[bluidkiti]

July 14

Step by Step

"As we look back, we feel we had gone on drinking many years beyond the point where we could quit on our will power. If anyone questions whether he has entered this dangerous area, let him try leaving liquor alone for one year. If he is a real alcoholic and very far advanced, there is scant chance of success. In the early days of our drinking, we occasionally remained sober for a year or more, becoming serious drinkers again later. Though you may be able to stop for a considerable period, you may yet be a potential alcoholic." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 3 ("More About Alcoholism"), p 34.

Today - the AA challenge. If hangovers, the morning drink to calm a churning stomach and shakes, if warnings from the spouse, partner or employer and if high liver enzymes aren't enough to clue me that I might have a problem with alcohol, I'll take the AA challenge and give up drinking for a year. It would be a monumental achievement considering I probably can't remember when I went that long without a drink after I started. And if I don't make it ...how about a piece of humble pie with a couple of side dishes of honesty and determination "to go to any lengths" to recover? Likewise, even if I am in recovery and it's been a few years since my last drink, what are the odds that I can start drinking responsibly again? Rhetorical question. Today, I set out on the AA challenge to go it alcohol-free for a year ...one day at a time. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M.

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~ EASY DOES IT ~ (A Book of Daily 12 Step Meditations) ~

NO FREE RIDE

The elevator is broken; use the Steps.

~ Anonymous ~

Elevators are easy. We push a button and we go right to the top. The way is fast, quick, and silent. We don't work up a sweat. We don't get out of breath. We can't trip and fall. There is not much time to communicate with anyone else along the way so we don't have to use any effort or thought. We can day dream as we face the front of the car and stare at the numbers as they change from floor to floor.

Then the elevator breaks and we crash to the ground. Those of us who survive are told to take the Steps to get where we want to go. Our addictions were our elevators out of living. The chemical highs we experienced were just like an elevator ride. Until we crashed.

I will sometimes sweat, stumble, get out of breath in my climb, but I'll take the time to talk with and learn from others who are taking the Steps with me.

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~ WISDOM TO KNOW ~ (More Daily Meditations For Men) ~

How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.

~ Marcus Aurelius ~

Anger shatters our calm. Some of us show it in loud bursts; others just quietly stew. Sometimes we feel angry inside but we still want to look kind and unperturbed, so our anger comes out sideways, hurting someone indirectly or in sneaky ways. We all have felt the pangs of regret after we said or did something in anger. We wish we could magically turn back the clock and undo the moment, gather up the pieces, and put them back together again.

No one can simply banish the basic human emotion of anger from his life. To be responsible, we must accept our anger. It arises from within us and handling it is our own responsibility, even when we are perfectly justified in feeling angry. We choose our way to express it. It is never responsible to say, “You made me angry, so it’s your fault that I blew up.”

After accepting our anger we strive to develop a space between the feeling and our actions. We learn to notice our feelings before they reach the explosion point. In that mental space we choose how to express them.

Today I will notice and accept my anger, then choose respectful ways to express it.

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~ A WOMAN’S SPIRIT ~ (More Meditations For Women) ~

Thank God my future isn’t what it used to be.

~ Jill Clark ~

Most of us were on our way to an awful destination, and it’s doubtful that we realized it at the time. In fact, we probably were satisfied with the direction we’d headed in and fiercely fought the forces that moved us off our chosen path. Fortunately, we lost the battle. In the process we gained this life, but it has taken time for us to understand how lucky we are to have been “saved.”

God’s grace has blessed us. We can call it “luck” or “karma” or “good planning” or an “accident,” but we hear those in recovery calling it grace. We know that they are right. Something intervened and changed the course of our lives.

We may not yet know just what our new direction is, but we can be certain that if we listen to the still, small voice within, we’ll understand the meaning of the grace that’s been bestowed on us.

My future is special. Today I’ll be shown what I need to know for living the next twenty-four hours.

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~ TODAY I WILL DO ONE THING ~ (Daily Readings for Awareness and Hope) ~

I want to show my gratitude with service

Not long ago it was all I could do to get out of bed. I was angry at the world for my dual disorder. Everything seemed to be going wrong. I was grateful to no one and nothing.

Since getting into the Twelve Step program, however, I am doing and feeling much better. Slowly my program has led me to acceptance and abstinence. It has even helped me to get psychiatrically stable. I feel such fullness and gratitude these days that I want to share it. I want to give back some of what I've been given. I want to help others feel better, too.

I will express my gratitude for the program and my home group and humbly offer to be of service.

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~ BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT ~ (Inspiration and Support for Recovery) ~

No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions.

~ Charles P. Steinmetz ~

We often pass up the chance to ask a question of someone because we don’t want to feel stupid. In the past, we kept very busy trying to look like we were in control; trying to seem as though we already knew what we needed to know. Now, in our new awareness that we can’t live life alone, there is much we need to ask. We can learn a lot from children in this area. They are so wonderfully free of inhibitions when it comes to asking questions, and as a result, they learn. Their world expands.

We understand ourselves and others better when we ask questions, when we seek out new knowledge. We haven’t experienced, studied, read about, or heard everything there is to know, so we have many questions, especially in the area of recovery. Now we know we can go ahead and ask, that it’s okay, that the answer may help improve the quality of our lives. The more we search, the more we will learn, and the more serenity we will find. Like children, our minds are hungry for knowledge.

Today help me ask questions without worrying about looking foolish, and respond to questions in the most helpful way I can.

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~ MORNING LIGHT ~ (Meditations to Begin Your Day) ~

I am in that temper that if I were under water I would scarcely kick to come to the top.

~ John Keats ~

Everyone gets the blues or feels down from time to time. But if you feel down or blue on most days and have felt this way for an extended period of time, you may be suffering from depression.

It may bring you comfort to know that depression is quite common among alcoholics and drug abusers— both during their addiction as well as in their recovery. Common symptoms include such things as finding little enjoyment in life, even with those things or people that used to bring you pleasure; having trouble sleeping at night or getting out of bed in the morning; having a general disinterest in anything; experiencing a significant weight loss or gain; feeling intense fatigue and a general disconnection from yourself; experiencing feelings of sadness that do not go away; or having suicidal thoughts, f Even if you discover from this assessment that you are experiencing few or none of these symptoms and just feel clown from time to time, it is still a good idea to talk with II therapist. A mental health professional can provide help for how you are feeling and also become a valuable member of your recovery support network.

I will utilize all of the resources available to me so I can better understand how I am feeling.

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~ NIGHT LIGHT ~ (A Book Of Nighttime Meditations) ~

There is a divine plan of good at work in my life. I will let go and let it unfold.

~ Ruth P. Freedman ~

There is a lesson to be learned from each person we meet. Our contact, however brief, has happened for some reason. We may feel as if we are part of a play, especially when we meet someone at a particularly meaningful time. Maybe we were laid off from work and for some reason attended a meeting in a different town and sat next to an employer looking for someone with our qualifications.

Yet we may question the meaning behind meeting those who leave us with pain and heartache. We may wonder at the lessons to be learned from those who may treat us badly. Not all the lessons are easy, nor do all our contacts feel wonderful. But there is a purpose that can be seen after the healing of time. We'll always meet new people, just as we'll always be learning. These things we can trust are in the hands of our Higher Power.

Tonight, I will trust that my life is lit by goodness and that all people and events can add to my light.

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~ DAY BY DAY ~ (Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts) ~

Lacking power over others

When we look closely at our lives, we may realize that we have little power over others (as shocking as that may seem). Yet often our arrogance gets so blown out of proportion that we think our actions can get people high or keep them straight! Think of that!

We are so important to ourselves, we begin to think that we are that important to others. We seldom see that our affairs have about as much weight with others as theirs do with us—and that is often little.

Do I realize that I can manage no one?

Higher Power, help me realize that my power over others is actually slight and protect me from my own arrogance.

If I find myself trying to manage others today, I will

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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~ IF YOU WANT WHAT WE HAVE ~ (Sponsorship Meditations) ~

Day is short as ever; time’s as long as it has been.

~ GEECHEE PROVERB ~

Newcomer

A change in my work schedule means I can’t go to my regular meeting anymore. By the time I’d be able to get there, only half an hour would be left. It’s not worth it.

Sponsor

Once, when I was visiting another city, a friend and I drove all over in the rain looking for a meeting we’d heard about. We were in unfamiliar territory, and finding the street address took us over an hour. We talked, meanwhile, about our lives and our recovery; it was good sharing. At last we parked and found the meeting place. We realized that we’d walked in at the end, just as everyone was joining hands. We looked at one another and laughed, joined the circle, and said the Serenity Prayer with a roomful of recovering strangers. They seemed happy to let us join in. We’d all stayed sober for another day.

Yes, it’s important to go to whole meetings; whole meetings are essential to recovery. But if, under special circumstances, the only meeting we can get to is part of a meeting, we do it. Skipping meetings where we can connect with other recovering people, especially those who’ve begun to get to know us, can compound feelings of isolation. It spells danger for our recovery.

In this day of recovery, whatever I do, I do with all my attention.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

It is most fortunate for us arrested alcoholics that we can never know the price we paid for our former dissipations.

One man received a splendid promotion about a month ago, and was told that his name had been considered for the job for fourteen years but that it had been held up because of his drinking.

There is no use in crying over spilt milk—those days are gone forever and carried their opportunities with them—but today is here now.

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~ The 12 STEP PRAYER BOOK ~ (A Collection of Favorite 12 Step Prayers and Inspirational Readings) ~

For Guidance

Father of light,
Give us wisdom to know You,
Intelligence to understand You,
Courage to seek You,
Patience to wait for You
Eyes to see You,
A heart to meditate on You,
And a life to proclaim You.

~ by St. Benedict ~

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~ AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX ~ (A Book of Daily Readings) ~

GUIDED WISDOM

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you (Matthew 7:6).

Intelligence is just as essential a part of the Christian message as is love. God is love, but God is also infinite intelligence, and unless these two qualities are balanced in our lives, we do not get wisdom; for wisdom is the perfect blending of intelligence and love. Love with, out intelligence may do much undesigned harm—and intelligence without love may ultimate in clever cruelty. All true Christian activity will express wisdom.

Never rely upon your own judgment to say who is ready for the Truth and who is not, but rely for guidance upon the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. If you are praying regularly every day for wisdom, and fresh opportunities for service, the right people will be brought to you.

Remember that those with whom you associate closely will have your personal conduct under constant inspection. The quickest way to spread the Truth is by living the life yourself. Then people will notice the change in you and they will come round of their own accord, begging to share your secret.

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~ A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE ~ (365 Daily Inspirations for Heart-Centered Living) ~

Table with a View

Make love now, by night and by day, in winter and in summer… You are in the world for that and the rest of life is nothing but vanity, illusion, waste. There is only one science, love, one riches, love, only one policy, love. To make love is all the law and the Prophets.

~ Anatole France ~

"Excuse me, sir, we are going to need this spot," a deep voice awakened me from my sunset reverie. I looked up and saw a young man wearing black tuxedo trousers and a short white waiter's jacket, setting up a dinner table on the grassy hill. He and an assistant laid out elegant white linen and cutlery befitting a fine restaurant.

"Is there some party happening?" I asked.

"It's a wedding anniversary."

"How many people are you preparing for?"

“Two. It’s the couple’s 25th anniversary. The husband is surprising his wife with a private catered dinner overlooking the beach.”

In just a few hours on a verdant knoll overlooking a Maui beach, a happy woman would have the surprise of her life. As she and her husband would be strolling along casually, he would suggest, "Why don't we rest here, honey?" she would sit, perplexed, as a gourmet restaurant crew would emerge from behind the bushes and serve them a meal fit for a king and his queen, before one of the most spectacular backdrops on the planet.

Let’s hear it for romance. Passion is a very holy thing. It is the very juice of life—the electricity that sparks all growth, achievement, and expression. Passion is the hand of God reaching into humanity to animate it to divinity.

Today, put some romance in to your life. If you’re in a relationship, surprise your beloved with a gift that you know will make him or her happy. And if you’re in relationship with yourself, give yourself flowers, get a massage, or do something for yourself that a lover would give you. Don’t miss a moment of the adventure of life. Make love now.

I will celebrate all the gifts You have created for my happiness.

The universe is my palette. I paint a glorious picture and step into it.