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DAILY PONDERABLES

Together WE Trudge The Road OF Happy Destiny

Daily Reflections

REACHING OUT

Never talk down to an alcoholic from any moral or spiritual hilltop; simply lay out the kit of spiritual tools for his inspection. Show him how they worked with you. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 95

When I come into contact with a newcomer, do I have a tendency to look at him from my perceived angle of success in A.A.? Do I compare him with the large number of acquaintances I have made in the Fellowship? Do I point out to him in a magisterial way the voice of A.A.? What is my real attitude toward him? I must examine myself whenever I meet a newcomer to make sure that I am carrying the message with simplicity, humility and generosity. The one who still suffers from the terrible disease of alcoholism must find in me a friend who will allow him to get to know the A.A. way, because I had such a friend when I arrived in A.A. Today it is my turn to hold out my hand, with love, to my sister or brother alcoholic, and to show her or him the way to happiness.

From the book Daily Reflections

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought for the Day

The way of A.A. is the way of service. Without that, it would not work. We have been "on the wagon" and hated it. We have taken the pledge and waited for the time to be up with impatience. We have tried in all manner of ways to help ourselves. But not until we begin to help other people do we get full relief. it is an axiom that the A.A. program has to be given away in order to be kept. A river flows into the Dead Sea and stops. A river flows into a clear pool and flows out again. We get and then we give. If we do not give, we do not keep. Have I given up all ideas of holding A.A. for myself alone?

Meditation for the Day

Try to see the life of the spirit as a calm place, shut away from the turmoil of the world. Think of your spiritual home as a place full of peace, serenity, and contentment. Go to this quiet, meditative place for the strength to carry you through today's duties and problems. Keep coming back here for refreshment when you are weary of the hubbub of the outside world. >From this quietness and communion comes our strength.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may keep this resting place where I can commune with God. I pray that I may find refreshment in meditation on the Eternal.

From the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day

NA - Just for Today

Addiction, Drugs, And Recovery

"Addiction is a physical, mental, and spiritual disease that affects every area of our lives."

Basic Text pg. 20

Before we started using, most of us had a stereotype, a mental image of what addicts were supposed to look like. Some of us pictured a junkie robbing convenience markets for drug money. Others imagined a paranoid recluse peering at life from behind perpetually drawn drapes and locked doors. As long as we didn't fit any of the stereotypes, we thought, we couldn't be addicts.

As our using progressed, we discarded those misconceptions about addiction, only to come up with another: the idea that addiction was about drugs. We may have thought addiction meant a physical habit, believing any drug that didn't produce physical habituation was not "addictive." Or we thought the drugs we took were causing all our problems. We thought that merely getting rid of the drugs would restore sanity to our lives.

One of the most important lessons we learn in Narcotics Anonymous is that addiction is much more than the drugs we used. Addiction is a part of us; it's an illness that involves every area of our lives, with or without drugs. We can see its effects on our thoughts, our feelings, and our behavior, even after we stop using. Because of this, we need a solution that works to repair every area of our lives: the Twelve Steps.

Just for today: Addiction is not a simple disease, but it has a simple solution. Today, I will live in that solution: the Twelve Steps of recovery.

pg. 364

From the book Just for Today

Thought for Today

"There are givers and takers in the world. The takers eat better, but the

givers sleep better."

--Danny Thomas

The steps you take, lead you to where you are going.

"God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."

All people want peace and serenity. If we say this prayer and practice it, it shall be so. We need to accept the fact that we can't change people, places or things. The only thing we can change is ourselves. When we finally figure this out, peace and serenity can enter into our lives.

From the book "Wisdom, Magic and Miracles" ( Tools for today, wisdom for life)

Buddha/Zen Thoughts

The real basis of Buddhism is full knowledge of the truth of reality. If one knows this truth then no teaching is necessary. If one doesn't know, even if he listens to the teaching, he doesn't really hear.

-Ajahn Chah, "Taste of Freedom"

Native American

"Male and female is fundamental to life; partners in work to be done."

--Oren R. Lyons, Spokesman, Traditional Circle of Elders

The Great Spirit created a system which would allow us to reproduce, to have companionship, to love, to laugh, to cry and be happy. Man and Woman each have gifts the other doesn't have. But, together they have these gifts to share with each other. The Great Spirit made it this way. So let us treat each other with respect. Let us look upon each other in a sacred way.

Grandfather, Grandmother, bring the spirits to teach us.

Keep It Simple

Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.

--- Langston Hughes

Many of our dreams died as our addiction got worse. We felt the loss but couldn't speak it. With recovery, we regain our ability to dream. Dreams of sharing our lives with family and friends return. They push out thoughts of getting high. Dreams of pride and self-respect reappear. They replace the awful feeling of shame. Like the quote above says, "Hold fast to dreams...." Our dreams are our wishes for the future.

They hold a picture of who we want to be. In our dreams, we let our spirits soar. Often, we fell close to God, others and ourselves. Thanks God, we can dream again.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thanks to you, my wings have been mended. Guide me as I fly.

Action for the Day: Today, I'll take time out to dream and share my dream with those I love.

Big Book

"It may seem incredible that these men are to become happy, respected,

and useful once more. How can they rise out of such misery, bad repute

and hopelessness? The practical answer is that since these things have

happened among us, they can happen with you. Should you wish them above

all else, and be willing to make use of our experience, we are sure

they will come."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 153~

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12 Ways To Accept

1. ACCEPT, that I am a sick person, and need help and that help can be found by attending meetings, reading literature and by practicing the program at all times.

2. ACCEPT, that I am powerless over anyone, but that I do have the power to change myself.

3. ACCEPT, that I am not responsible for everyone's actions, but I am responsible to myself.

4. ACCEPT, God or a Higher Power back into my life. To LET GO AND LET GOD, and to learn to have patience by not taking things back too quickly and trying to manage or play God myself.

5. ACCEPT, that I am a good person and it is OK to be good to myself. Don't be afraid to be happy and enjoy what is beautiful. Always remember, I'm OK, GOD DOESN'T JUNK.

6. ACCEPT, tolerance with others and especially myself, having faith that I can grow in our program and become a whole person again.

7. ACCEPT, things I do not like, realizing that all things do not have good to be acceptable. By having to let someone we love suffer for their own mistakes, or actions, by detaching with love.

8. ACCEPT, that I do not have to be right all the time and that it is OK to be wrong or make mistake, our mistakes can be a learning experience.

9. ACCEPT, that it is OK to say I'm wrong and ask forgiveness when I hurt or wrong someone.

10. ACCEPT, that I must be open-minded enough to listen thoughtfully to the opinions of others.

11. ACCEPT, that each day is a new beginning and that it is within my power to make that day as good and happy as I want it to be.

12. ACCEPT, that I have no control over the PAST. That TOMORROW is beyond our immediate control for it is yet unborn. This leaves only TODAY. Let us therefore live but ONE DAY AT A TIME!