Friday, January 31, 2014

Alcoholic Anonymous - Daily Ponderables - Together we trudge the Road of Happy Destiny – Friday, 31 January 2014 - Daily Reflections “OUR COMMON WELFARE COMES FIRST”

Alcoholic Anonymous - Daily Ponderables - Together we trudge the Road of Happy Destiny – Friday, 31 January 2014 - Daily Reflections “OUR COMMON WELFARE COMES FIRST”
The unity of Alcoholics Anonymous is the most cherished quality our Society has.  We stay whole, or A.A. dies.--TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, page 129
Our Traditions are key elements in the ego deflation process necessary to achieve and maintain sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous. The First Tradition reminds me not to take credit, or authority, for my recovery. Placing our common welfare first reminds me not to become a healer in this program; I am still one of the patients. Self-effacing elders built the ward. Without it, I doubt I would be alive. Without the group, few alcoholics would recover.
The active role in renewed surrender of will enables me to step aside from the need to dominate, the desire for recognition, both of which played so great a part in my active alcoholism. Deferring my personal desires for the greater good of the group growth contributes toward A.A. unity that is central to all recovery. It helps me to remember that the whole is greater than the sum of all its parts.--From the book Daily Reflections © Copyright 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day
Drinking cuts you off from God. No matter how you were brought up, no matter what your religion is, no matter if you say you believe in God, nevertheless you build up a wall between you and God by your drinking. You know you're not living the way God wants you to. As a result, you have that terrible remorse. When you come into A.A., you begin to get right with other people and with God. A sober life is a happy life, because by giving up drinking, we've gotten rid of our loneliness and remorse. Do I have real fellowship with other people and with God?
Meditation for the Day
I believe that all sacrifice and all suffering are of value to me. When I am in pain, I am being tested. Can I trust God, no matter how low I feel? Can I say, "Thy will be done," no matter how much I am defeated? If I can, my faith is real and practical. It works in bad times as well as in good times. The Divine Will is working in a way that is beyond my finite mind to understand, but I can still trust in it.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may take my suffering in my stride. I pray that I may accept pain and defeat as part of God's plan for my spiritual growth.--From the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day © Copyrght 1975 by Hazelden Foundation
NA - Just for Today
Trust--Page 31
"Just for today I will have faith in someone in NA who believes in me and wants to help me in my recovery."--Basic Text, page 93
Learning to trust is a risky proposition. Our past experience as using addicts has taught us that our companions could not be trusted. Most of all, we couldn't trust ourselves.
Now that we're in recovery, trust is essential. We need something to hang onto, believe in, and give us hope in our recovery. For some of us, the first thing we can trust is the words of other members sharing in meetings; we feel the truth in their words.
Finding someone we can trust makes it easier to ask for help. And as we grow to trust in their recovery, we learn to trust our own.
Just for Today: I will decide to trust someone. I will act on that trust--From the book Just for Today © Copyright 1991-2013 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought for Today
"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things only hoped for."--Epicurus
Buddha/Zen Thoughts
The Buddha's path of practice is called the Noble Eightfold path. The eight components of this path, as presented in traditional order, could be briefly described as follows:
1. Right View (Understanding). This is the right way of interpreting and viewing the world. It involves the realization of the three signata in all phenomena, and of the Four Noble Truths as being applicable to the human condition. More generally it involves the abandonment of all dogmatically held wrong views.
2. Right Intention (Thought). The Buddha argued that all human thought and action spring from basic "intentions," "dispositions," or "roots," which are capable of deliberate cultivation, training and control. The three roots of wrong, unwholesome or "unskillful" action are: Greed, Aversion and Delusion. The right intention which the Buddhist path requires is an intention which is free from these roots. The Buddha called the intention "that is free from greed and lust, free from ill-will, free from cruelty."
3. Right Speech. Since speech is the most powerful means of communication, the Buddha emphasizes the cultivation of right modes of speech. These have been described as avoiding falsehood and adhering to the truth; abstaining from tale-bearing and instead promoting harmony; refraining from harsh language and cultivating gentle and courteous speech; avoiding vain, irresponsible and foolish talk, and speaking in reasoned terms on subjects of value. Naturally right speech includes in the modern context right ways of communication whatever the medium used.
4. Right Action. This refers to willful acts done by a person, whether by body or mind. Under the former it involves such forms of ethical conduct as not killing (or harming) living beings, theft, sexual wrong-doing, etc. On the positive side right action, also called wholesome deeds, involves acts of loving-kindness (mettâ), compassion, sympathetic joy, generosity, etc.
5. Right Livelihood. This involves not choosing an occupation that brings suffering to others, e.g. trading in living beings (including humans), arms, drugs, poisons, etc.; slaughtering, fishing, soldiering, sooth-saying, trickery, usury, etc. This provides the economic blueprint for a truly Buddhist society.
6. Right Effort. This has been described as "the effort of avoiding or overcoming evil and unwholesome things, and of developing and maintaining wholesome things." Right effort enables an individual to cultivate the right frame of mind in order to accomplish the ethical requirements under right speech, right action and right livelihood. It is generally presented as a factor of mental training, enabling individuals to develop the sublime states of loving-kindness (mettâ) compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. However it has a general applicability and the effort could be directed to all wholesome activities.
7. Right Mindfulness. This is the basic Buddhist technique of cultivating awareness. Although viewed as a meditation component in fact right awareness has a wider applicability.
8. Right Concentration. This is the concentration of mind associated with wholesome consciousness which could be achieved through the systematic cultivation of meditation. Progress along this line is indicated by the achievement of the different levels of "absorption."
Of these eight components of the Path, the first two have usually been grouped under wisdom, the next three under morality, and the last three under mental development. This classification is not quite satisfactory, but it does present a broad grouping that is useful in many contexts.
The first of these components (right view) is generally considered the most important, but there is no particular order of importance when it comes to the others. However different traditions and exponents have put different degrees of stress on the different components. It will be seen that there is no single component of the path that can be called "meditation." However, in the course of time the component of mental development came to be regarded as meditation.
Native American
"In sharing, in loving all and everything, one people naturally found a due portion of the thing they sought, while in fearing, the other found need of conquest."--Chief Luther Standing Bear, SIOUX
There are two systems of thought that are available for us to choose from. One is the love-thought system and the other is the fear- thought system. If we choose love, we will see the laws, principles and values of the Creator. If we choose fear, the results will be so paralyzing that it will cause us to take over and not rely on the Great Spirit. The fear-thought system will automatically cause attack, conflict, need to control over others. The love-thought system seeks peace of mind, unity and causes us to be love seekers.
Great Spirit today let me see only love.
Keep It Simple
Do not cut down the tree that gives you shade.--Arabian proverb
We need to remember what got us well. The Twelve Steps heal us. The meetings we attend heal us.
Reading and listening to program tapes heals us. Talking with our sponsors heals us. The time we spend with program friends heals us. Sometimes we're pressed for time. As a result, we have to make choices about how to use our time. We may think we know enough about the program. We may feel like cutting down on meetings. These are danger signs. We only know how to stay sober One Day at a Time: by working the Steps. Let's not forget them as we grow in this program. It may seem like we've been recovering a long time, but we're all beginners.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, I've found YOU in the program. Help me find ways to stay a "beginner" in the program.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll take time to read the Twelve Steps I'll meditate on how much these Steps have given me.
Big Book
3rd Step Prayer:
"God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do THY will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy way of life. May I do THY will ALWAYS!"--Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, page 63
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If you're not enjoying your sobriety it's your own damn fault

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