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Today's Thought - March
March 1
Avoiding Anxiety Entertaining hope means recognizing fear. ~Robert Browning We are taught early in recovery not to be afraid of anxiety. It is a normal part of all lives. It can’t be stopped or gotten rid of. We can only deal with anxiety by facing it. It is a vital life force that alerts us that something is wrong with our living patterns. As we act and react to anxiety, we build an ability for thinking through solutions carefully rather than making snap judgments. That way, anxiety helps us learn that we must face our problems. We eagerly work through anxieties instead of ignoring them. Then they don’t get bigger. This also helps us with our spiritual growth because we learn to do what we can to face the cause of our anxiety. Then we turn the rest over to our Higher Power. Real peace is not a lack of problems. Real peace comes from facing up to challenges. Anxiety tells me there is a problem, so I can face it, and learn and grow from dealing with it. |
March 2
The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and his compulsion is our liberation. ~C. S. Lewis One reason it’s so hard for us to love others as God loves us is that we have no standard in our own experience to go by. The closest thing to a human standard is the ideal love of a parent for a child. God’s love exceeds that. The kind of love that God offers us is beyond our comprehension. It is unconditional. We know this because of the innumerable times we have betrayed God, gone back on our own word, and cursed God—only to be welcomed back whenever we’re ready, and to find ourselves blessed and comforted. Someone said, “God has to love us; it’s His job.” Our program has taught us our “job” is to love others unconditionally, too. We don’t have to understand God’s love; it’s impossible. But if we are to find peace, we do have to try our best to imitate it. Today I will try my best to love others unconditionally, as God does. |
March 3
On occasion l realize it's easier to say the serenity prayer and take that leap of faith than it is to continue doing what I'm doing. ~S.H. The pain of change is a reality. But so is the pain of no change—when change is called for. In spite of our de*sires. changing others will never be an option, whereas changing ourselves takes only a decision and is a choice always available. We can take an inventory for a moment. What are we presently doing that makes us ashamed or angry or fearful? We can let go of that behavior and responsibly choose a new tack. If strength is needed, or confidence to try a new behavior, we can simply ask that it be ours. The Third Step promises that our lives are in God's care and our needs are always being attended to—not always our wants, but in every instance our needs. Most of our struggles, today as in the past, are attached to persons and situations we are trying to forcibly control. How righteous our attitudes generally are! And so imposing is our behavior that we are met with resistance, painful resistance. Our recourse is now and always to accept those things we cannot change, and willingly change that which we can. Our personal struggles will end when we are fully committed to the Serenity Prayer. The wisdom to know the difference is mine today. Today's reading is from the book Each Day a New Beginning, Daily meditations for Women |
March 4
My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. ~Clarence Budington Kelland The most powerful teaching is done by example. We all have strong feelings about our fathers and what we learned or didn’t learn from them. Some of us have fathers who stand as great examples of how we would like to live. Some of us have fathers who are negative examples that we want to avoid. Some of us never got to know our fathers. For most of us, it is a complicated mixture of all those things. Now, as we continue to grow and change in adulthood, we are faced with growing beyond what our parents taught us, both the good and the bad. We need to forge ahead and become our own growing version of adult men. There are many men who can serve as examples to us; some of them were in our past, and some of them are now friends and mentors. Sometimes the example is unconscious. It is always helpful to notice who we admire, who sets an example that we would like to follow. Take the best of what they have to offer and leave the rest. Today, I am grateful for what I received from my father and from all the other men who have set examples in my life. Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones, More Daily Meditations for Men |
March 5
AA Thought for the Day When we were drinking, we used to be ashamed of the past. Remorse is terrible mental punishment: ashamed of ourselves for the things we’ve said and done, afraid to face people because of what they might think of us, afraid of the consequences of what we did when we were drunk. In AA we forget about the past. Do I believe that God has forgiven me for everything I’ve done in the past, no matter how horrible it was, provided I’m honestly trying to do the right thing today? Meditation for the Day God’s spirit is all around you all day long. You have no thoughts, no plans, no impulses, no emotions that He does not know about. You can hide nothing from Him. Do not make your conduct conform only to that of the world and do not depend on the approval or disapproval of others. God sees in secret, but He rewards openly. If you are in harmony with the Divine Spirit, doing your best to live the way you believe God wants you to live, you will be at peace. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may always feel God’s presence. I pray that I may realize this Presence constantly all through the day. Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day, A Spiritual Resource with Practical Applications for Daily Life |
March 6
There is a proper balance between not asking enough of oneself and asking or expecting too much. ~May Sarton The boy's mother baked pies that morning before he was up. She left them on the back porch to cool, their warm aroma curling up through his bedroom window. His mouth was full of the smell when he woke. Before she left for work, she said, "You may do any* thing you want today, anything at all. Except for one thing—don't step in those pies." All day the boy could not get the pies out of his mind; his feet itched just thinking about them. Don't step in those pies. He heard her voice inside his head. By late afternoon he could control it no longer. One, two, three, four, five six-his foot fell squarely into the middle of each pie. When we expect the worst from others, we often get just that. The same goes for our expectations of ourselves. And when we trust others, it too is returned. Do I expect the best of others—and myself—today? Today's reading is from the book Today's Gift, Daily Meditations for Families |
March 7
To make the world a friendly place, One must show it a friendly face. ~James Whitcomb Riley We are beginning to learn that we get what we expect. Why? If we believe that people are out to get us, we’ll not treat them well. We will think it’s okay to “get them” before they “get us.” Then, they’ll be angry and want to get even. And on it goes. It’s great when we can meet the world with a balance. We are now honest people. We can expect others to be fair with us. We get the faith, strength, and courage to do this because of our trust in our Higher Power. Prayer for the Day Higher Power, help me to find reminders today that the world can be a friendly place. I will put my best face forward and hope that my good energy will be reflected back. Action for the Day Today I’ll spread friendliness. I will greet people with a smile. Today's reading is from the book Keep it Simple, Daily Meditations for Twelve Step Beginnings and Renewal |
March 8
I shall tell you a great secret, my friend. Do not wait for the last judgment. It takes place every day. ~Albert Camus We live our program in one-day portions—and our actions today have immediate consequences. For instance, if we listen to a brother or a sister in the program, we may be enriched and the other person strengthened for today’s challenge. We don’t have to confront every temptation of life on this day—only the portion we can handle. Our old insanity would have us predict the entire story of our future from today’s limited viewpoint. But our spiritual orientation guides us to restrain ourselves. We simply live in this moment. The rewards of recovery are granted every day. We begin with the gift of a new day and new possibilities. We now have relationships that sustain us through difficulty and give us reason to celebrate. We have a new feeling of self-respect and hope. I am grateful for the rewards of each day in my spiritual awakening. Today's reading is from the book Touchstones, A Book of Daily Meditations for Men |
March 9
Accepting ourselves Many of us used to think that our Higher Power hates this or that about us or about others, but our Higher Power doesn’t hate at all. Our Higher Power accepts us and loves us no matter how we have lived. It understands that we are capable of changing. This is the only way we come to know our Higher Power, even as we begin to accept ourselves and others. The ability to accept ourselves more and more is a gift. It comes as we build upon the strong, valuable parts of ourselves. Am I learning to accept myself? Higher Power, help me believe in your acceptance, forgiveness, and generosity; help me to be willing to see myself in a new way. Today I will work on self-acceptance by… Today's reading is from the book Day by Day, Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts |
March 10
Reflection for the Day Few of us are entirely free from a sense of guilt. We may feel guilty because of our words or actions, or for things left undone. We may even feel guilty because of irrational or false accusations by others. When I’m troubled by a gnawing feeling of guilt, obviously I can’t put into my day all I’m capable of. So I must rid myself of guilt—not by pushing it aside or ignoring it, but by identifying it and correcting the cause. Have I finally begun to learn to “Keep it simple”? Today I Pray May I learn not to let myself be “guilted”—made to feel guilty when I don’t consider that I am. Since I doubtless have the dregs of guilt left over from my behavior, I do not need the extra burden of unreasonable blame laid on me. I count on my Higher Power to help me sort out and get rid of these twinges and pangs of guilt, which, whether justified or not, need to be recognized and unloaded. Today I Will Remember The verdict of guilty is not for life. Today's reading is from the book A Day at a Time, Daily Reflections for Recovering People |
March 11
Secrets keep us walled in. False pride keeps us stuck in old behavior and unnecessary pain. Why is it so hard to acknowledge who we really are? Do we think it’s a secret? We can be assured that admitting our failings to another person and to God, as suggested by the Fifth Step, won’t be startlingly new information to either. Until we have done this Step we cannot fathom the relief we will feel. Our secrets have constricted us. Our obsession with them has stolen our peace of mind and our creativity. We are much more than our defects, but we can’t see that until we have unburdened ourselves of them. After revealing it all, we see that we’re not so different from everyone else. The person we’ve chosen to hear our Fifth Step doesn’t bat an eye at even the worst of our transgressions. Any expectation we might have had that God would punish us vanishes. We know now that God has always known who we are. And we are coming to believe that we have been loved unconditionally all along. Why am I so afraid of telling who I really am? I’ll take a chance by telling someone at least one small secret today and see what happens. Today's reading is from the book A Life of My Own, Meditations on Hope and Acceptance |
March 12
Everything is great as it is—and there is always room for improvement. Just as there is no one “right” way to live, people define happiness for themselves in different ways. The truth is that we are all seeking to find happiness and to avoid suffering, and this common human striving connects and bonds us all. It is useful to remind ourselves that we each go through periods of feeling lost, and then found, as we endeavor to find joy. Our own struggles with addictions can be perceived as misguided attempts to relieve pain and find good feelings. All our mistakes and missteps are just variations on this basic human theme. What we may finally realize, with time, is that pleasure is not synonymous with happiness, but rather a temporary gratification of a desire. Is it even possible to stabilize happiness, when everything else is constantly changing? Perhaps we just learn to appreciate and enjoy it when it presents itself and let go of seeking and struggling to achieve it. We can have a good time with all the variations along the happiness continuum, from contentment and delight to elation and ecstasy, each experience emanating a deeply felt, complete sense that all is well. I hold the keys to my own happiness. Where have I hidden them? Today's reading is from the book Cornerstones, Daily Meditations for the Journey into Manhood and Recovery |
March 13
Accepting Change The winds of change blow through our life, sometimes gently, sometimes like a tropical storm. Yes, we have resting places—time to adjust to another level of living, time to get our balance, time to enjoy the rewards. We have time to catch our breath. But change is inevitable, and desirable. Sometimes, when the winds of change begin to rustle, we’re not certain the change is for the better. We may call it stress or a temporary condition, certain we’ll be restored to normal. Sometimes, we resist. We tuck our head down and buck the wind, hoping that things will quickly calm down, get back to the way things were. Is it possible we’re being prepared for a new “normal”? Change will sweep through our life, as needed, to take us where we’re going. We can trust that our Higher Power has a plan in mind, even when we don’t know where the changes are leading. We can trust that the change taking place is good. The winds will take us where we need to go. Today, help me, God, to let go of my resistance to change. Help me be open to the process. Help me believe that the place I’ll be dropped off will be better than the place where I was picked up. Help me surrender, trust, and accept, even if I don’t understand. Today's reading is from the book The Language of Letting Go, Daily Meditations on Codependency |
March 14
You can’t be walked on unless you’re lying on the floor. ~Sylvia L. A woman told her group about the problems she was having with her kids. It seems they never did what they were told, didn’t go to school unless they felt like it, and were often verbally abusive. In general, they pretty much did whatever they pleased. Of course, this caused their mother a great deal of pain. As an adult child, she was asking the group for direction. One of the members who had been sitting quietly slipped in this little gem of wisdom, “You can’t be walked on unless you’re lying on the floor. If you don’t like the footprints on your back, why don’t you stand up?” The abused parent probably didn’t like to hear that, but it was the truth. At times, we all tend to blame our problems with others on their stubbornness or selfishness. But the other side of that picture, the side we can do something about, has to do with passivity. Today, I ask my Higher Power to back me up when I assert my rights. Today, I will not let myself be abused. Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy, Daily Meditations for Adult Children |
March 15
Learning is a skill we develop that leads to lifelong adventure. ~Anonymous Recovery asks that we commit ourselves to a life of learning. We do not turn our backs on our past; we learn from it. Past mistakes become guides and warnings to others and to us. As we use the Steps, our sponsor, and the fellowship, we make sense of how we got so lost. We gain knowledge of how we were seduced by intensity, which we mistook for intimacy. We see how we followed our instincts instead of spiritual principles. We see how our illness needed us to believe we were of little value. We see how our pain equaled entitlement to keep using. If we sit and listen, we learn much. While listening in our healing circles, we are learning how to do life, how to do the next right thing. We start to see how to be of service to others instead of being a burden. We use this new knowledge over and over in this adventure we call life. Prayer for the Day Higher Power, help me to be open and committed to learning. Keep me from the arrogance that was part of my addiction. Today's Action Today I will write down five things that I’ve learned during my sobriety that have helped me have a better life. Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me, More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple |
March 16
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. ~Psalm 30:5 It’s important to know we are not to blame if we didn’t learn when we were children what we needed to know about relationships and living a healthy life. It’s not a child’s job to teach themselves what is needed to live happily. It may be difficult as adults to learn the things we should have learned as children and adolescents, but it is not impossible. We can rely on the courage, strength, and humility we show by being willing to live in recovery “One day at a time.” We can also ask our Higher Power to help us develop our spirituality, which gives us the inner truth we need to live. We may feel angry sometimes or get tired of struggling, but we must have faith that we can do it. The yearning within us to have relationships and to contribute our skills and talents must become reality. Continuing to grow gives us a sense of accomplishment and a wider world that is ours to experience. Today I will feel proud of my ability to take risks in order to enlarge my life. Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart, Daily Meditations for Men and Women Recovering from Sex Addiction |
March 17
Being Practical Theories are like the tail feathers of a rooster, highly ornamental but not much use in a high wind. ~Arthur E. Holt Theories for effective living are important, but unless we put them into action, they are worthless. The Twelve Steps and the slogans are among the theories that have been tested by millions who have put them into action. They have withstood the “high winds” of living. Meditation on some theories may do nothing for our recovery except make us feel better. Even this is useful. By working the kinds of behavior and thinking in our lives that we find in theories, we make those theories into practical realities. It is less important to look well than to be well. Theories by themselves look good. Working them makes us good. What I ask for while I am on my knees in prayer is never as vital to me as what I do with the answers I receive once I am back on my feet. Today's reading is from the book Easy Does It, A Book of Daily Twelve Step Meditations |
March 18
The greatest mystery of life is that satisfaction is felt not by those who take and make demands but by those who give and make sacrifices. ~Nikolai Berdyaev What a different world this would be if we knew that seeking fame and fortune, and striving for gain would only bring us discord and misery. Beginning with childhood, we all receive messages that getting is the purpose of living: we must have romantic love, sexual fulfillment, possessions, and prestige to be happy. This is emphasized constantly by various forms of advertising, business, and entertainment. God has a different message: Help one another. We learn from experience in our program that happiness comes from giving—whether it be time, talent, money, or other things. Experience tells us that giving what we have to help someone else makes us a lot happier than keeping it to ourselves. Today I will put my emphasis on giving. Today's reading is from the book In God's Care, Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery |
March 19
I stand before you as a tower of strength, the weight of the world on my shoulders. As you pass through my life, look, but not too close, for I fear l will expose the vulnerable me. ~Deidra Sarault Vulnerability is as much a part of being human as is strength. Our vulnerability prevents our strength from becoming hard, brittle, self-serving. Our soft edges invite others' openness and their expressions of love. We learned long ago to be "strong”. We were encouraged to need no help, to need nobody. Now, we struggle to ask for help. As we grow in understanding of our human needs, and as we become more aware of the spiritual help avail* able, the difficulty of reaching out to others is eased. No longer need we look to pills, booze, food, or lovers for strength. All the strength we'll ever need is as close as our thoughts. At this moment, we are a tower of strength, not one weighted with burdens. Rather, our strength is a gift of our connection to a spiritual power that can free us from all the troubles we shoulder. Our vulnerable selves will open our souls to the flood of strength just waiting for our prayers. I will be as strong as I need to be when l tap the spiritual source that awaits my call. I will risk my vulnerable self today. Today's reading is from the book Each Day a New Beginning, Daily meditations for Women |
March 20
Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. ~Doug Larson Life is never just one thing. It is quite possible to feel optimistic and happy even when some things are not right with us. An optimistic outlook gives us energy to handle the harder challenges we have to deal with. Research shows that people who have a positive attitude have a stronger immune system, are healthier, live longer, and are even more likely to recover from serious illness. To believe in hopeful outcomes is largely a matter of choice. Many of us have experienced big disappointments and defeats in life. But having come this far, we can look back and see that somehow we had the capacity to deal with it. The Second Step guides us to believe in hopeful possibilities. We can’t say that things will always turn out just the way we hope, but that we can cope with whatever happens. Today, I choose to believe that a Power greater than myself can help me deal with life, and I have reason to be optimistic. Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones, More Daily Meditations for Men |
March 21
AA Thought for the Day When I was drinking, I was absolutely selfish. I thought of myself first, last, and always. The universe revolved around me. When I woke up in the morning with a hangover, my only thought was how terrible I felt and what I could do to make myself feel better. And the only thing I could think of was more liquor. To quit was impossible. I couldn’t see beyond myself and my own need for another drink. Can I now look out and beyond my own selfishness? Meditation for the Day Remember that the first quality of greatness is service. In a way, God is the greatest servant of all, because He is always waiting for us to call on Him to help us in all good endeavors. His strength is always available to us, but we must ask it of Him through our own free will. It is a free gift, but we must sincerely seek it. A life of service is the finest life we can live. We are here on earth to serve others. That is the beginning and the end of our real worth. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may cooperate with God in all good things. I pray that I may serve God and others and so lead a useful and happy life. Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day, A Spiritual Resource with Practical Applications for Daily Life |
March 22
Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson The little rabbit stood alone, watching her family and friends hop and skip about her in the forest, playing her favorite rabbit game. Try as she might, each time she attempted to join in, she tripped about awkwardly. When this happened, the other rabbits laughed uproariously at her and called her "Grace." Soon even she forgot her real name. But in the moments when Grace was alone, she danced around the trees with ease. She was as smooth and graceful as any ballerina. An old owl sat high above her one night, watching her intently The moonlight streamed through the treetops like a soft spotlight and he sat and watched as little Grace moved in and out of the moonbeams. Finally, he said, "Grace, you are more graceful than any creature I've ever seen." Grace was startled that someone had been watching her, but listened carefully to the wise owl's words as he continued. "You have carried this beauty within you all the time, but locked it inside when you tried too hard." If we remember to relax and trust in ourselves, we, too, will discover that we are able. What hidden ability can l set loose today? Today's reading is from the book Today's Gift, Daily Meditations for Families |
March 23
Make yourself an honest person, and then you may be sure that there is one rascal less in the world. ~Thomas Carlyle Honesty does not mean saying all we think or feel. Many of our thoughts and feelings are only with us for a minute. They are not always the truth. For example, saying to someone you love, “I hate you!” in the middle of an argument can destroy things. Honesty means living by what is true to us. Then we choose when and how to say things to others. Think of honesty as the air we breathe: it’s what keeps us alive, but it can get polluted and kill. It must be treated with respect and care. Prayer for the Day Higher Power, help me know the power of honesty. Help me speak it with care and respect. Action for the Day Before I speak today I’ll ask myself, “Is this true? Am I speaking because this needs to be said?” Today's reading is from the book Keep it Simple, Daily Meditations for Twelve Step Beginnings and Renewal |
March 24
I wasn’t exactly brought up in one of those Norman Rockwell paintings you used to see on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. ~Reggie Jackson We have many myths about other people’s lives. When we compare ourselves to these stories, we come up short. We think of Hollywood families, TV sitcoms, or maybe even those Rockwell paintings that idealized small-town American life in the mid-1900s. We may have stories our father told about his moment of glory and how he met his challenges. Any of these images selects part of the truth and highlights it, creating a myth that might be worthwhile if we don’t take it too literally. Living real life never feels as serene as our fantasies. A myth lifts us up and carries us away to other possibilities, but we should always take it with a grain of salt. A father’s recollections or a Rockwell painting romanticizes a piece of reality by omitting the drudgery and confusion of life. Myths are meant as inspirations, not as measurements of our lives. The difficulties and confusion I feel may just be part of real life. Serenity comes when I accept the mixture that real life is. Today's reading is from the book Touchstones, A Book of Daily Meditations for Men |
March 25
Dealing with daily problems For many of us, substances were an escape from the trials of the world. We deeply resented them and earnestly sought escape. Simply getting sober did not wipe away all our problems. Now, however, we have an opportunity to deal with them constructively. If we do not take that first pill, drink, or fix, our problems can be solved, and stumbling blocks can become stepping stones to a better life. Am I learning how to deal with daily problems? Higher Power, I pray to accept my daily problems and for your help in dealing with them. One thing I will do today to deal constructively with my problems is… Today's reading is from the book Day by Day, Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts |
March 26
Reflection for the Day How many of us would presume to announce, “Well, I’m sober and I’m happy. What more can I want or do? I’m fine just the way I am.” Experience has taught us that the price of such smug complacency—or, more politely, self-satisfaction—is an inevitable backslide, punctuated sooner or later by a very rude awakening. We have to grow or else we deteriorate. For us, the status quo can only be for today, never for tomorrow. Change we must; we can’t stand still. Am I sometimes tempted to rest on my laurels? Today I Pray May I look around me and see that all living things are either growing or deteriorating. Nothing that is alive is static; life flows on. May I be carried along on that life-flow, unafraid of change, disengaging myself from the snags along the way that hold me back and interrupt my progress. Today I Will Remember Living is changing. Today's reading is from the book A Day at a Time, Daily Reflections for Recovering People |
March 27
Program friendships are special. Until we came into the program we may have thought that friendships were all alike. We counted on friends to socialize and gossip with, maybe to share a secret with. But when we were really scared about our lives and the future, we felt too vulnerable to let anyone else know our innermost thoughts. What relief the program has brought us, and what good friends! No problem seems as terrifying now that we are no longer shouldering it alone. Having to make a decision no longer overwhelms us when we have other people to discuss it with. Letting ourselves be deeply cared for, with all our faults, is a new experience too. All these gifts come automatically to us within the fellowship. All that is asked of us is that we be a friend too. I will extend my heart in friendship today, and my concerns will be lightened. Today's reading is from the book A Life of My Own, Meditations on Hope and Acceptance |
March 28
Intuition enhances the knowledge we have gained and the expertise we have developed. Described by Buckminster Fuller—a highly innovative and creative architect, author, and visionary—as “cosmic fishing,” this natural faculty of mind has great survival value. We might imagine our intuition as a divining rod that helps locate underground streams, so we know where to dig. Or we might visualize it as a simple lifting of the veil, a flash of lightning, or dipping our finger to touch the cosmic ocean of information. Intuition allows us to tune into the voices of unseen inner guides or whispers heard in the middle of the night, despite the normal bubbling of thoughts in the jumble of our mind. Just like we are learning to be more fluent with our feelings in recovery, intuition asks us to recognize and decipher our body’s vivid messages—verbal, visual, or kinesthetic (body-felt awareness). Then we will appreciate that those everyday hunches, which seem to descend like an offering from outside, are really a direct line to our connection with all that is. We flash on what normally might be missed in the daily hustle and bustle of our lives to gain insight on what could be. I welcome the magic of intuitive knowledge in things both large and small. Today's reading is from the book Cornerstones, Daily Meditations for the Journey into Manhood and Recovery |
March 29
Boundaries Sometimes, life and people seem to push and push. Because we are so used to pain, we may tell ourselves it doesn’t hurt. Because we are so used to people controlling and manipulating us, we may tell ourselves there is something wrong with us. There’s nothing wrong with us. Life is pushing and hurting to get our attention. Sometimes, the pain and pushing are pointing toward a lesson. The lesson may be that we’ve become too controlling. Or maybe we’re being pushed to own our power to take care of ourselves. The issue is boundaries. If something or somebody is pushing us to our limits, that’s exactly what’s happening: we’re being pushed to our limits. We can be grateful for the lesson that’s here to help us explore and set our boundaries. Today, I will give myself permission to set the limits I want and need to set in my life. Today's reading is from the book The Language of Letting Go, Daily Meditations on Codependency |
March 30
A relationship can’t be healthier than the people in it. ~Mary Kay W. We all dream of having marvelous relationships. But unless we’re willing to work our own recovery program, that dream will stay a dream. The other person in the relationship, the partner, complicates the equation even more because he or she also must be serious about personal growth if our dream is to come true. The issues faced by adult children invariably affect relationships. Why? Because it is precisely our capacity for intimacy that has been “dented” most, as shown in our fear of commitment and in our compulsive need to please, to never be alone, and to place others first. We fear abandonment and are afraid to ask that our needs be met. Intimacy is a key relationship issue for adult children. The first step in making our dreams come true has nothing to do with him or her or them. It has to do with us and our taking responsibility for our own health and well-being. Today, I pray for greater understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses as a partner in a relationship. I will make myself ready for the kind of relationship I dream about. Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy, Daily Meditations for Adult Children |
March 31
A very small degree of hope is sufficient to cause the birth of hope. ~Stendhal For many of us, when we walked into recovery, we were without hope. But even at our very first meeting we were greeted by the smiles, joy, laughter, and hope of those addicts who began the recovery journey before we did. We wanted what they had. We had nothing, so their hope had to be ours until we could create some of our own. Their joy had to be ours until we could find some of our own. Their values had to be ours until we could establish a value system of our own. Their smiles will always be a part of us. Now it is our job to greet the newcomers and the old comers at meetings. We can smile at them, giving them hope and watching it grow. This is the essence of our fellowship. Prayer for the Day Higher Power, help me to be hope for others. Help me to make others feel that life, even when tough, is worth living. Help me to live a life that attracts others to you. Today's Action At the next meeting I go to, I will make it a point to greet, smile at, and say hello to anyone I don’t know, as well as many I do know. Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me, More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple |
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