DAILY PONDERABLES
Together WE Trudge The Road OF Happy Destiny
Daily Reflections
TOWARD EMOTIONAL FREEDOM
Since defective relations with other human beings have nearly always been the immediate cause of our woes, including our alcoholism, no field of investigation could yield more satisfying and valuable rewards than this one.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 80
Willingness is a peculiar thing for me in that, over a period in time, it seems to come, first with awareness, but then with a feeling of discomfort, making me want to take action. As I reflected on taking the Eighth Step, my willingness to make amends to others came as a desire for forgiveness, of others and myself. I felt forgiveness toward others after I became aware of my part in the difficulties of relationships. I wanted to feel the peace and serenity described in the Promises. From working the first seven Steps, I became aware of whom I had harmed and that I had been my own worst enemy. In order to restore my relationships with my fellow human beings, I knew I would have to change. I wanted to learn to live in harmony with myself and others so that I could also live in emotional freedom. The beginning of the end to my isolation - from my fellows and from God - came when I wrote my Eighth Step list.
From the book Daily Reflections
© Copyright 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day
"When many hundreds of people are able to say that the consciousness of the presence of God is today the most important fact of their lives, they present a powerful reason why one should have faith. When we see others solve their problems by simple reliance upon some Spirit of the universe, we have to stop doubting the power of God. Our ideas did not work, but the God-idea does. Deep down in every man, woman, and child is the fundamental idea of God. Faith in a Power greater than ourselves and miraculous demonstrations of that power in our lives are facts as old as the human race." Am I willing to rely on the Spirit of the universe?
Meditation for the Day
You should not dwell too much on the mistakes, faults, and failures of the past. Be done with shame and remorse and contempt for yourself. With God's help, develop a new self-respect. Unless you respect yourself, others will not respect you. You ran a race, you stumbled and fell, you have risen again, and now you press on toward the goal of a better life. Do not stay to examine the spot where you fell, only feel sorry for the delay, the shortsightedness that prevented you from seeing the real goal sooner.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not look back. I pray that I may keep picking myself up and making a fresh start each day.
From the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day
© Copyright 1975 by Hazelden Foundation
NA - Just for Today
Facing death
Page 242
"Often we have to face some type of crisis during our recovery, such as the death of a loved one..."
Basic Text, p. 102
Every life has a beginning and an end. However, when someone we love a great deal reaches the end of their life, we may have a very hard time accepting their sudden, final absence. Our grief may be so powerful that we fear it will completely overwhelm us - but it will not. Our sorrow may hurt more than anything we can remember, but it will pass.
We need not run from the emotions that may arise from the death of a loved one. Death and grieving are parts of the fullness of living "life on life's terms." By allowing ourselves the freedom to experience these feelings, we partake more deeply of both our recovery and our human nature.
Sometimes the reality of another's death makes our own mortality that much more pronounced. We reevaluate our priorities, appreciating the loved ones still with us all the more. Our life, and our life with them, will not go on forever. We want to make the most of what's most important while it lasts.
We might find that the death of someone we love helps strengthen our conscious contact with our Higher Power. If we remember that we can always turn to that source of strength when we are troubled, we will be able to stay focused on it no matter what may be going on around us.
Just for Today: I will accept the loss of one I love and turn to my Higher Power for the strength to accept my feelings. I will make the most of my love for those in my life today.
From the book Just for Today
© Copyright 1991-2013 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought for Today
"The best cure for worry, depression, melancholy, brooding, is to go
deliberately forth and try to lift with one's sympathy the gloom of
somebody else."
--Arnold Bennett
Guilt is anger directed at ourselves-at what we did or did not do. Resentment is anger directed at others-at what they did or did not do.
~~ Peter McWilliams
Happiness is not a reward - it is a consequence. Suffering is not a punishment - it is a result.
~Robert Green Ingersoll
SURRENDER
Scratching and clawing to regain control. Sliding so deeply into that hole. The hole I've been trying to fill all along with people and booze and anything wrong.
So many days have passed into years, fighting to make myself normal, no fears. When finally that life had taken me down and scattered my dreams, smashed myp hopes to the ground.
Then something that's greater than me, jerked me up. Throw out the bottle, smashing the cup. Part of my soul knew that this was the way and you told me to fall to my knees and to pray.
That hole, it still beckons for ways to be filled, with people and money or my egos strong will. The key to a life free from fear and the
self , it comes from that Power, not booze, sex or wealth.
Daily I ask to be free from the self and pray that my day's filled with calm, peace and health. Turning things over again thru the day for the Power to fill.up.that hole, that, I pray...today...
Ginny A.
Buddha/Zen Thoughts
"He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me."
Those who think such things will not be free from hate.
-Buddha
Native American
"...remember and think about the closeness of Wanka-Tanka. If they live in this wisdom, it will give them endless strength and hope."
--Fools Crow, LAKOTA
The value of staying close to the Creator is the immediate help we have available to us whenever we need it. I can listen to the whisper of my heart for this is the place He communicates with me. Staying close helps me remember that we are here to serve Him and to help other people. The Grandfathers are my direct access to wisdom. He who has wisdom has everything. If we have wisdom, then we will see our lives become more effective in the areas of jobs, relationships, family, friends and finances.
My Creator, today grant me the wisdom to seek Your wisdom. Help me to Walk of the Red Road.
Keep It Simple
Heaven and hell is right now. . .You make it heaven or you make it hell by your actions. ---- George Harrison
We used chemicals to feel better, but we started feeling worse. We were out of control. Life seemed like hell.
Now we have a program that tells us how to make life better. Some days, it even feels like heaven! But we have to work our program to make our own heaven.
Working the program isn’t too hard. And it makes us feel so good. So, why don’t we do it all the time? Maybe we’re a little afraid of heaven. It’s time to learn to love having a better life!
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me work my program each day, so each day has a little bit of heaven in it. Help me get used to having a better life.
Action for the Day: Tonight, I’ll think about the moments of kindness, joy, hope and faith that put a little bit of heaven into my life today.
TWELVESTEPS
and
TWELVE TRADITIONS
CONTENTS
Tradition Seven pg. 160
“Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.”
No A.A. Tradition had the labor pains this one did. Collective poverty initially a matter of necessity. Fear of exploitation. Necessity of separating the spiritual from the material. Decision to subsist on A.A. voluntary contributions only. Placing the responsibility of supporting A.A. headquarters directly upon A.A. members. Bare running expenses plus a prudent reserve is headquarters policy.
Tradition Eight pg. 166
“Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.”
You can’t mix the Twelfth Step and money. Line of cleavage between voluntary Twelfth Step work and paid-for services. A.A. could not function without full-time service workers. Professional workers are not professional A.A.’s. Relation of A.A. to industry, education, etc. Twelfth Step work is never paid for, but those who labor in service for us are worthy of their hire.
Tradition Nine pg. 172
“A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.”
Special service boards and committees. The General Service Conference, the board of trustees, and group committees cannot issue directives to A.A. members or groups. A.A.’s can’t be dictated to—individually or collectively. Absence of coercion works because unless each A.A. follows suggested Steps to recovery, he signs his own death warrant. Same condition applies to the group. Suffering and love are A.A.’s disciplinarians. Difference between spirit of authority and spirit of service. Aim of our services is to bring sobriety within reach of all who want it.
Tradition Ten pg. 176
“Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.”
A.A. does not take sides in any public controversy. Reluctance to fight is not a special virtue. Survival and spread of A.A. are our primary aims. Lessons learned from Washingtonian movement.
Tradition Eleven pg. 180
“Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.”
Public relations are important to A.A. Good public relations save lives. We seek publicity for A.A. principles, not A.A. members. The press has cooperated. Personal anonymity at the public level is the cornerstone of our public relations policy. Eleventh Tradition is a constant reminder that personal ambition has no place in A.A. Each member becomes an active guardian of our Fellowship.
Tradition Twelve pg. 184
“Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.”
Spiritual substance of anonymity is sacrifice. Subordinating personal aims to the common good is the essence of all Twelve Traditions. Why A.A. could not remain a secret society. Principles come before personalities. One hundred percent anonymity at the public level. Anonymity is real humility.
The Twelve Traditions—the Long Form pg. 189
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