ALCOHOLIC ANONYMOUS ~ DAILY PONDERABLES ~ Thursday, 31 October 2013 ~ Together WE Trudge The Road OF Happy Destiny

ALCOHOLIC ANONYMOUS ~ DAILY PONDERABLES ~ Thursday, 31 October 2013 ~ Together WE Trudge The Road OF Happy Destiny

Daily Reflections

AVOIDING CONTROVERSY

All history affords us the spectacle of striving nations and groups finally torn asunder because they were designed for, or tempted into, controversy. Others fell apart because of sheer self-righteousness while trying to enforce upon the rest of mankind some millennium of their own specification.~~TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 176

As an A.A. member and sponsor, I know I can cause real damage if I yield to temptation and give opinions and advice on another's medical, marital, or religious problems. I am not a doctor, counselor, or lawyer. I cannot tell anyone how he or she should live; however, I can share how I came through similar situations without drinking, and how A.A.'s Steps and traditions help me in dealing with my life.~~From the book Daily Reflections © Copyright 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought for the Day

I have more peace and contentment. Life has fallen into place. The pieces of the jigsaw puzzle have found their correct position. Life is whole, all of one piece. I am not cast hither and yon on every wind of circumstance or fancy. I am no longer a dry leaf cast up and away by the breeze. I have found my place of rest, my place where I belong. I am content. I do not vainly wish for things I cannot have. I have "the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." Have I found contentment in A.A.? 

Meditation for the Day

In all of us there is an inner consciousness that tells of God, an inner voice that speaks to our hearts. It is a voice that speaks to us intimately, personally, in a time of quiet meditation. It is like a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We can reach out into the darkness and figuratively touch the hand of God. As the Big Book puts it: "Deep down in every man, woman, and child is the fundamental idea of God. We can find the Great Reality deep down within us. And when we find it, it changes our whole attitude toward life."

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may follow the leading of the inner voice. I pray that I may not turn a deaf ear to the urging of my conscience.~~From the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day © Copyright 1975 by Hazelden Foundation

NA - Just for Today

Our Relationship With A Higher Power

"Ongoing recovery is dependent on our relationship with a loving God who cares for us and will do for us what we find impossible to do for ourselves."~~Basic Text, p.96

Working the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous gives us a fresh start in life and some guidance for living in the world. But the steps are more than a fresh start. When we do our best to work the steps, we develop a relationship with our personal Higher Power.

In the Third Step, we decide to allow a loving God to influence our lives. Much of the courage, trust, and willingness we need to continue through the succeeding steps comes from this decision. In the Seventh Step, we go even further by asking this Higher Power to change our lives. The Eleventh Step is a way for us to improve the relationship.

Recovery is a process of growth and change in which our lives are renewed. The Twelve Steps are the roadmap, the specific directions we take in order to continue in recovery. But the support we need to proceed with each step comes from our faith in a Higher Power, the belief that all will be well. Faith gives us courage to act. Each step we work is supported by our relationship with a loving God.

Just for today: I will remember that the source of my courage and willingness is my relationship with my Higher Power.~~page 317~~From the book Just for Today © Copyright 1991-2013 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Thought for Today

"The most important thing is to be  whatever you are without shame."--Rod Steiger

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.~~William Arthur Ward

Buddha/Zen Thoughts

Don’t cling to your own understanding. Even if you do understand something, you should ask yourself if there might be something you have not fully resolved, or if there may be some higher meaning yet.~-Dogen 

Native American

"One is not born a Tewa but rather one is made a Tewa... once made, one has to work hard continuously throughout one's life to remain a Tewa."--Alfonso Ortiz, SAN JUAN PUEBLO

Being Indian is being spiritual. It is not the color of our skin. Being Indian is how we think. We need to learn our culture, our language, our dances, our traditions, and customs. It is one thing to know these things, but another to live them. We need to spend time with the Elders and get their guidance. We need to go to the mountains, woods, and desert to pray. Being spiritual is the way for us to think right. Walking the Red Road and thinking right is the greatest gift we can give to our children.

Grandfather, help me to Walk the Talk.

Keep It Simple

A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.--Confucius

Step Ten tell us that when we are wrong, we must “promptly” admit it. We aren’t used to admitting our mistakes. We defend ourselves and blame others. This is called denial. 

Denial is bad for two reasons. First, it keeps from learning from our mistakes, so we keep making them. Second, we don’t listen to others, so we close ourselves and become lonely.

What a relief it is to admit our wrongs! We don’t have to keep trying to do things the hard way. We can learn new way to think and act that will work better for us. We can let other people be our teachers.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me out of denial, so I can see the changes I need to make.

Action for the Day: Today, If I disagree with someone, I’ll promptly admit when I’m wrong. If I’m right, I’ll be gentle. I don’t have to prove anything.

********************************

Unconditional Sobriety

Admission of Powerlessness - Sobriety in AA is unconditional. This means that there’s never been a reason for drinking, no matter how bad our circumstances may become. As the AA pioneers were fond of saying "There’s nothing that drinking won’t make worse."

How do we know if we’re setting conditions on sobriety? It is revealed to us in our own thinking.

If we believe, for example, that a certain setback such as the ending of a relationship is just cause for drinking, we have made our sobriety conditional.

In such cases what we need to do is clear up our own thinking on the subject. 

Maybe further inventory is needed, or perhaps we should let ourselves learn from the experience of others. Self-honesty is important in getting priorities in order.

The decision to choose unconditional sobriety brings additional benefits in helping us to organize our lives. 

Once we completely understand that sobriety is all important, it becomes easier to make other decisions that bear on keeping sober. We find ourselves choosing the ideas and activities that enhance sobriety, while rejecting other things that could threaten it.

Above all else I must remember that there is nothing bad going on in my life that a drink won’t make worse and conversely nothing good that a drink won’t totally destroy.

I’ll never waiver in a moment from my belief that I must continue to seek sobriety - unconditionally. There is nothing that could ever justify my taking a drink.

Big Book

"Since the home has suffered more than anything else, it is well that a man exert himself there. He is not likely to get far in any direction if he fails to show unselfishness and love under his own roof. We know there are difficult wives and families, but the man who is getting over alcoholism must remember he did much to make them so."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127

_________________________________

If you're not enjoying your sobriety it's your own damn fault!

~~~~~~~