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A Prayer & Some Thoughts - October
October 1
Smile Prayer Lord, As I stumble through this life, help me to create more laughter than tears, dispense more cheer than gloom, spread more cheer than despair. Never let me become so indifferent, that I will fail to see the wonders in the eyes of a child, or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged. Never let me forget that my total effort is to cheer people up, make them happy, and forget momentarily, all the unpleasantness in their lives. And in my final moment, may I hear You whisper: “When you made My people smile, you made Me smile.” Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Since I've been in A.A., have I made a start toward becoming more honest? Do I no longer have to lie to my loved ones? Do I try to have meals on time, and do I try to earn what I make at work? Am I trying to be honest? Have I faced myself as I really am and have I admitted to myself that I'm no good by myself, but have to rely on God to help me do the right thing? So ............ Am I beginning to find out what it means to be alive and to face the world honestly and without fear? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Letting Go There are times when we think we see perfectly what others ought to be doing. It pains and disturbs us when loved ones..... our children, perhaps... do not heed our advice. In planning for others, we can easily fall into the trap of enabling. An enabler is a person who supports others in an unhealthy addiction or dependency. We must not plan the lives of others, no matter how dear they are to us or how attached we become to them. They must have the freedom to live without obligation or the belief that they could not have succeeded without our help. Freedom of choice is a precious right that includes the freedom to make mistakes. I'll release any tendency I have to plan for others. At all times, my responsibility is to keep on the right track and let others be free. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serenity That word "serenity" looked like an impossible goal when we first saw the prayer. In fact, if serenity meant apathy, bitter resignation, or stolid endurance, then we didn't even want to aim at it. But we found that serenity meant no such thing. . . Serenity is like a gyroscope that lets us keep our balance no matter what turbulence swirls around us. And that is a state of mind worth aiming for. Living Sober Page 19 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "I can repeat the past, or I can create new and better experiences." ~ Shelley |
October 2
Pride Prayer Lord, It’s hard to admit, but I need to be right. I just know if I explain my way one more time with one more example, the other person will see my side. But the more I push my view, the more my words and actions destroy my relationships. Remind me that relationships are more important than who’s right and who’s wrong. Tell me to back off when I can’t seem to pull the plug on my pride. Cover my frustration with patience. I need to put things into perspective and understand what doesn’t really matter. Please help me to regain my perspective. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We share a common illness and a common cure. Abstinence is possible as we share it with each other. The program works as we work it together. Each of us is an individual, but we function best with the support of the group. If we neglect to go to meetings and make phone calls, we cut ourselves off from the strength and inspiration we need. Our Higher Power works through each of us as we share what we have been given. So ............ Did we achieve and maintain abstinence by ourselves? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Limitations God has created this world with variety and we all have different gifts. Some people make music, others write stories and many are practical at home or in industry. We need to understand what gifts and skills we have and develop them. It is both fruitless and negative to spend our time complaining that we are not like other people --- or are without their talents. Such an attitude stops us from discovering our own creative talents. We are so busy comparing ourselves with others that we miss our own uniqueness. Today I enjoy discovering more about me and the abundant gifts that God has freely given to me. What about you? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Kinship of Common Suffering Newcomers are approaching A.A. at the rate of tens of thousands yearly. They represent almost every belief and attitude imaginable. We have atheists and agnostics. We have people of nearly every race, culture and religion. In A.A. we are supposed to be bound together in the kinship of a common suffering. Consequently, the full individual liberty to practice any creed or principle or therapy whatever should be a first consideration for us all. Let us not, therefore, pressure anyone with our individual or even our collective views. Let us instead accord each other the respect and love that is due to every human being as he tries to make his way toward the light. Let us always try to be inclusive rather than exclusive; let us remember that each alcoholic among us is a member of A.A., so long as he or she so declares. ~~ Bill W. (A.A. Grapevine, July 1965) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes “The ego is the single biggest obstruction to the achievement of anything.” ~ Richard Rose “Ego is just like dust in the eyes. Without clearing the dust, we can’t see anything clearly, so clear the ego and see the world.” ~ Anonymous |
October 3
Prayer To Let Go Lord, Would help me to simply let go of all the fears and worries, problems and doubts, guilt and disappointments that seem to be filling my heart and mind so often, during the course of a day. Fill my hurting soul with Your love and peace I pray. Fill the emptiness and pain that is tearing my life asunder. Lord, You know what is in my heart and why I am going through this time of fear and worry. Help me Lord, to take every thought captive, to hand it over to You as it rears up in my mind. Lord, I also ask that You would teach me how to submit my life to You. Show me how to abide in You day by day, and instruct me how-to live-in spirit and truth. Help me Lord, to give control of my life over to You in every way, and to become the person You would have me be. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We who have learned to put our alcoholic problem in God's hands, can help others to do so. We can be used as a connection between an alcoholic's need and God's supply of strength. We in Alcoholics Anonymous can be uniquely useful, just because we have the misfortune or fortune to be alcoholics ourselves. Do I want to be a uniquely useful person? So ............ Will I use my own greatest defeat and failure and sickness as a weapon to help others? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Perspective In our daily lives we often take a very short perspective. We see what is worrisome today, what is pressing hardest, or what is most frightening or confusing. Eventually, we may look back and have a totally different idea about what was truly important on this day. Let us take a moment now to remember what does endure, what we value most, what counts in the long run. For a brief quiet time, we can let go of all the anxieties of this moment. During these few quiet moments, we will identify our tensions and then place them totally into the hands of our Higher Power. This is our time to let go of our worries and be refreshed. It will provide a background of serenity for our day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Beginning I knew I had to have a new beginning, and this beginning had to be here. I could not start anywhere else. I had to let go of the past and forget the future. As long as I held on to the past with one hand and grabbed at the future with the other hand, I had nothing to hold on to today with. So I had to begin here, now. Came To Believe Page 46 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes “Your reality is as you perceive it to be. So, it is true that by altering this perception we can alter our reality.” ~ William Constantine “Sometimes a change of perspective is all it takes to see the light.” ~ Dan Brown |
October 4
Temptations Prayer Lord, Help me to balance my life. I no longer wish to give into my wants. I want to focus on what I need. I can be so tempted for what I want that I can see how it is leading me in the wrong direction. I ask You for strength to overcome temptations, which are so temporary. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought When I was drinking, I was absolutely selfish. I thought of myself first, last, and always. The universe revolved around me at the center. When I woke up in the morning with a hangover, my only thought was how terrible I felt and about what I could do to make myself feel better. And the only thing I could think of was more liquor. To quit was impossible. I couldn't see beyond myself and my own need for another drink. So ............ Can I now look out and beyond my own selfishness? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Resentment and Anger Resentment is anger that we don't want to turn over to our Higher Power. Sometimes we want to keep our anger. Maybe we want to "get even." It's hard to be spiritual and full of anger at the same time. When we hold on to anger, it turns into self-will. We get angry from time to time. This is normal. But we now have a program to help us let go of anger. We also know that stored-up anger can drive us back to alcohol and other drugs. Instead of trying to "get even," let's work at keeping anger out of our hearts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The First Drink The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink. The almost certain consequences that follow taking even a glass of beer do not crowd into the mind to deter us. If these thoughts occur, they are hazy and readily supplanted with the old threadbare idea that this time we shall handle ourselves like other people. There is a complete failure of the kind of defense that keeps one from putting his hand on a hot stove. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 24 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “We do not want to believe that we cannot control alcohol and that alcohol is, in truth, controlling and dictating our lives. When you free yourself of a dictator, like alcohol, the freedom that you experience is totally amazing and so empowering. You get your life back.” ~ Liz Hemingway |
October 5
Prayer For Strength Lord, please strengthen our hearts, and remind us to encourage one another when the troubles of life start to overwhelm us. Please guard our hearts from depression. Give us the strength to rise up each day and fight against the struggles which seek to weigh us down. Amen. ~ John Barnett ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought In taking a personal inventory of ourselves, we have to face facts as we really are. We have to stop running away. We must face reality. We must see ourselves as we really are. We must admit our faults openly and try to correct them. We must try to see where we have been dishonest, impure, selfish, and unloving. We do not do this once and forget it. We do it every day of our lives, as long as we live. We are never done with checking up on ourselves. So ............ Am I taking a daily inventory of myself ? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Urgency One thing at a time. That's all we have to do. Not two things at once, but one thing done in peace. One task at a time. One feeling at a time. One day at a time. One problem at a time. One step at a time. One pleasure at a time. Relax. Let go of urgency. Begin calmly now. Take one thing at a time. See how everything works out? I will peacefully approach one thing at a time. When in doubt, I will take first things first. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Guard Against A Slip Suppose we fall short of our chosen ideals and stumble? Does this mean we are going to get drunk? Some people tell us so. But this is only a half-truth. It depends on us and on our motives. If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, and our conduct continues to harm others, we are quite sure to drink. These are facts out of our experience. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 70 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Recovery is something that you have to work on every single day and it’s something that doesn’t get a day off.” ~ Demi Lovato |
October 6
Prayer for Generosity Lord, teach me to be generous: to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek to rest; to labour and to ask for no reward save that of knowing I do your will. Amen. ~ Jacques Sevin, SJ (1887-1951) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought When we came into A.A., we came to believe in a Power greater than ourselves. We came to believe in that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God, and to whom we could turn for help. Each morning we have a quiet time. We ask God for the power to stay sober for the next twenty-four hours. And each night we thank Him for helping us to keep sober for that day. So ............ Do I believe that each man or woman I see in A.A. is a demonstration of the power of God to change a human being from a drunkard to a sober person? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Walk The Walk It is easy to talk about our values. But when the clerk at the store gives extra change by mistake, those values get put to the test. It feels good to read about spirituality in a comfortable chair at home. But when we get stuck in a traffic jam, it’s hard to live by our values. That’s why practicing our program daily helps. Practice prepares us for the tough times. Maybe we’ll feel like drinking once a year. Maybe we’ll only get the wrong amount of change once a year. But if we live our values daily, we’ll be ready when the hard times come. Remember: “It’s not enough to talk the talk. You have to walk the walk.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The 12 Steps Will When the 12 Steps are applied – and practiced, they will: a. Remove the mental obsession with alcohol. b. Eliminate the emotional compulsion to drink c. Produce a personality change – necessary for recovery d. Produce a new attitude and outlook on life e. Assist me to maintain emotional balance f. Assist me to achieve emotional security – a life without fear g. Help me to gain and grow in emotional maturity h. Assist me to lead a useful life with purpose i. Help me clean up the wreckage of the past j. Assist me to have and maintain healthy positive relationships in my life k. Produce peace and serenity in my life l. Provide a way for me to be happy and sober m. Be a Daily Design For Living, so that I can stay happy and sober n. And, much, much more. From: Step12.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "You are human, you will make mistakes, and it's one of the most beautiful things about being human, but you must learn from your mistakes, otherwise your life will have a lot of unnecessary pain." ~ Rhonda Byrne |
October 7
Offering the Day Lord, We come to you before we begin our day's work: We ask you to bless this day. May we find whatever is good in the tasks we are set and the time that we share. Help us when we find some things too hard to understand; Teach us to be fair and generous with one another; So may we thank you for a day well spent. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought In A.A., alcoholics find a way to solve their personality problems. They do this by recovering three things. First, they recover their personal integrity. They pull themselves together. They get honest with themselves and with other people. They face themselves and their problems honestly, instead of running away. They take a personal inventory of themselves to see where they really stand. Then they face the facts instead of making excuses for themselves. So ............ Have I recovered my integrity? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Expect We are beginning to learn that we get what we expect. Why? If we believe that people are out to get us, we'll not treat them well. We will think it's okay to "get them" before they "get us." Then, they'll be angry and want to get even. And on it goes. It's great when we can meet the world with a balance. We are honest people. We can expect others to be fair with us. We get the faith, strength, and courage to do this because of our trust in our Higher Power. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Self-Respect Through Sacrifice At the beginning we sacrificed alcohol. We had to, or it would have killed us. But we couldn't get rid of alcohol unless we made other sacrifices. We had to toss self-justification, self-pity, and anger right out the window. We had to quit the crazy contest for personal prestige and big bank balances. We had to take personal responsibility for our sorry state and quit blaming others for it. Were these sacrifices? Yes, they were. To gain enough humility and self-respect to stay alive at all, we had to give up what had really been our dearest possessions--our ambitions and our illegitimate pride. As Bill Sees It Page 97 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life." ~ Rick Warren |
October 8
Prayer For Inner Strength Lord, I’m upset and disturbed, and I pray that You will grant me the grace of inner Peace. Give me the patience I need to cope with the burdens and anxieties of my life. Grant me the strength to better deal with my problems, and the understanding to be more tolerant and kinder to others. Teach me to seek after Your will. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Alcoholics recover their faith in a Power greater than themselves. They admit that they're helpless by themselves and they call on that Higher Power for help. They surrender their lives to God, as they understand Him. They put their alcoholic problem in God's hands and leave it there. They recover their faith in a Higher Power that can help them. So ............ Have I recovered my faith? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Self-Care Our program is a selfish program. It tells us to let go of what others think. We're staying sober for ourselves, not for anyone else. Our body and our spirit are at the stack. And we know what we need to do to stay sober. If we feel shaky about going to a party, we don't go---no matter who gets upset. If our job makes it hard to stay sober, we get a different one---no matter who it upsets. It's simple, we must take good care of ourselves before we can be good to others. In doing this, we learn how to be a friend, a good parent, a good spouse. we have to care for ourselves to have good relationships. Do I believe it is okay to be selfish when it comes to my program? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Healthy Respect Fear may have originally pushed some of us toward looking into the possibility that we may have a drinking problem. And over a short period, fear alone may help some of us stay away from a drink. But a fearful state is not a very happy or relaxed one to maintain for very long. So we try to develop a healthy respect for the power of alcohol, instead of a fear of it, just as people have a healthy respect for cyanide, iodine, or any other poison. Living Sober Pages 13-14 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” ~ Bob Marley |
October 9
Prayer to Enjoy Life Lord, We move so fast that sometimes we see so little in our daily travels. Slow us down. Create in us a desire to pause. Help us to pursue moments of contemplation. Help us to see in a deeper way, to become more aware of what speaks to us in beauty and truth. Teach us how to enjoy being. Encourage us to be present to the gifts that are ours. May we be more fully aware of what we see, taste, touch, hear, and smell. May this awareness of our senses sharpen our perception of our everyday treasures and lead us to greater joy and gratitude. Grant us the courage to be our true selves. Help us to let go of being overly concerned about what others think of us or of how successful we are. May our inner freedom be strengthened and our delight in life be activated. Life is meant to be celebrated, enjoyed, delighted in, and embraced in all its mystery. Guide us to our inner child. Draw us to your playground of creation, so that we will live more fully. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We should be free from alcohol for good. It's out of our hands and in the hands of God, so we don't need to worry about it or even think about it any more. But if we haven't done this honestly and fully, the chances are that it will become our problem again. Since we don't trust God to take care of our problem for us, we reach out and take the problem back to ourselves. Then it's our problem again and we're in the same old mess we were in before. So ............ Do I trust God to take care of the problem for me? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Gossip It is so easy for me to focus on the failings of others and miss my own. My attraction to gossip is that it is usually about other people and that keeps the attention away from me. Sometimes I am made to "feel good" by exposing the weaknesses of others. This attitude needs to be changed if I am ever to fully enjoy the fruits of sobriety. I do not need to be drinking to behave like a drunk; gossip and character assassination are reminiscent of my past addictive behavior. I do not need the side of me that seeks to destroy the character of others. With my spiritual program, I am trying to change. May I grow in my forgiveness and acceptance of others. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Conviction and Compromise One qualification for a useful life is give-and-take, the ability to compromise cheerfully. Compromise comes hard to us "all or nothing" drunks. Nevertheless, we must never lose sight of the fact that progress is nearly always characterized by a series of improving compromises. Of course, we cannot always compromise. There are circumstances in which it is necessary to stick flat-footed to one's convictions until the issue is resolved. Deciding when to compromise and when not to compromise always calls for the most careful discrimination. As Bill Sees It Page 59 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” ~ Steve Jobs |
October 10
Prayer for Temptations Lord , I pray that you will give me a renewed sense of strength and peace when I wake up each morning. I pray that I will be more aware of your guidance and more aware of the direction you want me to go each day. I pray that I will be more aware of the POWER you have given me today to overcome obstacles and temptations. And I pray that you will give me the understanding of how to access that POWER more fully than I have been able to do previously. Lord, I ask that you give me a feeling of joy and a feeling of freshness as I awaken to a new day. Show me the opportunities you are putting before me. Warn me of the traps that I will encounter along my path. I will be more thankful today for little blessings than I have been previously. And I will yield myself today and follow you more closely than I have previously. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought When I came into A.A., I came into a new world. A sober world. A world of sobriety, peace, serenity, and happiness. But I know that if I take just one drink, I'll go right back into that old world. That alcoholic world. That world of drunkenness, conflict, and misery. That alcoholic world is not a pleasant place for an alcoholic to live in. Looking at the world through the bottom of a whiskey glass is no fun after you've become an alcoholic. So ............ Do I want to go back to that alcoholic world? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Feelings Life is full of feelings. We can be happy, sad, mad, scared. These feelings can come and go quickly. Or we may hang on to them. As recovering alcoholics, we used to hang on to feelings that made us feel bad. We let them make a "nest" in our hair. We used our feelings as an excuse to drink. Now we're learning to hang on to our good feelings. We can let go of anger, hurt, and fear. We can shoo away the birds of sadness and welcome the birds of happiness. "You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you can prevent their making their nest in your head." ~ Chinese proverb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The First Drink The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink. The almost certain consequences that follow taking even a glass of beer do not crowd into the mind to deter us. If these thoughts occur, they are hazy and readily supplanted with the old threadbare idea that this time we shall handle ourselves like other people. There is a complete failure of the kind of defense that keeps one from putting his hand on a hot stove. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 24 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes another's." ~ Johann Paul Richter |
October 11
Prayer of Gratitude Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have given me family and friends who bless me every day with kind words and actions. They lift me up in ways that keep my eyes focused. Also, thank you, Lord, for keeping me safe. You help me make better choices and provide me with advisors to help me with life’s difficult decisions. You speak to me in so many ways, if I just listen. And Lord, I am so grateful for keeping those around me safe and loved. I hope that you provide me with the ability and sense to show them every day how much they matter. I hope that you give me the ability to give to them the same kindness they have provided to me. I am extremely grateful for all of your blessings in my life, Lord. I pray that you remind me of just how blessed I am and that you never allow me to forget to show my gratitude in prayer and returned acts of kindness. Amen ~ Kelli Mahoney ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought How good a sponsor am I? When I bring new members to a meeting, do I feel that my responsibility has ended? Or do I make it my job to stay with them until they have either become good members of A.A. or have found another sponsor? If they don't show up for a meeting, do I say to myself: "Well they've had it put up to them, so if they don't want it, there's nothing more I can do? " Or do I look them up and find out whether there is a reason for their absences or that they don't want A.A.? Do I go out of my way to find out if there is anything more I can do to help? So ............ Am I a good sponsor? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Pain Many of us as children were taught to hide our pain, to act as if we had none. We look for ways to hide our pain. Alcohol helped us do this. But the pain always returned. We were ashamed that we were hurt. We thought we were the only ones who were hurt so badly. and, worst of all, we thought our pain meant we were bad people. Ours is a program of honesty. As we live life, there will be troubles, and there will be pain. But now we know that we don't try to hide it. If we hide our wounds, they will not heal. We will listen to others' pain and ask them to listen to ours. This will help us continue our journey in recovery. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A New Life When we work at our Twelve Steps, the old life of guzzling and fuzzy thinking, and all that goes with it, gradually dies, and we acquire a different and better way of life. As our shortcomings are removed, one of us dies, and another life of us lives. We in AA die to live. Experience, Strength and Hope, p. 156 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Sometimes we have to start over again when we don’t want to, didn’t plan on it, and don’t think it’s fair." ~ Pia Mellody |
October 12
Prayer For The Overwhelmed Lord, I do not see a way out of the burden I feel, but I put all my faith and trust in You for a path to open up, that new opportunities and new relationships will grace my life. Give me strength, to overcome these negative feelings and to get all the tasks that I have to do, completed efficiently, effectively, and on time! Calm my mind, give me peace, as I recollect all the tasks I need to complete. Give me patience to be still and remember that You will make all things work together for my good. Everything that happens to me happens for a reason – to make me stronger. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Alcoholism required me to drink, whether I wanted to or not. Insanity dominated my life and was the essence of my disease. It robbed me of the freedom of choice over drinking and, therefore, robbed me of all other choices. When I drank, I was unable to make effective choices in any part of my life and life became unmanageable. I ask God to help me understand and accept the full meaning of the disease of alcoholism. So ............ So have I accepted my alcoholism?? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Life I haven't always known how to enjoy life, but Working the Twelve Steps is more than recovery from alcohol. It's also about how to enjoy life. Our illness pulled us toward death. Our spirits were dying, and maybe our bodies were dying. Now our spirits are coming to life. We feel more alive than ever before. Our feelings are coming alive. We feel hope and faith, love, and joy, and even hurt and fear. We notice the sunshine as well as the clouds. We know life needs both sunshine and rain, both joy and pain. We are alive. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Toward Maturity Many oldsters who have put our A.A. 'booze cure' to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. To attain this, we must develop real maturity and balance (which is to say, humility) in our relations with ourselves, with our fellows, and with God. Let A.A. never be a closed corporation; let us never deny our experience, for whatever it may be worth, to the world around us. Let our individual members heed the call to every field of human endeavor. Let them carry the experience and spirit of A.A. into all these affairs, for whatever good they may accomplish. For not only has God saved us from alcoholism; the world has received us back into its citizenship. As Bill Sees It Page 244 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” ~ Albert Einstein |
October 13
Frustrated & Overwhelmed Prayer Lord, Life can be so overwhelming at times; frustration has gotten the better of me today. I feel as though I am weary but there is yet so much to do and there seems to be so little time. My workload seems to be growing; the demands on me from everyone are just simply too much for me today, it’s too overwhelming. My energy is drained and I feel as though I am losing hope, that this life would not get any easier. Give me strength, Lord, to overcome these negative feelings and to get all the tasks that I have to do. That they be completed, efficiently and effectively, and on time! Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Outline the program of action to new prospects. Explaining how you made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your past, and why you are now endeavoring to help them. It is important for them to realize that your attempt to pass this on to them plays a vital part in your recovery. The more hopeless they feel, the better. They will be more likely to follow your suggestions. Tell them about the fellowship of A.A. and if they show interest, lend them a copy of the Big Book. So ............ Can I tell the A.A. story to another alcoholic? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Self-Honesty Our lies to ourselves kept us so fully in the dark. We sometimes told "sincere" lies because we honestly did not distinguish the truth within ourselves. For so long we had preferred dishonest rationalizations, and we had come to believe them. We slowly cleanse ourselves of the lies that we told ourselves. With this kind of honesty comes an inner peace with ourselves, and we can say, "I know myself." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why Worry? There are many short phrases and expressions in AA which make sound sense. 'First Things First': solving our immediate problems before we try to solve all the others . . . 'Easy Does it.' Relax a little. Try for inner contentment. No one individual can carry all the burdens of the world. Everyone has problems. Getting drunk won't solve them. 'Twenty-four hours a day.' Today is the day. Doing our best, living each day to the fullest is the art of living. Yesterday is gone, and we don't know whether we will be here tomorrow. If we do a good job of living today, and if tomorrow comes for us, then the chances are we will do a good job when it arrives - so why worry about it? Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Page 382 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “When life gets hectic and you feel overwhelmed, take a moment to focus on the people and things you are most grateful for. When you have an attitude of gratitude, frustrating troubles will fall by the wayside.” ~ Dana Arcuri |
October 14
Prayer to Clear My Mind Clear my mind of doubt, fear, worry, sadness, despair, lust, temptation, envy, jealousy, malice, pride and anything that stops me from becoming a better person daily. Give me the strength and clarity of mind to find my purpose. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought A.A. work is one hundred percent voluntary. It depends on each and every one of our members to volunteer to do his or her share. Newcomers can sit on the sidelines until they have got over their nervousness and confusion. They have a right to be helped by all, until they can stand on their own feet. But the time inevitably comes when they have to speak up and volunteer to do their share in meetings and in twelfth step work. Until that time comes, they are not a vital part of A.A. They are only in the process of being assimilated. So ............ Has my time come to volunteer? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation We Even in recovery, we alcoholics often feel we are not enough. Maybe it's leftover shame from our drinking days. But we are enough. We are of great value. We all need each other to stay sober. Each of us needs other recovering people to help us remember the hell of alcoholism. We can forget how bad it was, but telling our stories makes us remember. When you feel, you don't want to stay sober for yourself, then stay sober for your brothers and sisters in the program. They need you. You're their recovery, as they are in yours. There may be days you don't feel glad to be sober. But your friends in this fellowship are glad you're sober. They thank-you for your sobriety ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Surrender On the face of it, surrendering certainly does not seem like winning. But it is in AA Only after we have come to the end of our rope, hit a stone wall in some aspect of our lives beyond which we can go no further; only when we hit "bottom" in despair and surrender, can we accomplish sobriety which we could never accomplish before. We must, and we do, surrender in order to win. Alcoholics Anonymous, 2nd Edition, pp. 341-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “When someone tries to trigger you by insulting you or by doing or saying something that irritates you, take a deep breath and switch off your ego. Remember that if you are easily offended, you are easily manipulated.” ~ Mitra Phukan |
October 15
Prayer When Lonely Lord, there is so much swirling all around me begging for my attention – people, places, things, tasks. Still, in the midst of it all, I feel so alone—as if I stand in this swirling vortex by myself. For whatever reason, though people surround me, I’m unable to connect with them. It seems that when I try to open up, I am rejected and this rejection insulates me from ever trying again. For now I feel so alone. Lord, right now I need this feeling of loneliness to diminish. Help me to reach out to those around me, help me to do so with boldness. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Spiritual experience: With few exceptions, our members find that they have tapped an unsuspected inner resource, which they presently identify with their own conception of a Power greater than themselves. Most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves is the essence of spiritual experience. Some of us call it God consciousness. In any case, willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of recovery. So ............ Have I tapped that inner resource which can change my life? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Honest Admission Out of honest admission of our weakness comes strength. We are able to see ourselves realistically and with clarity. When we are humble enough to admit our wrongs, we get rid of the false front we had tried to maintain. This frees us to be who we are, without pretense. When we admit our faults, we are cleansed. We no longer have to try to hide and cover up our weaknesses and mistakes. Instead of pretending to be perfect, we can be human and satisfied with our progress. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Irrational I well remember the shock I received when a prominent doctor in Chicago told me of cases where pressure of the spinal fluid actually ruptured the brain. No wonder an alcoholic is strangely irrational. Who wouldn't be, with such a fevered brain? Normal drinkers are not so affected, nor can they understand the aberrations of the alcoholic. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 140 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone." ~ Robin Williams |
October 16
Self- Acceptance Prayer Lord, Help me to accept the person that you made me to be, blessings, difficulties, and all. Help me to recognize the plans and purpose for my life and to know there is no purpose too big or too small in this world. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought In A.A. we have insurance. Our faith in God is a kind of insurance against the terrible things that might happen to us if we ever drink again. By putting our alcoholic problem in the hands of God, we've taken out a sort of insurance policy, which insures us against the ravages of drinking, as our homes are insured against destruction by fire. So ............ Am I paying my A.A. insurance premiums regularly? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Humility Humility isn’t always seen as a strength but sometimes thought of as a weakness. Some believe that humility is having low opinions of yourself, low self-esteem, and a lack of confidence. It is in fact the opposite, humility is having the self-esteem to understand that even though you are doing well, you do not have to brag or gloat about it. It is important to stay humble because having humility not only helps you develop a more kind approach to interacting with others but it also influences how you perceive yourself and the world around you. Humility helps one extend more compassion and empathy to others.2 Those who practice humility are more likely to consider others’ beliefs and opinions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Perfection I never have been and never can be perfect. As that realization became a part of me -- and it took time -- it brought me one of the greatest of the many blessings that have come to me from AA. I learned to accept myself as a fallible human being. I do not have to strive for perfection. Mistakes are permissible. I have the right to be wrong. And what a comfort that thought is to me, as I make my bemused way through life, one foot in a bucket, pushing on doors marked "Pull." The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 2], Pages 167-168 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Happiness is a choice, a repetitive one.” ~ Akilnathan Logeswaran |
October 17
Prayer For Alcoholic Anonymous Lord, Thank you for all those that are involved in helping others with their addiction to alcohol. We thank you for places like Alcoholic Anonymous and the many other places that are dedicated to helping men and women recover from this debilitating and distressing addiction. Give wisdom, grace and patience to all that are serving in one capacity or another to relieve the distress and devastation that alcoholism leaves in its wake. We pray that You would give them the right words of encouragement and advice to enable those that are addicted to permanently break free of their alcoholism and so live a more meaningful and fruitful life We pray that You would not only rescue alcoholic men and women from the depths of despair to which many have fallen, but also that bring them into the newness of life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought One of the mottoes of A.A. is "First Things First." This means that we should always keep in mind that alcohol is our number-one problem. We must never let any other problem, whether of family, business, friends, or anything else, take precedence in our minds over our alcoholic problem. As we go along in A.A., we learn to recognize the things that may upset us emotionally. When we find ourselves getting upset over something, we must realize that it's a luxury we alcoholics can't afford. Anything that makes us forget our number-one problem is dangerous to us. So ............ Am I keeping sobriety, in the first place, in my mind? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Choice God has given us two things - His spirit and the power of choice - to accept or not, as we will. We have the gift of free will. When we choose the path of selfishness and greed and pride, we are refusing to accept God's spirit. When we choose the path of love and service, we accept God's spirit and it flows into us and makes all things new. Choose the right way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Healing Contact Sometimes we become overburdened with frustration and disappointment in our lives. When we turn inward and focus only on our problems, we may be cutting ourselves off from the healing effect of contact with others. When we help others, we affirm our solidarity with them in their stress and suffering. We don't give help because we are better or without problems of our own, but because we suffer too. When we act as fellowmen/women, the comradeship and human contact we get provide us with as much help as we give. They liberate us from our own oppressive egos and make us see we are worthwhile. ~ Peter Benton ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Take life one day at a time. There's no need to finish everything all at once. Avoid a hectic day and just breathe." ~ 12-Step Sayings for Everyone (Guideposts) |
October 18
Accepting Others Prayer Lord, It's sometimes hard for me to understand or accept or love those who are different from me. I find myself wanting to change them, so that they fit my accepted patterns. I know that the difference between us need not separate us, but my lack of understanding makes me want to stay within the safety of my own perceptions rather than embrace what seems foreign. Give me curiosity of mind so that I am open to the perspectives that others can offer me. Help me see the similarities that bind us together. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought "Live and Let Live." This, of course, means tolerance of people who think differently than we do, whether they are in A.A. or outside of A.A. We cannot afford the luxury of being intolerant or critical of other people. We do not try to impose our wills on those who differ from us. We are not "holier than thou." We do not have all the answers. We are not better than other good people. We live the best way we can and we allow others to do likewise. So ............ Am I willing to live and let live? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Patience How do you treat yourself? Do you talk to yourself in a kind and loving voice? We can’t be kind and loving to others until we learn to be kind and loving with ourselves. To live this way, we must give ourselves the gift of patience. Let’s practice patience with ourselves daily. Practice talking to yourself in a kind, loving voice. Your voice will be that of a loving parent who helps a child with a new task. Your Higher Power Is willing to be patient with you. Give yourself the same gift. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Habits Our drinking was connected with many habits -- big and little. Some of them were thinking habits, or things we felt inside ourselves. Others were doing habits -- things we did, actions we took. In getting used to not drinking, we have found that we needed new habits to take the place of those old ones. . . After we spent a few months practicing these new, sober habits or ways of acting and thinking, they became almost second nature to most of us, as drinking used to be. Living Sober, Preface ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “I live on a ship full of outcasts, populated by society's unacceptable. And yet, here I stand, happy. And I love them all. It is time to tender myself the same level of courtesy. Or perhaps it is time that I simply accepted that I too am one of the strange and abandoned.” ~ Gail Carriger |
October 19
Prayer For Purpose Lord, At times my days run together into weeks, into months, into years without any conscious thought on my part. Then, suddenly, I come to myself in the space of a moment and realize how unaware and without purpose I have been. Yet, when I try to define my purpose, it seems strangely elusive. I ask that you will give me clarity of purpose; that you will reveal to me my own reason for existence; that you will give me the sure and certain assurance that even when I have lost track of myself and my life, your purpose, though unknown to me or forgotten by me, is still being lived out through me. I ask this for this charity. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought There are just two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers. Those of us who are givers delight in it. But sometimes we givers are uncomfortable when we're on the receiving end. We brush off thanks and gifts and help, even when they're needed or deserved. Those of us who are takers, on the other hand, know how to graciously receive what others have to give; we know how to ask for what we need. Often, however, we don't know how to give. We can all strive to become traders, people who have learned how to both give and receive. We each have the capacity to give what we have freely and to ask, gratefully, for what we don't have. So ............ What can I give and take today? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Garbage in, Garbage Out One thing we don't need in our lives is garbage from the past. Yet many of us say that old thoughts and bitter memories often sneak devilishly back to spoil what should have been a pleasant day. Why do we let garbage from the past befoul our lives a second time? There is no benefit in bringing back old garbage. We can't change the past. We can't change our mistakes by brooding about them, and we can't obtain justice by remembering how badly we were treated or by plotting revenge. When we bring back garbage, we allow it to occupy space that should be devoted to constructive and positive things. If we don't want garbage in our lives, let's not put it there by bringing up matters that should have been released, forgiven, and forgotten. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Accountability In the early days of his drinking, the alcoholic is often guilty of irresponsibility. But once the time of compulsive drinking has arrived, he can't very well be held fully accountable for his conduct. He then has an obsession that condemns him to drink. and a bodily sensitivity to alcohol that guarantees his final madness and death. But when he is made aware of this condition, he is under pressure to accept A.A.'s program of moral regeneration. "As Bill See It" Page 32 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes “We all have a purpose in life, and when you find yours you will recognize it.” ~ Catherine Pulsifer “Inspiration in life is born when we have a purpose.” ~ Daniel Longwe |
October 20
Prayer to Relax Lord, Please grant me peace of mind and calm my troubled heart. Give me the strength and clarity of mind to find my purpose and walk the path you've laid out for me. I trust your Love, and know that you will heal this stress. Just as the sun rises each day against the dark of night. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought How do I work with new prospects? Am I always trying to dominate the conversation? Do I lay down the law and tell prospects what they will have to do? Do I judge them privately and feel that they have a small chance of making the program? Do I belittle them to myself? Or am I willing to bare my soul so as to get them talking about themselves? And, then, am I willing to be a good listener, not interrupting, but hearing them out to the end? Do I feel deeply that they are my brothers or my sisters? So ............ Am I helping them along the path to sobriety? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Being Committed All people set goals and resolutions, and easily slip back into old habits. We are all haunted by the excuses and “yeah buts” that have cost us countless opportunities for growth and expansion. Many people are attached to comfort, safety, and simplicity. These values are important and can provide much tranquility, though to truly grow and expand we must find an area of our life where commitment supersedes comfort. Do your commitments live up to your dreams? Success comes with commitment. Being committed is a willingness to do whatever it takes to fulfill and follow through on a responsibility. It may not even be what we most enjoy, but nonetheless, being committed means we are going to do it regardless. Commitment is essential to being a winner and achieving our loftiest goals. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Service Work & Commitments A home group can provide you with opportunities for service work and commitments. This could include brewing the coffee before meetings, updating contact lists, collecting donations, and much more. Service work and commitments tie into the accountability benefits we learned about above. You’re much more likely to show up to a meeting if you know you’re supposed to put the chairs out and you’re much more likely to stay sober when you know things are expected of you. Alcoholics don’t typically like accountability and especially not chores, but service work and commitments work. Talk to the meeting chair about signing up for service work and commitments. ~ Anonymous A.A. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results." ~ Art Turock |
October 21
Troubled Mind Prayer Dear Lord, Calm my troubled mind Still my worried heart Guide my endless thoughts Come and leave your mark. Shelter my tired body Lift my heavy soul Quiet my deepest fears Come and make me whole. Carry my deepest hurt Cover my open wounds Restore my abandoned dreams Come and hold my life. Open my ears to hear Shower my life with praise Full up my thoughts with truth Stay by me every day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought I no longer try to escape life through alcoholism. Drinking built up an unreal world for me and I tried to live in it. But in the morning light the real world was back again and facing it was harder than ever, because I had less resources with which to meet it. Each attempt at escape weakened my personality by the very attempt. Everyone knows that alcohol, by relaxing inhibitions, permits a flight from reality. Alcohol deadens the brain cells that preside over our highest faculties and we are off to the unreal world of alcoholism. A.A. taught me not to run away, but to face reality. So ............ Have I given up trying to escape life? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Attention What most of us want is to be heard. If we want attention, we must also give it. That means letting go of all extraneous thoughts when we're in conversation with someone. We cannot expect to get from others what we are unable or unwilling to give. The beauty of hearing each other is that it helps us to hear ourselves. We know better who we are when we listen to one another. Every conversation offers us a chance to be real, to help another person be real. Attention is a gift. If I want to receive it, I must give it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ H.A.L.T. H.A.L.T. stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. These feelings can be dangerous to us. They can lead us away from our program. We need to eat regular meals. When we get too hungry, we get cranky. Then we say and do things we regret. We need to turn anger over to our Higher Power, or else our anger turns into rage. We need friends to help us in recovery. If we get too lonely, we may turn to an addictive way for friendship. We don't stay sober by ourselves. We need a clear mind to deal with life. If we get too tired, we tend to feel sorry for ourselves. Being tired gets us into crazy thinking. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." ~ Leo Buscaglia |
October 22
Prayer for This Day Lord, It is so easy to focus only on my needs, but I ask that You would bless those around me. Please help my children, family and friends to see, feel and experience your love. Please protect and heal my loved ones. I thank You for the wonderful people I have in my life and I ask You to guide their paths this day. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought People believe in A.A. when they see it work. An actual demonstration is what convinces them. What they read in books, what they hear people say doesn't always convince them. But when they see a real honest-to-goodness change take place in a person, a change from an alcoholic to a sober, useful citizen, that's something they can believe because they can see it. There's really only one thing that proves to me that A.A. works. So ............ Have I seen the change in people who come into A.A.? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Destiny None of us, perhaps, ever thought we'd end up in recovery. But we were working at joining recovery years before we got here! Maybe recovery was our fate from the day we first took a drink. Others around us could see the writing on the wall, but we couldn't. We were too busy trying to avoid the pain. Alcoholism had a lot to do with us trying to find spiritual wholeness--- the kind of spiritual wholeness we're finding now. . .in recovery. So, let's welcome recovery into our lives. We have found our spiritual home. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Choices Our necessities are certainly immense and compelling. Each of us must conform reasonably well to AA's Steps and Traditions, or else we shall go mad or die of alcoholism. Therefore the compulsion among most of us to survive and grow soon becomes far stronger than the temptation to drink or misbehave. Literally, we must 'do or die.' So we make the choice to live. This, in turn, means the choice of AA principles, practices, and attitudes. This is our first great and critical choice. Admittedly, this is made under the fearful and immediate lash of John Barleycorn, the killer. Plainly enough, this first choice is far more a necessity than it is an act of virtue. The Language of the Heart Pages 301-302 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes “A half-truth is a whole lie.” ~ Yiddish Proverb "Every lie is two lies, the lie we tell others and the lie we tell ourselves to justify it." ~ Robert Brault |
October 23
This Morning Prayer Lord, Please keep me and my loved ones from all danger and harm. Help me start this day with a new, pleasant attitude with plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so I can hear Your voice. Please broaden my mind so that I can accept all things without judgment. Let me not whine or complain over things I have no control over. And when the world closes in on me, let me remember, to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. Continue to use me to do Your Will. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Do I always want to be up front in the limelight? Do I feel that nobody else can do as good a job as I can? Am I willing to take a seat in the back row once in a while and let somebody else carry the ball? Part of the effectiveness of any A.A. group is the development of new members to carry on, to take over from the older members. Am I reluctant to give up authority? Do I try to carry the load for the whole group? If so, I am not being fair to the newer members. Do I realize that no one person is essential? So ............ Do I know that A.A. could carry on without me, if it had to? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Listening It's hard to listen in a complete way. Often, we listen, but we're still thinking about ourselves. We wonder, "How do their words relate to me? Do I have anything to add?" Often, fear is behind these questions. We fear saying the wrong thing. We fear looking stupid. Good listeners know how to let go of their fears. To listen completely, we step outside ourselves, and we're totally there for someone else. Sometimes we listen for only a few moments. Sometimes we don't even agree with the people we're listening to. But we let them know that they count. What a gift we give when we listen in a complete way! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Praise It's always heady stuff when others congratulate us on our victory over alcohol. Fair-minded people will have considerable admiration for what appears to be a bootstrap effort to make a comeback from despair and defeat. We can accept this praise with grace and modesty. At some point, however, we should emphasize that our recovery was an example of spiritual principles at work and that thousands have been able to follow in the same path. Sober AA members are not exceptions; they are examples of what the program can do in people's lives. It is important to emphasize that we are ordinary people. The marvelous thing about the program is that it works for ordinary people like ourselves. Many people in the fellowship have great talent and ability, but those gifts have nothing to do with staying sober. The gifted person gets sober the same way anybody does..... by admitting powerlessness over alcohol and by accepting the program. ~ Mel B. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex." ~ Norman Vincent Peale |
October 24
Prayer for Contentment Lord, I pray for Contentment. Help me to stay positive even when it feels like my world is falling apart. Help me to see blessings, even in my burdens Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought It's been proven that we alcoholics can't get sober by our willpower. We've failed again and again. Therefore, I believe there must be a Higher Power which helps me. I think of that power as the grace of God. And I pray to God every morning for the strength to stay sober today. I know that power is there because it never fails to help me. So ............ Do I believe that AA. works through the grace of God? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Honesty Sometimes we think that honesty is simply too painful and demanding---- all sacrifice with no gain. If we are completely honest with ourselves, however, the results can only be positive. What are the advantages of being entirely honest about our motives and feelings? One benefit is that we never will have to face the disillusionment and humiliation that come from self-deception. An honest person has self-respect and a clear conscience. In real honesty, there is no inner struggle to keep up appearances or to pretend we are anybody except ourselves. Honesty makes us comfortable rather than pained, relaxed rather than anxious, and decisive rather than confused. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Essence of Growth Let us never fear needed change. Certainly, we have to discriminate between changes for better. But once a need becomes clearly apparent in an individual, in a group, or in A.A. as a whole, it has long since been found out that we cannot stand still and look the other way. The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails. As Bill Sees It Page 115 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Storms make trees take deeper roots." ~ Claude McDonald |
October 25
Peace of Mind Prayer Lord, Grant me peace in my heart, eliminate the pain and relieve me of the stress I feel. Allow Your serenity and love to consume me. Relax my mind, my body and my soul as I surrender myself to You. Revive the joy and energy I once had. Allow Your light to infiltrate through the darkness and grace me so I can smile again. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We in Alcoholics Anonymous are fortunate in that we are constantly reminded of the need to be grateful and of how important gratitude is in our sobriety. I am truly grateful for the sobriety God has given me through the A.A. program and am glad I can give back what was given to me freely. I am grateful not only for sobriety, but for the quality of life my sobriety has brought. God has been gracious enough to give me sober days and a life blessed with peace and contentment, as well as the ability to give and receive love, and the opportunity to serve others -- in our Fellowship, my family and community. So ............ Do I have "a full and thankful heart?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Honesty The most precious gift we can give those closest to us is honesty. Yet we often hide our true selves from friends, fearing we won't be accepted or loved if we let them see the real us. If we hide too much behind false images, we run the risk of losing track of what is real and what is false. We become actors instead of real people. When we conquer our fear of letting others in, we are able to see ourselves honestly. When we discover that others accept us as we are, we can accept and love ourselves. To know oneself is to know a person of value. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shocking Conclusion When A.A. was quite young, a number of eminent psychologists and doctors made an exhaustive study of a good-sized group of so-called problem drinkers. The doctors weren't trying to find how different we were from one another; they sought to find whatever personality traits, if any, this group of alcoholics had in common. They finally came up with a conclusion that shocked the A.A. members of that time. These distinguished men had the nerve to say that most of the alcoholics under investigation were still childish, emotionally sensitive, and grandiose. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 122-123 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes “There comes a time in your life when you have to choose to turn the page, write another book or simply close it.” ~ Shannon L. Alder "Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be." ~ Sonia Ricotte |
October 26
Prayer of Gratitude Lord, Thank you for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have surrounded me with people who always look out for me. You have given me family and friends who bless me every day with kind words and actions. They lift me up in many ways. Also, thank you, Lord, for keeping me safe. You help me make better choices, and you have provided me with advisors that help me with the difficult decisions. You speak to me in so many ways. And Lord, I am so grateful to you, for keeping those around me safe and loved. I hope that you provide me with the ability and sense to show them every day how much they matter. I hope that you give me the ability to give to them the same kindness they have provided to me. I am just so grateful for all of your blessings in my life, Lord. I pray that you remind me of just how lucky I am, and that you never allow me to forget to show my gratitude in prayer and return kind acts. Amen ~ Kelli Mahoney ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought The A.A. program, is one of submission, release, and action. When we're drinking, we're submitting to a power greater than ourselves, alcoholism. Our own wills are no use against the power of alcohol. One drink and we're sunk. In A.A. we stop submitting to the power of alcohol. Instead, we submit to a Power, also greater than ourselves, which we call God. So ............ Have I submitted myself to that Higher Power? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Petty Annoyances Do not become encumbered by petty annoyances. Never respond to emotional upsets by emotional upset. Try to keep calm in all circumstances. Try not to fight back. Call on the grace of God to calm you when you feel like retaliating. Look to God for the inner strength to drop those resentments that drag you down. If you are burdened by annoyances, you will lose your inward peace and the spirit of God will be shut out. Try to keep peace within. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Long View One thing we learn in A.A. is to take a long view of drinking instead of a short view. When we were drinking, we thought more about the pleasure or release that a drink would give us, than we did about the consequences which would result from our taking that drink. Liquor looks good from the short view. When we look in a package store window, we see liquor dressed up in its best wrappings, with fancy labels and decorations. They look swell. But have I learned that what's inside those beautiful bottles is just plain poison to me? (Not sure where this came from) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes "Humility isn't denying your strengths; it's being honest about your weaknesses." ~ Rick Warren "Being humble means recognizing that we are not on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others" ~ Gordon B. Hinckley |
October 27
Prayer for Wisdom In everything we do, Lord, give us a desire to seek out the truth; give us a willingness to heed the advice of others; give us wisdom in reaching decisions; give us faith to believe in our conclusions; give us courage to put our ideas to the test; and, if we prove ourselves wrong, give us the grace to admit it. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought What draws newcomers to A.A. and gives them hope? They hear the stories of men and women whose experiences correspond with their own. The expressions on the faces of the women, that indefinable something in the eyes of the men, the stimulating atmosphere of the A.A. clubroom, conspire to let them know that there is haven at last. The very practical approach to their problems, the absence of intolerance of any kind, the informality, the genuine democracy, the uncanny understanding that these people in A.A. have is irresistible. So ............ Have I found a new way of life in A.A.? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Excuses We use excuses to hide from ourselves. Maybe we don’t want to be honest about our anger. So we say someone else made us angry. Maybe we don’t want to admit how mean we can be. So we pretend we have no part in what happens. Excuses keep us from ourselves. They keep us from our High Power. A lot of our program is about looking at ourselves. Steps Four, Five, and Ten tell us to be honest about our excuses. We can be honest because we are good people. We are loved. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serenity I came into my apartment and I suddenly collapsed on the floor. I lay there breathing kind of heavily and I said to myself, "Oh, to hell with serenity. I don't care if it never comes." And I meant it. And do you know what happened? All of a sudden the craving to find serenity utterly evaporated - and in its place was serenity. The trouble was the search ... looking there for what was right here. Daily Reflections Page 197 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Nothing is interesting, if you are not interested." ~ Helen MacInnes |
October 28
Brick Wall Prayer Lord, you know my fears and my desires. Lord, don't let my desires blind me to your will. If this is not within your plan for me, throw up a Brick Wall. Give me an obstacle I cannot get past. Help me follow your will. Give me peace about whatever is to come. If my desires fall through, I will know it is your hand. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We're so glad to be free from alcohol that we do something about it. We get into action. We come to meetings regularly. We go out and try to help other alcoholics. We pass on the good news whenever we get a chance. In a spirit of thankfulness to God, we get into action. The A.A. program is simple. Submit yourself to God, find release from alcoholism, and get into action. Do these things and keep doing them and you're all set for the rest of your life. So ............ Have I got into action? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Wisdom & Stress Wisdom begins in seeing how much we do not know. Sometimes it's a painful blow to our egos to face what we still have to learn. Many of us have believed we know how to live. When our lives seem full of crises - perhaps then it is time to open ourselves to some new learning. We can talk to friends and get ideas from family members. Perhaps they have noticed our blind spots and will tell us if asked. Expressing our problems in specific ways may point us to new learning. We may need to learn new ways to ask for & accept support. We can also as God to guide us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Growth & Change Change is the characteristic of all growth. From drinking to sobriety, from dishonesty to honesty, from conflict to serenity, from hate to love, from childish independence to adult responsibility--all this and infinitely more represent change for the better. Such changes are accomplished by a belief in and a practice of sound principles. Here we must needs discard bad or ineffective principles in favor of good ones that work. Even good principles can sometimes be displaced by the discovery of still better ones. Only God is unchanging; only He has all the truth there is. As Bill Sees It Page 76 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt." ~ St. Francis of Assisi |
October 29
Happiness and Peace Prayer Lord, I pray that you bless me with true happiness and peace in life. Lead me away from hate and anger toward love. From a restless mind and anxiety, give me peace. Lead me from fear of death to eternal life. When I suffer despair and lack of confidence, lead me to hope, faith, and trust. Lead me away from dishonesty and deceit toward eternal truth. Allow eternal peace and tranquility to fill my heart, my mind, my life, and my world. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought The A.A. program is one of hope. It's a program of hope because when new members come into A.A., the first thing they get is hope. They hear older members tell how they had been through the same kind of he!! that they have and how they found the way out through A.A. And this gives them hope that if others can do it, they can do it. So ............ Is hope still strong in me? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Choices We've been given recovery. For this, we're lucky. And we're grateful. Now it's up to us. We must accept our choices. When we're afraid, do we choose to be alone? Or do we choose to go to extra meetings? When we're not honest, do we keep it secret? Or do we admit it and try to be more honest? No matter what we choose, we're responsible for that choice. Through choices, we either make our program strong or weak. We can choose to be lucky. Or we can choose not to be. The choice is ours. Our addiction robbed us of choice. It taught us to blame others. Now we see ourselves as responsible. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trouble There was a time when we ignored trouble, hoping it would go away. Or, in fear and in depression, we ran from it, but found it was still with us. Often, full of unreason, bitterness, and blame, we fought back. These mistaken attitudes, powered by alcohol, guaranteed our destruction, unless they were altered. Then came AA. Here we learned that trouble was really a fact of life for everybody -- a fact that had to be understood and dealt with. Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could, under God's grace, be converted into unimagined blessings. As Bill Sees It Page 110 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” ~ John F. Kennedy |
October 30
Prayer Just for Today Lord, Just for this day, Help me to understand and do your will. Allow me the strength to face and overcome stressful situations. Please give my family and friends the same strength, this day. Let me try to help another human being, like I was helped. Allow me the willingness to look for the good and serenity to accept the bad. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought My primary purpose is to stay sober. The great paradox of A.A. is that I know I cannot keep the precious gift of sobriety unless I give it away. In A.A. I have no other goal, and the importance of this is a matter of life or death for me. If I veer from this purpose, I lose. But A.A. is not only for me; it is for the alcoholic who still suffers. The legions of recovering alcoholics stay sober by sharing with fellow alcoholics. The way to my recovery is to show others in A.A. that when I share with them, we both grow in the grace of the Higher Power, and both of us are on the road to a happy destiny. So ............ Is my primary purpose to stay sober? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Humility Humility is the quality of being humble and means putting the needs of another person before your own, and thinking of others before yourself. It also means not drawing attention to yourself, and it can mean acknowledging that you are not always right. To cultivate humility: Spend time listening to others, Practice mindfulness and focus on the present, Be grateful for what you have, Ask for help when you need it, Seek feedback from others on a regular basis, Review your actions against the language of pride. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Upkeep When my own house is in order, I find the different parts of my life are more manageable. Stripped from the guilt and remorse that cloaked my drinking years, I am free to assume my proper role in the universe, but this condition requires maintenance. I should stop and ask myself, Am I having fun yet? If I find answering that question difficult or painful, perhaps I'm taking myself too seriously and finding it difficult to admit that I've strayed from my practice of working the program to keep my house in order. Daily Reflections Page 31 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life” ~ J.K. Rowlings |
October 31
Patience Prayer Lord, I pray that I am patient every moment of this day with myself and with everyone around me. I am patient in traffic. I am patient in the workplace and with my co-workers. I am patient with the world when I hear the news on radio or TV. I am patient at home with my spouse and loved ones. I am a patient person, because I have a patient God. God is patient with me. Therefore, I am patient with all those around me. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Recovery is a process. The Twelve Steps provide the foundation to support our growth as healthy, productive men and women. Each Step must be carefully and honestly worked, or the whole foundation will be weakened Not only can we discover who we are now, but also we can change, nurture those traits that we favor, diminish those that attract trouble. My actions today are the key. They tell who I am at this moment. Who I become is up to me. I will work each Step and reflect before I move ahead. The strength of my foundation depends on it. So ............ I am building my foundation? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Spiritual Growth In our spiritual growth, one of our movements is from passive to active, from helpless to responsive. Our Higher Power speaks to us in a quiet, subtle voice, which can easily be ignored until we learn to listen. It takes courage to listen to this inner voice. When we listen, we develop a relationship that is a strong force moving us into recovery. We are still powerless over many things, but we can make active choices in how we will grow and how we will respond. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Understanding & Approval The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society, from life itself. As we became subjects of King Alcohol, shivering denizens of his mad realm, the chilling vapor that is loneliness settled down. It thickened, ever becoming blacker. Some of us sought out sordid places, hoping to find understanding companionship and approval. Momentarily we did - then would come oblivion and the awful awakening to face the hideous Four Horsemen - Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair. Unhappy drinkers who read this page will understand! Alcoholics Anonymous Page 151 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.” ~ Frank A. Clark |
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