Today's Thought - January

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January 16

When you aim for perfection you discover it’s a moving target.

~George Fisher

In our desire for control, we seek the ultimate control of perfection. We try to relieve our anxieties and self-doubts by achieving it, but in fact we perpetuate our unease by seeking what cannot be attained. Some of us say, “I’m not a perfectionist because I am far from perfect,” only proving that we are always measuring ourselves with that yardstick.

The way to resolve this dilemma is to get a different yardstick. Instead of measuring how far we are from perfect, we could measure whether we are learning anything new. Or we can ask ourselves if we have continued to get back on the path when we veer off course. Knowing we will make mistakes, we can ask ourselves if we take responsibility for them. Knowing some things will go wrong, no matter how well we plan, we can include in our plans a vision to accept mistakes as part of the package.

Today, I will try to learn from whatever happens, and when something goes wrong, I will accept it and deal with it.

Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones, More Daily Meditations for Men

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January 17

AA Thought for the Day

You get the power to overcome drinking through the fellowship of other alcoholics who have found the way out. You get power by honestly sharing your past experience through personal witness. You get power by coming to believe in a Higher Power, the Divine Principle in the universe which can help you. You get power by working with other alcoholics. In these four ways, thousands of alcoholics have found all the power they needed to overcome drinking. Am I ready and willing to accept this power and work for it?
Meditation for the Day

The power of God’s spirit is the greatest power in the universe. Our conquest of each other—the great kings and conquerors, the conquest of wealth, the leaders of the money society—all amount to very little in the end. But he who conquers himself is greater than he who conquers a city. Material things have no permanence. But God’s spirit is eternal. Everything really worthwhile in the world is the result of the power of God’s spirit.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may open myself to the power of God’s spirit. I pray that my relationships with others may be improved by this spirit.

Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day, A Spiritual Resource with Practical Applications for Daily Life

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January 18

He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power of love.

~Martin Luther King Jr.

We heal through forgiveness and love. We learn to forgive others by learning to let go of resentments. We learn to forgive, often by watching how others forgive us for the wrongs and hurt we have put on them. The Ninth Step is very helpful in showing us how other people are willing to forgive us even before we are willing to forgive ourselves. Over time we also come to learn how to forgive ourselves for the pain and damage we created during our active addiction.

Forgiveness is a powerful spiritual principle. It helps us accept that the past will never be different. Forgiveness frees up lots of our energy so we can direct it toward building our new sober life. We come to see that forgiveness—of others and of self—is an act of love.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me to forgive others and myself for our weakness. Help me see weakness as humanness and our reason for needing you.
Today's Action

Today I will make a list of the people toward whom I have resentments, and I will pray for each person.

Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me, More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple

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January 19

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.

~Eleanor Roosevelt

Most of us want to be happy. We just don’t know how. We aren’t sure what happiness is. We’ve learned the hard way that some things we wanted didn’t make us happy.

We’re learning that happiness comes when we live the way our Higher Power wants us to live. That’s when we’re honest. When we do our best work. When we are a true friend. We make happiness; we don’t find it.

Sometimes we don’t even know we’re happy. We’re too busy with our work, our recovery program, our friends and family. We need to slow down and know that when we do what we need to, happiness comes.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me know that I’m most happy when I listen to You and do Your will. You know better than I do what will make me happy.
Action for the Day

What parts of my program am I most happy about? Today I’ll think of these and enjoy myself.

Today's reading is from the book Keep it Simple, Daily Meditations for Twelve Step Beginnings and Renewal

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January 20

Any idea, person, or object can be a Medicine Wheel, a mirror for man. The tiniest flower can be such a mirror, as can a wolf, a story, a touch, a religion, or a mountaintop.

~Hyemeyohsts Storm

The ancient spiritual teachings of the Cheyenne people tell us that we meet ourselves in almost everything we confront. In a group of men spending a night on a mountaintop, each person will each have a different experience. One may be overcome with a sense of awe, another may spend every moment gripped by fear, and another may sleep the night away. While the mountain is the same, each man brings himself to it and has a different experience. When we meet an animal, feel a touch, or take a hike down the street, we see a reflection of ourselves and of humanity.

This day is a Medicine Wheel for each of us. Our response to today’s circumstances will tell us more about ourselves. We need not waste energy judging ourselves harshly but learn from our feelings and reactions. Our reflections point the way for further growth.

Today, I will look for my own reflection in what I meet and for the reflection of all humanity.

Today's reading is from the book Touchstones, A Book of Daily Meditations for Men

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January 21

Living according to principles

If we live according to spiritual principles, we will know harmony in our lives. If we ignore these principles, our harmony will be destroyed.

Fortunately, the principles are constant. Once we recognize our mistakes, our task is to once again apply the principles we learned, and harmony will return.

Am I living according to spiritual principles?

Higher Power, help me to be aware of and live according to principles.

Today I will apply my spiritual principles by…

Today's reading is from the book Day by Day, Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts

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January 22

Reflection for the Day

Faith is more than our greatest gift; sharing it with others is our greatest responsibility. May recovery help me to continually seek the wisdom and the willingness by which I may well fulfill the immense trust that the Giver of all perfect gifts has placed in our hands. If you pray, why worry? If you worry, why pray?
Today I Pray

My Higher Power is a mighty fortress, a bulwark that never fails us. May I give praise for my deliverance and for my protection. My Higher Power gives me the gift of faith to share. May I pass it along to others as best I know how and in the loving spirit in which it was given to me.
Today I Will Remember

My Higher Power never has and never will fail me.

Today's reading is from the book A Day at a Time, Daily Reflections for Recovering People

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January 23

Attitude is everything!

Today will be what we make it. Regardless of the weather, the kinds of work to be done, the personalities crossing our paths, we’ll feel joy and peace if that is our choice.

Agonizing over circumstances that aren’t to our liking or dwelling on our failure to control other people, whether friends or foes, has robbed us of the happiness that is always ours to experience. Depression, anger, fear, and frustration shadowed our steps because we didn’t take control of the only thing that’s ever been in our control absolutely—attitude.

It’s so easy to blame others for every wrinkle in our lives. But as we grow accustomed to the idea of taking full responsibility for how we think and feel, we’ll be empowered. No longer will our sense of self feel diminished. And, as Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying, we will be just as happy as we make up our minds to be.

Nobody can mess with my attitude but me!

Today's reading is from the book A Life of My Own, Meditations on Hope and Acceptance

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January 24

Balance

The goal is balance. We need balance between work and play. We need balance between giving and receiving. We need balance in thought and feelings. We need balance in caring for our physical self and our spiritual self.

A balanced life has harmony between a professional life and a personal life. There may be times when we need to climb mountains at work. There may be times when we put extra energy into our relationships. But the overall picture needs to balance.

Just as a balanced nutritional diet takes into account the realm of our nutritional needs to stay healthy, a balanced life takes into account all our needs: our need for friends, work, love, family, play, private time, recovery time, and spiritual time—time with God. If we get out of balance, our inner voice will tell us. We need to listen.

Today, I will examine my life to see if the scales have swung too far in any area, or not far enough in some. I will work toward achieving balance.

Today's reading is from the book The Language of Letting Go, Daily Meditations on Codependency

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January 25

They may not deserve forgiveness, but I do.

~Anne P.

Forgiveness is an act, not a feeling. Though it may generate feelings, forgiveness is an exercise of the will. When we forgive, we refuse to be further damaged by the wrongdoing of others.

A refusal to forgive is called a resentment. And the victim of resentment is always the one who carries it. The people we refuse to forgive may neither know nor care about our resentment.

To hang on to a resentment is to harbor a thief in the heart. By the minute and the hour, resentment steals the joy we could treasure now and remember forever. It pilfers our energy to celebrate life—to face others as messengers of grace rather than ambassadors of doom. We victimize ourselves when we withhold forgiveness.

Today, I will remember that forgiveness is a giver and resentment is a taker. Because I deserve it, I will forgive old hurts. I will see forgiveness as a gift to myself.

Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy, Daily Meditations for Adult Children

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January 26

Make new friends and keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.

~Joseph Parry

Friendship is wonderful. But what is true friendship? This is a question we encounter in early recovery, and it will be important for the rest of our lives.

A friend is someone we know, like, and trust. When we first get sober, we should look at the people we call friends. Are the things we like about them important to our healthy self or things our Inner Addict likes?

We become like our friends. That is why it is important to choose friends we want to be like. It takes work to sort this out when we first get sober because we have collected “friends” who are bad for us.

Where do we find good friends? First we can look to the people we knew, liked, and trusted before our addiction. Next we can look in our recovery groups. When we are a friend to the right person, then we will have a friend.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me to choose friends, old and new, who help me be the person I really want to be. Help me be that kind of a friend to them, too.
Today's Action

I will list the five people who have been my closest friends in my life. What do I like about each of them? Would I trust them to help me be my best?

Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me, More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple

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January 27

Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin as self-neglect.

~William Shakespeare

We will never achieve a feeling of true safety by seeing our self-image in terms of our character defects. To give our shortcomings such power is to ensure that we will never have enough faith or strength to go forward; we are either condemned to trying to change the past or trying to control the future.

The only safety is in the present, affirming the positive qualities we possess. Even if we’re in deep sorrow this moment, we can feel safe by appreciating that we have the ability to grieve, which takes courage and passion for life. Appreciating our many good points is a way to counteract the fear that eats away at our security.

There are a number of ways we can affirm our worth. We can write affirmations, ask others for positive support, list our good qualities, and include our progress in recovery in our daily inventory. We deserve to have the freedom that comes from feeling safe within ourselves.

What am I saying to myself right now—“I’m a failure” or “I’m wonderful, and I love you”?

Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart, Daily Meditations for Men and Women Recovering from Sex Addiction

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January 28

AA Thought for the Day

In the story of the Good Samaritan, the wayfarer fell among robbers and was left lying in the gutter, half dead. And a priest and a Levite both passed by on the other side of the road. But the Good Samaritan was moved with compassion and came to him and bound up his wounds and brought him to an inn and took care of him. Do I treat another alcoholic like the priest and the Levite or like the Good Samaritan?
Meditation for the Day

Never weary in prayer. When one day you see how unexpectedly your prayer has been answered, then you will deeply regret that you have prayed so little. Prayer changes things for you. Practice praying until your trust in God has become strong. And then pray on, because it has become so much a habit that you need it daily. Keep praying until prayer seems to become communion with God. That is the note on which true times of prayer should end.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may form the habit of daily prayer. I pray that I may find the strength I need as a result of this communion.

Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day, A Spiritual Resource with Practical Applications for Daily Life

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January 29

Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn’t mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.

~Edward R. Murrow

Sometimes we believe anything from an earlier generation is outdated. With technology, this may be true. But people are not necessarily wiser today. Some time-tested wisdom is sliced to slivers on the cutting edge of what’s new. Old-fashioned honor and morality too often are made to seem hopelessly archaic.

The widespread attraction of mind-altering chemicals, the restlessness of many people, the search for a simple, fast spiritual fix—all testify to a hunger that many newfound beliefs have failed to satisfy. We are fortunate to have found in our program an answer to the malaise that afflicts so many people. In its simplest form, it’s called love; in its purest form, God.

I thank God that the wisdom of the ages is still relevant today.

Today's reading is from the book In God's Care, Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery

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January 30

It is only when people begin to shake loose from their preconceptions, from the ideas that have dominated them, that we begin to receive a sense of opening, a sense of vision.

~Barbara Ward

A sense of vision, seeing who we can dare to be and what we can dare to accomplish, is possible if we focus intently on the present and always the present. We are all we need to be, right now. We can trust that. And we will be shown the way to become who we need to become, step by step, from one present moment to the next present moment. We can trust that, too.

The past that we hang onto stands in our way. Many of us needlessly spend much of our lives fighting a poor self-image. But we can overcome that. We can choose to believe we are capable and competent. We can be spontaneous, and our vision of all that life can offer will change—will excite us, will cultivate our confidence.

We can respond to life wholly. We can trust our instincts. And we will become all that we dare to become.

Each day is a new beginning. Each moment is a new opportunity to let go of all that has trapped me in the past. I am free. In the present, l am free.

Today's reading is from the book Each Day a New Beginning, Daily meditations for Women