or direction will always be offered. Let’s remember that and be grateful.

God’s gifts are revealed when the time is right. Today I do not travel this path alone.

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

I miss my family

Before I got clean and sober and stable, I avoided my family—parents, brothers, and sisters. I was afraid of what they would say to me about my drug use or about my mental health issues. I was in denial. I was protecting myself and I know I hurt them (and hurt myself as well).

These days, I realize how much I miss them. Of course, I want them to see how much better I am. But most of all, I want to ask them for their forgiveness—as well as their support. I need my family back.

I will ask my therapist to help me reconnect with my family.

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

He loseth nothing that loseth not God.

~ George Herbert ~

When we let God’s will guide our lives we gain a profound ally in recovery. We realize that statements like, “I have to,” “I should,” or “You must,” are a setup for anger, resentment, or disappointment.

Although all the “shoulds” in our lives have made us unhappy, true belief in God doesn’t happen overnight. We have all heard someone say, “I go to meetings and read the Steps, but God still doesn’t do what I want.” We want to turn over our will, but not if it means turning over our lives, not if it means we can’t determine the outcome, as if we ever could.

In time, however, we learn in our bones that we can’t enter belief until we remove the guard from the gate, until we relinquish control. Then God takes over. And then our trust frees us from the need to control. Trust opens our hearts to new feelings of love. And gives us peace of mind.

Today help me turn it over. Help me let go and let God.

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

When a man meets an obstacle he can’t destroy, he destroys himself.

~ Ryszard Kapuscinski ~

Stress can have damaging effects on your health, your relationships, and your outlook on life. Knowing how to identify and handle stress can alleviate its effects and help you better manage it. External stress happens around you and can be difficult to avoid because it is often out of your control. You cannot make your work environment less busy, escape a traffic jam or crowded mall, or avoid those in your life who are emotional time bombs.

The other kind of stress happens inside you in how you respond to your work environment, traffic jams, crowds, or difficult people. You can also create stress whenever you obsess about memories of the past, focus on your fears, are overly worried and anxious, or try to control things that are out of your control.

Whenever you are feeling stressed, first take a moment and just breathe. Then think about what you can do to alleviate the stress you are feeling. You can walk away from the situation, shift your focus onto something else, or accept that what is happening is temporary and will pass.

I will change the way I respond to stress so I can approach things in a more relaxed frame of mind.

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

If time be of all things most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality, since lost time is never found again.

~ Benjamin Franklin ~

At the beginning of a day we may feel we have so much time ahead of us. But now as we look back on the day, we may feel we never had enough time to do all the things we wanted. Here we are now, ready to say good night to the day, and not satisfied that we did all we wanted to or could do.

Perhaps the day didn’t go as we had planned. Per-haps the list of things we wanted to accomplish barely got touched. Perhaps we feel we wasted a great deal of time watching television, shopping, or talking on the telephone.

If we believe now we wasted time today, then we’ll view that time as useless. But if we view all of the moments of today as precious and necessary, then we won’t feel so critical of how we spent our time. We did what we wanted to do today, in the time we were given. Tonight we can rest—assured—that none of our time was wasted.

I’m satisfied all of my time today was valuable and useful, even if I didn’t accomplish everything I set out to do.

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

Accepting help

We sometimes find it difficult to accept any-thing from other people. We don’t want to be obligated to them for love, money, or support. We don’t want to feel we owe them something in return. We need to remember that all help comes from our Higher Power and that our Higher Power sometimes reaches us through other people. Knowing this empowers us to accept help graciously.

As long as we remain true to our spiritual-ity, all things are right. It’s only when we deviate from our true purpose that we make mistakes in accepting things. God loves us and will provide all things if we remain true to God’s purpose.

Have I learned to accept help from others?

Higher Power, I want to accept all gifts sent to me through you, be they mental, emotional, or material.

Today I will help

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

You have to sniff out joy, keep your nose to the joy-trail.

~ BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE ~

Newcomer

I heard an old-timer say, “You can be right, or you can be happy.” What does that mean? When something is wrong, am I supposed to deny what I can see with my own eyes?

Sponsor

This program saying is not meant to encourage stupidity or moral laziness. It’s an affectionate way of suggesting that when we obsess about our own point of view or insist on having our own way, we may have our priorities mixed up. It suggests that we be open-minded and tolerant of people with whom we may disagree. It reminds us that self-will is not the path to serenity.

It also suggests that we have a choice about where to focus our mental energies. There is nothing wrong with having our own particular point of view and confidently and persuasively expressing it—that’s part of our self- esteem. But we don’t have to win arguments and attempt to force people and situations to conform to our own ideas. We can detach from argument, instead of reacting. We can experience the peace that comes from letting go, as we cultivate mental relaxation and serenity as tools of our recovery.

Today, I don’t have to be right. I’m happy, as I live and let live.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

Did you ever think upon forgiveness as a Christmas Gift? In addition to its sacred application, the giving of gifts at Christmas is to bring happiness to someone and nothing can bring more happiness than forgiveness. It gives joy both to the giver and the receiver and must also bring a smile to the face of Him who said “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” It depletes your purse not one penny but adds materially to spiritual wealth.

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~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) Al-Anon: Letting go is not caring for, but caring about.

2) Drink(ing,): Getting drunk interferes with our drinking.

3) Heal(ing): When the pain is of no more value, the healing is instantaneous.

by Shelly Marshall

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

Be Patient with Everyone

Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself . . . do not be disappointed by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage. How are you to be patient in dealing with your neighbor’s faults if you are impatient in dealing with your own? They who are worried by their own shortcomings will not correct them. All positive progress comes from a calm and peaceful mind.

~ From writings by St. Francis de Sales ~

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

VITAL FAITH

Read Psalm 46.

Among all the beautiful and heart-searching prayers of the Bible there is none that surpasses the wonderful poem that we call the Forty-sixth Psalm.

It begins, as do nearly all the Bible prayers, with an expression of faith in God. This is extremely important in practice. You need to affirm constantly that you do believe in God, not merely as a vague abstract concept, but as a real, vivid, actual power in life, always available to be contacted in thought; never-changing and never-failing. The Psalm closes with a command and an affirmation.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. This is really the whole Bible in a nutshell. Be still, and know that I am God. This is the very last thing that we want to do when we are worried or anxious. The current of human thought is always hurrying us along to its own ends, and it seems much easier to swim with it by accepting difficulties, than to draw resolutely away from these things, and contemplate God, which is the one way out of trouble. Even in your prayers there is a time to cease active work and, “having done all, to stand”—to be still, and know that I am God. 

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

Let Your Dreams Come Through

Practical people would be more practical if they would take a little more time for dreaming.

~ J.P. McEvoy ~

In our society, we place a high value on getting things done, but we often overlook where the ideas for things come from. For every great invention, piece of drama, music, art, medical break–through, or social innovation, there was a person who dreamed a dream. Descartes, considered the father of modern science, came upon the scientific method in a vision he had under a high fever. President Kennedy envisioned a Peace Corps and established the country’s goal to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. The great Egyptian statesman Anwar Sadat declared, “You’re not a realist unless you believe in miracles.”

Visioning is as important as doing, perhaps more so. Sitting quietly for 20 minutes a day and letting your mind play with possibilities will net you far greater results than 8 hours of work without a vision behind it. While it is fruitless to fantasize without also working to put your dreams into action, the process of fantasizing gives space and breadth for your mind to explore realms that you would not touch if you simply followed the rational thought process. Then when you act, you will be inspired and guided by ideas that proceed from the divine wisdom within you.

Psychologist Patricia Sun suggests that “children should not be punished for daydreaming in school; to the contrary, they would be happier and far more effective students if a period of time was set aside each day specifically for daydreaming.”

Give yourself permission to surf on the sea of imagination. Visualize and record your most inspiring and outrageous thoughts. Choose the most exciting ones, and then set about the business of letting your dreams come through.

Show me the value of my dreams. I pray to follow my visions until they are a reality.

I trust my dreams enough to bring them to life.

[bluidkiti]

December 25

~ A YEAR OF MIRACLES ~ (Meditations Written by Members of Nicotine Anonymous) ~

Time is the longest distance between two places.

~ TENNESSEE WILLIAMS ~

How many New Year’s resolutions came and went until I finally found Nicotine Anonymous? How many quit dates passed? Birthdays, holidays, Mondays, any days until I was ready to be willing, until I watched people who had what I wanted, freedom from nicotine, I could not get freed of this powerful addiction.

And what I heard at meetings was not about not giving up nicotine forever. Instead I heard about just not feeding my addiction “one day at a time.” This was a totally new approach for me, and it seemed much more attractive and manageable than forever. It still does after celebrating five years free. I am so grateful for this Program, “one day at a time.”

“Just for today,” I choose not to use nicotine. I will worry about tomorrow some other time.

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

PROMISES

A promise made is a debt unpaid.

~ Robert W. Service ~

We often hear about and read the Promises. As we finish reading the list of rewards, we come upon a sentence that asserts that all these promises will materialize if we, who are looking for spiritual growth, work for the rewards. We can direct our efforts carefully by knowing what is happening and by being among those who are making things happen.

Thus, we discover that none of the Promises bring us outright gifts. They must actually not even be anticipated or expected. We who are looking for promised things are actually our own solution. The rewards are accepted with humility and gratefulness. We must always believe that we have earned the promised results.

The natural growth I experience in all the events of life arrive with a focus on spiritual growth. Gifts come in their natural time and cannot be rushed or postponed, but I must always work for them.

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

The miracle is this—the more we share, the more we have.

~ Leonard Nimoy ~

Look around you at the happiest people you know. They are also the most generous and giving people. A generous spirit creates its own environment. In recovery we talk a lot about gratitude—and we have a lot to be grateful for. This feeling of gratitude inspires us to be generous toward others in many different ways. Most sharing is not of material things but a sharing of our spirit, our forgiveness, and our respect for others.

We can cultivate a generous spirit by reminding ourselves that we have enough. We have enough to live well, we are surrounded by love, we have been forgiven for many wrongs that we committed, and life is filled with interesting adventure. When we share from this sense of abundance, our feeling of well-being only grows.

Today I will be generous and sharing toward the other people I come into contact with.

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

I don’t have to believe in the same things that my loved ones believe in, in order to love them.

~ Karen Davis ~

One of the most valuable gifts we can receive from this program is learning how to let go of other people. Giving up our struggle to control how friends and family members think and behave and feel will bless us with an exhilarating freedom.

Most of us never realized we could let others live their own lives. We sincerely thought we needed to help others see life as we saw it. Certainty that we were right in all matters was part of our disease. Letting others be themselves meant we weren’t in control.

We’ve come to understand that, in fact, we aren’t in control and never were. But now we are glad for that understanding. Now we are free to spend our time on creative pursuits that please us rather than spinning our wheels trying to make people follow us. We each have a path to follow, and we are growing in our gratitude for that realization.

I may want my loved ones to think like me, but I will let them make their own choices today. Really loving them means really letting them go.

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

I have hope

Dealing with a psychiatric illness, my life felt painful, confused, and out of control. Dealing with an addiction at the same time was harder still: what I took for a solution to my mental pain only turned out to make things worse. In time I lost faith in myself.

But my friends did not. Eventually they helped me to see my serious problems and later to get treatment for them. Soon I felt I had a chance. Soon I believed I could change. With all the help I’d been given, I felt hope, and my faith began to return.

In my prayers today I will ask for the willingness to change and be changed.

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

We are always given exactly what we need according to a plan so grand and good that it is beyond our imagination.

~ Alice Muir ~

At some point in our recovery we turn our lives over to the care of a Power greater than ourselves. This does not come easy. We approach that point with fear and trepidation. Sometimes we turn our life over and then take it back when things get tough. We fight, endlessly it seems, to avoid letting go.

In the end we find we are not fighting anything or anyone other than ourselves. We find that our Higher Power has been with us all the time. All-knowing and all-forgiving, God never deserted us even when we were desperate to reject Him. Perhaps that is the beauty of the program: we discover that our Higher Power loves us unconditionally until we are ready to begin loving ourselves and others once again. And then, no matter what mistakes we make, He is ready to forgive us when we ask. This comfort was available to us all along. We just couldn’t see it, as we can’t see God’s plan for us — but we know it’s there.

Today I am grateful for my Higher Power and the spirituality of recovery.

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

Christmas is for children. But it is for grown-ups too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chill and hide-bound hearts.

~ Lenora Mattingly Weber ~

Spending time with family over the holidays can make you realize how powerful the messages and memories of your childhood are. Indeed, you may discover that how you define yourself today has a lot to do with your past—and not always in the best of ways.

Rather than stay entrenched in the negative influences from your childhood, you can let go of your attachment to the past by changing your outlook today. Even if you choose to obsess about your past, punish yourself for it, or feel extreme guilt or remorse over it, there is nothing you can do about it now It is over. Tell yourself this repeatedly.

Rather than hold onto regrets about the past—what you did or did not do, what was right or wrong, or what could have been or might have been better—forgive yourself and focus on what you can do now. Most people cling to people, places, or things not because such things are good for them, but because they are most familiar. You can become comfortable with new people, places, and things when you give them a chance.

Today I will release the hold the past has upon my present,

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

When you feel grateful for something others have done for you, why not tell them about it?

~ Anonymous ~

It’s one thing to express gratitude for the many wonderful things in our lives, whether we do so in our prayers or to our group. But to go one step further and express gratitude directly to the people who help us feel grateful is one of the best ways to show love and kindness.

Our direct contacts with others don’t always need to be in making amends. Recognition of the gifts we receive builds a strong bridge that can continually transport positive, loving feelings.

We can enlarge the one-way avenue toward us into a two-lane road that returns to the ones who show us so much patience, kindness, and love. Once we do, we’ll find we want to travel this road often, both to receive and to give thanks for what we receive.

Is there someone to whom I can express my gratitude? I need to take time for a prayer of gratitude for the wonderful gifts I have received. 

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

Accepting gifts

Giving is part of the holiday spirit. We need not lament because we don’t understand the nature of giving. Many of us suffer on this day for reasons a little more subtle than usual. Though we don’t realize it, many of us feel inadequate to the holiday spirit, which is so incredibly magnificent. We need to allow ourselves to dwell in this magnificence.

We are all children of our Higher Power. We can joyfully accept its gifts of love, peace, fellowship, sobriety, and cleanness. We will learn how to give in turn.

Do I feel the spirit of the holidays?

Thank you, Higher Power, for your gifts to me today and every day.

Today I will share in the holiday spirit by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

What is actual is actual only for one time
And only for one place.

~ T. S. ELIOT ~

Newcomer

I spoke at a meeting last night, but I don’t feel as if I said much of anything. I feel depressed about it today.

Sponsor

Whatever took place at that meeting, it’s now part of the past. In the Serenity Prayer we ask our Higher Power to help us accept the things we can’t change. Among the things we can’t change are events that have already taken place, whether twenty years ago or just yesterday.

You’ll have many more opportunities to speak at meetings as recovery continues. My own experience is that each time I speak is a little different. Sometimes I feel fluent, confident, and in control of my words; sometimes I feel forgetful and shy, or even a bit blank. I’ve learned to try not to judge my talk as if it were a performance, but to regard it as an offering. My speaking provided a necessary ingredient that kept the meeting going for others (in addition to getting me there).
Whatever I say, something will have relevance for someone in the room; it always happens. That’s something I can’t plan or control; it’s part of the flow of things.

Today, I let go of the habit of rating my past performance.

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~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) Optimist/pessimist: The pessimist sees only the tunnel. The optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

2) Simple: Keep it Simple. Breath in; breath out; don’t drink or drug in between breaths.

3) Working with Others: Get it, give it, grow in it

by Shelly Marshall

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

The Four Absolutes

Absolute Honesty

Both with ourselves and with others, in word, deed, and thought.

Absolute Unselfishness

To be willing, wherever possible, to help others who need our help.

Absolute Love

You shall love the Lord with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. And . . . you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Absolute Purity

Purity of mind, of body, and of purpose.

~ by the Oxford Group; used by early AAs before the Twelve Steps were written ~

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

BLESSING AND CURSING

Life is a reflex of mental states. As far as you are concerned, the character that things will bear will be the character that you first impress upon them. Bless a thing and it will bless you. Curse it and it will curse you. If you put your condemnation upon anything in life, it will hit back at you and hurt you. If you bless any situation, it has no power to hurt you, and even if it is troublesome for a time it will gradually fade out.

Bless your body. If there is anything wrong with a particular organ, bless that organ. Bless your home. Bless your business. Bless your associates. Turn any seeming enemies into friends by blessing them. Bless the climate. Bless the town, and the state, and the country.

Bless a thing and it will bless you.

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper m the thing whereto I sent it (Isaiah 55:11). 

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

The Light Has Come

Christ’s eyes are open, and He will look on whatever you see with love if you accept His vision as yours.

~ A Course in Miracles ~

Today is a precious and holy day on Planet Earth. It is a day when the world calls a halt to insanity and acknowledges the presence of divinity. It is a day of joy and appreciation and celebration. It is a day to be happy.

The birth of the Christ as a human being bears tremendous metaphysical import. It means that humanity is ready to accept its own divinity. Jesus brought God to Earth; he discovered his divine identity, he had the courage to live it, and the world has never been the same.

The image of Christ being born in a manger symbolizes that God comes forth in a place of humility. Spirit seeks not fanfare, human riches, or accolades, but the simplicity of an open heart.

The most important message of Christmas is that the Christ is born in you, through you, as you. When interpreting a dream, we must recognize ourselves as all the characters; the same is true for events that occur in the outer dream we call life. The birth of Christ is the emergence of a new consciousness of your own holiness.

Today is your birthday, and every day is Christmas. Thank God that you have remembered your divine nature. Throw off the cloak of smallness, and claim the truth about you: You are an expression of a perfect God, and everything God is, you are. You are the holy one. Jesus seeks not our worship, but our equality. He is our elder brother who came to remind us who we really are. We are one with the son of God.

Thank You for bringing Jesus to life, that I may walk the path of divinity with him.

Christ is born in me today.

[bluidkiti]

December 26

~ A YEAR OF MIRACLES ~ (Meditations Written by Members of Nicotine Anonymous) ~

The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.

~ WILLIAM CONNOR MAGEE ~

As a newcomer I was so terrified of what Nicotine Anonymous members would think of me if I “did something wrong.” But no matter what I did or said, all they had in response was a warm, friendly, “keep coming back.”

I keep myself miserable by my fear of making mistakes. Since I have learned to love myself, right or wrong, I make a lot more mistakes than ever before, and I have a lot more successes.

Today, I know that I never fail when I give my best effort.

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

ABILITY

We came to the Program to stop our addiction. What we found was a way to start living.

~ Anonymous ~

We all have within ourselves the ability to maintain recovery. To begin with, all that was needed was a desire to stop. Most of us, before admitting our powerlessness, were possessed by the fear that we were helpless and hopeless. We had tried to quit many times and always failed.

For years, addictions were considered the stamp of doom. It was true that addicts were incurable, but wise men and women kept crying out that obsessions could be arrested. The ability to keep winning is within all of us who have faith and belief that we can. Recovery is a constant challenge for us all. Those who accept the challenge have discovered that the Program is simple, but not always easy. Ability always follows surrender to reality.

With the strength provided by the Fellowship, my sponsor, and my Higher Power, I know I have the ability to maintain recovery.

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

The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself he becomes wise.

~ Alden Nowlan ~

Facing up to our wrongs is a foundation stone in our recovery. We have been contending with imperfection since the day we were born, both in ourselves and in others. Forgiveness is central to this whole process. When we admit that we have made a mistake, we affirm our belief in our values at the same time. Nothing is more honorable than saying that we hold a value and admitting that we fell short of it. That guilt is the pathway back to repair and forgiveness.

Shame is a dead-end emotion in which forgiveness doesn’t seem possible. In our recovery we are turning shame into guilt, making repair where it is possible and accepting forgiveness or forgiving ourselves. For many men, accepting forgiveness from ourselves or others is the hardest thing to do. It takes true humility to receive forgiveness because we are admitting that we are imperfect like everyone else; to defy the forgiveness that is available to us is arrogant.

Today I will try to forgive myself for the ways I have violated my own values.

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

We need to let the old go, so the new can emerge.

~ Peggy Bassett ~

When we first entered the program, we heard the saying “One door must close before another can open.” That baffled us, even while it gave us comfort. It helped that women we looked up to found solace in the slogan. Their experiences, shared in the meetings, taught us understanding. Each time we fought against a changing condition, someone we admired was able to remind us of its value.

Now we are the truth-bearers for the newcomers. Over time we have come to believe that every experience has special meaning. When something new begins to tap us on the shoulder, that’s our cue to let something else go. Newcomers need our demonstration of how it works. No doubt, before this day or this week has passed, we’ll each have an opportunity to close one door and open another. Let’s make sure we share what we learn with someone else.

I am someone’s teacher today. I will not fight circumstances that are changing, but accept that their passing is my opportunity.

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

I don’t have to go it alone

I had no idea how much emotional and spiritual pain I was in. I knew I felt depressed about my life—and I knew I was staying high a lot of the time—but I couldn’t see my basic problems. I was just trying to manage on my own despite the problems the drugs were causing at work and at home.

One day I woke up and realized I could no longer manage on my own—I admitted to myself that between drugs and my moods, I had a serious problem. Later, I admitted it to a trusted friend. After a period of painful soul- searching, eventually I found a Twelve Step meeting, then a therapist, and finally a sponsor. Together, they have changed my life. In recovery, I have found relief. I will no longer go it alone.

This week I will thank my helpers and I will practice being open about my feelings.

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

I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

~ Edward Everett Hale ~

We once heard someone say, “Knowing doesn’t keep you sober, doing does.” We got the point. Our actions, not strictly our knowledge, will help us stay sober.
Recovery is a program of action, of doing something that will contribute to our recovery today.

All the knowledge in the world won’t help us recover if we don’t use what we’ve learned. Like good intentions, knowledge is only the beginning. Next, we must do — and not do — the things we’ve learned will help us make progress in recovery.

It’s up to us to put the Steps to work in our lives today. We are responsible for eating right and exercising, going to meetings, finding a Higher Power, and praying or meditating to continually strengthen our spiritual lives.

Knowing what we must do is a good first step. Putting that knowledge into action, one day at a time, will bring us the joys of real recovery and a new life.

Today I pray that, through Your power, I have what I need to take action for my recovery.

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

We have no right to ask when sorrow comes, “Why did this happen to me?” unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way.

~ Author unknown ~

A millionaire wanted his son to understand that the world was made up of those who had great happiness in the world because they never wanted for anything, and those who lived in unhappiness because their struggles were never-ending. He asked one of his lowest-paid workers if his son could stay for a weekend, and the employee agreed.

When the weekend was over, the millionaire picked up his son. On the way home he asked his son, “What did you learn about how others live?”

“A lot,” the boy replied as he sat with his shoulders slumped. “We have a dog, but they have three dogs and a couple of cats. They even have chickens and ducks and a donkey. We have a swimming pool, but they have this great big lake. We have a deck, but they have a back yard that stretches for miles and miles. And at dinner, they all sit around a table and laugh and talk together.”

The millionaire sat in silence, listening to his son.

“I guess the lesson I learned, Dad, is how poor we really are.”

Rather than rue what I do not have, I will be happy for all that I have been given.

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

Without prayer, I should have been a lunatic long ago.

~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

How can we make our prayers more satisfying and fulfilling? One of the best ways is to see and hear ourselves as we pray, as if we were getting a bird’s-eye view of what we look like and how we sound when we pray.

Seeing from above in this objective way gives a good overview of the strength and the meaning of our prayers. Are we whining and fidgeting as we pray? Maybe we aren’t really praying but instead are asking to get our way. Do we sound angry, with fists clenched? Maybe we need to work on letting go first before we pray.

This is how our Higher Power sees and hears us. Our Higher Power know which prayers are serious, meaningful conversations and which are filled with self-pity, resentment, and anger. Tonight we can hear ourselves pray and learn whether we are truly praying or merely taking time for self-centered feelings.

Before I pray tonight, let me run through the things I want to say. Help me keep self-centered feelings at a minimum and true sharing and communication at a maximum.

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

Working today

As we approach a new year, many of us feel fear. We look back on the past and worry about the future. But if we remember we only have today, we can work to make that future better. We have found true friends in our fellowship, and this is a time to be with them.

Am I ensuring a fruitful future by working with all I’ve got today?

Higher Power, I pray for guidance for today and for freedom from worry about tomorrow.

Today I will work for the fellowship by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.

~ ANNE MORROW LINDBERGH ~

Newcomer

I heard someone sharing about a rather extreme situation. She complained that no one had time to listen to her. I gave her my phone number, and at first, I didn’t mind the calls. But every time I suggested a meeting or program tool, she objected: she’d tried everything and had a complaint about everyone. She calls every day now, and I’m always the one to end the conversation. It’s too much for me, but I don’t want to let her down—she’s had too many disappointments.

Sponsor

Our desire to be helpful sometimes backfires. When we’re motivated by a need to rescue people, we may present our-selves as more available and able to give help than we really are. When I find that I’m more concerned about someone’s growth in recovery than he himself is, I know I’ve gone beyond the boundaries of appropriate program support.

Part of my work in recovery is learning to accept my limitations. Though some people in the fellowship present their problems to be solved, I recognize that I cannot provide solutions; I can only listen and offer support as others go through the process of finding their own solutions. If people aren’t using the tools of the program, offering myself as a substitute actually hinders their recovery. This practice is called “enabling” because it allows others to keep on repeating addictive patterns without challenging themselves. Honesty demands that we withdraw from enabling situations. Recognizing our limits and acknowledging them is essential.

Today, I don’t block others in their search for solutions by trying to be the solution.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

As we alcoholics are selfish by nature it is but right and proper that, we should be more severe in our judgments of ourselves than of others. As we are our own best friend or our worst enemy, depending upon our treatment of ourselves, and as we are the one person in the world from whom we cannot escape, it is therefore essential that we do not allow ourselves to get away with anything in our treatment of ourselves. When we forgive ourselves we are rationalizing, but to forgive others is divine.

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~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) MISQUOTED SLOGANS: Oozie does it.

2) Al-Anon: Mind Your Own Business

3) Drink(ing,): Go to enough meetings and you still may not stop drinking; your drinking, however, will be ruined.

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

Always Remember

There is no growth without pain (pain is not optional), so hurt a little bit.

There is no laughter without tears, so cry often. (Don’t be ashamed to cry, for if you don’t, you will be ever secure but always lonely.)

There is no peace without first knowing turmoil in the soul, so be at war with yourself sometimes.

There is no grace without first wrestling with guilt. If you are wrestling, let God’s grace surround you and give you new life.

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

THE SEVEN-DAY MENTAL DIET

The subject of diet is one of the foremost topics of the present day in public interest. Newspapers and magazines teem with articles and book shops are filled with volumes unfolding the mysteries of proteins and vitamins. Experts are saying that you become the thing you eat. This is perfectly true, as far as it goes, but I am going to deal with the subject of dieting at a level infinitely more profound and far-reaching in its effects—mental dieting.

The food you furnish your mind determines the character of your life. The subjects that you allow your mind to dwell upon, make your surroundings what they are. As thy days, so shall thy strength be (Deuteronomy 33:25), which in modern language may be translated “as thy thoughts so shall thy life be.”

Everything in your life today—the state of your body, the state of your fortune, the state of your home, the present condition of every phase of your life—is entirely conditioned by the habitual tone of your past thinking. And the condition of your life next week, and next year, will be conditioned by the thoughts and feelings that you entertain from now onward. In other words, you choose your life. 

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

God Is in Charge

Better to rely on one powerful king than on many little princes.

~ Jean de La Fontaine ~

After my apartment tenant left on short notice, I was not having success in finding a suitable replacement. Several prospective tenants answered my ad, but I did not feel 100 percent good about any of them. When the last day of the month came, I worried that I would have no tenant for the next month. That day, I received a call from an old friend who had moved back into town and wanted a place to live. She moved in the next day, and there was no loss at all, with a perfect continuity of right tenancy and a steady flow of income.

it appears that we must depend on ourselves and others to make everything turn out right, in the long run God is in charge. The people we deal with are simply agents of the King, and at any moment the King can issue orders to make things turn out in our favor.

For a long time, I believed that I had to manipulate people and influence individuals in positions of power to get what I wanted. Now I recognize that it is not people I need to impress; I just need to remember the presence of God as the Source.

Although the world would have us believe in separation, there is one power behind the scenes. If you are not having success through the human channels, go directly to the Source through prayer, affirmation, positive thinking, speaking, and acting. Your relationship with Spirit is the key factor in any situation.

Source of all good, walk with me today. Help me to lift my eyes above people and discover Your hand in all.

I walk forward in trust and confidence. God is my Source.

[bluidkiti]

December 27

~ A YEAR OF MIRACLES ~ (Meditations Written by Members of Nicotine Anonymous) ~

The best way to escape from your problem is to solve it.

~ ROBERT ANTHONY ~

Relationships challenge me. For years I have isolated myself from others, although I was not too aware that I did. I even appeared smooth and lively, at times the life of the party.

Inside, I was often dying to escape, to get away from all these people. An inner pressure would build up in me that made me just want to run away to be alone. Lately, that inner pressure seems less extreme. When it is building up, I try to stop my thoughts and figure out what is bothering me. If I am honest, I can usually find the source of my tension. Just recognizing the real problem seems to reduce its power for me.

If I am uncomfortable at this moment, do not be concerned. In a little while I will be okay. If I use nicotine, I will not be any better off, but I may well wind up enslaved again for the rest of my days.

I may push people away from me just because I want them so much I cannot stand the tension. I may want their approval, or fear their anger, or need their attention.

Today, if I feel pressure, I will stop and determine the source of my discomfort. Then I will he prepared to address that need.

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

RELATIONSHIPS

Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.

~ Ursula K. LeGuin ~

We all probably believe our recovery Program will give us new chances to form relationships. This maybe frightening to us because our experience with intimate friendships has been pretty rocky. They have been a source of much pain and misery for many of us. We have only to look around to see that for most people relationships are not easy.

When we work our Steps, we discover how much shame, guilt, pity, and anger we had for ourselves and our partners. We had invested enormous amounts of time, energy, and personal resources in those relationships. The Program has revealed a need to completely overhaul our attitudes about intimate and personal relations.

The Program has helped me be a better partner in a relationship. Most of the time I never really needed better partners. I just needed to be a better person.

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

One of the goals of spiritual practice is to make conscious what was previously unconscious.

~ Dan Millman ~

We find as we proceed with our recovery that commitment to honesty reveals more to ourselves than to anyone else. We begin by taking the advice of our program to be honest with others as well as ourselves. To our surprise, we realize how much we had hidden from even ourselves. It’s called denial. We sincerely missed seeing the elephant that was walking around in the living room. We honestly didn’t see what we didn’t want to see.

Spiritual practice teaches us to yield to the guidance of our Higher Power and to stop controlling. When we yield in that way and when we are willing to see the truth, we feel that we have awakened. We are amazed at what we now see.

Today I am grateful for my spiritual awakening and for the truth it allows me to see.

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

A crisis is only a turning point.

~ Anne Lindthorst ~

The sting is removed from a crisis when we accept it as a turning point. Our lives have been full of turning points. A moment’s reflection brings to mind crises that moved us to far better places. For instance, we may not have counted on finding sobriety and this program of recovery, but a significant crisis delivered us here.

Because we remember how frightening a crisis can be, let’s make an effort to help our sisters gain a healthier perspective on the turning points in their lives. When we’re in a rocking boat, it’s not easy to remember that a storm ushers in clear skies. Sharing this information with our struggling sisters keeps us from forgetting it too.

With enough faith, we can look forward to the lessons and growth experiences life offers. We’ll never doubt their contribution to our developing nature.

I need not fear a troubling situation today. It is offering me a lesson I am ready to learn.

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

I try to accept people who don’t accept me

My dual disorder is a difficult, awkward, and troublesome pair of illnesses. Some people don’t think I’m really sick. Others do think I’m sick and avoid me. Either way I can feel rejected, defensive, and ashamed.

But I know the nature and significance of my illnesses and I am learning to manage them. I suppose it’s not surprising that some people wouldn’t understand or accept me and my particular set of problems. But these people do not live or make choices about my life—I do. And I am happier and healthier when I choose how much their opinions will affect me.

I will get support when I feel stigmatized and then concentrate on working my dual recovery plan.

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

My friend, this body offers to carry us for nothing — as the ocean carries logs.

~ Robert Bly ~

Our bodies have silently endured the abuse of our addiction and withdrawal. They have faithfully carried us to the point we’re at now, and have showed us a willingness to heal. Now it’s time for us to repay our bodies.

The body is very honest in asking for what it needs. When it needs food or rest, it tells us. But sometimes we don’t listen very well and we suffer the consequences. If we store up anger or stress, we are likely to get sick. If we abuse ourselves physically, we’ll suffer injury or chronic pain.

By listening carefully to our physical selves, and lovingly giving rest, play, and nourishment, we keep ourselves healthy enough to continue growing in recovery. Even though it’s easy to take our bodies for granted, we must not. The physical self is our house in this life; it is our communication system, our transportation, our temple of prayer, and our means of physical pleasure. The way to find balance in our new life is through letting our bodies participate fully in recovery, just as we let our minds and spirits.

Today may I express my gratitude for my body by some loving attention to it.

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

Morning is when the wick is lit. Aflame is ignited, the day delighted with heat and light, we start to fight for something more than before.

~ Jeb Dickerson ~

Most addicts consider themselves to be night owls rather than early birds. Even if you were an early riser when you used, you most likely woke up hungover or spent the morning working at half-speed as you tried to clear the fog in your brain.

As your body frees itself from the restraints imposed by addiction, you may find that you greet the morning in a whole different way. If you are not naturally an early riser, you can become one. Train yourself to awaken earlier in the morning by going to bed a few minutes earlier each night. Use the increased amount of time you have in the morning to exercise, meditate, prepare a healthy breakfast, or spend time with your children. You can also use this extra time in the morning to go into work and catch up with e-mails, prepare for meetings, or even take on extra responsibilities.

In the evening, set aside some time to prepare for the next day so you will be able to arise and start your day with direction and purpose. Over time, you may discover that what once was your least favorite time of day becomes your favorite time.

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

Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on.

~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton ~

The violin virtuoso whose concerts are sold-out has spent innumerable hours of practice to achieve such fame. That person wouldn’t think of inviting the public to a practice session because of the flaws they might hear.

We aren’t virtuosos, yet we’re always on view to the public. Everyone gets to see our good performances as well as our bad. Because of this, we may often struggle with impatience and disappointment in our striving to “look good” in front of others.

Yet we’re all struggling in front of one another. Just as others see our imperfections, so do we see theirs. None of us are virtuosos in life. To become skilled in living, we need to live One Day at a Time and learn as we go.

I don’t need to strive for perfection and skill. I can just be myself in front of people. 

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

Following our guide

The biggest danger for us is delusion. A delusion, once started, is unable to check itself. When we’re no longer honest with ourselves, we lose sight of what is good for us.

But our knowing Guide will help us when we wander. If we’re caught up in the midst of our delusion, at first we may ignore our Higher Power’s lead. But a sincere request will always bring our Guide to our aid.

Do I follow my true Guide?

May I find the wisdom to call upon my Guide whenever I get caught up in my delusions.

Today I will check myself for delusions by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

I want, by understanding myself, to understand others. I want to be all that I am capable of becoming . . . This all sounds very strenuous and serious. But now that I have wrestled with it, it’s no longer so. I feel happy—deep down. All is well.

~ KATHERINE MANSFIELD ~

Newcomer

There are still days when I rebel against recovery—not by using, not even by skipping a meeting, but just by bringing a negative, rebellious attitude. More often, though, I’ve begun to sense the awesomeness of the journey I’ve undertaken. It’s then that I experience recovery as a miracle, and I feel at peace.

Sponsor

Life doesn’t have to be a bed of roses for us to feel happy. Our happiness comes, not from external circumstances, but from a place deep in ourselves. Self-knowledge and self- acceptance are growing inside us, strengthening the core of our being. As people sharing the experience of recovery, we have the chance to return over and over to the sense of the miraculous. I sometimes think, “By rights, I shouldn’t even be here. My addiction eventually would have killed me, if I hadn’t quit.” I’m flooded with a sense of the mystery of recovery and of gratitude for this second chance at life.

In recovery, we have the opportunity to discover and fulfill our Higher Power’s purpose for us. We know that it has something to do with caring for ourselves and others, with giving service and being the best that we can be.

Today, whatever is happening on the outside, I sense that all is well.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

The average person has so much trouble in finding a satisfactory faith simply because the mind has difficulty visualizing a force so powerful as anything but a very complex thing. He thinks he must understand it in order to acquire it and use it.

When we eat a meal we believe that we shall digest it and that we will be strengthened and sustained by it. Yet few of us know the mysteries of the digestive functions, but we get just as much sustenance from our meals as those who do.

We therefore eat our meals on faith and we would probably ruin our digestion if we tried to figure it out.

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~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) Heal(ing): Your sick mind cannot heal your sick mind.

2) Opportunity: Alcoholism is an equal opportunity destroyer and the 12 Step program is an equal opportunity restorer.

3) Simple: Most good ideas are simple.

by Shelly Marshall

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

That Great Purpose
<>Keep making progress in your Twelve Step recovery.
Let your aim be as steady as a star.
Let the world battle and stress.
You may be assaulted, hassled,
insulted, slandered, wounded, and rejected. <>

You may be chased by enemies,
abused by them, forgotten by friends,
hated and rejected by others, but see to it
that with steady determination
and with unfaltering devotion,
you pursue that great purpose of your life
and the object of your being
until at last you can say:
“I have finished the work which You,
dear God, have given me to do.”

~ Adapted, author unknown ~

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

TRAINING YOUR THOUGHTS

Thought is the real causative force in life, and there is no other. You cannot have one kind of mind and another kind of environment. You cannot change your environment while leaving your mind unchanged. This is the real key to life; if you change your mind your conditions must change too—your body must change, your activities must change; your home must change; the color-tone of your whole life must change.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind . . . (Romans 12:2).

This may be called the Great Cosmic Law. The practical difficulty in applying it arises from the fact that our thoughts are so close to us that it is difficult, without a little practice, to stand back and look at them objectively. Yet that is just what you must learn to do. You must train yourself to choose the subject of your thinking at any given time, and also to choose the emotional tone.

If you are not determined to start in now and carefully select all day the kind of thoughts that you are going to think, you may as well give up all hope of shaping your life into the kind of thing that you want it to be. The way to start on a seven-day mental diet is to begin now. 

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

Just Show Up

Do whatever comes your way to do as well as you can. Think as little as possible about yourself and as much as possible about other people…put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~

Shortly after my mother passed away I was invited to present a seminar in Philadelphia. At the time, my fee was 50 percent of the income, with a minimum of $500. Since this was a small group, I quoted a flat rate of $500. When I received a flyer for the event, I saw that the ticket price had been set at $25, rather than the usual $15.

That’s too high! I thought. No one will come at that price. As I dialed the sponsor’s number, however, an inner voice stopped me, advising, “Don’t try to boss the finances; just let it be.” When the sponsor later told me that 50 people had signed up for the program, I wondered if I had made a mistake in asking only for the base fee rather than the percentage. A week later, 75 people had registered; now I regretted not negotiating my regular deal. I was tempted to ask the sponsor if she would be willing to go 50-50, but once again the inner voice said, “Let it be. Your job is to show up, offer love and healing to everyone, and let Spirit handle the finances.”

The night of the seminar, I watched in awe as 135 people filed into the room. Again, I had to overcome my temptation to regret or renegotiate. When the time came for the sponsor to write me a check, she told me, “Since we had such a good turnout, I think it’s only fair that we go 50-50 on the profit,” and she wrote me a check for $1,100, the highest income I had earned to that date. The next day, I received my mom’s final doctor bill for…$1,100!

In spite of all the meandering of my mind and emotions, Spirit was running that event all the while. Spirit knew how much to charge and who to send. The only voice worth hearing was the one that advised me to just show up and give love.

I pray to remember my true purpose as a giver of peace and healing.

I am here to be a blessing. I trust Spirit to handle the details.

[bluidkiti]

December 28

~ A YEAR OF MIRACLES ~ (Meditations Written by Members of Nicotine Anonymous) ~

All these activities help us develop different paths of ourselves, to bring more clarity, compassion, and self- awareness, to attain the highest level of who we are. In turn, we are able to share this with others.

~ NICOTINE ANONYMOUS MEMBER ~

So many good thoughts are shared at meetings. Who could speak more pointedly to my nicotine-affected life than another addict? One poetic member explained how the struggle to quit felt to her in these words, “God and the Devil were arguing in my head, and I was rooting for the Devil.”

She was an honest person. She knew the choice to quit was not a clear and easy decision. Even so when the urge hits, I now have choices. I do not have to choose nicotine.

I am fortunate to have the support and guidance available at meetings. I get the benefit of this support by getting myself out to meetings. Sometimes when I least feel like going, the meeting is the most beneficial for me. When I am feeling less needy, I can go to meetings to give to new members the help and support that was given to me.

Meetings sustain me through the most difficult stages of getting free from nicotine. I discover the depths that the Program offers in shaping a better way of life where I can grow beyond addiction.

Today, I am grateful for my new life with clarity, compassion and self-awareness.

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

MOVING AWAY

I’m slipping when I begin to dislike the company and conversation of the Program.

~ Anonymous ~

There is a reason why a lamb gets separated from a flock. The flock will be eating on a particular pasture and a lamb will take a fancy to grass just off to the edge of the field. So the lamb takes a little nibble of this grass. Then he moves just ever so slightly further from the edge and takes another little nibble, then just a bit further and another nibble.

Each little nibble of grass takes the lamb further and further from the flock. After a while, having eaten enough grass, the lamb pokes his head up and notices that the flock has left him. B-A-A-A-A-A! the lamb wails. How could his flock have left him?

I will begin slipping when I stop paying attention to my flock. My group will not leave me; I will leave my group. I will leave like the lamb, just one conversation, one meeting at a time. After a while I, too, could end up wailing for help just like the little lamb.

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

The spiritual life is about becoming more at home in your own skin.

~ Parker J. Palmer ~

We will not feel serene and at peace with the world every day. Some days we feel distressed and restless and we want something we may not even be able to name. At their most intense, these feelings are like ravenous hunger or dark dread. We may wish we could escape into another reality—or into the “unreality” of co-dependency or addiction. But now we have the opportunity to use better, more satisfying methods of coping.

When we look at these feelings as spiritual needs, we can use spiritual principles to achieve peace of mind. We can make contact with a trusted friend who will listen respectfully to our feelings. We can remember that our Higher Power is always with us, and we can take quiet time for meditation and reflection. We can spend some time where we feel most connected with God- walking outdoors among trees and gardens, listening to music, or going for a good workout. After we respond to distressed feelings in this way, we get relief and grow stronger without the negatives of our old escapes.

Today I will follow the spiritual principles that nurture my life and make me feel better.

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

The work of adult life is not easy.

~ Gail Sheehy ~

What does being an adult mean to most of us? Perhaps taking full responsibility for all of our actions comes quickest to mind. While using alcohol and other drugs, we were prone to blame our troubles on the nearest warm body. And to our detriment, we often got away with it.

We may still tend to blame others for the strife in our lives. We aren’t immediately willing to go from our assumed blamelessness to full responsibility, just because we gave up our drug of choice. But the people who share our lives now are helping us accept the responsibility that has been ours all along.

The principles of AA make recovery more palatable. We know we are ready for the changes that are promised or we wouldn’t be here, now.

I will do my work today. I will accept responsibility for all my actions, and I will think before opening my mouth.

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

I need to learn about my relapse triggers

I feel at a loss. I’d been clean and sober for a while, but then I slipped twice and I don’t really know how it happened. As best I can recall, I got very upset about something and the next thing I knew, I was feeling the guilt and ache of withdrawal.

In my group it’s a good thing that we’re learning how important it is to prevent a relapse before it happens. This means finding out on my own (or with outside help) (a) the things I think or do that put me at risk for using, and (b) the things I think or do that immediately endanger my recovery. I want recovery, and these days I am willing to go to any lengths to get it.

I will write down my two most dangerous triggers for slips and relapse and discuss them with my sponsor and counselor.

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

Gardening is an active participation in the deepest mysteries of the universe.

~ Thomas Berry ~

We are not alone. We often hear that, but sometimes it’s hard to believe it. Even when we pray daily, sometimes it seems our words are lost some-where in a void. When these feelings take hold in us, it may help to look for a symbol of our unity with the universe as part of God’s plan.

An ordinary house plant can be such a symbol. We water our plants to keep them alive, and some of us even talk to them. And there’s a good reason. Plants breathe in the gases we exhale, and then they exhale oxygen, which we need to live. We are in partnership. God’s part is to provide the soil and sunlight by which the plant makes its food, and by which we grow ours.

With every breath we take, then, we know we are not alone. The universe is by nature a web of unity and interaction. In recovery, we share talk, experiences, and love. Just by being there, by “sharing breath,” and by being ourselves, we share in the partnership of life.

Today let me cultivate my partnership in the world.

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

I’ve never not taken a risk in my career, and it’s been pretty grueling…. You just don’t stop, no matter what anyone says.

~ Steven Tyler ~

There are addicts who think that their life as a user was one of great risk. But were they really taking a risk, or were they making choices that were fundamentally a roll of the dice?

There is a world of difference between behaving in dangerous ways and taking a life-enhancing risk. Quit-ting your job without any possibility of employment and limited finances, and then hoping you will land on your feet and find something you like to do is risky. But investigating other interests and then quitting your job with a clear career path in mind is taking a risk. One involves leaping into uncharted territory with no idea of where you are heading; the other is making the leap, but doing so with more planning and a greater understanding of your desired outcome.

Similarly, attempting to quit drinking on your own is risky. But using a program of recovery, where there is support and like-minded individuals, is taking a risk. Even though risk taking is scary, and outcomes are not always certain, you will never know what you can be, what you can do, and how your life can change until you take a risk.

I will not put everything at risk—but I will risk something.

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

One does not have to believe everything one hears.

~ Cicero ~

As we were growing up, we may have been told many things about ourselves. Some may have been complimentary, but others may have been vicious and degrading statements made by a chemically dependent parent or guardian. Because we were caught in the disease, we may have believed all the horrible things that were said.

But today we don’t have to buy into anyone’s negative comments. We don’t have to believe we are no good, we’re stupid, lazy, helpless, insecure, inept, or will never amount to anything. Anytime we believe those messages, we’re allowing a label to be stuck to our chests.

We can choose to walk around advertising our labels, or we can take them off and rip them up. We can turn away physically and emotionally from the source of the negative comments. The only label we should wear should say we are good people.
<>Tonight I can affirm I’m a good person and that I deserve the best.
hor: Amy E. Dean

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

Changing attitudes

Slowly we have to change destructive attitudes and bury our hate, resentment, anxiety, and jealousy. These can be replaced with love, patience, mercy, kindness, and gentleness.

When we practice these new attitudes, we break down old barriers. Our outlook on life will cease to consist of finding fault because someone forgot something, someone’s judgment was bad, or someone acted selfishly. We learn to overlook these circumstances as our Higher Power does.

Have I changed my attitudes?

Higher Power, may my heart’s desire be to change my attitudes and to see and reflect the glory of God in all living things.

Today I will appraise my current attitudes by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

Be yourself, that’s all there is of you.

~ RALPH WALDO EMERSON ~

Newcomer

There are some major decisions I made about my life years ago that I’m now beginning to question. It scares me to think that I may have made some mistakes about who I am and want to be. I wonder if I have the courage to change, after all this time, and if I’ll live long enough to find fulfillment.

Sponsor

As recovery progresses, many of us find that we have questions about life choices that we made long ago, or that we let others make for us. We’ve allowed these choices to define us, and now we’re not entirely sure they fit. Even if we wished in the past that we’d taken other options, we may have lacked the willingness and energy to take ourselves seriously. Now that we have had some sober experience, we may find that we have questions about former life decisions.

We’ve learned in recovery not to make hasty decisions based on our desire to stifle a moment’s doubt or anxiety. But we’ve also learned that we can go deep within, listen to our own spirit, and honor what we find there, even if it doesn’t conform to other people’s expectations or to our own preconceptions about who we are supposed to be. We know we can survive upheaval and complexity—we have already done it. We know how to ask for support today and how to discuss our uncertainties and hopes with trusted friends and counselors as we arrive at the truth of our deepest dreams.

Today, I’m making my own map and becoming willing to follow it.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

It is very often easier to identify an alcoholic by his hang-over than by his drinking pattern. Alcoholics, for the most part, resemble the non-alcoholics when they have a load aboard, but in the mornings, when the sweats and the shakes set in, then the alcoholic can be identified by the degree of his suffering. The alcoholic’s hang-over cannot be gotten rid of by ten-thirty simply with aspirin or Bromos.

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~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) Working with Others: Give a ****; be a channel.

2) MISQUOTED SLOGANS: Sleasy does it.

3) Al-Anon: Misery is optional.

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

I Wish I Were
<>I wish I were big enough to honestly admit all my shortcomings, Brilliant enough to accept praise without it making me arrogant, <>Tall enough to tower over dishonesty,
Strong enough to welcome criticism,
Compassionate enough to understand human frailties,
Wise enough to recognize mistakes,
Humble enough to appreciate greatness,
Brave enough to stand by my friends,
Human enough to be thoughtful of my neighbor,
And spiritual enough to be devoted to the love of God.

~ Author unknown ~

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

WATCH AND WORK

To train yourself in the habit of thought selection will be difficult for the first few days, but it is the most interesting experiment that you could possibly make. You will be amazed at the things that you will learn about yourself. This week may be the most significant week in your whole life; not only will you be able to face your present difficulties in a better spirit, but the difficulties will go. You cannot change conditions directly—you have often tried to do so and failed—but go on the seven-day mental diet and conditions must change for you.

This then is your prescription. For seven days you must not allow yourself to dwell for a moment on any kind of negative thought. You must watch yourself for a week and must not under any pretense allow your mind to dwell on any thought that is not positive, constructive, optimistic, kind. This discipline will be so strenuous that you could not maintain it consciously for much more than a week, but a week will be enough, because by that time the habit of positive thinking will begin to be established. Some changes for the better will have come into your life, encouraging you enormously, and then the new way of life will be so attractive that you will find your mentality aligning itself almost automatically.

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). 

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

Primed

I fairly sizzle with zeal and enthusiasm and do the things that ought to be done by me.

~ Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore, in his 94th year ~

You are in remarkably good health for a man of 60,” the doctor told Mr. Griggs as he completed his physical. “What, may I ask, did your father die of?”

“My father is alive and well,” answered Mr. Griggs. “He’s 84, and quite vital.”

“That’s wonderful,” remarked the doctor. “How about your grandfather? What was the cause of his death?”

“My grandfather is also alive; he’s 106 years old, in fine health, and he just got married.”

“Married?” the doctor asked, stunned. “Why would a 106-year-old man want to get married?”

“Did I say he wanted to get married?”

Experts from mystical yogis to holistic scientists tell us that a natural human lifespan was intended to be 120. Most human beings do not live that long because we live in unnatural ways—eating tainted foods, breathing polluted air, living under great stress, and thinking small thoughts. Were we to purify our environment, diets, lifestyles, and attitudes, we would nearly double the lifespan we have come to expect.

This means that the ages of 60 to 80 should be our prime. Age is a state of mind, and at any moment you can choose what state you will live in. Satchel Paige asked, “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?”

Our culture instills heavy programming about what people at various ages can and cannot do. All of this is but a belief system that is real if you subscribe to it and meaningless if you do not. Live from your spirit, and age means nothing.

I pray to move beyond concepts of years and fears. Help me remember that I am bigger than any concept of time and age.

I am eternally young free, and whole.

[bluidkiti]

December 29

~ A YEAR OF MIRACLES ~ (Meditations Written by Members of Nicotine Anonymous) ~

How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.

~ MARCUS AURELIUS ~

Anger simmers inside me, boiling up at times. It is hurting the wrong people, coming out at the wrong time, and causing me problems. Did I quit using nicotine to become a monster? Where is this anger coming from?

Until recently, I buried my feelings by distracting myself with tobacco. Now I am dealing with a backlog of emotional energy that has never been acknowledged.

It is true that I have taken the lid off my emotions. Things will be turbulent for a time, but with each experience I gain some self-knowledge. If a certain thing has irritated me for a long time, now I can look at that and examine the best way to deal with my discomfort. If I blow up, timely apologies can mend the hurt of my hasty words. I discover that I must learn to guard my words when I am upset. I am gaining control over my emotional reactions. Each of these lessons moves me along the road to emotional recovery. That is one of the many gifts of getting free from the nicotine addiction.

The anger and irritability I experience are a stage in my recovery from the nicotine addiction. No magic cure will take them painlessly away. I must grow through experiencing these feelings and honestly dealing with them, at long last.

Today, I will bravely face all emotions.

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

Apathy is the behavior of a slave.

~ Richard Wagenvoord ~

When we were slaves to addiction and codependency, our values were suppressed and our enthusiasm for life was dampened. We were under the influence of our addictive brain. The prospect of life without our substance and without our controlling behavior seemed dull and very scary.

In recovery, we also recover from dullness and apathy. Life gets interesting and full of possibilities. We shed our turned-off attitude. We drop our cynicism and become believers, open to interesting and exciting opportunities. Having faced our slavery and found a path to freedom, the world opens up to us. We know we have a lot of work to do, but we are willing to suspend our doubts. We see that life can be better for us. Apathy has been replaced by hope and a deep sense of gratitude.

Today I can see a path to follow that makes me hopeful and I am full of gratitude for my freedom. 

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

In childhood I was told that if I have faith, health, and love, I have everything. As an adult I know it’s true.

~ Mardy Kopischke ~

Over the years we may have wasted lots of energy seeking material possessions, certain that one more outfit, a new hairstyle, or a better-paying job would fix our problems. Nuturing our health, practicing the presence of a Higher Power, or giving love were low on our “to do” list. Other people may have even suggested these practices to us, but we didn’t understand the payoff.

Now in recovery we are beginning to reap the benefits of such practices. We have discovered that the principles of the program, when lived fully, cultivate our faith, strengthen our health, and teach us the meaning of being loved. These in turn make giving love to others easier. In the process we realize that everything we ever hoped to gain erroneously through possessions can be ours when we follow the simple suggestions of this program.

I am wiser now that I know how to nurture faith, health, and love.

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

I am working on my fear of people

I tend to be afraid of people. For one thing, I can’t seem to trust much yet. I’m also afraid to talk. I don’t know what to say and I think I’ll make a fool of myself. Mostly, I’m afraid that they won’t like me. It’s hard for me to make friends, hard to feel safe, hard to relax. And easy to feel alone.

But with the help I am getting for my emotional problems—and my drinking—I feel better. I am learning that I am a worthwhile, likable person and that I’m not as different as I thought I was. The best part is that I am not alone: I’m meeting others who feel as I do and are working a program of change.

I will practice smiling at myself in the mirror and saying “Hi!”

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

God dwells wherever man lets Him in.

~ Mendel of Kotzk ~

God has entrusted each of us with a little part of Himself. When we are in the most pain, or feeling lost and confused, we need to call upon this small piece of God: our conscience.

Perhaps our parents told us about our con-science when we were small, that through it God would speak to us when we were hurting, as if through the depths of our pain. That concept is as true today as it was many years ago. When we open ourselves to God we can hear His voice.

The struggles we face in recovery are made simpler by listening to the voice of God within us. God can be our strength when we feel weak; can give us purpose when we have none; can give us hope when we despair. God is the voice of concern and compassion, giving us the power to conquer our problems one day at a time.

Today help me hear and trust my conscience — the voice of God within me.

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

Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of.

~ Charles Richards ~

Do you remember playing the childhood game “Mother May I?” In this game one person faces a group and assumes the role of “mother,” directing the progress of players as they attempt to advance forward until one person overtakes the “mother” position.

In much the same way, recovery is a journey that involves a step-by-step process of growth and achievement, with the ultimate goal of placing distance between your former life in which you used to a life of abstinence. Some days you may find the steps you make to be large, and it may seem as if you are making great progress. Other days your recovery may feel like the steps you make are small and your progress is painstakingly slow. And there may also be days in which you find yourself moving backward rather than forward.

But there is no timetable or calendar in recovery. It is not a race, a game of winners and losers, or a timed event. Recovery takes as long as it needs to take. Rather than be cheered when you make great progress and disappointed when your progress seems small, be equally satisfied with whatever you accomplish.

I will celebrate each day of abstinence.

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

It is important for everyone who is trying personally to apply these principles, to understand that all progress is vibratory and uneven. The higher standpoint is only reached through a long series of ‘ups and downs.’

~ Henry Wood ~

Are we expecting some magical signal to occur when we’re “cured” of the symptoms of our disease? Do we believe once we “master” the tools of the program we won’t feel pain, sadness, resentment, or disappointment? Are we still anticipating a happily- ever-after to occur in our lives?

Life is naturally full of ups and downs. Every day isn’t all sunshine and perfect temperatures. Nature has its tragedies and destruction as well as its growth and harvest. If we see both good and bad as complements to each other, we will see life is a continuous process.

If we apply the principles of the program, our lives will get better. The ups and downs won’t go away, but we will stop focusing on only one or the other. We will see it all as part of the same picture.

My only expectation tonight is to let life flow the way it’s meant to.

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

Having faith

We find in our daily lives that there are people who don’t realize a Higher Power. Some of these people may ridicule us for our beliefs, but we need faith to get better.

We rely on our Higher Power to help keep us from drugs and alcohol. We must remember to practice our principles and to maintain our beliefs so we will not be swayed by contrary opinions.

Am I a true believer?

Higher Power, I pray that I may have the patience to love all people no matter what their beliefs.

Today I will express my faith by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

Freedom breeds freedom. Nothing else does.

~ ANNE ROE ~

Newcomer

Now that I’m getting close to a year in recovery, I have this crazy feeling sometimes. I say to myself, “What am I doing without my drug of choice? It’s been too long!”

Sponsor

We’ve talked together in the past about “anniversary anxiety.” It’s natural for doubts to arise at a point in time when we’re about to celebrate a success. Some of us may wonder, “Do I really deserve all this? Is this really me?”

Fortunately, we don’t have to act on a crazy feeling any more. We recognize that though recovery is a relatively recent phenomenon in our lives, it’s rooted in us now, and it’s essential to our survival and growth. We make a point of sharing our doubts and fears at meetings, where others in recovery will help us remember where active addiction took us and laugh with us at our doubts about recovery.

Active addiction is not, as we’ve sometimes believed, an essential part of our identity. It is an obstacle to discovering and nurturing that identity.

Today, I renew my commitment to recovery.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

Is someone happier, better, or braver because of some act of yours today? If you can answer yes to any or all of them, then you can feel rather confident that you are progressing in the AA way of living.

If you can’t — then you are not giving it the old College try and you are cheating yourself out of a lot of happiness that could have been yours.

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~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) Drink(ing,): Grateful alcoholics don’t drink, and drinking alcoholics aren’t grateful.

2) Health(y): Don’t try to be normal; try to be healthy.

3) Opportunity: In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

by Shelly Marshall

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

Be at Peace

Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life,

rather look to them with full hope that as they
arise, God will lead you safely through all things.
And when you cannot stand it,
God will carry you in His arms.

Do not fear what will happen tomorrow.

The same God who cares for you today
will take care of you today and every day.
God will either shield you from suffering or
will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
<>Be patient and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.

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

DEALING WITH THE NEGATIVE

What is meant by negative thinking? A negative thought is any thought of failure, disappointment, or trouble; any thought of criticism, or spite, or jealousy, or condemnation of others, or self-condemnation; any thought of sickness or accident; or, in short, any kind of limitation. In practice you will never have any trouble in knowing whether a given thought is positive or negative. Even if your brain tries to deceive you, your heart will whisper the truth.

Second, you must be quite clear that what this scheme calls for is that you shall not dwell upon negative things. It is not the thoughts that come to you that matter, but only such of them as you choose to entertain and dwell upon. Many negative thoughts will come to you all day long. Some will be given to you by other people, or you will hear disagreeable news. These things, however, do not matter so long as you do not entertain them. An analogy is furnished by the case of a man who is sitting by an open fire when a red hot cinder flies out and falls on his sleeve. If he blows that cinder off at once, without a moment’s delay to think about it, no harm is done. But if he allows it to rest on him for a single moment, under any pretense, the mischief is done, and it will be a troublesome task to repair that sleeve. So it is with a negative thought.

Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee (Acts 8:22).

People often find that the starting of this seven-day mental diet seems to stir up difficulties. It seems as though everything begins to go wrong at once. This may be disconcerting, but it is really a good sign. Suppose your whole world seems to rock on its foundations. Hold on steadily, let it rock, and when the rocking is over, the picture will have reassembled itself into something much nearer to your heart’s desire.

Do not tell anyone else that you are on a diet. Remember that your soul should be the Secret Place of the Most High. When you have secured your new mentality, then tell the story to anyone else whom you think is likely to be helped by it.

Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation (Joel 1:3). 

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

Toxic Thoughts

Only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.

~ Fyodor Dostoevsky ~

“Hey, Samantha, there’s a pig out here!” I called to my office manager.

“Watch for its mother, the dog.”

“What?”

“Our neighbors found the pig in a field just after its birth. The only animal role model it had was the dog. The pig thinks the dog is its mother; he follows her around everywhere.” As she spoke, a big black dog emerged from the yard. Immediately, the pig nuzzled up to it and followed it home.

Our predicament is not unlike the pig’s. We have accepted an identity unlike what we are. We are divine beings, and we think we are limited. We are whole, and we define ourselves by our parts. We are spiritual beings, and we act as if we are bodies.

Toxic relationships are the subject of much discussion. Books, talk shows, and therapy sessions are buzzing with references to toxic parents, toxic children, and toxic partners. The notion is that some people are just unhealthy to be around, and we should avoid them.

Wise, to be sure, but there is more. A Course in Miracles reminds us that “I am responsible for what I see” and “I am affected only by my thoughts.” Behind all situations in the outer world, our thoughts determine our experience. Our real work is to see through the eyes of love, not fear.

We are not required to stay in abusive situations. The most powerful place to begin extricating ourselves from abuse is in our own mind. Everyone we encounter mirrors something we believe about who we are and what we deserve. Know the good you merit, and you will attract people that honor, not hurt you. If we can learn to love ourselves enough, the thought of blaming anyone else for our pain will be as foreign to us as a pig thinking it is a dog.

Help me to create a world that mirrors the love I deserve.

I am as God created me. I remember who I am. I deserve infinite love.

[bluidkiti]

December 30

~ A YEAR OF MIRACLES ~ (Meditations Written by Members of Nicotine Anonymous) ~

At the end of my life I will not be asked, “why were you not Moses?” I will be asked “why were you not Zusya?”

~ RABBI ZUSYA ~

It is useful to stop and reflect on the growth I have gained since I quit using nicotine. What a terrible pun. Yes, I have had some growth I will want to drop. When it is the right time I will diet and return to my best weight. I will not allow weight gain to sabotage my new freedom from nicotine.

Getting on with the idea of reflecting on the progress since quitting: Have I discovered any insights to enjoying life? Certainly 1 have found physical benefits. I do not wake up with a groggy brain now, to name just one. But how about the hope I now feel? I am no longer causing constant damage to my body. The damage will be healed as I stay quit. I also have relief from my worries about my addiction.

What if I have seriously harmed my body already? I could say, “fine, there’s no point in quitting, is there? I might as well keep on.” One Nicotine Anonymous member had already lost one lung when she joined the Program. She explained that her new-found recovery was precious to her, and she refused to lose it by going back to the nicotine addiction. I need to recognize progress before I can place a value on it.

Today, I will take a moment to congratulate myself and reflect on my lessons learned. I enjoy real satisfaction for the physical and personal progress I find.

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

NO EASY SOLUTION

There is no chemical solution to a spiritual problem.

~ Anonymous ~

We are faced with a dilemma in recovery. On the one hand, we have a physical disease that will kill us if it is not treated. On the other hand, medical science knows of no cure for our physical malady. The real problem for us is spiritual in nature. That is why the medical profession can’t cure us. Until we treat the symptoms, there can be no cure. The solution to the real problem is the long-term treatment of our spiritual lives, and this can only begin when we quit using.

We have watched men and women stop without getting into recovery. Their lives do not become that much better. They are usually said to be on a “dry drunk.” The stoppage of the disease halts its progression. The recovery Program promotes long- term treatment.

What an order! I can’t go through with this. There is no easier, softer way. There is no pill I can take to make me better. There is no chemical solution to a spiritual problem.

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

Being on the tightrope is living everything eke is waiting.

~ Karl Wallenda ~

In walking a tightrope, a person has to learn to relax while going forward in a situation filled with risk. If he is tense and keeps his body rigid, he will lose his balance and fall. But if he stays relaxed and keeps his muscles loose while remaining very focused, he can continuously respond and readjust his balance while walking. Then he will experience the exhilaration of success. This is a perfect metaphor for life itself, for growing in an intimate relationship and for growing in recovery.

Life itself is a risk. When we hold on too tight, remain too guarded, and anxiously try to control every factor, we become stiff and reactive rather than calm, focused, and responsive. The guidance of this path teaches us to let go of our anxieties and leads us to peace of mind. When we learn to do that, we can deftly walk our path and more effectively maintain our balance in dealing with whatever comes up.

Today I will calm myself while walking on my path. 

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

No matter what happens, I must get on with my life.

~ Ruth Humlecker ~

Life is full of uncertainties: people we love come and go, opportunities knock and then disappear, jobs sour, and goals become unachievable. We are forever adjusting to the unexpected. However, remembering that there is one constant in our lives, a Higher Power who will support and guide us, helps us accept whatever comes our way.

There is no conspiracy against us. It may feel that way when we are overwhelmed by or unprepared for a crisis. But there is a plan for us. And it fits only us. The most productive lesson we can learn is to trust that this is so. We can learn to appreciate every experience for the part it plays in our lives.

Our lives continue to unfold. Each day brings us closer to the woman we are destined to be. Let’s get on with it!

No matter what happens, I am in good hands. My course has been set. I’ll look for the good in all of today.

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

I feel much better about myself these days

For some time, my psychiatric illness and addiction affected each other. A setback to psychiatric illness was usually followed by a relapse to my addiction; relapse was followed by a new setback. I could not deal with both illnesses at the same time. I felt trapped in a downward spiral and I felt I was a failure.

But getting into dual recovery has reversed that spiral, one day at a time. With the help of my higher power, I am coming to accept myself and the dual recovery process. I am working a Twelve Step program and getting help for my psychiatric illness. Merely facing my dual illnesses was tough, but I am proud of how far I’ve come. These days I feel renewed strength and confidence.

I will practice keeping notes on my stages of growth; they will give me courage in the future.

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

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

~ Albert Einstein ~

When we were children we had hobbies or other activities that were special to us: building models, reading, cooking, playing with certain toys, woodworking. In recovery we often find ourselves returning to these or finding new hobbies. Hobbies give us a way to relax, improve ourselves, and create something — all at the same time.

Hobbies, we find, are as important now as they were when we were young. Maybe more important, because they help us rediscover our inner child and our sense of play and fun. They can help us forget our troubles and relax. They help us focus our attention in the present, and when our worries fade away, our bodies relax and renew themselves. Hobbies are an unending source of imagination, pride, and accomplishment. Whether our hobby is something we do alone or in a group, it gives us renewed feelings of satisfaction and pride as well as relaxation.

Today help me discover a new hobby or activity to enrich my life.

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

In trying to make something new, half the undertaking lies in discovering whether it can be done.

~ Helen Gahagan Douglas ~

New Year’s Eve marks a time in which you can put the past year behind you and celebrate the beginning of a fresh, new year. You can celebrate this New Year’s Eve sober while still enjoying a variety of activities.

• Sober dances and gatherings planned by your meet-ing or other AA groups provide opportunities to be in alcohol- and drug-free environments.

• Host an alcohol-free dinner with your friends in the program.

• Use the end of the year as a time in which to reflect upon the past year. Think about the good things that have happened, what you have accomplished, and the new friends you have.

• If you like to make resolutions, think about some of the things you would like to accomplish in recovery. Strive to keep these resolutions simple and easy to achieve so you begin your new year with success.

I will welcome the new year clean and sober.

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

I wish you the courage to be warm when the world would prefer you to be cool.

~ Robert A. Ward ~

For years we listened to the demands of the world and tried to meet them. We may have listened to our parents and did what they told us to do. We may have heard the needs of a lover or friend and tried to meet them all. We may have even paid heed to absolute strangers, making changes in ourselves to honor their opinions.

Like a reptile, we may have absorbed the temperature of our surroundings and adjusted our body temperature accordingly. We may have found comfort in being warm when the world was warm or being cool when the world was cool.

But tonight we can, in the words of Thoreau, march to a beat of a different drummer. We can say no when others want to hear yes. We can set limits when others ask too much. We can even be warm when the world wants us to be cool. Others don’t have power over us anymore. Only we have power over ourselves.

Tonight I won’t let anyone or anything have power over the way I feel. I can feel warm or cool—it’s my choice.

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

Being friends

When we were using drugs we had many friends, many party friends. They were our friends until the bad times came. Where were they then? With our new understanding, friends take on a new meaning. Friend-ships become spiritual in nature. Are we ready to have friends?

Like begets like. If we are friendly, we will have friends. We needn’t impose ourselves on friends but rather create hope and help in their lives. A kind word here, a brotherly act there—not great deeds, just accessibility. This is how we make ourselves worthy of being called friend.

Am I a true friend?

Higher Power, may I be able to offer hope and help and acts of kindness to the ones I call friends.

Today I will befriend

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

There is a love like a small lamp, which goes out when the oil is consumed; or like a stream, which dries up when it doesn’t rain. But there is a love that is like a mighty spring gushing up out of the earth; it keeps flowing forever, and is inexhaustible.

~ ISAAC OF NINEVEH ~

Newcomer

The changes I’ve been through in recovery so far are beyond anything I could have predicted when all I imagined was getting some control over my addiction. I never expected to let other people into my life. I never expected to find a Higher Power.

Sponsor

Our Higher Power has been with us from the beginning. Beneath our craving for an addictive substance or behavior, there has always been a craving for connection with our deepest selves.

In recovery, we have begun to know ourselves at the level of soul. We’ve experienced our connection with the rest of humanity and prayed to be useful to others. We’ve forgiven ourselves and others for being imperfect. We sense the mystery of the recovery that was offered to us, and we’re beginning to know something about gratitude. I’ve heard an old-timer in recovery sum it up this way: “It’s just love. All of it is about love.”

We know the love that flows from a Power greater than ourselves when we look at the faces and hear the words of other recovering people. We can tap into this unending stream of love whenever we go to a meeting.

Today, I open myself to the love in this program.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

If man was created by God in the image of God, and did not possess human frailties, he would be God. All men would then be perfect and Heaven would exist here on earth. There would be no logical reason for it to operate simply as a branch of Heaven.

With our limited understanding of God’s purpose, we must suppose that man was intended from the very first to work out his own evolution. The reason this process has required so many centuries has been man’s persistence in the exercise of his puny little will as opposed to the Will of God. That we are less than God is due to our freedom of choice between being one with God and our attempt to play God.

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~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) Simple: Recovery really is simple; it’s just not always easy.

2) Working with Others: If you’re not working with others, then others will be working with you.

3) MISQUOTED SLOGANS: Thirst things first.

by Shelly Marshall

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

Humility

Humility is perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be worried or angered, irritable or distressed, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised,- it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about seems troubled.

~ Inscription on Dr. Bob’s desk plaque, author unknown ~

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

THE PATH OF LOVE

All the old traditions tell us that there is more than one path to the great Goal. Just as there is more than one road up every great mountain, and yet all roads meet at the top, so in the spiritual quest there are several roads, all of which lead in due season to the one great End.

There is the path of knowledge. True knowledge of divine things is one of the appointed paths to attainment; but that path is by no means for everyone. And there is the pathway of action—of organized activity—and the world needs this too; but this again usually calls for a special gift, and special circumstances in which to apply it. And there are others.

The shortest and the easiest pathway of all is the pathway of Love. It is the one pathway that is open to all, irrespective of what their personal conditions or circumstances may be. For everyman, everywhere, the true attainment awaits through the yoga of Love, for yoga means union and it is our union with God that makes the attainment possible.

There is no fear in love; but Perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. . . (1 John 4:18).

. . . God is Love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16). 

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

Pushing the Envelope

The darkest hour is just before the dawn.

~ Anonymous ~

The most powerful way to overcome fear is to make friends with it. Instead of labeling fear as your enemy recognize that it is bringing you a gift. Whenever you feel afraid, you are approaching the edge of your perceived safety zone. But your “safety zone” is just a tiny portion of the world that is available to you. A Course in Miracles asks us to remember, “I am in danger nowhere in the universe.” If you never tested your limits, you would never grow. The ego, intent on keeping you small, fixed, and miserable, shrieks, “You must not step across this line!” What the ego does not tell you is that on the other side of the line awaits freedom, not death.

The presence of fear means that you are pressing against the invisible membrane that smallness warns you not to pass. Be grateful that you have come to this point and have not stayed bound in the little world of inadequacy

A time of hardship or darkness is an initiation. You are being tested and strengthened to move ahead to a new level. The blackest night gives way to the brightest day. As I look back on my times of great challenge, I recognize that they were soon followed by significant growth. If you’re going through such a time, hang in there. Instead of cursing your situation, bless it as a harbinger of the dawn. You are not being punished; you are really getting somewhere. The world is not unfair; it would be unfair if it let you live in fear. You are not being crushed; you are being squeezed through the birth canal. The flip side of every death is a new life. Claim the presence of good, and your transition will be much easier. Thank God for the opportunity to dump fear and walk in the light you deserve.

Help me to find the gift in my challenges.

All experiences strengthen me as I grow into the light.

[bluidkiti]

December 31

~ A YEAR OF MIRACLES ~ (Meditations Written by Members of Nicotine Anonymous) ~

Let us look at our own faults, and not at other people’s. We ought not to insist on everyone following in our footsteps, nor to take upon ourselves to give instruction in spirituality when, perhaps, we do not even know what it is.

~ TERESA OF AVILA ~

Meetings bring many different people together with one common purpose: the desire to quit using nicotine. This is a selfish Program. I go to meetings to gain the benefits of the Program. I want to stay free of nicotine addiction for the rest of my life.

I may find that the meetings are not satisfying my needs. One member or a small group may seem to dominate, meeting after meeting.

Is this good? Are these members sharing their experiences in quitting? Are they sharing knowledge of the Program? This may be to everyone’s benefit. Instead of reacting, I can listen and learn.

Before I attempt to change another person, let me honestly look at my own actions at meetings. Do I dwell on the addiction as I talk, or do I focus on the tools of recovery that the Program offers? Do I put the spotlight on my struggles and difficulties with the addiction, or do I show how I have worked to overcome the addiction, the precious victories? Do I judge others for their education or money instead of listening for their growth and spiritual message?

Today, I will let our Traditions guide me in handling the problems that arise when any group of people gathers.

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

THE PROGRAM

And practice these principles in all our affairs.

~ Big Book ~

The longer we are on the Program, the more we enrich all parts of our lives. There is hardly a topic mentioned that does not allow us to learn. It is not that we become progressively dumber in recovery; it is just that we become progressively more open-minded. We seem to be hungry for growth opportunities.

We are not timid about meeting new people and taking part in new recovery experiences. When we have an opportunity to share our experience, strength, and hope, we do so with gratitude and humility. We can’t be arrogant about our progress. We know that false pride is dangerous for us. Others have taken too much credit for recovery and lost it.

When I practice these principles, I acknowledge my powerlessness; believe and trust in my Higher Power; keep a clear, clean conscience; talk with my sponsor; maintain a willingness to change; have a humble attitude; maintain a daily inventory; pray and meditate; attend meetings; and pass it on.

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

You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing on.

~ Heraclitus ~

On this last day of the year, time is on our minds. Naturally, we look back at the year just passing. Whether we feel grateful that it is over, or grateful for the gifts it brought, we can always be grateful to be in this healing program on this day. Some of us took our first Steps in recovery this year and others marked another year among many years. Once on the path, the critical fact is that we are all brothers, equally seeking the same goal: a sober life and peace of mind.

New Year’s Eve is a time for celebrations and parties. For some of us, New Year’s Eve in the past was a day of complete immersion in our addiction and codependency. There is no point in giving much attention to regrets. Today our celebration has a deeper spiritual meaning. It’s a good time to take stock of how far we have come and for gratitude for the benefits of our recovery. We can look at the challenges we faced and what we learned from them. We can look at the gifts that came into our lives.

Today I thank God for the gifts that continue to flow and enhance my life.

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

Every ending is part of a beginning. Every loss is part of an emptiness that can be filled with newness.

~ Jan Lloyd ~

The door that is closing today may fill us with dread; however, we can find relief when we recall other endings that unexpectedly led to new friend-ships, better jobs, wonderful opportunities.

Life is a process. Every event in our lives is connected to what has gone before and what will come after. There are no real endings; there are only new opportunities for growth and change. For most of us it’s a matter of changing our perspective. The difference is subtle yet extremely powerful, and our lives will never feel the same.

I look forward to these twenty-four hours! I can be glad for everything that comes to me, trusting in its blessing.

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

I am learning about bad drugs

Now that I’m clean, I can see what bad drugs really are. They’re the ones where each time you buy them the seller changes, the price changes, and the package changes. Often, even their effects change. Such drugs I now call “street drugs,” and I don’t use them anymore.

The only drugs I use come from a pharmacy. Their price, package, and effects are consistent. I call them “medicine” or “medication.” My medication is prescribed for me by my doctor, and I take it according to strict instructions.

At my next dual recovery meeting I will share my old and new understanding of bad drugs.

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

I’ve shut the door on yesterday and thrown the key away —
Tomorrow holds no fears for me,
Since I have found today.

~ Vivian Yeiser Laramore ~

Feeling guilty or ashamed about the past — about what we did or did not do, about what happened to us, about who we were — can be our undoing. We must work long and hard in our recovery to work through these feelings, not to forget the past — for it informs all that we value in ourselves today — but to put the past into perspective.

After we’ve taken an inventory and grieved our losses we must forgive ourselves. In forgiving ourselves we can let go of the past and live in today.

With our program of recovery looking back is not as frightening as it once was. And today we do not have to bear what we find alone.

A new year, a new life, can be ours. Love and friendship, support and spiritual growth are waiting for us today. Our yesterdays are over, and we can look to the future with joy and anticipation.

Today help me forgive my self for what’s past and learn to have faith in Your plan for me.

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

If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old. You will just keep growing.

~ Gail Sheehy ~

How do you know when you have had a spiritual awakening?

• You will be less confused and have greater under-standing and clarity.

• You will know what it feels like to be at peace.

• You will understand that forgiveness begins when you are capable of forgiving yourself.

• You will be gentle and kind with yourself and with others.

• You will be more willing to surrender to God’s guidance.

• You will be able to see and appreciate the beauty and wonder in life.

• You will discover that your life has purpose.

Having had a spiritual awakening in recovery as the result of your work on the Steps, Step Twelve asks that you engage in outreach and giving to others by sharing what you have learned. By serving as a role model to other addicts, you talk the talk and walk the walk in all that you do and say.

I will practice the principles of recovery with my self and with others.

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

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson ~

Past New Year’s Eves may have meant times of excessive chemical use. We may have embarrassed ourselves in many ways. We may have chosen New Year’s Eve as a time to analyze our past behaviors and write long lists of how that was going to change.

Yet tonight is like any other night. We don’t have to feel as though we aren’t having a good time unless we’re at a party or a bar. We can celebrate the new year tomorrow with those closest to us by doing something we enjoy. The past is gone, the future has not arrived. The present is all we have, here and now.

Look to ourselves and what we want to do, not at what we think we should be doing. We can share our feelings at a meeting, spend quality time with our families and loved ones. We need to focus on ourselves and what we need to do for us, and not be diverted by the craziness around us.

Tonight is an ending; tonight is a beginning. Help me stay in the moment to bid farewell to the old and welcome in the new in my own way.

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

Being less than perfect

It was not a perfect year. But is there ever a perfect year? Being clean and sober does not purport to offer perfection. It gives us a chance to strive for progress. When we keep our Higher Power in our thoughts and actions, we come closer to perfection all the time.

Despite the disappointments of our complex lives, we are finally beginning to learn how to live. We are finally making progress.

Am I content to be less than perfect?

Higher Power, I pray that I may continue to strive for progress and be satisfied to be an imperfect human.

I will enjoy my humanity today by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

Trust in experience. And in the rhythms.
The deep rhythms of your experience.

~ MURIEL RUKEYSER ~

Newcomer

At a recent meeting I realized that I wasn’t feeling critical of myself or others. I noticed the sounds around me and felt myself accept that the world is just as it should be. I felt peaceful, happy. I listened to people sharing, without my usual objections. I could appreciate each person’s contribution. I don’t know why this happened or if these feelings will stay with me.

Sponsor

At times, we’re aware of a breakthrough. A habit or outlook suddenly shifts for no apparent reason. But, in fact, you’ve been doing the work of recovery for some time now. When we keep showing up, progress sometimes seems to leap ahead. We may not always love everyone; old problems may arise. But once we’ve had positive experiences of recovery like the one you’ve described, we have memories to draw on for inspiration.

Today, I trust my positive feelings and experiences.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

Every man at some time arrives at a place where the course of his entire future rests upon a decision. Judas was one day a saint and the next he was the betrayer of his Lord.

We members of AA also had our moment of great decision. Many more days of decision will probably be our lot, but by the Grace of God and our new-found sobriety, we can meet any situation by reliance on God’s Will rather than our own.

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~ WALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG BOOK ~ (Official & Unofficial Sloganeering From the 12 Step Programs) ~

1) Al-Anon: My serenity, my pace, my choice.

2) Drink(ing,): Having a resentment is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die.

3) Health(y): Take care of your body. If you don’t, where else are you going to live?

by Shelly Marshall

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

I Try to Help People

I try to help people . . . experience their spiritual connectedness by helping them get in touch with both their tenderness and their power. I don’t think there’s such a thing as instant intimacy or instant spirituality—they are things that evolve in us. To reach them . . . we need to see that . . . we are born to evolve . . . It is a growing thing—and there is no fear in it. Not that we haven’t heard the message before. It’s what Christ talked about, and the Buddha, and others. But in the past most of us . . . said, “They’re beyond us, they’re divine . . . we’re nothing but humans, so we can’t make the same connection.” But now, we’re beginning to know we can.

~ Author unknown ~

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

YOUR DEDICATION

The way of Love, upon which you may step at any moment—at this moment if you like—requires no formal permit, has no entrance fee, and no conditions whatever. You need no expensive laboratory in which to train, because your own daily life, and your ordinary daily surroundings, are your laboratory. You need no reference library, no professional training; no external acts of any kind. All you need is to begin steadfastly to reject from your mentality everything that is contrary to the law of love.

You must build up by faithful daily exercise the true Love Consciousness. Love will heal you. Love will comfort you. Love will guide you. Love will illumine you. Love will redeem you from sin, sickness, and death, and lead you into your promised land.

Say to yourself: “My mind is made up; I have counted the cost; and I am resolved to attain the Goal by the path of Love. Others may pursue knowledge, or organize great enterprises for the benefit of humanity, or scale the austere heights of asceticism; but I have chosen the path of Love. My own heart is to be my workshop, my laboratory, my great enterprise, and love is to be my contribution to humanity.”

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28). 

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

The Beginning Is Near

Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia.

~ Charles Schultz ~

Since the beginning of time, people have worried about the end of the world. Every generation has had its share of gloomy prophets, and every generation has believed its plight was the worst. Yet, we are still here, and somehow humanity keeps surviving and growing in consciousness.

Life on earth is always changing, and it is always improving. Some–thing is always dying, but something is always being born. To fearfully protect yourself today from danger tomorrow is to miss the beauty here now. Live fully today, and you will be taken care of tomorrow.

As we approach the new year, take stock of the last year. What did you set out to do this year? Have you been true to your goals and yourself? What gifts and awakenings did you receive that you did not plan on? How have you been challenged, and have you found a way to turn your challenges into blessings?

Greet the new year with a sense of joyful anticipation. No matter what has happened this year, you have the power to create your next year as you choose. You are not the same person who started this year. You are wiser, deeper, and richer for your experiences. You will take your knowledge and build on it to make a new year unlike any you have lived before.

Devote this new year to gratitude, blessing, and celebration. Write down what you would like to leave behind and what you would like to take with you. Honor those who have loved and supported you this year by thanking them in your heart and with your words. Do you realize how much grace you have received and how loved you are?

Determine that the next year will be the best one ever. It will be what you want it to be, so aim high. You deserve the very best that life has to offer, because you are the very best.

Thank you for all the gifts and blessings of this year. Walk with me into the new year, and help me find Your love everywhere I go.

I walk in love. My future is blessed by God