DAILY PONDERABLES
Together WE Trudge The Road OF Happy Destiny
Daily Reflections
THE CHALLENGE OF FAILURE
In God's economy, nothing is wasted. Through failure, we learn a lesson in humility which is probably needed, painful though it is.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 31
How thankful I am today, to know that all my past failures were necessary for me to be where I am now. Through much pain came experience and, in suffering, I became obedient. When I sought God, as I understand Him, He shared His treasured gifts. Through experience and obedience, growth started, followed by gratitude. Yes, then came peace of mind— -- living in and sharing sobriety.
From the book Daily Reflections
© Copyright 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day
Some people find it hard to believe in a Power greater than themselves. But not to believe in such a Power forces us to atheism. It has been said that atheism is blind faith in the strange proposition that this universe originated in a cipher and aimlessly rushes nowhere. That's practically impossible to believe. I think we all can agree that alcohol is a power greater than ourselves. It certainly was in my case. I was helpless before the power of alcohol. Do I remember the things that happened to me because of the power of alcohol?
Meditation for the Day
The spiritual and moral will eventually overcome the material and unmoral. That is the purpose and destiny of the human race. Gradually the spiritual is overcoming the material in our minds. Gradually the moral is overcoming the unmoral. Faith, fellowship, and service are cures for most of the ills of the world. There is nothing in the field of personal relationships that they cannot do.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may do my share in making a better world. I pray that I may be part of the cure for the of the world.
From the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day
© Copyright 1975 by Hazelden Foundation
NA - Just for Today
Sick as our secrets
Page 57
"It would be tragic to write [out an inventory only to] shove it in a drawer These defects grow in the dark and die in the light of exposure."
Basic Text, p. 32
How many times have we heard it said that we are only as sick as our secrets? While many members choose not to use meetings to share the intimate details of their lives, it is important that we each discover what works best for us. What about those behaviors we have carried into our recovery that, if discovered, would cause us shame? How much are we comfortable disclosing, and to whom? If we are uncomfortable sharing some details of our lives in meetings, to whom do we turn?
We have found the answer to these questions in sponsorship. Although a relationship with a sponsor takes time to build, it is important that we come to trust our sponsor enough to be completely honest. Our defects only have power as long as they stay hidden. If we want to be free of those defects, we must uncover them. Secrets are only secrets until we share them with another human being.
Just for Today: I will uncover my secrets. I will practice being honest with my sponsor.
From the book Just for Today
© Copyright 1991-2013 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought for Today
"What I see convinces me that God exists; what I cannot see, confirms it."
Albert Einstein
Hearing
Others
Personal
Experiences
“There are no Big Deals unless I choose to make them Big Deals."
(thanks Robert I.)
"Life lived for tomorrow will always be just a day away from being realized."
~Leo Buscaglia
Buddha/Zen Thoughts
It is crucial for you to understand what meditation is. It is not some special posture, and it's not just a set of mental exercises. Meditation is the cultivation of mindfulness and the application of that mindfulness once cultivated. You do not have to sit to meditate. You can meditate while washing the dishes. You can meditate in the shower, or roller skating, or typing letters. Meditation is awareness, and it must be applied to each and every activity of one's life. This isn't easy.
-Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English"
Native American
".the Creator was responsible for the existence of everything, a part of the Creator's spirit exists in everything and thus all things are connected."
--Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA
The Creator designed nature, people, and all things as an interconnected system. Everything is connected to each other. This connection exists in the Unseen World. The same way our body parts are all port of the body-the parts are separate but also connected. If a part of our body is in pain, the rest of the body recognizes this pain as its own. In other words, the pain of one is the pain of all. This is also true of every interconnected system. Because we are connected, we should respect and take care of our Earth and each other.
Great Spirit, let me treat everyone, today, as if they were You.
Keep It Simple
Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact. --- William James
Step Two speaks of believing. For many years, we had given up believing in ourselves, in a Higher Power, and in others. We believed in getting high. Now our program tells us to believe in love. We are lovable, and we can love others without hurting them. Of course, believing is an important part of recovery.
To believe means to put aside our doubts. To believe means to have hope. Believing makes the road a little smoother. So, believing lets the healing happen a little faster. All of this is how we get ready to let in the care of our Higher Power.
Prayer for the Day: I pray for the courage to believe. I'll not let doubt into my heart. I can recover. I can give myself totally to this simple program.
Action for the Day: I'll list four times doubt got in my way. And I'll think of what I can do to not let that happen again.
Big Book
"A word about sex relations. Alcohol is so sexually stimulating to
some men that they have over-indulged. Couples are occasionally
dismayed to find that when drinking is stopped the man tends to be
impotent. Unless the reason is understood, there may be an emotional
upset. Some of us had this experience, only to enjoy, in a few
months, a finer intimacy than ever. There should be no hesitancy in
consulting a doctor or psychologist if the condition persists. We do
not know of many cases where this difficulty lasted long."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 134~
Remember…. Not Regret
When I came to AA, like most, I did not have a clue
I sat in back, alone, afraid, not knowing what to do
I heard about a book it was suggested I should read
If I wanted to stop drinking it was something I would need
Took their advice and bought the book, to see what it’s about
A lot inspired hope but other parts invited doubts
It started on page 83 and finished on the next
The promise of a better life was written in the text
I Ninth Step promised happiness and freedom from the drink
Serenity would come to us, despair would start to shrink
I wanted to believe that every promise could come true
But there was one that made me doubt it ever would ensue
We would not regret the past, it’s what was written as a vow
If we would just commit to work the program starting now
But my past deeds still haunted me, not easy to ignore
Regretting things that I had done those many years before
At first, I would regret the harm my drinking had created
To see my family worry as my drinking escalated
It took some time to understand regretting what I’d done
Was wasted time, was self-indulged, not helping anyone
As time since my last white chip passed, those thought began to fade
Amends were made, behavior changed, some progress had been made
But as my mind became more clear, a new regret arose
I recognized financial harm my drinking had exposed
My business partners had expressed it’s time I should retire
They wanted me to sell my share and they would be the buyer
My self esteem was at a low, I’d lost the will to fight
So, I accepted what they paid, resigned unto my plight
When I’d been sober for a while, I started to regret
The deal I made to sell my share, and I became upset
I felt that I had been abused, did not get a fair price
They got me at my weakest point, a victim of my own devise
My sponsor said it may be true, your share was worth some more
But, accept the fact, YOU made the deal, and though it makes you sore
What’s done is done, no going back, so learn from your mistakes
And don’t regret what can’t be changed, serenity’s at stake
He said to just be grateful for the money you preserved
If truth be told you likely got just what you had deserved
Remembering what got you there will help you to avoid
A slip back into your old ways, sobriety’s destroyed
These days I seldom dwell upon the life I used to live
If others can put it aside, I must myself forgive
And should old thoughts of past occur, they’re really not a threat
I use then now to stay on track, remember, not regret
Larry R.
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