A Prayer & Some Thoughts - May

[bluidkiti]

Prayer for Guidance

Lord,
I have a hard time deciding what to do.
I am afraid to make the wrong decision, and this torments me greatly.
Therefore, I turn to you and ask for your help.
Show me your will in this decision.
Give me peace of mind in the next steps!
I seek your will every day as long as I live the life you give me.
I know you will open the doors that need to be opened and you will close the ones that need to be closed.
I go boldly, knowing that you are going with me!
Amen

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Just a Thought

Before I met A.A., I was very unloving.

From the time I went away to school, I paid very little attention to my mother and father. I was on my own and didn't even bother to keep in touch with them. After I got married, I was very unappreciative of my spouse. Many times I would go out all by myself to have a good time. I paid too little attention to our children and didn't try to understand them or show them affection. My few friends were only drinking companions, not real friends.

So ............

Have I gotten over loving nobody but myself?

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Just a Contemplation

Hidden Qualities

How do people lose touch with their strength, their wisdom, their joy? Perhaps it is in the nature of humanity. Our most profound qualities are hidden deep. They never go away, but we cannot always find them. There may be nothing wrong with ourselves when we lose touch. It doesn't have to mean that we are "bad people" for getting depressed or for feeling inadequate. Who doesn't have that problem? It is the nature of life that we sometimes feel this way.

When we cannot find those reassuring feelings of strength and wisdom and joy, we may think they are gone forever. We even doubt we ever had them or could have them again. But they are still there. They cannot be destroyed. And when we regain contact we know they have been with us all along.

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Sacrifice + Unity = Survival

The unity, the effectiveness, and even the survival of A. A. will always depend upon our continued willingness to give up some of our personal ambitions and desires for the common safety and welfare. Just as sacrifice means survival for the individual alcoholic, so does sacrifice means unity and survival for the group and for A. A.'s entire Fellowship.

As Bill Sees It Page 220

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Just a Quote

"Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it. " ~ Tori Amos

[bluidkiti]

May 2


Prayer for Clarity

Lord, I give you all of my concerns, anxieties and worries. You know the inner beating of my heart and all of the troubles in my life. I pray that you will guide me during this inner turmoil. My heart weighs heavy as I struggle to discern the truth and the right path to take.I know that you understand all of my life and have a plan for me. I wait for your guidance and wisdom.
Lord, bring me clarity. Amen

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Just a Thought

Since I've been in A.A., have I made a start towards being more unselfish?

Do I no longer want my own way in everything? When things go wrong and I can't have what I want, do I no longer sulk? Am I trying not to waste money on myself? And does it make me happy to see my family and my home have enough attention from me?

So ............

Am I trying not to be all get and no give?

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Just a Contemplation

Acceptance of Anger

Anger is familiar to us all. We feel it toward others and from others. The expression and acceptance of anger is where we often falter. Most of us were told when we were small girls that we shouldn't be angry, but we were. And we are, even yet. However, we often still feel like a little girl when it comes to angry feelings.

We need to accept our anger and learn to express it, honestly, openly and assertively, not aggressively. We can't afford to hang onto anger. It grows and then festers and then boils. Soon it is interfering in all our relationships, and it provides a ready excuse for an old, self-destructive pattern we don't want to entertain for even a moment.

Nothing we set out to do today will have the right outcome if we carry anger within us. How we interpret life, how we treat our friends, what we do with our opportunities and our challenges--all these are determined by our attitudes. Repressed anger always blocks the way to a positive attitude.

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Paradox

We give away to keep.
That seems absurd and untrue.
How can you keep something if you give it away?
But in order to keep whatever it is we get in AA, we must go about giving it away to others, for no fees or rewards of any kind.

Experience, Strength & Hope Page 154

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Just a Quote

"Letting go of the past is the only way that you will ever be able to move forward and gain more mental clarity." ~ R.D. King

[bluidkiti]

May 3


Prayer for Procrastinators

Lord,
Help me with my prioritization. Guide my thoughts and my hand as I break things down into tasks and lay out the order in which things need to get done. Guide me toward what you think is best. Bring me friends and family that will kindly push me in the right directions. Unblock my thoughts and open my mind. Lord, I ask that once I get started, you help me remain focused. I know how easily I can be distracted by other things. Amen

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Just a Thought

The A.A. way of living is not an easy one.

But it's an adventure in living that is really worthwhile. And it's so much better than our old drunken way of living that there's no comparison. Our lives without A.A. would be worth nothing. With A.A., we have a chance to live reasonably good lives. It's worth the battle, no matter how tough the going is from day to day.

So ............

Isn't it worth the battle?

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Just a Contemplation

Worry

Worrying doesn’t help. Our worries haven’t prevented one disaster along the way. At times, the only thing they’ve prevented is our joy. Our worries are fear. We say, I will worry and be fearful until things have worked out; only then can I relax and enjoy. Our worries are self-punishment, a form of not forgiving ourselves, not loving ourselves, not trusting.

We may think that worrying helps ward off trouble, but that’s an illusion. Sometimes worrying brings trouble upon us, because we’re so caught up in our fear that we don’t take the responsible steps we need to take. By neglecting our lives due to worry and fear, we may bring needless consequences upon ourselves.

The lesson is trust. When we’re trusting, we let go of our fear, confident that what we want and need will come. We trust that if what comes appears to be trouble or hardship, we will get what we need to get through that, too. When we trust, we get peaceful first, before we get what we want, before we see what the future brings.

Worry and fear are the opposite of love. Love yourself more that you ever have. Love yourself enough to stop worrying. Love yourself enough to give yourself the gift of peace.

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Challenges

There is no easier, softer way.
To bring the great escape act into sobriety is to travel with a companion that led me to despair long ago. The teaching I receive in Alcoholics Anonymous about courage and love helps me to continue to grapple with the challenges of life as they are given to me, one day at a time.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], Page 320

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Just a Quote

“There are people who are always anticipating trouble, and in this way they manage to enjoy many sorrows that never really happen to them.” ~ Josh Billings

[bluidkiti]

May 4


The Set Aside Prayer

Dear God,
Please set aside everything I think I know About myself, this book, my disease, these steps, and especially about you dear God so that I might have an open mind And a new experience with all these things. Please help me to see the truth.



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Just a Thought

Since I've been in A.A. ............

Have I made a start towards becoming more loving to my family and friends? Do I visit my parents? Am I more appreciative of my spouse than I was before? Am I grateful to my family for having put up with me? Have I found real understanding with my children? Do I feel that the friends I've found in A.A. are real friends? Do I believe that they are always ready to help me and do I want to help them if I can?

So ............

Do I really care now about other people?

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Just a Contemplation

Our Darker Side

By the time we get to the Fourth of the Twelve Steps, we are ready to face our darker side, the side that prevents us from loving others, from letting others love us, and from enjoying life and ourselves. The purpose of Step Four is not to make ourselves feel worse; our purpose is to begin to remove our blocks to joy and love.

We look for fears, anger, hurt, and shame from past events - buried feelings that may be affecting our life today. We search for subconscious beliefs about others and ourselves that may be interfering with the quality of our relationships. These beliefs say: I'm not lovable . . . I'm a burden to those around me . . . People can't be trusted . . . I can't be trusted . . . I don't deserve to be happy and successful . . . Life isn't worth living. We look at our behaviors and patterns with an eye toward discerning the self-defeating ones. With love and compassion for ourselves, we try to unearth all our guilt - earned and unearned - and expose it to the light.

We perform this examination without fear of what we shall find, because this soul searching can cleanse us and help us feel better about ourselves than we ever dreamt possible.



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Prayer

All of us, without exception, pass through times when we can pray only with the greatest exertion of will. Occasionally we go even further than this. We are seized with a rebellion so sickening that we simply won't pray. When these things happen we should not think too ill of ourselves. We should simply resume prayer as soon as we can, doing what we know to be good for us.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 105



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Just a Quote

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." ~ Benjamin Franklin

[bluidkiti]

May 5


Prayer This Morning

Lord,
Give me the patience to be compassionate and helpful toward others and myself,
and to know when it is best to remain quiet.
Give me the clarity to be grateful for all that I have,
and to realize when I have something to give to others.
Give me the capacity to love and forgive others,
especially the ones who have wronged me.
Give me the serenity to find happiness and peace in each day.

~ P.C. Cast

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Just a Thought

When I was drinking, I was absolutely selfish.

I thought of myself first, last, and always. The universe revolved around me at the center. When I woke up in the morning with a hangover, my only thought was how terrible I felt and about 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.

So ............

Can I now look out and beyond my own selfishness?

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Just a Contemplation

Example

Children are smart. Remember how we used to imitate our parents' behavior? We'd dress up like them, mimic their words, even copy their attitudes. We wanted to be just like them because we thought they were the most wonderful people in the world. We can see this happen all around us, younger ones imitating parents, older brothers and sisters, and older friends. It's very flattering.

The problem is that children imitate not just healthy behavior and attitudes, but also sometimes the not-so-healthy. We get very uncomfortable when we look at a younger person misbehaving and see ourselves in that person. Suddenly, we aren't flattered any more.

When we see things we don't like in others, we must first look at ourselves to see if we need changing. This is all we can do--change ourselves. Others may follow our example or they may not, but we can be sure that, when we watch our own behavior, most of what we see of ourselves in others will be flattering.

What change can I make in myself to set a good example today?

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Consistency

What right do I have to expect perfection and efficiency in my spiritual growth when the rest of my life is so full of ups and downs, ins and outs, and backs and forths?
Throughout this whole adventure, the only consistency I have maintained is an absolute and total faith in AA, come what may.

The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], Page 187

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Just a Few Quotes

“Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.” ~ Dalai Lama

“Compassion is to look beyond your own pain, to see the pain of others.” ~ Yasmin Mogahed

[bluidkiti]

May 6


Prayer for Happiness and Peace

Lord, I pray that you bless me with true happiness and peace in life.
Lead me away from hate and anger toward love.
From a restless mind and anxiety, give me peace.
Lead me from fear of death to eternal life.

Lord when I suffer despair and lack of confidence, lead me to hope, faith, and trust.
Lead me away from dishonesty and deceit toward eternal truth.
Allow eternal peace and tranquility to fill my heart, my mind, my life, and my world.
Amen

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Just a Thought

When I came into A.A.

I found men and women who had been through the same things I had been through. But now they were thinking more about how they could help others than they were about themselves. They were a lot more unselfish than I ever was. By coming to meetings and associating with them, I began to think a little less about myself and a little more about other people. I also learned that I didn't have to depend on myself alone to get out of the mess I was in. I could get a greater strength than my own.

So ............

Am I now depending less on myself and more on God?

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Just a Contemplation

Just Today

It's not always easy to understand that the day stretching before us is all that counts. Daydreaming about the party last week, or getting upset all over again about a fight we had yesterday with a friend doesn't help us right now. When our minds are on the past, we miss out on the conversation or the activity that is going on around us.

Every moment of the day is special and guaranteed to help us grow and understand life. All of us have been taught to pay attention in school, or to pay attention when others talk to us. But we should also pay attention to the birds, the sky, even the grass. And we can learn a lot by paying attention to the conversations going on around us, and to the small voice inside us that helps us know right from wrong.

What's going on today is enough to pay attention to.
Am I ready to pay attention to what is around me today?

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Freedom

Looking back we see that our freedom to choose badly was not, after all, a very real freedom.
When we chose because we 'must,' this was not a free choice either. But it got us started in the right direction.
When we chose because we 'ought to' we were really doing better.
This time we were earning some freedom, making ourselves ready for more.
But when, now and then, we could gladly make right choices without rebellion, holdout, or conflict, then we had our first view of what perfect freedom under God's will could be like.
Bill W., May 1960

The Language of the Heart Page 302

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Just a Quote

“When you do the right thing, you get the feeling of peace and serenity associated with it. Do it again and again.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

[bluidkiti]

May 7

Comforting Prayer

Lord, my life is full of difficulties.
I am anxious about everything and I am consumed with worry.
Even though I know that You always provide, I struggle to apply this to my life.
Let Your comforting spirit descend upon me.
Let it wash through me so that I might know this comfort and learn to trust in You.
Amen

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Just a Thought

People often ask what makes the A.A. program work.

One of the answers is that A.A. works because it gets a person away from himself as the center of the universe. And it teaches him to rely more on the fellowship of others and on strength from God. Forgetting ourselves in fellowship, prayer, and working with others is what makes the A.A. program work.

So ............

Are these things keeping me sober?

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Just a Contemplation

Grief

How can we measure all the grief we feel, and how can we put up with it? Doesn't the Grief of Death weigh a ton or more? Doesn't it stretch out to a month, a year, or longer still? Is the Grief of Failure lighter than the Grief of Despair, but maybe longer? Isn't the Grief of Emptiness the heaviest of all? Whether we try to ignore or make light of it, our grief, like a ton of feathers or a ton of rocks, is all the same to us. This much is sure: if we lock our grief in, it will weigh more on us and lengthen out; if we open our hearts with weeping and words, others will help carry it away.

What sadness can I let go of by sharing it today?

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Simplicity

A willingness to do whatever I was told to do simplified the program for me. Study the AA book - don't just read it. They told me to go to meetings, and I still do at every available opportunity, whether I am at home or in some other city. Attending meetings has never been a chore for me. Nor have I attended them with a feeling of just doing my duty. Meetings are both relaxing and refreshing to me after a hard day. They said 'Get active," so I helped whenever I could, and still do.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Page 381

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Just a Quote

“Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” ~ Arthur Somers Roche

[bluidkiti]

May 8


Joy of Giving Prayer

Lord, I ask that you open my heart to give to others.
Teach me the joy of giving, as a blessing to those in need.
Lord, I pray for my brothers and sisters around the world who are in need.
Amen

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Just a Thought

All alcoholics have personality problems.

They drink to escape from life, to counteract feelings of loneliness or inferiority, or because of some emotional conflict within them, so that they cannot adjust themselves to life. Alcoholics cannot stop drinking unless they find a way to solve their personality problems. That's why going on the wagon doesn't solve anything. That's why taking the pledge usually doesn't work.

So ............

Was my personality problem ever solved by going on the wagon or taking the pledge? (aka “dry drunk”)

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Just a Contemplation

Patience

How sick and tired we may become of people telling us to be patient or to learn patience. How frustrating it can be to want to finally have something, or to move forward, and then not have that happen. How irritating to have someone tell us to wait while our needs have not been met and were in the midst of anxiety, frustration, and inaction. Do not confuse the suggestion to be patient with the old rule about not having feelings.

Being patient does not mean we go through the sometimes-grueling process of life and recovery without having feelings! Feel the frustration. Feel the impatience. Get as angry as you need to about not having your needs met. Feel your fear. Controlling our feelings will not control the process!

We find patience by surrendering to our feelings. Patience cannot be forced. It is a gift, one that closely follows acceptance and gratitude. When we work through our feelings to fully accept who we are and what we have, we will be ready to be and have more. I will let myself have my feelings while I practice patience.

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Talk or Action

In making amends, it is seldom wise to approach an individual who still smarts from our injustice to him, and announce that we have gone religious. This might be called leading with the chin. Why lay ourselves open to being branded fanatics or religious bores? If we do this, we may kill a future opportunity to carry a beneficial message.

But the man who hears our amends is sure to be impressed with our sincere desire to set right a wrong. He is going to be more interested in a demonstration of good will than in talk of spiritual discoveries.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 77

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Just a Quote

"Who can I forgive today, and make my day a better one?" ~ Catherine Ponder

[bluidkiti]

May 9


Prayer for Laughter

Dear God,
As I stumble through this life, help me to create more laughter than tears, dispense more cheer than gloom, spread more cheer than despair. Never let me become so indifferent, that I will fail to see the wonders in the eyes of a child, or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged. Never let me forget that my total effort is to cheer people, make them happy, and forget momentarily, all the unpleasantness in their lives. And in my final moment, may I hear You whisper: When you made My people smile, you made Me smile.
Amen

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An Irish blessing
(for mothers)

There is but one and only one,
Whose love will fail you never.
One who lives from sun to sun,
With constant fond endeavor.

There is but one and only one
On earth there is no other.
In heaven a noble work was done
When God gave us a Mother.

- Author Unknown

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Just a Thought

In A.A. alcoholics find a way to solve their personality problems.

They do this by recovering three things. First, they recover their personal integrity. They pull themselves together. They get honest with themselves and with other people. They face themselves and their problems honestly, instead of running away. They take a personal inventory of themselves to see where they really stand. Then they face the facts instead of making excuses for themselves.

So ............

Have I recovered my integrity?

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Just a Contemplation

Adversity

After difficult or challenging times we often say, "I never would have chosen to go through that, but I learned a lot from it." It could be a job situation, a failed relationship, or trouble with the law. When we bump up against something hard something that pushes back at us, our strength is tested, forcing us to draw on unknown reserves. A mountain climber standing on a safe ledge finds it difficult to move forward onto a more frightening spot. After he has completed the route, he looks back and feels good about himself because he met a challenge. We meet these challenges in many ways in our lives, and they help us build our self-respect.

Whatever difficulty is facing us today, we may have to deal with it ourselves, but we do not have to be alone while we do it. We can reach out for support while we do what we must. This difficulty is part of being human and can help us see more fully who we are.

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Survive Trials

In our belief, any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes wholly to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure. If the alcoholic tries to shield himself he may succeed for a time, but he usually winds up with a bigger explosion than ever. We have tried these methods. These attempts to do the impossible have always failed. Release from alcohol, and not flight from it, is our answer.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 101

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Just a Quote

"Worry is an extension of fear and can also set you up for attracting that which you don’t want in your life.' ~ Madisyn Taylor

[bluidkiti]

May 10


Happy To Be Me Prayer

Dear God,
Give me the courage to be myself.
I’m always trying to be what others expect of me.
I’m wasting time and energy pleasing everyone but myself.
I’m not even very good at it.
Help me appreciate the best parts of being me.
Show me how to love myself so I can say with confidence:
“I am very happy to be me.”
Amen

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Just a Thought

Alcoholics in A.A. recover their faith in a Power greater than themselves.

They admit that they're helpless by themselves and they call on that Higher Power for help. They surrender their lives to God, as they understand Him. They put their drink problem in God's hands and leave it there. They recover their faith in a Higher Power that can help them.

So ............

Have I recovered my faith?

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Just a Contemplation

Unexpected Experiences

You can count on moments of laughter. And you can count on twinges of fear. Life is seldom what we expect, but we can trust that we will survive the rough times. They will, in fact, soften our edges. Pleasure and pain share equally in the context of our lives.

We so easily forget that our growth comes through the challenges we label "problems." We do have the tools at hand to reap the benefits inherent in the problems that may face us today. Let us move gently forward, take the program with us, and watch the barriers disappear.

Accepting powerlessness over our children, or spouse, or co-worker may free us of a burden today. Or perhaps amends will open the communication we seek with someone in our lives. A Well lived today, will prepare me for both the pleasure and the pain of tomorrow.

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Humility

On his desk, Dr. Bob had a plaque defining humility:
"Perpetual quietness of heart."
It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming trouble.

Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers Page 222

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Just a Quote

"All time spent angry is time lost being happy." ~ Mexican Proverb

[bluidkiti]

May 11


Good Morning God Prayer

Good Morning God!
You are ushering in another day,
untouched and freshly new.
So here I am to ask you, God,
if You'll renew me too.

Forgive the many errors that I made yesterday
and let me try again dear God
to walk closer in Your way.

But Lord, I am well aware,
I can't make it on my own.
So take my hand and hold it tight,
for I cannot walk alone.

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Just a Thought

This sober world is a pleasant place for an alcoholic to live in.

Once you've got out of your alcoholic fog, you find that the world looks good. You find real friends in A.A. You get a job. You feel good in the morning. You eat a good breakfast and you do a good day's work at home or outside. And your family loves you and welcomes you because you're sober.

So ............

Am I convinced that this sober world is a pleasant place for an alcoholic to live in?

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Just a Contemplation

Letting Go of Fear

Picture yourself swimming floating - peacefully down a gentle stream. All you need to do is breathe, relax, and go with the flow.

Suddenly, you become conscious of your situation. Frightened, overwhelmed with "what if's?" your body tenses. You begin to thrash around, frantically looking for something to grab on to.

You panic so hard you start to go under. Then you remember - you're working too hard at this. You don't need to panic. All you need to do is breathe, relax, and go with the flow. You won't drown.

Panic is our great enemy.

We don't need to become desperate. If overwhelming problems appear in our life, we need to stop struggling. We can tread water for a bit, until our equilibrium returns. Then we can go back to floating peacefully down the gentle stream. It is our stream. It is a safe stream. Our course has been charted. All is well. I will relax, breathe, and go with the flow.

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The Spiritual Alibi

Our first attempts at inventories are apt to prove very unrealistic. I used to be a champ at unrealistic self-appraisal. On certain occasions, I wanted to look only at the part of my life which seemed good. Then I would greatly exaggerate whatever virtues I supposed I had attained. Next I would congratulate myself on the grand job I was doing in A.A.

Naturally this generated a terrible hankering for still more "accomplishments," and still more approval. I was falling straight back into the pattern of my drinking days. Here were the same old goals--power, fame, and applause. Besides, I had the best alibi known--the spiritual alibi. The fact that I really did have a spiritual objective made this utter nonsense seem perfectly right.

As Bill Sees It Page 193

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Just a Quote

"Our program shows us how to change the way we think. And we change how we treat ourselves and others. We learn to live a new life based on love and care." ~ Simon Tyler

[bluidkiti]

May 12


Happy Moments Prayer

Lord,
Too often I remember the bad things and not the good.
Help me to see things as they are, full of happy moments not to be taken for granted.
As I get ready to reflect on the year gone by, let me know gratitude, and all the years will be good ones.
Amen

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Just a Thought

After a time, usually alcoholics recover their proper relationship with other people.

They think less about themselves and more about others. They try to help other alcoholics. They make new friends so that they're no longer lonely. They try to live a life of service instead of selfishness. All their relationships with other people are improved. They solve their personality problems by recovering their personal integrity, their faith in a Higher Power, and their way of fellowship and service to others.

So ............

Is my drinking problem solved as long as my personality problem is solved?

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Just a Contemplation

Our Special Gift

Most of us feel pretty ordinary. We probably wish we were taller or shorter. Some of us are fat rather than thin. Few of us have perfect skin or teeth. Often we look at others, compare ourselves, and wish we were different. At these times, it's important to remember that each of us is special. We differ from others because we're created for different purposes.

Some of us will make a contribution to the world of sports, some to the art of music. Teaching or medicine will attract others and yet, no two of us will give to the world in the same way. Our unique mixture of looks, attitudes, and abilities will be special and very necessary to the people sharing our lifetime.

How can I give my special gift to the world today?

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God's Will

Acceptance is the key to my relationship with God today. I never just sit and do nothing while waiting for Him to tell me what to do. Rather, I do whatever is in front of me to be done, and I leave the results up to Him; however it turns out, that’s God’s will for me.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 452 (3rd Edition)

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Just a Quote

"We often don't realize how heavy the weight of worry is and how much energy it requires until we are able to let go of it." ~ Kevin Nelson

[bluidkiti]

May 13


Happiness in Tough Times Prayer

Dear Lord,
Teach me to be content when I’m facing a bad day.
How easy it is to be happy when everything goes my well.
How tough it is to remember my joy when one thing after another appears to defeat me.
Let me in on the secret. Turn my frown into a smile. Tears into laughter.
I am Your humble student.
Amen

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Just a Thought

When I came into A.A., I came into a new world. A sober world.

A world of sobriety, peace, serenity, and happiness. But I know that if I take just one drink, I'll go right back into that old world. That alcoholic world. That world of drunkenness, conflict, and misery. That alcoholic world is not a pleasant place for an alcoholic to live in. Looking at the world through the bottom of a whiskey glass is no fun after you've become an alcoholic.

So ............

Do I want to go back to that alcoholic world?

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Just a Contemplation

Happiness & Others

Our happiness is not a present someone else holds in his or her hands. Our well-being is not held by another to be given or withheld at whim. If we reach out and try to force someone to give us what we believe he or she holds, we will be disappointed. We will discover that it is an illusion. The person didn't hold it. He or she never shall. That beautifully wrapped box with the ribbon on it that we believed contained our happiness that someone was holding - it's an illusion!

In those moments when we are trying to reach out and force someone to stop our pain and create our joy, if we can find the courage to stop flailing about and instead stand still and deal with our issues, we will find our happiness. It is true that if someone steps on our foot, he or she is hurting us and therefore holds the power to stop our pain by removing his or her foot. But the pain is still ours. And so is the responsibility to tell someone to stop stepping on our feet.

Healing will come when we're aware of how we attempt to use others to stop our pain and create our happiness. We will heal from the past. We will receive insights that can change the course of our relationships. We will see that, all along, our happiness and our well-being have been in our hands. We have held that box. The contents are ours for the opening.

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Ego

I am still arrogant, egocentric, self-righteous, with no humility, even phony at times, but I'm trying to be a better person and help my fellowman. Guess I'll never be a saint, but whatever I am, I want to be sober and in AA.
The word "alcoholic" does not turn me off any more; in fact, it is music to my ears when it applies to me.

Experience, Strength and Hope Page 382

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Just a Quote

" You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow" ~ Carrie Fisher

[bluidkiti]

May 14


Prayer To Start This Day

Lord, please use me today in any way You see fit.
As You guide my thoughts and actions, please use me to bless others and for Your purposes more broadly.
Rather than seeking my own will, help me to align with Yours.
Thank You, God, for all You do for me.
Amen

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Just a Thought

In that alcoholic world ............

I need to remember that one drink always leads to another and you can't stop till you're paralyzed. And the next morning it begins all over again. You eventually land in a hospital or jail. You lose your job. Your home is broken up. You're always in a mess. You're on the merry go round and you can't get off. You're in a squirrel cage and you can't get out.

So ............

Am I convinced that the alcoholic world is not a pleasant place for me to live in?

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Just a Contemplation

Secrets

We all have our secrets. Some of them we’re not about to tell anybody. God, of course, already knows them. There may be some things we consider so shameful that we can’t share them with anyone. But shame separates us from God. It’s a way of saying we are too horrible, too different – it’s a form of false pride.

To hide something means we’re holding on to the shame. Not until we’re ready to admit to God, ourselves, and another human being the nature of our secrets can we be rid of our shame. But when we come to believe that we have nothing to fear from sharing our secrets, God will transform them into something useful and constructive. There is nothing we have ever done that can’t be used to help someone, ourselves included.

Today I will share my secrets with someone.

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Gifts

From: "The Opening to the Spiritual World"

This is the crux of the program and the crux of living: acceptance and action.
The gift of understanding has allowed the simple messages from my parents, my teachers, and my church to take on new meaning and soundness. With the gift of serenity, I am ready and willing to accept what God permits to happen to me; with the gift of courage, to take action to change the things I can for the good of myself and others. The gift of wisdom has been given to me so that in personal relationships I may act intelligently and with love or, as it has also been expressed, with competence and compassion.

Came to Believe Page 4

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Just a Quote

"Tension is who you think you should be, relaxation is who you are." ~ Chinese Proverb

[bluidkiti]

May 15


Prayer for Compassion

Lord, grant me the wisdom to see the good in each person I meet.

Grant me the empathy to understand their life situation and respect them enough to extend loving support, while sharing God's love with dignity.

Allow me, Lord, to recognize opportunities to stand with others, friend to friend.
Amen

~ John Wenger, Andersonville, IN

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Just a Thought

I have found my way into this new world.

By the grace of God and the help of A.A.; so am I going to take that first drink, when I know that just one drink will change my whole world? Am I deliberately going back to the suffering of that alcoholic world? Or am I going to hang onto the happiness of this sober world? Is there any doubt about the answer?

So ............

With God's help, am I going to hang onto A.A. with both hands?

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Just a Contemplation

Enjoyment

One of the prohibitions many of us learned in childhood is the unspoken rule — don't have fun and enjoy life. This rule creates martyrs — people who will not let themselves embrace the pleasures of day-to-day living. Many of us associated suffering with some sort of sainthood. We can go through the day making ourselves feel anxious, guilty, miserable, and deprived. Or we can allow ourselves to go through that same day feeling good.

There is much to be enjoyed each day, and it is okay to feel good. We can let ourselves enjoy our tasks. We can learn to relax without guilt. We can even learn to have fun.

Work at learning to have fun. Apply yourself with dedication to learning enjoyment. Work as hard at learning to have fun as you did at feeling miserable. Our work will pay off. Fun will become fun. Life will become worth living. And each day, we'll find many pleasures to be enjoyed.

I will let myself enjoy life as I go through my day.

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An Illness

Alcoholism, not cancer was my illness, but what was the difference? Was not alcoholism also a consumer of body and mind? Alcoholism took longer to do its killing, but the result was the same. So, I decided, if there was a great Physician who could cure alcoholic sickness, I had better seek Him at once.

A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 61

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Just a Quote

"To behave with dignity is nothing less than to allow others freely to be themselves." ~ Sol Chaneles