Even More Recovery Readings and Meditations - October

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October 24

Step by Step

“The alcoholic may say to himself in the most casual way, ‘It won’t burn me this time, so here’s how!’ Or perhaps he doesn’t think at all. How often have some of us begun to drink in this nonchalant way, and after the third or fourth, pounded on the bar and said to ourselves, ‘For God’s sake, how did I ever get started again?’ Only to have that thought supplanted by, ‘Well, I’ll stop with the sixth drink.’ Or, ‘What’s the use anyhow?'” – Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 2 (“There Is a Solution”), p 24.

Today: what’s the use anyhow? There isn’t any if I cave into the myth that “just one” won’t hurt. “Just one” triggers the craving that leads to “just two,” then “just six” and, in the end, “What’s the use anyhow?” So much for “just one.” It’s the one that sets off the craving, temptation or thirst for the “just two” or “just six.” How, then, not to feed a craving, temptation or thirst? Simple! Don’t drink the first one! We’ve been handed the tools to steer clear of the mythical “just one.” All we need do is pick them up and put them into action. Today, we have the power and choice to prevent that potentially fatal conclusion of our drinking days: what’s the use anyhow. And our common journey continues. Step by step. – Chris M.

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

HONESTY

Honesty is largely a matter of information, of knowing that dishonesty is a mistake.

~ Edgar Watson Howe ~

If honesty is the best policy, most of us were delinquent in following it before we found recovery. We were reluctant to tell the truth because we were afraid of the consequences. Our dishonesties led us away from our true selves. We felt we were living behind hundreds of masks. We tried to out the world together through our manipulations.

We were always whole and complete. It was our lying, dishonesty, and rationalizations that made us feel small. When we honestly look at our life now and account for our actions, we reclaim our identity. This is a wonderful experience. We can take pleasure in the unique person that we are, and continue to build a new life.

Honesty keeps me in the present reality and opens the door to the future. I never need to hide again.

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

I loved boxing. I loved every minute of it, every round in the gym, every skip of the rope, and every foot on the road. The fights were the dessert.

~ Carmen Basilio, middleweight champion ~

Life is about the path, not just the destination. Yes, we have goals and commitments in mind; they give us direction and motivation. But getting there is our life experience. We have some big goals that guide us; they are not accomplished in a day. We live each day in the stream that carries us forward as we gradually loosen our controlling grip.

This path is about the process of moving forward as much as it is about arriving at our destination. We never use the word cured because we never have that much control. We only seek to be on the path and stay there, loving our experiences along the way. Once in a while we enjoy the “dessert” of an achievement, but sharing our lives with loved ones, enjoying a day of good work, taking time to go fishing or dig in the garden—these are the real stuff of a good life.

Today on my path I will take pleasure in what the day brings.

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

Attitude and perspective are everything. Thus I see the glass as half-full, not half-empty.

~ Kathy Kendall ~

Cynics rob themselves of the happiness they deserve. Sometimes we let them rob us of our happiness as well. Fortunately, our attitudes aren’t up for grabs unless we relinquish ownership.

Developing a loving, positive attitude isn’t difficult. If our family of origin was angry and opinionated, we may have gravitated toward a similar out-look. But with some effort we can follow the examples of people with a more positive outlook: good role models are easy to find in Twelve Step pro-grams.

We’ll discover that we can create a more accepting perspective. No one sees our experiences exactly as we do; each of us responds to life uniquely. We can come to understand this profound truth and willingly develop respect for all perspectives. When we accept that others’ interpretations are right for them, and decide to see the positive rather than the negative in our own lives, we are promised true contentment.

I can kick the negatives out of my life today if that’s my choice. How I look at any experience depends on how I choose to see it.

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

I can cope

It's not even dawn and I'm wide awake. I feel sad and scared and exhausted. After two weeks, my antidepressant still doesn’t seem to be working. Right now, I'm wondering when I will ever feel better.

Still, my doctor said I might feel this way. He said it could take a couple weeks—maybe longer—for the medication to take effect. Coping is not easy, but I think I can still hang on. I have a higher power to help me. I will be better soon.

I will first ask my higher power for strength and then I'll get out of bed and begin my day.

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

He that is thy friend indeed,
He will help thee in thy need.

~ Richard Bamfield ~

With friends we can get through the hardest times. When things seem bleak and gloomy, a friend can brighten the day. A friend can tell us a hard truth when we need to hear one and help us enjoy a good laugh that brings back our perspective.

Now that we’re recovering, every day is a chance to find new friends. Our Twelve Step program is a great place to meet healthy people from all walks of life, people with all kinds of experience. Once, we might have had a limited idea of who a friend could be, but now we seek out those with our common goals of sobriety and serenity. We find we have much in common with people of different ages, races, and religions. We’re all recovering, and struggling to find new peace in our lives. Together, we can share our experience and learn from one another, and we can enjoy the glow that comes from making new friends. When we open ourselves up to that experience and make the effort we discover how deserving we are.

Today I am grateful for the new world of friends waiting for me.

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

Privacy is something I’m not merely entitled to, it’s an absolute prerequisite.

~ Marlon Brando ~

Nowadays private lives seem to have become irrelevant. It is not just rich and powerful people or those in the spotlight whose lives have been made into open books. Videos of truly private moments are broadcast on web-sites. Diaries people once kept under lock and key have been transformed into blogs, made available to the entire world. Personal messages e-mailed to one person can be intercepted and sent to multiple recipients. And even innocent surfing on the Internet can capture enough personal information to wreak havoc on bank accounts and credit cards. Because of this, it may seem as if privacy has become a luxury item.

One place in which privacy is of utmost importance is in recovery. Without respect for the confidentiality of all members, considerable personal and professional dam-age could be done. When you share with someone else the names of those who attend meetings or some of the things they admit to doing while they were using, it is not just a violation of one of the tenets of the program. It is an invasion of privacy.

I will respect the privacy and private thoughts of others.

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

A hug is a perfect gift—one size fits all, and nobody minds if you exchange it.

~ Ivern Ball ~

In the past many of us may have feared physical expressions of friendship. A hug, a touch, or a friend's gentle nudge may have made us want to back away. Or we may have misinterpreted such expressions as overtures to more physical contact. All we knew is that those hugs or touches were confusing.

When we came into the program we saw many people hugging or holding hands in the circle at the end of a meeting. We may even remember the first time someone hugged us; their arms encircled us as our arms lay stiff by our sides. "What can this person possibly mean by hugging me?" we may have thought.

As time went on and we received more hugs, we realized they didn't hurt. It didn't mean someone wanted us sexually; it just meant somebody liked us and wanted to show us that. Pretty soon we started giving hugs instead of just receiving them. We learned to trust them and soon let ourselves feel the wonderful love that encircled us each time we were given one.

I can give a hug to someone I care about. Maybe I can get a hug too!

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

Meditating

In our old lives we were busy giving orders, making demands, and directing others. Now we find it is time to try to listen. Prayer is talking to your Higher Power; meditation is listening to your Higher Power. There are as many types of meditation as there are individuals. We find that daily meditation is vital to keeping perspective.

Have I learned to meditate?

I pray that I may learn to listen to my Higher Power so that I may be in harmony with the Higher Forces.

Today I will listen to my Higher Power by meditating about

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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

Live and let live.

~ PROGRAM SLOGAN ~

Newcomer

I saw some people in a public place recently who seemed "high." I reminded myself that what they were doing was none of my business. I didn't have to condemn them, and I didn't have to indulge in my own drug of choice in reaction to them. I can't say that I was completely tolerant, though; my first reaction was judgmental.

Sponsor

I still don't enjoy being around people who are active in their addictions; I avoid it, if possible. But sometimes it happens. Like you, I don't immediately think, "They're suffering from a disease"; instead, impatience and intolerance surface in me. At the end of certain meetings I go to, the speaker asks for a moment of silence "for all those who are still sick and suffering, both in and out of these rooms." This moment of focused attention reminds me that I can open to greater acceptance of others—and of myself

"Live" is just as important a part of the slogan as "let live." When I'm not preoccupied with others, judging them, becoming obsessed with what I believe to be their difficulties, and trying to "fix" them, then I can embrace my own life with energy and enthusiasm. That's living!

Today, I mind my business; I stay centered on the pursuits of my own soul.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

Resolutions, like clay pigeons, are made to be broken. They are nearly always made in sincerity, but the very act of making a resolution is a confession on the part of the maker of his inability to keep it otherwise. As resolutions are contrary to the subconscious wishes of the maker, they are almost surely doomed from the start.

If a person really wanted what he resolved, he would do it without the resolution, for we are prone to do those things that we really want to do.

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

Reconstruction Ahead

My Creator, show me the way of patience, tolerance, kindness, and love. Help me to clean house and ask in my morning prayer and meditation for the energy for positive action. I have accepted the reality that there is a long period of reconstruction ahead. And yes, the spiritual life is not a theory; I have to live it.

~ Adapted from material in Alcoholics Anonymous, Fourth Edition, page 83 ~

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

STAKE YOUR CLAIM

In the gold rush days prospectors went out in the mountains in search of the yellow metal. Often the task was long and arduous with little to show for days of struggle and privation. But when a find was made, the prospector would stake his claim so that others would know that that particular discovery belonged to him. Of course, some claims turned out to be shallow veins of ore and worth little, while other claims eventually made their owners fabulously wealthy.

In metaphysics, we often speak of claiming our good, and it is one of the surest ways of bringing the good we desire into our lives. If we want health, then we have to claim every day that divine Life brings well-being to every part of our body. If we want prosperity, then we claim every day that God is the giver of every good gift, ready to supply our every need.

Whatever it is we wish to bring into our life, we stake our claim to it.

Of course, we often claim negative things for ourselves without fully realizing it. Every time we say, "My cold," "My headache," "My indigestion," we are claiming those things for ourself. What one claims for himself he will eventually bring into his life.

Affirm your divine kinship. All that the Father hath is ours—if we will stake our claim with God.

. . . it is yow Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32).

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

The Sigh

It is our hearts that He asks of us.

~ Francois Fenelon ~

A cobbler told his rabbi, "Most of my customers are men who work every day and drop their boots off to me at night for repair. I often stay up all night to get their boots ready for them in the morning. Sometimes I am so tired that I do not say the morning prayer. Other times I just say it quickly so I will have time to work. Other times my heart just sighs, ‘How I wish I had the time and energy to say my prayer.’”

The rabbi answered, "If I were God, I would value that sigh more than the prayer."

Our love of God is not measured by the rituals we do or the forms we create, but by the intentions of our heart. We may lead a busy lifestyle, but if our soul I connected with Spirit, our daily activities become our communions. By contrast, there are people who go through rote prayers and rituals, but their minds and hearts are elsewhere.

The great illusion of the world is that we are what we do. The great truth of Spirit is that we live from our heart or we do not live at all. Here is a benchmark by which you can assess the quality of your actions and make important decisions: What is your intention? lf you truly seek to serve and give love, you cannot fail.

Throughout your day, say hello to God occasionally. Lovers call each other several times a day just to say hello. I used to call a girlfriend who had a pager. I would punch in the numbers equivalent to the letters, “I love you," or other romantic phrases she would decipher. Those brief messages were the highlights of our days when we were apart. Give God a heartfelt call every now and then, and your love affair with Spirit will bloom in the most wonderful ways.

I pray to keep my heart open to You in the midst of all my activities.

I am always connected with the God I love.