Even More Recovery Readings and Meditations - June

[bluidkiti]

June 30

Step by Step

"Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out." - Step Eleven

"As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day, 'Thy will be done.' We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 6 ("Into Action"), pp 87-8.

Today, the 11th Step is the logical extension of Step Three - "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him." In handing off to my higher power my self-will, it is proper that I begin each day and take on any problem by asking through prayer and meditation what His will is for me instead of plunging into the habit of doing it my way. My way generated anger, fear, worry and self-pity, and a host of other destructive feelings. Today, I can do without them, and an "easier, softer way" is to let a higher power who is stronger and wiser than me call the shots. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M.

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

INTUITION

When we listen, God speaks. When we obey, God works.

~ Anonymous ~

Recovery opens up our sixth sense of intuition. This sense is our path to truth, to spirituality, to our Higher Power. The old-timers we look to for guidance always have keen intuition. They know things about us before we do. They say things to us that cut through to our core. These men and women are really no different from us, except that they have learned to trust their intuition and, therefore, their contact with their Higher Power.

We were all sceptical about the power of intuition when we were new to the Fellowship. We protested that we ha d education, we wanted scientific proof, absolute evidence that the Program worked. The old-timers who listened to our protests just shrugged their shoulders and gave us a knowing smile.

I must trust my intuition as my mind and heart are healed. I receive the promises of the Program when I can respond to my intuition and base my actions on its truth.

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

The man who has no imagination has no wings.

~ Muhammad Ali ~

The most important creative project we have is our own lives, and imagination is a rich inner resource to guide us. We can develop our imagination if we give ourselves permission to dream and to let go of the bonds of reality and our immediate situation.

If I could be anywhere in the world right now, where would I want to be? What would I be doing? Who would be there with me? If I took a break from all my responsibilities for a day, what would I do with the day? What is it like to be another person, such as my best friend, my boss, my child? How would I most like to celebrate my next birthday? If today were the last day of my life, how would I want to live this day? If I could accomplish only one more thing in my life, what would I choose?

Today I will let my thoughts take wing and fly into the creative world of imagination.

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

It is never the circumstances, but only our thoughts about circumstances, that create our state of mind.

~ Jane Nelsen ~

We all have at least one friend who seems unruffled by the unpredictable and changing circumstances of her life. How does she do it? People like her seem to trust that God is in charge and all things are happening for our ultimate good. While we scurry around, fretting and controlling as much as we can—usually to no avail—she stays quiet and feels blessed by her life.

The difference between her and us is the frantic activity that consumes our minds. We tend to react continuously to the events around us. Until now, observing events rather than reacting to them was never an option. But taking charge of our lives in this fashion releases our anxiety and fills us with peace. With time and practice we’ll experience the serenity that our friend feels.

I have control of my thoughts. Nothing can upset me today unless I choose to let it.

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

I need to focus on today

Some days I wake up and feel bad about what I did (or didn’t do) the day before-for instance, call my good friend back or take my medication. Some days I wake up and feel vaguely anxious about my future‒tomorrow for instance, can I remain abstinent and stable?

In dual recovery it helps when I forgive myself and let go of yesterday. It helps when I accept the fact that I am powerless over tomorrow. But what I can change and what I am responsible for is today, this moment. (You could say, this moment is my life.) And if I take care of my recovery needs right now, tomorrow will take care of itself.

I will carefully follow the activities in today’s daily recovery plan.

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

If we could learn to like ourselves, even a little, maybe our cruelties and angers might melt away.

~ John Steinbeck ~

From the day we’re born until the day we die, we live closely, intimately, with one person: ourselves. We are our own judge and jury, often in a harsh, self- imposed “courtroom” setting.

Now, in recovery, we can take a new, honest, and loving look at ourselves. We can recognize our assets as well as our liabilities. As we become more worthy of trust, our self-respect and self-esteem grow. As we accept our Higher Power’s love for us, we learn to forgive ourselves, and handle our fragile selves with new care. We become our own best friend. With kindness and caring, we break through the years and layers of pain and find the joyful child who is growing into a healthy, loving adult.

Today as I grow in recovery, I pray that I may learn to like myself better and treat myself and others in a healthy, cheerful way.

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

Your thorns are the best part of you.

~ Marianne Moore ~

What is hidden within the cocoon spun by a caterpillar is a mystery. Yet within that cocoon is something that lives and will eventually be revealed in a different living form through a marvelous transformation.

Life is made up of many mysteries and, whether you realize it or not, you are one of them. Your life before you entered the program was full of all of those things that make up a good mystery—suspense, the unknown, deception, and conflicts. But your work in recovery helps you to unfold the mystery of who you are. The more you know about yourself, the greater your understanding will be. And, through this understanding, you are more capable of transforming yourself.

Step Six brings you to the point where you are ready to have God remove your defects of character. You have become aware of your own mysteries by making a searching and fearless moral inventory of yourself in Step Four, and you have admitted the nature of your wrongs to God and to another human being. You have, with honesty and courage, looked deep within yourself so you can see those things that you need to change. You can rise up with a greater lightness of being and transform your life into something better.

Today I am ready to be transformed.

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

Victory is not won in miles, but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later win a little more.

~ Louis L'Amour ~

For athletes to succeed as runners, they must not stop after their first race is won. To become the best, they need constant practice and warm-ups, and race after race. Some races they will win; others they won't. But in each race they will have achieved another step in their success as a runner.

We, too, must set goals and achieve them step by step. When we entered the program, our goal may have been to know ourselves well enough to make decisions. We then entered "little races" that led toward that goal: sharing our feelings, asking for help, taking our Fourth Step, telling a friend what we wanted to do. Each time we accomplished one, we moved closer to our goal.

We need to give ourselves credit for all the "little races" we've won. If we look not to the goal but to the path, we will see we are gaining ground step by step.

I can take another step toward my goals. Each small step deserves recognition and praise.

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

Being clean and sober means much more than just being abstinent; it’s a state of mind. Simply staying away from that first fix, pill, or drink is not the only goal. If we are merely abstinent and are not actively working on our recovery, we will still crave alcohol or other drugs.

Being in recovery means not just abstinence but a way of life. In recovery we try to become better people and in the process, find we no longer need a fix, pill, or drink. This is the difference between abstinence and being in recovery.

Am I actively working on my recovery?

Higher Power, I am grateful for my abstinence, and I pray for your help to do what I need to do to recover.

I will work on my recovery today by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

They resemble us in more ways than they differ from us.

~ PEARL BUCK ~

Newcomer

I heard somebody complaining about "special-interest meetings.” He said that we’re here to solve our common problem, and that it isn’t really program if we limit ourselves to homogeneous groups.

Sponsor

Those of us who live in sparsely populated areas don’t have a wide choice of meetings; we attend what’s available. If our community is ethnically or economically homogeneous, then so are our meetings—in which case, we’re not all that different from those attending special-interest groups elsewhere. If we live in more densely populated areas, we may find meetings that appeal to specific constituencies: wheelchair-accessible meetings, meetings interpreted for the deaf, gay and lesbian meetings, Spanish-speaking meetings, young people’s meetings, women’s meetings, and others. For me, it’s a privilege to attend both some special-interest meetings, where the similarity of my experiences with others’ is comforting, and some very diverse meetings, where addiction and recovery are almost the only common denominators.

According to Twelve Step tradition, each group governs itself independently, refraining from decisions that would endanger other groups or our anonymous fellowship as a whole. A group can’t formally affiliate itself with a political party, religion, or educational institution, for example, nor can it accept money from outside interests.

It’s a blessing that this fellowship is large enough, in both numbers and spirit, to accommodate our variety.

Today, I appreciate both the differences and the similarities between myself and others.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

We are very apt to travel in the direction we are headed. Even the brightest of sunshiny days appears overcast if we wear black glasses. If we enter a restaurant by the rear door we will undoubtedly find garbage cans, smoked and grimy walls and hear the discord of pots and pans. If you enter by the front door you will find cleanliness and order.

Let us enter each new day by the front door.

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

SEARCY W.’s PRAYER

I pray today to:
Trust God,
Clean house,
Help others.

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

OUR LONG SCHOOLING

Why is reincarnation necessary? Why do we come back for short excursions of perhaps seventy or eighty years instead of, let us say, living one very long lifetime of perhaps a thousand or even several thousand years?

The explanation lies in man's reluctance to adopt new ideas and adapt himself to changing conditions. In each new experience, however, he wants to do things in new ways; then as the years of his maturity go by, the strong race suggestions all around him gradually get their way. He begins to acquire vested interests (mentally) in the status quo. The only remedy, when crystallization sets in, is to remove him from the earth plane altogether; send him to the etheric planes for rest, reflection, assimilation, and general readjustment; and then bring him back once more as a baby, to experience a new youth and a new period of true spiritual production.

There are other reasons why multiple lives are necessary. You need to develop every side of your character. You need to learn lessons of discipline and self-restraint, and you need to learn to use authority in the right way. You need to learn the lesson of getting on with other people, and you must also learn to be alone. You must learn to bear failure and disappointment with fortitude and you must learn to stand success without allowing your head to be turned. You have to learn both patience and the lesson of enterprise and adventure. Above all, you have to move about in time and space so that you may learn that nothing God made is really foreign or separate−and this could not be done in one lifetime.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ . . . (Galatians 3:2,1).

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

The Supervisor

Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

~ Joshua 1:9 ~
“I'm sorry, sir," the telephone company representative told my assistant Mick, "we have no private lines available in your area; you can have a party line if you like.” Well, that wouldn't quite do. We had just built a new office after the phone company had told us they would install two private lines.

Mick began to contact every phone-company supervisor who might be able to help us. He spent 20 hours working his way up the telephone company chain of command, until he was on a first-name-basis with the Director of Consumer Affairs. To our chagrin, everyone he spoke to told him that all of the private lines in our rural area were spoken for, and no new equipment would be installed for over a year.

"Do we have a contingency plan?" he asked me, frustrated.

"Let's talk to the Supervisor," I suggested. "Let's ask God for help. We are wasting our time talking to people." Mick and I clasped hands and affirmed that God was in charge of this situation. We agreed that we live in an unlimited universe, and God can do anything. We knew our need was justified, and we asked Spirit to create a solution that would work for us.

When the telephone installer arrived, we told him our predicament, and he told us he would do what he could. You can imagine our delight when he packed up his equipment and told us he had just installed two private lines.

We always have recourse to a higher Supervisor than the world indicates. Be willing to turn to the Real Source when you have a challenge. lf your need is real, it will be met.

Help me remember that I always have recourse in the love and grace of God.

God is my source. I can do all things by the power of the Spirit.