Even More Recovery Readings and Meditations - July

[bluidkiti]

July 23

Step by Step

"I took everything that AA had to give me. Easy does it, first things first, one day at a time. It was at that point that I reached surrender. I heard one very ill woman say that she didn't believe in the surrender part of the AA program. ...Surrender to me has meant the ability to run my home, to face my responsibilities as they should be faced, to take life as it comes to me day by day, and work my problems out. That's what surrender has meant to me. I surrendered once to the bottle, and I couldn't do these things." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Part II ("They Stopped in Time"), Ch. 4 ("The Housewife Who Drank at Home"), p 340.

Today, surrender and its various interpretations that can be integrated into my own recovery. While surrender arguably may be interpreted most often as entrusting our very lives to a higher power, surrendering is regaining the ability to take back and carry out our responsibilities and meet problems head-on and work them out. This requires sobriety and being clean. Today, I long for those promises of recovery and, today, I become responsible enough to work for them. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M.

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

HONOR

The 12 Step way of life is honorable, not necessarily prideful.

~ Anonymous ~

A proud air serves no purpose for a person in recovery, other than being a warning flag to all. Proud people fall hard. Honorable and humble people are so close to the ground they can't fall. When we are too proud, we act self-righteous. Self-righteousness says we know more than anyone else. and we are out to push that point. All we really know is what we experience in our recovery. We can contribute nothing more than truth. Everything else is opinion.

When we become prideful about our experience, we look like fools, for all of us make mistakes. When we are full of pride about our opinions, we act crazy, because they all too often take us on fantasy rides into the land of nowhere.

I am to be humble in all my affairs. Humility teaches me I can be honorable and honest. This will bring honor to my life, love to my heart, and peace to my soul.

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

Man needs difficulties; they are necessary for health.

~ Carl Jung ~

When we are in the midst of problems and stresses, we can gather great strength from looking back at how far we have already come. True maturity gives us the perspective to see the bigger picture and to know that our present problems and distress will heal and pass into the background. At the same time, we can see from looking back that the obstacles we faced have changed us, and we have become stronger and better men as a result.

Today’s obstacles, whether large or small, call us to bring our best wisdom in meeting them. We cannot foresee exactly how successful we will be. But we can resolve to be the best kind of man we know how to be, with honesty and gentleness. And that is a success we can guarantee.

Today I will meet the obstacles I face with all the maturity I’ve got and with the strength of my honesty.

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

When I lean on a door and it collapses, it can-not all be attributed to my strength; something must be said for the infirm condition of the door. This keeps my ego in check.

~ Ruth Humlecker ~

We love to take credit for God’s work. Because our will is consistent with God’s on occasion, we fool ourselves into thinking we control events and people. Unfortunately, when we try to force conditions to suit our plans, we frequently trample on the spirit of others.

We are too invested in being right. When we are not right—which is often—we are certain others measure us as unworthy. Our self-absorption tells us that others see us through our eyes. In reality, others seldom take notice of our failings. We win some battles. We successfully orchestrate some experiences. God’s outcomes match our desires when appropriate. But we aren’t the power behind the successes; we are only the instrument.

I am not the cause of someone’s success or failure today. I may help God’s plan, but I can’t make it happen.

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

My Twelve Step group is a home

When I was a child growing up, there was both addiction and psychiatric illness in my family. In my house there was too much fear, chaos, and neglect. There was too little "home" in my house when I was growing up.

As an adult, I'm working through my own addiction and emotional illness. But now I've found a home that always offers me safety, stability, and nurturing: my Twelve Step group. Where else am I always welcomed, whether happy or sad? Listened to, whether foolish or wise? Who else offers me help without getting in my way? Cares about my successes and my failures? Where else can I be fully myself and yet be respected? This is why I call it home.

I will meditate on my experience of home—what I missed, what I am now getting, what else I want.

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

We should have much peace if we would not busy ourselves with the sayings and doings of others.

~ Thomas k Kempis ~

One of the things that seemed to take a good portion of our time during active addiction was minding everybody’s business but our own. We had an opinion on every subject, knew all the details of other people’s lives, and could solve all their problems, “if only they would let me!” Why was it, then, that we had so much trouble in our own lives? Our Twelve Step program teaches us we’d been trying to control everyone else’s life because we knew we couldn’t control our own. Accepting this fact and turning our thoughts inward started us thinking about our own backyards. The more we learned about ourselves, the less we felt a need to control others. In short, we learned how to responsibly mind our own business.

Now, when we find ourselves trying to solve other peoples’ problems, we can ask ourselves, “Am I more interested in others because I don’t want to work on my own issues?” This gentle reminder will help us get our thoughts back on track. And when the time comes to offer genuine help to another, we can be sure we’ll do it humbly, and out of true concern.

Today let me mind my own business first.

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

Each of us has something to give that no one else has.

~ Elizabeth O’Connor ~

Have you ever looked at others and wished you had their qualities and talents? Have you ever thought that your life would be better if you could be just like them? Admiration of others is not necessarily a bad thing. What you admire in them can help you to focus on similar things you would like to develop in yourself. But when admiration goes too far it can dominate your thinking, turn your focus away from yourself, and develop into jealousy.

When you are jealous of what others have, you take precious time away from yourself. Rather than count your blessings, you count theirs. Instead of considering your worth, you consider theirs. Rather than feel secure in yourself, you see their security. Jealousy is, quite simply, an emotion based on fear. It is a feeling that you will never measure up, never be loved, never achieve success, never develop talents and skills, and never do anything as good as someone else.

Rather than spend your life looking outwardly at others, turn your thoughts inward. Visualize jealousy as weeds that must be removed. Place your energy on what things you would like to change in yourself, and take action.

I will remove the weeds of jealousy from my mind so I can make myself into a beautiful, flourishing garden.

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

The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it's the same problem you had last year.

~ John Foster Dulles ~

Have we been wanting to make changes in our relationships, our careers, our education, our behaviors? What efforts have we made? How much have we changed in the last year? Have we truly made the physical, emotional, and spiritual changes we needed? Or have we only paid lip service to those changes? There may be many things we want to alter in our lives. But unless we stop talking and start doing something, those changes won't happen.

We can start by setting a small, easily attainable goal. For example, we may wish to change our behavior of raising our voice. We might set this goal: "For the next twenty-four hours, I will not raise my voice—no matter what buttons are pushed in me or reactions I have." When that goal is achieved, then set another small goal. Breaking down each change into small, easily attainable steps is like working the program: a step-by-step, gradual process toward greater health and happiness.

I can set at least one easily attainable goal. I will share that goal with another and ask for help when I need it.

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

Baby-sitting

If someone truly wants our help to stop using mood-altering chemicals, we have a responsibility to do all we can. But demanding that someone accept our help or baby-sitting someone who continues to use probably does more harm than good.

Deep down, we know when someone is sincerely seeking help. While it is our job to carry the message, we must avoid trying to fix someone who is not yet ready to quit. It works better if we tell them we’re happy to talk anytime they want to call.

Am I learning the boundary between help-ing and fixing?

Higher Power, help me help others according to their needs, in the best way I can.

I will concentrate on helping myself today by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

The creative thinker is flexible and adaptable and prepared to rearrange his thinking.

~ A. J. CROPLEY ~

Newcomer

I’m in a crisis. I got myself into it; there’s no one else to blame. I’m not sure what I’m going to do about it yet; I’m going back and forth over the alternatives. I can’t think about anything else right now.

Sponsor

Your word “alternatives” is a helpful one. In most situations, we have more options to choose from than we can see at first. There usually is a “Plan B,” if we’re willing to open ourselves to it.

When I was active in my addiction—and for a period of time in recovery as well—I frequently found myself in the middle of a crisis. The sense of always being in crisis comes from a refusal to see that we have choices. For example, we may leave on time for an appointment but find ourselves in a traffic jam caused by an accident. If lateness is the inevitable result, we can choose to punish ourselves with whatever lateness represents to us, or we can say to ourselves, “I guess the schedule I had in mind for today has been changed; I may as well accept it.” Without the additional burden of self-punishment, we can see things in perspective. Whatever happens, we don’t pick up our addictive substance or behavior. We can turn to our Higher Power in prayer and meditation to help us regain a sense of balance.

Today, I’m open to choosing among alternatives, as I substitute the word “situation” for the word “problem.”

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

We alcoholics feared loneliness as much as anything else on earth. Even the companionship of the bull pen was preferable to being alone. The quality of our company made no difference, for it was preferable to our own thoughts; certainly, it was not as critical. We just couldn't stand our own company.

In AA we were told to establish conscious contact with the Man Upstairs and we marveled at the ease with which this was accomplished after a little effort on our part. Now we are never less alone than when we are alone.

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

Deliver Me From Fear

O Lord, I ask you to deliver me from
The fear of the unknown future,
The fear of failure,
The fear of poverty,
The fear of sadness,
The fear of loneliness,
The fear of sickness and pain,
The fear of age, and
The fear of death.
Help me, Higher Power, by Your grace, to love
Fill my heart with cheerful courage
And loving trust in You.

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

FINAL AUTHORITY

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes (Matthew 7:28-29).

It is always so. The message of Jesus Christ is utterly revolutionary for it turns our gaze from the outside to the inside, and from man and his works to God.

He taught as one having authority. The greatest glory of the Spiritual Basis is that you begin to know. When you have obtained the smallest demonstration by means of prayer, you have experienced something that never leaves you. You have the witness of Truth within yourself, and this is the only authority worth having.

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

Is That So?

That that is, is. That that is not, is not. Is that it? It is.

~ Anonymous ~

When a young Japanese woman became pregnant by a sailor, she did not want the responsibility of raising the child, and named a local monk as the father. The woman's father angrily took the child to the gate of the monastery where the monk lived and informed him, “My daughter has told me you are the father of this child; now You must raise him.”

The monk thought for a moment and answered, “Is that so?” He took the child and cared for him as if he were his own son.

Seven years later on her deathbed, the boy's mother confessed that the child was not the monk’s. Her father returned to the monastery and humbly apologized to the monk. "My daughter has admitted her dishonesty. I will take the child back now."

Again the monk thought for a moment, and answered, “Is that so?" Then he let the child go.

True mastery lies in flowing with the events of life. We are empowered when we assume that everything comes from God and goes back to God. Nothing in form lasts forever, and when we can accept change, we are free. All pain is born of resistance. An attitude of non-resistance liberates tremendous energy. Pain arises when we fight against what is happening, and peace comes when we accept what is.

What in your life are you resisting? How much peace could you gain by letting what is, be? Practice the art of allowing, and you will come close to heaven as you discover the hand of God behind everything'

Help me trust in the flow of life. Show me how to accept what is, with love and appreciation.

Divine order is operating here and now.