Alcoholic Anonymous - Daily Ponderables - Together we trudge the
Road of Happy Destiny – Monday, 3 February 2014 - Daily Reflections “FILLING
THE VOID”
We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. "Do I
now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater
than myself?" As soon as a man can say that he does believe, we
emphatically assure him that he is on his way.--ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, page 47
I was always fascinated with the study of scientific principles.
I was emotionally and physically distant from people while I pursued Absolute
Knowledge. God and spirituality were meaningless academic exercises. I was a
modern man of science, knowledge was my Higher Power. Given the right set of
equations, life was merely another problem to solve. Yet my inner self was
dying from my outer man's solution to life's problems and the solution was
alcohol. In spite of my intelligence, alcohol became my Higher Power. It was
through the unconditional love which emanated from A.A. people and meetings
that I was able to discard alcohol as my Higher Power. The great void was
filled. I was no longer lonely and apart from life. I had found a true power
greater than myself I had found God's love. There is only one equation which
really matters to me now: God is in A.A.--From the book Daily Reflections ©
Copyright 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day
By drinking, we escaped from boredom for a while. We almost
forgot our troubles. But when we sobered up, our troubles were twice as bad.
Drinking had only made them worse. In A.A., we really escape boredom. Nobody's
bored at an A.A. meeting. We stick around after it's over and we hate to leave.
Drinking gave us a temporary feeling of importance. When we're drinking, we kid
ourselves into thinking we are somebody. We tell tall stories to build
ourselves up. In A.A., we don't want that kind of self-importance. We have real
self-respect and honesty and humility. Have I found something much better and
more satisfactory than drinking?
Meditation for the Day
I believe that my faith and God's power can accomplish anything
in human relationships. There is no limit to what these two things can do in
this field. Only believe, and anything can happen. Saint Paul said, "I can
do all things through Him who strengthened me." All walls that divide you
from other human beings can fall by your faith and God's power. These are the
two essentials. Everyone can be moved by these.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may try to strengthen my faith day by day. I pray
that I may rely more and more on God's power.--From the book Twenty-Four Hours
a Day © Copyright 1975 by Hazelden Foundation
NA - Just for Today
We need each other--Page 35
"Anyone may join us, regardless of age, race, sexual
identity creed, religion, or lack of religion."--Basic Text, page 9
Addiction closed our minds to anything new or different. We
didn't need anyone or anything, we thought. There was nothing of value to be
found in anyone from a different neighborhood, a different racial or ethnic
background, or a different social or economic class. We may have thought that
if it was different, it was bad.
In recovery, we can't afford such attitudes. We came to NA
because our very best thinking had gotten us nowhere. We must open our minds to
experience that works, no matter where it comes from, if we hope to grow in our
recovery.
Regardless of our personal backgrounds, we all have two things
in common with one another in NA that we share with no one else: our disease,
and our recovery. We depend on one another for our shared experience-and the
broader that experience, the better. We need every bit of experience, every
different angle on our program we can find to meet the many challenges of
living clean.
Recovery often isn't easy. The strength we need to recover, we
draw from our fellow NA members. Today, we are grateful for the diversity of
our group's membership, for in that diversity we find our strength.
Just for Today: I know that the more diverse my groups
experience is, the better able my group will be to offer me support in the
different circumstances I find myself facing. Today, I welcome addicts from all
backgrounds to my home group.--From the book Just for Today © Copyright 1991-2013
by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought for Today
"The easiest thing in the world to be is you. The most
difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put
you in that position."--Leo Buscaglia
Buddha/Zen Thoughts
To study the Buddha is to study self. To study self is to forget
self. To forget self is to be enlightened by the myriad dharmas. To be
enlightened by the myriad dharmas is to bring about the dropping away of body
and mind of both oneself and others. The traces of enlightenment come to an
end, and this traceless enlightenment is continued endlessly.--Dôgen,
"Flowers Fall"
Native American
"It's very hard to do things in the right manner, but as
long as we do things right, we are in tune with the Great Spirit."--Rolling
Thunder, CHEROKEE
When we are right with the Great Spirit, we are right with all
things. It is impossible to be out of harmony with anything or anybody when we
are in harmony with the Great One. So, if during the day a problem crops up and
someone makes us mad, the best thing we can do is talk to the Creator first,
ask for His help, then continue our conversation with the other person. In this
way, our emotional nature will keep aligned with our thoughts, and we will
always stay right with the Great Spirit.
Great Spirit, I ask YOU to guide me on the Red Road today.
Keep It Simple
Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.--Erma
Bombeck
We often hear, "Stick with the winners." Not everyone in
Twelve Step meetings is there for recovery. But many members follow a Twelve
Step way of living. We need to find those people. This is really true when it
comes to finding a sponsor. Look for a sponsor who gets good things from his or
her program. Why pick a sponsor who isn't happy in the program? Recovery is
hard work. You deserve the best. Find the best sponsor you can. Remember, ours
is a selfish program. We're fighting for our lives.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me find the best in my
program. Help me find a good sponsor, so we can get as much from each other and
this program as we can.
Action for the Day: Today I'll think about what it means to have
a good sponsor.
Big Book
"We have begun to comprehend their futility and their
fatality. We have commenced to see their terrible destructiveness. We have
begun to learn tolerance, patience and good will toward all men, even our enemies,
for we look on them as sick people."--Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition,
How It Works, Page 70
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Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
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If you're not enjoying your sobriety it's your own damn fault
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