Daily Recovery Readings - September

[bluidkiti]

September 30

Daily Reflections

THE CIRCLE AND THE TRIANGLE

The circle stands for the whole world of A.A., and the triangle
stands for A.A.'s Three Legacies of Recovery, Unity, and Service.
Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our
fatal obsession.
A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 139

Early in my A.A. life, I became employed in its services and
I found the explanation of our society's logo to be very
appropriate. First, a circle of love and service with a
well-balanced triangle inside, the base of which represents
our Recovery through the Twelve Steps. Then the other two sides,
representing Unity and Service, respectively. The three sides of
the triangle are equal. As I grew in A.A. I soon identified
myself with this symbol. I am the circle, and the sides of the
triangle represent three aspects of my personality: physical,
emotional sanity, spirituality, the latter forming the symbol's
base. Taken together, all three aspects of my personality
translate into a sober and happy life.

************************************************** *********

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

There are no leaders in A.A., except as they volunteer to
accept responsibility. The work of carrying on A.A.--leading
group meetings, serving on committees, speaking before other
groups, doing twelfth-step work, spreading A.A. among the
alcoholics of the community--all these things are done on a
volunteer basis. If I don't volunteer to do something concrete
for A.A., the movement is that much less effective. I must do
my fair share to carry the load. A.A. depends on all its
members to keep it alive and to keep it growing. Am I doing my
share for A.A.?

Meditation For The Day

When you look to God for strength to face responsibility and
are quiet before Him, His healing touch causes the Divine
Quiet to flow into your very being. When in weakness you cry
to God, His touch brings healing, the renewal of your courage,
and the power to meet every situation and be victorious. When
you faint by the way or are distracted by feelings of inferiority,
then rely on the touch of God's spirit to support you on your way.
Then arise and go forth with confidence.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may lay myself open today to the healing touch of God.
I pray that I may not falter or faint by the wayside, but renew
my courage through prayer.

************************************************** *********

As Bill Sees It

A.A. In Two Words, p.271

"All A.A. progress can be reckoned in terms of just two words:
humility and responsibility. Our whole spiritual development can
be accurately measured by our degree of adherence to these
magnificent standards.

"Ever deepening humility, accompanied by an ever greater
willingness to accept and to act upon clear-cut obligations--these are
truly our touchstones for all growth in the life of the spirit. They
hold up to us the very essence of right being and right doing. It is by
them that we are enabled to find and to do God's will."
Talk, 1965 (Printed In Grapevine, January 1966)

************************************************** *********

Walk In Dry Places

How do we communicate?
Carrying the message.
What we are always carries a stronger message than what we say.
This is why we're sometimes turned off by people who seek to
overwhelm us with charm. It's also why we can sometimes be
drawn to people who are quiet and unassuming.
However it works, there is a powerful message in one's unspoken
thoughts and feelings. We can usually sense, for example, the
mood of people in a room, even when little is being said. If we
spend any time with others, they will soon know much about us
even if we say little.
This silent communication may be the great secret of AA's success
in reaching those who still suffer. If we are living sober and want to
help others, that's he message we give out. That's also a form of
carrying the message.
I'll communicate today by maintaining a warm and friendly attitude
toward every person I meet, knowing that thoughts and feelings
speak louder than words.

************************************************** *********

Keep It Simple

If we follow the Twelve Steps, we’ll leave failure behind. We may
have tried and tried to be sober, good people, but failed if we were
doing it our way. Now is the time to stop listening to ourselves and
start listening to pros, those who have gone before us.
When we follow their lead, exciting changes happen. First we stay
sober. We regain self-respect. We meet people we respect and become
friends. Our families start to trust us again. And why? Because we gave
up doing it our way and listened. We listened to the experts.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, allow me to become an expert listener.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll find someone I respect and ask how
they work their program. I’ll ask them to share their wisdom.

************************************************** *********

Each Day a New Beginning

Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight
in whatever remains to them? --Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
We choose the lives we lead. We choose sadness or happiness; success
for failure; dread or excited anticipation. Whether or not we are conscious
of our choices, we are making them every moment.
Accepting full responsibility for our actions is one of the requirements of
maturity. Not always the easiest thing to do, but necessary to our further
development. An unexpected benefit of accepting our responsibility is
that it heightens our awareness of personal power. Our well being is
within our power. Happiness is within our power. Our attitude about
any condition, present or future, is within our power, if we take it.
Life is "doing unto us" only what we allow. And it will favor us with
whatever we choose. If we look for excitement, we'll find it. We can
search out the positive in any experience. All situations present seeds
of new understanding, if we are open to them. Our responses to the
events around us determine whatever meaning life offers. We are in
control of our outlook. And our outlook decides our future.
This day is mine, fully, to delight in--or to dread. The decision is always mine.

************************************************** *********

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS

Now, the domestic problem: There may be divorce, separation, or just strained relations. When your prospect has made such reparation as he can to his family, and has thoroughly explained to them the new principles by which he is living, he should proceed to put those principles into action at home. That is, if he is lucky enough to have a home. Though his family be at fault in many respects, he should not be concerned about that. He should concentrate on his own spiritual demonstration. Argument and fault-finding are to be avoided like the plague. In many homes this is a difficult thing to do, but it must be done if any results are to be expected. If persisted in for a few months, the effect on a man’s family is sure to be great. The most incompatible people discover they have a basis upon which they can meet. Little by little the family may see their own defects and admit them. These can then be discussed in an atmosphere of helpfulness and friendliness.

pp. 98-99

************************************************** *********

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition - Stories

HE LIVED ONLY TO DRINK - "I had been preached to, analyzed, cursed, and counseled, but no one had ever said, 'I identify with what's going on with you. It happened to me and this is what I did about it.'"

I drank so much that night that nobody believed I hadn't been drinking all the time, and I didn't get drunk, although there were parts of the evening that I didn't remember the next day. But more important than anything else that night, I belonged. I was at home in the universe; I was comfortable with people. Despite my active church and school life as a child, I had never really felt comfortable; I was actually very nervous and insecure around people and most of the time forced myself to be ongoing like my parents because I thought it was my duty. But this night in the bar was like no other time in my life. Not only was I completely at ease, but I actually loved all the strangers around me and they loved me in return, I thought, all because of this magic potion, alcohol. What a discovery. What a revelation!

p. 447

************************************************** *********

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Two - "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."

Sometimes A.A. comes harder to those who have lost or rejected faith than to those who never had any faith at all, for they think they have tried faith and found it wanting. They have tried the way of faith and the way of no faith. Since both ways have proved bitterly disappointing, they have concluded there is no place whatever for them to go. The roadblocks of indifference, fancied self-sufficiency, prejudice, and defiance often prove more solid and formidable for these people than any erected by the unconvinced agnostic or even the militant atheist. Religion says the existence of God can be proved; the agnostic says it can't be proved; and the atheist claims proof of the nonexistence of God. Obviously, the dilemma of the wanderer from faith is that of profound confusion. He thinks himself lost to the comfort of any
conviction at all. He cannot attain in even a small degree the assurance of the believer, the agnostic, or the atheist. He is the bewildered one.

p. 28

************************************************** *********

Practicing the program, I learned to trust God, not just believe in Him.
--Ron C.

Let your ears hear what your mouth says.
--Jewish Proverb

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is
the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.
--Mark Twain

"Seek first to understand, then to be understood."
--Stephen Covey

"Truly, it is in darkness that one finds the light, so when we are in sorrow,
then this light is nearest to all of us." --Meister Eckhart

***********************************************

Father Leo's Daily Meditation

PATIENCE

"Prayer of the modern
American: 'Dear God, I pray for
patience. And I want it right
now!'"
-- Oren Arnold

How I appreciate those times when I experience the gift of patience in
my life, not as often as I would like. That is an interesting point: I am
impatient about having patience!

Seriously, patience is when I recognize the need to "back off" -- allow
God into the driver's seat, resting in the knowledge that things happen
in God's time. This does not mean that I am not involved, but it allows
for God's comprehensive plan for His world. I can experience patience
usually when I get in touch with gratitude. Once I stop giving energy
to the "I wants", the joy of serenity breathes through my life and I
can rest. Sometimes I need to "stop" and say a loud and resonant
"thank you".

Lord, let me breathe these words into my life: "Thy will be done."

************************************************** *********

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy,
and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Matthew 6:19-20

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of
doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the
Day approaching."
Hebrews 10:25

************************************************** *********

Daily Inspiration

Change yourself and those around you will change too. Lord, help me to
be my best so that I can bring out the best in others.

Peace comes not from having no problems, but from being able to deal with
them. Lord, bless me with the confidence and wisdom to grow from life's challenges.

************************************************** *********

NA Just For Today

Being Ourselves

"Our real value is in being ourselves."
Basic Text, p.101

Over and over, we have tried to live up to the expectations of those around us. We may have been raised believing that we were okay if we earned good grades in school, cleaned our rooms, or dressed a certain way. Always wanting to belong and be loved, many of us spent a lot of time trying to fit in - yet we never quite seemed to measure up.

Now, in recovery, we are accepted as we are. Our real value to others is in being ourselves. As we work the steps, we learn to accept ourselves just as we are. Once this happens, we gain the freedom to become who we want to be.

We each have many good qualities we can share with others. Our experiences, honestly shared, help others find the level of identification they need to begin their recovery. We discover that we all have special gifts to offer those around us.

Just for today: My experience in recovery is the greatest gift I can give another addict. I will share myself honestly with others.
pg. 284

************************************************** *********

You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
The house, the stars, the desert--what gives them their beauty is something that is invisible. --Antoine de Saint Exupery
What makes our home special? Is it the shape of it, or whether or not we have carpeting? Probably not.
More likely, what makes us love a place is how we feel when we are there. Home is the familiarity of pleasant smells, activities, and special people.
And when we are caught by the beauty of the stars, isn't it something that happens inside us--the breathtaking feeling of joy that is so hard to describe? The beauty of a day or a special person in our lives cannot be captured, but it can fill and warm our hearts.
Can I measure beauty today by what I feel inside?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind. --William Blake
We seek the answer. Sometimes we think we have found a central truth and later learn that beneath it is another truth. Or what seemed so crucial as a guiding principle for our lives last year is still true but not as crucial. It is like trying to take a snapshot of a changing world while the camera itself is changing.
Some of us in our hunger for security grab for "absolute" truths, which are not absolute. We must continue forever to be eager learners. In stepping across a stream from one floating log to another, we must resist the temptation to become overcommitted to staying in an especially secure looking place, or we will never reach the opposite shore. Even the Twelve Steps of this program are given to us as a "suggested" program of recovery. It is a program that works because it takes us out of our rigid ways. We are continually made new. That is the vitality of the spiritual life.
God, help me to be open to new opinions - to things I had never thought of on my own.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them? --Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
We choose the lives we lead. We choose sadness or happiness; success for failure; dread or excited anticipation. Whether or not we are conscious of our choices, we are making them every moment.
Accepting full responsibility for our actions is one of the requirements of maturity. Not always the easiest thing to do, but necessary to our further development. An unexpected benefit of accepting our responsibility is that it heightens our awareness of personal power. Our well being is within our power. Happiness is within our power. Our attitude about any condition, present or future, is within our power, if we take it.
Life is "doing unto us" only what we allow. And it will favor us with whatever we choose. If we look for excitement, we'll find it. We can search out the positive in any experience. All situations present seeds of new understanding, if we are open to them. Our responses to the events around us determine whatever meaning life offers. We are in control of our outlook. And our outlook decides our future.
This day is mine, fully, to delight in--or to dread. The decision is always mine.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Not a Victim
You are not a victim.
How deeply ingrained our self-image as a victim can be! How habitual our feelings of misery and helplessness! Victimization can be like a gray cloak that surrounds us, both attracting that which will victimize us and causing us to generate the feelings of victimization.
Victimization can be so habitual that we may feel victimized even by the good things that happen to us!
Got a new car? Yes, we sigh, but it doesn't run as well as I expected, and after all, it cost so much. . . .
You've got such a nice family! Yes, we sigh, but there are problems. And we've had such hard times. . ..
Well, your career certainly is going well! Ah, we sigh, but there is such a price to pay for success. All that extra paperwork. . . .
I have learned that, if we set our mind to it, we have an incredible, almost awesome ability to find misery in any situation, even the most wonderful of circumstances.
Shoulders bent, head down, we shuffle through life taking our blows.
Be done with it. Take off the gray cloak of despair, negativity, and victimization. Hurl it; let it blow away in the wind.
We are not victims. We may have been victimized. We may have allowed ourselves to be victimized. We may have sought out, created, or re created situations that victimized us. But we are not victims.
We can stand in our power. We do not have to allow ourselves to be victimized. We do not have to let others victimize us. We do not have to seek out misery in either the most miserable or the best situations.
We are free to stand in the glow of self-responsibility.
Set a boundary! Deal with the anger! Tell someone no, or stop that! Walk away from a relationship! Ask for what you need! Make choices and take responsibility for them. Explore options. Give yourself what you need! Stand up straight, head up, and claim your power. Claim responsibility for yourself!
And learn to enjoy what's good.
Today, I will refuse to think, talk, speak, or act like a victim. Instead, I will joyfully claim responsibility for myself and focus on what's good and right in my life.


I am one of the miracles of this universe and I am connected to everything that was ever created. I can pick up the phone or sit in quiet meditation, choosing to make a contact with a friend or with my Higher Power or with both. Today I know that I am never alone. --Ruth Fishel

******************************

Journey To The Heart
September 30
You’re a Healer

The healing you give to the world can happen as gracefully and naturally as the pine trees touch and heal with their life, their presence. Arousing your senses, they fill you with their fragrance. Their presence changes your energy, calms your fears, let you know all is well.

Know you can stand tall, joyfully be who you are, and grow where you are. You have the ability to touch those around you in a way that heals them without hurting or draining you. One of your gifts to yourself and to the world is that of a healer. You don’t have to force it, strive to make it happen. It happens gently and naturally when you love and accept who you are.

Open to your healing powers, your ability to heal yourself and those around you. Receive this gift with joy, share it freely with all you meet. Open to your healing powers and you will cherish your past, all you have gone through and done.

Who you are is love. What love does is heal.

*****

more language of letting go
Own your power

I was in an airplane on the way up. I was doing my fidgeting thing, as usual. Brady Michaels, a stunt man and sky diver I had come to know and respect, was sitting across the aisle from me.

"How are you doing Melody," he asked in a gentle way, like he really wanted to know.

"I'm scared," I said.

"Do you believe in God?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

"Well then walk to that door, jump, and pull your rip cord when it's time," he said. "And don't forget to have some fun,too,"

Owning our power can be one of the most illusive issues we face in recovery. How much is my part? When do I do it? How much is God's part? Which parts of my life am I responsible for, and which parts are destiny?

You can spend years in therapy talking about feelings, but that isn't the same as releasing your feelings and fears and moving forward in your life. You can go to college and train to do the thing you want to do in life. You can sleep every night with your wish list underneath your pillow. But that's different from stepping up to the plate and doing it, whether that means writing a romance novel, starting your own business, learning to bake a cake, or buying an easel and painting a picture. You can read all the travel books in the library-- but that's different from getting on an airplane and taking a trip to someplace you've always wanted to see.

We can go to a million Twelve Step meetings, but that's different from actually working each of the Steps.

As my favorite skydiving instructor, Andy, told me, there's three things to remember:

Gravity always works. The earth won't move out of your way. And God won't pull your rip cord.

We've surrendered our lives and will to the care of God. Now, it's time to learn what it means to align with and own our power.

God, help me own my power to take care of myself. Help me learn to do the job well.

*****

Letting Yourself Be Seen
Being Witnessed

When we allow ourselves to be witnessed by another, we cannot help but be transformed by the experience. Whether we are sharing a personal experience, standing in front of friends to celebrate a special occasion, or expressing our unbridled joy or sorrow in front of a loved one, we are allowing ourselves to be seen and experienced in a very intimate way. Not only are we baring ourselves to someone else, but we are allowing that person to hold a very specific kind of space with us so this powerful act can take place. To be witnessed is to let ourselves be seen as we truly are in that moment.

Our friends and loved ones can easily be witnesses for us, if only we are brave enough to let them. Your next birthday may be the perfect occasion to experience this sacred act: Invite your friends and loved ones to your special day. During the celebration, stand in front of them and thank them for being there for you. Feel their gratitude, attention, warmth, and support, while noticing the sense of safety you feel as they surround you. If you feel inspired, share your innermost thoughts about the day and your life. You may be surprised at the feelings of peace and validation that arise within you, when you feel safe enough to go deep into your soul and share yourself with those you trust.

Anyone who has ever seen love, admiration, acceptance, or appreciation reflected in a friend or loved one’s eyes knows how transformative that experience can be. When you bare yourself to another, you are giving them the gift of you and showing them that they also matter. In letting yourself be witnessed, you are letting others into your intimate space, stepping in the sacred container they have created for you, and creating a cauldron of positive affirmation, support, love, and goodwill that will stay with you forever. Published with permission from Daily OM

******************************

A Day At A Time

Reflection For The Day

No matter what other people do or don’t do, we have to remain sober and free from other addictions for ourselves. When our program of recovery becomes contingent on the actions or inaction of another person — especially someone with whom we’re emotionally involved — the results are invariably disastrous. We need to also remember that intense dislike is as much an emotional involvement as new found romantic love. In short, we have to cool any risky emotional involvements in the first few months of our recovery, trying to accept the fact that our feelings could change quickly and dramatically. Our watch word must be “First Things First,” concentrating on our number one problem before anything else. Am I building a firm foundation while steering a firm foundation while steering clear of slippery emotional areas?

Today I Pray

May I always remember that healthy relationships with people are necessary for my recovery. But — that substituting an obsession with either a love or hate object is as dangerous to my well-being as any other addiction.

Today I Will Remember

A dependency is a dependency is a dependency.

******************************

One More Day

There is no failure except in no longer trying.
– Elbert Hubbard

It would be tragic to live our lives without direction, to never try to fulfill any dreams. Perhaps we have felt we do not have direction in our lives any longer, or that we can’t fulfill the lifelong dreams we had. By setting new goals and priorities in terms of today’s reality, we can still have dreams and see them come true.

We might be tempted to resign ourselves to being failures, to set ourselves no new challenges, and to think of ourselves as victims. If we don’t become fatigued with thoughts of resignation and failure, we will have the necessary energy to pursue new goals.

I am setting new goals that are realistic, and I will invest my energy in them.

************************************************** ******************

Food For Thought

Perspective

When our vision was clouded by self-will, our perspective was narrow and subjective. We saw people and events only as they fostered or frustrated our egotistical concerns. The world was a frightening place, since we thought that our welfare was entirely dependent on our own efforts.

Coming to believe in a Higher Power gives us a new, broader perspective. We learn the security of trusting eternal values and moral principles. When we pray only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out, we begin to see ourselves as serving rather than surviving. Particular acts may or may not be successful from our point of view, but we can move on in confidence, knowing that our past, present, and future is in His hands.

The new perspective, which comes to us as we work the OA program, enables us to accept defeats as well as successes and irritations as well as satisfactions. All experience is for our growth and development.

Create in us a new perspective.

*****************************************

One Day At A Time

SERVICE
“A single sunbeam is enough
to drive away many shadows.”
St. Francis of Assisi

There are many tools I use to maintain my abstinence, but none of them is as important to me as service. I do a lot of service, but it’s not for fame or glory: I do service in order to keep my program strong. I came into program for the first time back in college, and got there only because someone offered to give me a ride.

When we first walk into these rooms, we often feel lost and alone in the dark world of addiction. But at that very first meeting we hear people talk about their experience and strength, and a small glow of light comes into our view. All it takes is that "single sunbeam" and we have hope again and our world seems brighter.

As we keep coming back and working the Steps, we encounter lots of different sunbeams, and slowly the shadows in our lives are cast away and the world becomes bright again. It is then our responsibility to let our own light shine. One of the beauties of this program is that everyone can find a way to give service. Whether it be on the group or Intergroup level, whether by sponsoring or just making a call, whether by serving as secretary, treasurer, or just by helping to put chairs away after a meeting, there is a job for everyone.
No one should feel "unimportant." I’m sure that the lady who gave me a ride to my first few meetings didn’t feel like she was doing anything special, but she was the first sunbeam in my life. All these years later, her act of giving has ignited in me a burning desire to give back to others the miracle of this program.

One Day at a Time . . .
I will be unafraid to let my light shine.
Any act of service that I can give will not only help another, but will ensure that my own light does not burn out.
~ Laurel

*****************************************

AA 'Big Book' - Quote

At a certain point in the drinking of every alcoholic, he passes into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of absolutely no avail. This tragic situation has already arrived in practically every case long before it is suspected. - Pg. 24 - There Is A Solution

Hour To Hour - Book - Quote

Sometimes all we can do is not use, hold on, go to another meeting and tell them, 'I am not using, holding on, and going to another meeting because that's what you told me to do at times like these.' Our answers will come.

Help me take the steps necessary when times get tough, to do what the people in the program tell me to.

Healing Society

Today, I will light one candle and that candle is myself. I will keep my own flame burning. I turn my sight to light and love and goodness. For today, there is no need to be discouraged. So what if I see and identify all the ills of society and diagnose it as sick -- what good will that do me or anyone else? I heal society by healing myself. Just as life is lived one day at a time, the world will heal one person at a time. Each time I think a positive, loving thought, it goes into the ether and vibrates. This is nothing particularly mystical; I have but to sit near someone and look at her face to feel how her thoughts affect me. I take ownership of my own inner workings and their effect on myself and others. Today I am the gift.

- Tian Dayton PhD

Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote

People think that 'nobility' is something special. But when you study the word, you come to realize that 'nobles' were simply those who served the King. Nobles were servants. In the Twelve-Step programs, we are all nobility.

The highest office I can attain in our fellowship, is Chief Servant.

"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book

Don't worry about finding your feelings; they will find you.

Time for Joy - Book - Quote

I am grateful for the power I have over the future of my life.

I am being guided at all times to use my power with wisdom and with love.

Alkiespeak - Book - Quote

We all came on different ships but we're on the same boat now. - Martin Luther King.