Alcoholic Anonymous - Daily Ponderables - Together we trudge the
Road of Happy Destiny – Friday, 3 January 2014 - Daily Reflections
POWERLESS
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol---that our lives had
become unmanageable.(TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, page 21)
It is no coincidence that the very first Step mentions
powerlessness: An admission of personal powerlessness over alcohol is a
cornerstone of the foundation of recovery. I've learned that I do not have the
power and control I once thought I had. I am powerless over what people think
about me. I am powerless over having just missed the bus. I am powerless over
how other people work (or don't work) the Steps. But I've also learned I am not
powerless over some things. I am not powerless over my attitudes. I am not
powerless over negativity. I am not powerless over assuming responsibility for
my own recovery. I have the power to exert a positive influence on myself, my
loved ones. And the world in which I live.(From the book Daily Reflections ©
Copyright 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.)
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day
When I came into A.A., I learned what an alcoholic was and then
I applied this knowledge to myself to see if I was an alcoholic. When I was
convinced that I was an alcoholic, I admitted it openly. Since then, have I
been learning to live accordingly? Have I read the book Alcoholics Anonymous?
Have I applied the knowledge gained to myself? Have I admitted openly that I am
an alcoholic? Am I ready to admit it at any time when I can be of help?
Meditation for the Day
I will be renewed. I will be remade. In this, I need God's help.
His spirit shall flow through me and, in flowing through me it shall sweep away
all the bitter past. I will take heart. The way will open for me. Each day will
unfold something good, as long as I am trying to live the way I believe God
wants me to live.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be taught, just as a child would be taught. I
pray that I may never question God's plans, but accept them gladly.(From the
book Twenty-Four Hours a Day © Copyright 1975 by Hazelden Foundation)
NA - Just for Today
Our Greatest Need
"We eventually redefine our beliefs and understanding to
the point where we see that our greatest need is for knowledge of God's will
for us and the strength to carry that out"(Basic Text page 46)
When we first arrived in NA, we had all kinds of ideas of what
we needed. Some of us set our sights on amassing personal possessions. We
thought recovery equaled outward success. But recovery does not equal success.
Today, we believe that our greatest need is for spiritual guidance and
strength.
The greatest damage done to us by our addiction was the damage
done to our spirituality. Our primary motivation was dictated by our disease:
to get, to use, and to find ways and means to get more. Enslaved by our
overwhelming need for drugs, our lives lacked purpose and connection. We were
spiritually bankrupt.
Sooner or later, we realize that our greatest need in recovery
is "for knowledge of God's will for us and the strength to carry that
out" There, we find the direction and sense of purpose our addiction had
hidden from us. In our God's will we find freedom from self-will, no longer
driven only by our own needs, we are free to live with others on an equal
footing.
There's nothing wrong with outward success. But without the
spiritual connection offered by the NA program, our greatest need in recovery
goes unmet, regardless of how "successful" we may be.
Just for today: I will seek the fulfillment of my greatest need:
a vital, guiding connection with the God of my understanding.((page 3)From the
book Just for Today © Copyright 1991-2013 by Narcotics Anonymous World
Services, Inc.)
Thought for Today
“Seek” the truth in love, before you “speak” the truth in love.
I Am A Pickle by Terri B. (thanks Terri)
I'm a little Pickle
But I didn't start this way
I started as a cucumber
And then I drank one day
It tasted kind of funny
But it made me feel so good
I found that I was drinking
A bit more than what I should
One day my eyes were opened
And I began to sway
I had become a Pickle
How did I get this way?
I want to be that cucumber
Like I was back in those days
But there's no going back
I Pickle I will stay
Buddha/Zen Thoughts
Anyone who, even for a second, feels a pure, clear confidence on
hearing the truth will experience immeasurable happiness. Why? At that moment,
that person is not caught up in the concept of a self or a living being or a
life span, because he is not caught up in concepts about the world, nor is he
caught up in concepts about nothingness. He does not take any notice of the
idea that this is a sign, or this or that is not a sign.
For if you are caught up in ideas, then you will be caught up in
the self. And even if you are caught up in ideas about nothingness, you will
still be caught up in the self. That's why we should not get attached to the
belief that things either exist or do not exist. This is the hidden meaning
when I say that my teachings are a raft to be abandoned when you see true
being.(Diamond Sutra)
Native American
"We don't have to say or think what we don't wish to. We
have a choice in those things, and we have to realize that and practice using
that choice."(Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE)
Having choices makes us fully accountable. No one can make us
think anything we don't want to think. No one can determine our behavior and
how we act. It's not what's going on but how we look at what's going on. If
someone does something and we get upset, we can change how we look at it any
time we want. We can tell ourselves in the morning that the day is going to be
beautiful and that we have expectations great things will happen. Doing this
daily sets our mind to look for the joy and the excitement of each day.
Great Spirit, help me to choose my thoughts with Your wisdom.
Keep It Simple
Never play leapfrog with a unicorn.(Unknown)
As we work Step One, we accept that alcohol and other drugs are
poison to us. We accept our limits.
This means we know that hanging around our using
"buddies" can remind us of "the good old days."
Hanging around "slippery places" means we could
"slip" back into our old ways. This isn't testing our sobriety; it's
being reckless with it. So let's accept our limits. Everybody has limits. When
we know our limits, we protect our recovery against the people and places that
pull us from our spiritual center. This is what true acceptance means.
Prayer for the Day: I pray for true acceptance. Higher Power,
help me to stay away from slippery places. I will protect the gift You've given
me.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll list the people and places that
are risky for me to be around. I will share this list with my sponsor, my
group, and my sober friends.
Big Book
"For a brief moment, I had needed and wanted God. There had
been a humble willingness to have Him with me -- and He came.(Alcoholics
Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, Page 12)
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If you're not enjoying your sobriety it's your own damn fault
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