Friday 31 October 2014

Big Book

Big Book

"Everybody nowadays, believes in scores of assumptions for which
there is good evidence, but no perfect visual proof. And does not
science demonstrate that visual proof is the weakest proof? It is
being constantly revealed, as mankind studies the material world,
that outward appearances are not inward reality at all."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 48~

Daily Zen #essentialsofrecovery #Zen #Buddhism #Tao #Buddha #Meditation

31 
October

Some people live closely guarded lives, fearful of encountering someone or something that might shatter their insecure spiritual foundation. This attitude, however, is not the fault of religion but of their own limited understanding. True Dharma leads in exactly the opposite direction. It enables one to integrate all the many diverse experiences of life into a meaningful and coherent whole, thereby banishing fear and insecurity completely.

~ Meditation in Action, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Daily Tao #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #Zen #Tao #Buddhism #LaoTzu

 31
October


3. Keeping the people at rest


Not to value and employ men of superior ability is the way to keep the people from rivalry among themselves; not to prize articles which are difficult to procure is the way to keep them from becoming thieves; not to show them what is likely to excite their desires is the way to keep their minds from disorder.

Therefore the sage, in the exercise of his government, empties their minds, fills their bellies, weakens their wills, and strengthens their bones.

He constantly (tries to) keep them without knowledge and without desire, and where there are those who have knowledge, to keep them from presuming to act (on it). When there is this abstinence from action, good order is universal.

Elder’s Meditation of the Day #essentialsofrecovery.com #Recovery #Elders #NativeAmerican #Pueblo

 31
 October



“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.

One Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery.com #OA #OneDayAtATime #Spiritual #Recovery

 31
October 

SERVICE



“Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth.”

–Shirley Chisholm

Midway through my first fourth step someone asked me to sponsor her. I was thrilled and eager to share my experience, strength and hope. As my work with my sponsee progressed, something began to happen in my own program. All that I had learned and was sharing with my sponsee reminded me of where I came from and how far I had progressed. I found that my recovery was strengthened through this process of giving away my experiences in program. This service allowed me to keep what I had received.

It is vital for me that I serve the program of OA in all different manners: as a sponsor; as a leader of a step meeting; as treasurer of a local meeting; and by reaching out to newcomers, people in relapse, and others in the OA fellowship. The more I give, the more I receive.

One day at a time…I will give service to the OA fellowship so that I may remain in recovery.

~ Cindi L.

A Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #Spiritiral #AA

 31
October

Reflection For The Day


If I’m to continue growing in The Program, I must literally “get wise to myself.” I must remember that for most of my life I’ve been terribly self-deceived. The sin of pride has been at the root of most of my self-deception, usually masquerading under the guise of some virtue. I must work continually to uncover pride in all its subtle forms, lest it stop me in my tracks and push me backward once again to the brink of disaster. When it comes to pride, do I believe, in Emerson’s words, that “it is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself…?”

Today I Pray

May I know that button-popping pride is inappropriate for me as a recovering addict. It hides my faults for me. It turns people off and gets in the way of my helping others. It halts my progress because it makes me think I’ve done enough self-searching and I’m “cured.” I pray to my Higher Power that I may be realistic enough to accept my success in The Program without giving in to pride.

Today I Will Remember

Pride halts progress.

Joe and Charlie Big Book study - Part 24 of 33 - The Fourth Step


Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery.com #AA #Spiritual #KeepItSimple #Spiritual

 31
October 

SAINTS/SINNERS


“Every saint has a past and every sinner a future.”

— Oscar Wilde
I must not allow the painful things of my past to affect what I can do today. Guilt is a killer if I allow it power in my life. I have made my amends. I have apologized to those I hurt. Today I begin the rest of my life.

Alcoholism produces behavior that causes guilt and shame. In this sense it is different from so many other diseases. The shame and guilt I felt for years grew out of my alcoholic behavior and I need to remember that I am not responsible for being alcoholic. It is not my fault. However, with the knowledge and acceptance of the disease comes a determination to live responsibly. I have a sense of responsibility in my recovery. Spirituality involves being a responsible person. The awareness and acceptance of my past can help create a loving future.

Today I understand that in the failures of the past are sown the seeds of greatness.

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrecovery.com #Recovery #AA #KeepItSimple

 31
October 


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 call 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.

As Bill Sees It essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #AsBillSeesIt #BillW

 31
October


Comradeship in Peril, p. 302


We A.A.’s are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after rescue from shipwreck, when camaraderie, joyousness, and democracy pervade the vessel from steerage to captain’s table.

Unlike the feelings of the ship’s passengers, however, our joy in escape from disaster does not subside as we go our individual ways. The feeling of sharing in a common peril–relapse into alcoholism–continues to be an important element in the powerful cement which binds us of A.A. together.

<< << << >> >> >>

Our first woman alcoholic had been a patient of Dr. Harry Tiebout’s, and he had handed her a prepublication manuscript copy of the Big Book. The first reading made her rebellious, but the second convinced her. Presently she came to a meeting held in our living room, and from there she returned to the sanitarium carrying this classic message to a fellow patient: “We aren’t alone any more.”

1. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 17
2. A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 18

Twenty-Four Hours A Day essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Meditation

31
October 


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 your 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.

Just For Today #essentialsofrecovery.com #JustForToday #Recovery #Spiritual #NA

31 

October

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.

Daily Reflections #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Reflections #Spiritual

 31
October


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 millen-nium 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.


Thursday 30 October 2014

And sticking to it..



EssentialsOfRecovery.com

Open Your Eyes...



EssentialsOfRecovery.com

Joe and Charlie Big Book study - Part 23 of 33 - Freedom From Bondage


#essentialsofrecovery #AA #Quotes #Spiritual #Inspiration

Life got immeasurably easier for me when I got passionate about taking responsibility for my own situations while deferring any responsibility for your life situations to you...
~ Unknown

Big Book #essentialsofrecovery.com #AA #BigBook #Recovery #Spiritual

 30
October


Chapter 6 Working With Others (pg 101 & top 102)
We meet these conditions every day. An alcoholic who cannot meet them, still has an alcoholic mind; there is something the matter with his spiritual status. His only chance for sobriety would be some place like the Greenland Ice Cap, and even there an Eskimo might turn up with a bottle of scotch and ruin everything! Ask any woman who has sent her husband to distant places on the theory he would escape the alcohol problem.

In our belief any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes 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 usually winds up with a bigger explosion than ever. We have tried these methods. These attempts to do the impossible have always failed.

So our rule is not to avoid a place where there is drinking, if we have a legitimate reason for being there. That includes bars, nightclubs, dances, receptions, weddings, even plain ordinary whoopee parties. To a person who has had experience with an alcoholic, this may seem like tempting Providence, but it isn’t.

You will note that we made and important qualification. Therefore, ask yourself on each occasion, “Have I any good social, business, or personal reason for going to this place? Or am I expecting to steal a little vicarious pleasure from the atmosphere of such places?” If you answer these questions satisfactorily, you need have no apprehension. Go or stay away, whichever seems best. But be sure you are on solid spiritual ground before you start and that your motive in going is thoroughly good. do not think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can bring to it. But if you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic instead!

Daily Zen #essentialsofrecovery.com #Zen #Recovery #Buddhism #Meditation #Tao

 30
October


Constant repetition of the Nembutsu is also worthless-like a frog in a spring field croaking night and day. Those deluded by fame and fortune, find it especially difficult to abandon the Nembutsu. Bound by deep roots to a profit-seeking mind, they existed in ages past, and they exist today. They are to be pitied. 

Dogen - Bendowa

Daily Tao #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #meditation #Spiritual #Zen #Tao #LaoTzu #Buddhism

 30
October


2. The nourishment of the person

All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the want of skill is.

So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to (the idea of) the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one (the idea of) the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the figure of the other; that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and that being before and behind give the idea of one following another.

Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and conveys his instructions without the use of speech.

All things spring up, and there is not one which declines to show itself; they grow, and there is no claim made for their ownership; they go through their processes, and there is no expectation (of a reward for the results). The work is accomplished, and there is no resting in it (as an achievement).

The work is done, but how no one can see;

'Tis this that makes the power not cease to be.

Elder’s Meditation of the Day #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #Spiritual #Elders #NativeAmerican #Pontiac


 30 
October 


“My children, you have forgotten the customs and traditions of your forefathers. …
You have bought guns, knives, kettles, and blankets from the white man until you can no longer do without them; and what is worse you have drunk the poison firewater, which turns you into fools. Fling all these things away; live as your forefathers did before you.”

–Pontiac, ODOWA
We need to think as our forefathers did.
They knew the culture and the customs.
The culture taught them how to live in harmony with each other.
We need to think like this again.
We must be God-reliant.

We don’t need the firewater. This liquid is very destructive to our native people. It kills our spirit. Our Indian people are happiest when we are spiritual. When we depend on anyone or anything else, we get off track. We need to talk to the Elders and find out what the old ways were. We need to ask them to teach us the culture, the tradition, and the customs. This will help us become whole again.

My Maker, guide my path as you did my ancestors.

One Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery.com #OA #Recovery #Spiritual

30
October 

Truth


“The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear.”

–Herbert Agar
I spent thirty-five years of my adult life running from the truth. It wasn’t until I came to OA and began to work through the Twelve Steps that I had enough emotional support to turn and face the truth. What is my truth? I am a food addict.

Once I was able to face and accept that truth, surrender to my Higher Power was immediate. At long last I was free of cravings, free of bingeing, and free of obsessive food thoughts. That freedom allowed me to work toward the goal of becoming the person I had always wanted to be.

The way I see it, I can be an addict in recovery or I can be an addict in hell. I choose recovery.

One day at a time…

I will seek the truth in my life by working the program of recovery.

~ Cindi L.

A Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovey.com #recovery #AA #Meditation #inspiration

30
October

Reflection For The Day

When I’m motivated by pride — by bondage of self — I become partly or even wholly blind to my liabilities and shortcomings. At that point,m the last thing I need is comfort. Instead, I need an understanding friend in The Program — one who knows “where I’m at” — a friend who’ll unhesitatingly chop a hole through the wall my ego has built so that the light of reason can once again shine through. Do I take time to review my progress, to spot-check myself on a daily basis, and to promptly try to remedy my wrongs?

Today I Pray

God I pray that the group — or just one friend — will be honest enough to see my slippery manifestations of pride and brave enough to tell me about them. My self-esteem was starved for so long, than with my first successes in The Program, it may swell to the gross proportions of self-satisfaction. May a view from outside myself give me a true picture of how I am handling the triumph of my sobriety — with humility or with pride.

Today I Will Remember

Self-esteem or self-satisfaction?

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery.com #Recovery #FrLeo #Spiritual

30 
October
FOOD


“Seeing is deceiving. It’s eating that’s believing.”

— James Thurber
It may seem strange to many but for years my belief system revolved around my eating. I believed that if I could eat I would be okay. Food for me was both the pleasure and escape. I lived to eat. Feelings, good and bad, were surrounded and stuffed down with food. Some people drank to hide, used cocaine to escape — I ate to avoid the problems in my life.

Seeing was deceiving for me because I refused to accept the reality of my eating. I covered myself with clothes, avoided the beach, rarely looked at my body. I saw only what I wanted to see — and I was dying. Now I choose to face reality. This for me is the meaning of spirituality. I choose to show my love for me by loving my food, making choices around what I eat and eating slowly. Today I choose to talk about my problems, rather than eat them.

God, help me to accept my daily bread with gratitude and abstinence.

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrecovery.com #AA #KeepItSimple #Recovery #Spiritual

 30
October



The universe is full of magical things waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

—Eden Phillpots
How nice to have the fog lifted! Sobriety lets our wits grow sharper. We can go after our dreams and ideas. We can listen to music and sing. We are part of the magic of the universe. At times we may not feel very magical, but we are. Our spirits hold much magic. Sobriety is magic. We work at making the world a better place. In doing so, we get magical powers. Power that heals and comfort others. Power that heals and comforts others. Powers to understand things that before we could not. Powers that let us see the world as we’ve never seen it. Enjoy the magic and use your powers wisely!

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, let Your magic enter and fill my heart.

Action for the Day: I’ll list four magical powers I have from being sober.

As Bill Sees It #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #AsBillSeesIt #Billw #Spiritual

 30
October 


To Rebuild Security, p. 301


In our behavior respecting financial and emotional security, fear. greed. possessiveness, and pride have too often done their worst. Surveying his business or employment record, almost any alcoholic can ask questions like these: In addition to my drinking problem, what character defects contributed to my financial instability? Did fear and inferiority about my fitness for my job destroy my confidence and fill me with conflict? Or did I overvalue myself and play the big shot?

Businesswomen in A.A. will find that these questions often apply to them, too, and the alcoholic housewife can also make the family financially insecure. Indeed, all alcoholics need to cross-examine themselves ruthlessly to determine how their own personality defects have demolished their security.

12 & 12, pp. 51-52

Twenty-Four Hours A Day #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #meditation #AA #Spiritual

 30 October
A.A. Thought For The Day


I have real friends, where I had none before. My drinking companions could hardly be called my real friends, though when drunk we seemed to have the closest kind of friendship. My idea of friendship has changed. Friends are no longer people whom I can use for my own pleasure or profit. Friends are now people who understand me and I them, whom I can help and who can help me to live a better life. I have learned not to hold back and wait for friends to come to me, but to go half way and to be met half way, openly and freely. Does friendship have new meaning for me?

Meditation For The Day
There is a time for everything. We should learn to wait patiently until the right time comes. Easy does it. We waste our energies in trying to get things before we are ready to have them, before we have earned the right to receive them. A great lesson we have to learn is how to wait with patience. We can believe that all our life is a preparation for something better to come when we have earned the right to it. We can believe that God has a plan for our lives and that this plan will work out in the fullness of time.

Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may learn the lesson of waiting patiently. I pray that I may not expect things until I have earned the right to have them.

Just For Today #essentialsofrecovery.com #JustForToday #Recovery #Spiritual #NA

30 

October

Courage


Our newly found faith serves as a firm foundation for courage in the future.”

Basic Text, p. 93

––––=––––

Narcotics Anonymous is no place for the faint of heart! Facing life on life’s terms without the use of drugs isn’t always easy. Recovery requires more than hard work; it requires a liberal dose of courage.

What is courage, anyway? A quick look at a dictionary will tell us. We have courage when we face and deal with anything that we think of as difficult, dangerous, or painful, rather than withdrawing from it. Courage means being brave; having a purpose; having spirit. So what is courage, really? Courage is an attitude, one of perseverance.

That’s what an addict in recovery really needs—perseverance. We make that commitment to stick with our program, to avoid using, no matter what happens. A courageous addict is one who doesn’t use, one day at a time, no matter what.

And what gives us courage? A relationship with a Higher Power gives us the strength and the courage to stay clean. We know that, so long as we are in our God’s care, we will have the power we need to face life on its own terms.

––––=––––

Just for today: I have a Higher Power who cares for me, no matter what. Knowing that, I will strive to have an attitude of courage today.


Daily Reflections #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Reflections #Spiritual

 30
October

LIVE AND LET LIVE



Never since it began has Alcoholics Anonymous been divided by a major controversial issue. Nor has our Fellowship ever publicly taken sides on any question in an embattled world. This, however, has been no earned virtue. It could almost be said that we were born with it. . . . "So long as we don't argue these matters privately, it's a cinch we never shall publicly."

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 176

Do I remember that I have a right to my opinion but that others don't have to share it? That's the spirit of "Live and Let Live." The Serenity Prayer reminds me, with God's help, to "Accept the things I cannot change." Am I still trying to change others? When it comes to "Courage to change the things I can," do I remember that my opinions are mine, and yours are yours? Am I still afraid to be me? When it comes to "Wisdom to know the difference," do I remember that my opinions come from my experience? If I have a know-it-all attitude, aren't I being deliberately controversial?

From the book Daily Reflections
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Wednesday 29 October 2014

Joe and Charlie Big Book study - Part 22 of 33 - The Vital 4th step Part 3


Daily Tao #essentialsofrecovery.com #Recovery #Zen #Tao #Buddhism #Legge #LaoTzu #Meditation

 28 
October


2. The nourishment of the person
All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the want of skill is.

So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to (the idea of) the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one (the idea of) the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the figure of the other; that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and that being before and behind give the idea of one following another.

Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and conveys his instructions without the use of speech.

All things spring up, and there is not one which declines to show itself; they grow, and there is no claim made for their ownership; they go through their processes, and there is no expectation (of a reward for the results). The work is accomplished, and there is no resting in it (as an achievement).
The work is done, but how no one can see;
'Tis this that makes the power not cease to be.

Tanslation By  James Legge

Big Book #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #BigBook #BillW



Chapter 10 To Employers (pg 142 & top 143)


Next he can be assured that you do not intend to lecture, moralize, or condemn; that if this was done formerly, it was because of misunderstanding. If possible express a lack of hard feeling toward him. At this point, it might be well to explain alcoholism, the illness. Say that you believe he is a gravely - ill person, with this qualification-being perhaps fatally ill, does he want to get well? You ask, because many alcoholics, being warped and drugged, do not want to quit. But does he? Will he take every necessary step, submit to anything to get well, to stop drinking forever?

If he says yes, does he really mean it, or down inside does he think he is fooling you, and that after rest and treatment he will be able to get away with a few drinks now and then? We believe a man should be thoroughly probed on these points. Be satisfied he is not deceiving himself or you.

Whether you mention this book is a matter for your discretion. If he temporizes and still thinks he can ever drink again, even beer, he might as well be discharged after the next bender which, if an alcoholic, he is almost certain to have. He should understand that emphatically. Either you are dealing with a man who can and will get well or you are not. If not, why waste time with him? This may seem severe, but it is usually the best course.

After satisfying yourself that your man wants to recover and that he will go to any extreme to do so, you may suggest a definite course of action. For most alcoholics who are drinking, or who are just getting over a spree, a certain amount of physical treatment is desirable, even imperative. The matter of physical treatment should, of course, be referred to your own doctor. Whatever the method, its object is to thoroughly clear mind and body of the effects of alcohol. In competent hands, this seldom takes long nor is it very expensive. Your man will fare better if placed in such physical condition that he can think straight and no longer craves liquor. If you propose such a procedure to him, it may be necessary to advance the cost of the treatment, but we believe it should be made plain that any expense will later be deducted from his pay. It is better for him to feel fully responsible.

Daily Zen #essentialsofrecovery #Tao #Zen #Buddah #Buddhism #Spiritual

 28
October


Having enjoyed a sweet delicious taste,
And having sometimes tasted what is bitter,
Do not greedily enjoy the sweet taste,
Do not feel aversion toward the bitter.

When touched by pleasant contact, do not be enthralled,
Do not tremble when touched by pain.
Look evenly on both the pleasant and painful,
Not drawn or repelled by anything.

-Buddha, "The Connected Discourses of the Buddha"

Elder’s Meditation of the Day #essentialsofrecovery.com #NativeAmerican #Spiritual #Elders #meditation #Lakota


 29
October



“Mothers must protect the lives they have helped to bring into the world.”

– Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders

Every child is subject to the seeds each adult plants in his/her mind.
If we plant praise and “you can do it”, the child will grow up with certain predictable behavior patterns.
If we plant ideas that there’s something wrong with you or you’re good for nothing, the child will grow up with predictable behavior patterns.
We need to honor and respect the mothers who protect the children and plant positive seeds for their growth.

Great Spirit, bless each mother and give her courage and faith.

A Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #ADayAtAtime #Spiritual

 29
October

Reflection For The Day


Virtually all of us suffered the defect of pride when we sought help through The Program, the Twelve Steps, and the fellowship of those who truly understood what we felt and where we had been. We learned about our shortcomings — and of pride in particular — and began to replace self-satisfaction with gratitude for the miracle of our recovery, gratitude for the privilege of working with others, and gratitude for God’s gift — which enabled us to turn catastrophe into good fortune. Have I begun to realize that “pride is to character like the attic to the house — the highest part, and generally the most empty…”?

Today I Pray

God, please tell me if I am hanging my shins on my own pride. Luckily for me, The Program has its own built-in check for flaws like this — the clear-eyed vision of the group, which sees in me what I sometimes cannot see myself. May I know that any kind of success has always gone straight to my head, and be watching for it as I begin to reconstruct my confidence.

Today I Will Remember

“Success” can be a setback.

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #FrLeo #Spiritual

 29
October 

RACISM


“I want to be the white man’s brother not his brother-in-law.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Addiction is always about separation, ego, isolation and prejudice. The disease makes us feel different, “less than” and we cover those feelings with false humility or we assume an arrogant and bombastic manner. Pride and feelings of inferiority put us on the defensive. It is not unusual for us to seek a scapegoat for our anger. Drinking alcoholics can be vindictive and prejudicial in their attitude towards minorities: Blacks, gays and Jews. It is a strange quirk of circumstance when a minority seeks to victimize another minority — because alcoholics are a minority group!

Sobriety is about a change in attitude and behavior. The spiritual acceptance of self must lead inevitably to the acceptance of others. The false pride and arrogance of our drinking days must give way to the vulnerable strength of sobriety. Now we are able to embrace our brother, regardless of color, class or creed.

Lord, teach me to seek You in my fellow man and greet You in the stranger.

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Spiritual #Meditation

 29
October


Each morning puts a man on trail and each evening passes judgment.

–Ray L. Smith
In many ways, the Tenth Step is very natural. We continue to take a personal inventory. And when we’re wrong, we promptly admit it.

At the end of each day we ask ourselves, “How did my day go?” As we think about our day, we bring order to our life. The Tenth Step teaches us about order. It also teaches us how to correct mistakes. We do this by admitting our wrongs. This way, we have no backlog of guilt. It’s good to start each day fresh, free from quilt. Admitting our wrongs is a loving thing to do. It’s another way the program teaches us to love ourselves.

Prayer for the Day:
Today, I’ll face many choices. Higher Power, be with me as I choose. When the day is done, remind me to think about how I lived today. This will help me learn.

Action for the Day: Tonight, I’ll list three choices I made today. Would I make the same choices again?

As Bill Sees It #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #ASBillSeesIt #BillW

 29
October


People Of Faith, p. 300

We who have traveled a path through agnosticism or atheism beg you to lay aside prejudice, even against organized religion. We have learned that, whatever the human frailties of various faiths may be, those faiths have given purpose and direction to millions. People of faith have a rational idea of what life is all about.

Actually, we used to have no reasonable conception whatever. We used to amuse ourselves by cynically dissecting spiritual beliefs and practices, when we might have seen that many spiritually-minded persons of all races, colors, and creeds were demonstrating a degree of stability, happiness, and usefulness that we should have sought for ourselves.

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 49

Twenty-Four Hours A Day #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Spiritual #Mediation

 29
October


A.A. Thought For The Day


My relationships with my children have greatly improved. Those children who saw me drunk and were ashamed, those children who turned away in fear and even loathing have seen me sober and like me, have turned to me in confidence and trust and have forgotten the past as best they could. They have given me a chance for companionship that I had completely missed. I am their father or their mother now. Not just “that person the Mom or Dad married and God knows why.” I am a part of my home now. Have I found something that I had lost?

Meditation For The Day
Our true measure of success in life is the measure of spiritual progress that we have revealed in our lives. Others should be able to see a demonstration of God’s will in our lives. The measure of His will that those around us have seen worked out in our daily living is the measure of our true success. We can do our best to be a demonstration each day of the power of God in human lives, and example of the working out of the grace of God in the hearts of men and women.

Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may so live that others will see in me something of the working out of the will of God. I pray that my life may be a demonstration of what the grace of God can do.

Just For Today #essentialsofrecovery.com #JustForToday #Recovery #Spiritual #NA


 29 
October

Living in the now


“Living just for today relieves the burden of the past and the fear of the future.”
Basic Text, pp. 90-91

––––=––––

Thoughts of how bad it was—or could be—can consume our hopes for recovery. Fantasies of how wonderful it was—or could be—can divert us from taking action in the real world. That’s why, in Narcotics Anonymous, we talk about living and recovering “just for today.”

In NA, we know that we can change. We’ve come to believe that our Higher Power can restore the soundness of our minds and hearts. The wreckage of our past can be dealt with through the steps. By maintaining our recovery, just for today, we can avoid creating problems in the future.

Life in recovery is no fantasy. Daydreams of how great using was or how we can use successfully in the future, delusions of how great things could be, overblown expectations that set us up for disappointment and relapse—all are stripped of their power by the program. We seek God’s will, not our own. We seek to serve others, not ourselves. Our self-centeredness and the importance of how great things could or should be for us disappears. In the light of recovery, we perceive the difference between fantasy and reality.

––––=––––

Just for today: I am grateful for the principles of recovery and the new reality they’'e given me.


Daily Reflections #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Reflections #Spiritual

 29
October

OUR SURVIVAL



Since recovery from alcoholism is life itself to us, it is imperative that we preserve in full strength our means of survival.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 177

The honesty expressed by the members of A.A. in meetings has the power to open my mind. Nothing can block the flow of energy that honesty carries with it. The only obstacle to this flow of energy is inebriation, but even then, no one will find a closed door if he or she has left and chooses to return. Once he or she has received the gift of sobriety, each A.A. member is challenged on a daily basis to accept a program of honesty.

My Higher Power created me for a purpose in life. I ask Him to accept my honest efforts to continue on my journey in the spiritual way of life. I call on Him for strength to know and seek His will.

From the book Daily Reflections
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Tuesday 28 October 2014

#essentialsofrecovery.com #Recovery #Meditations #Zen ~buddhism #Quotes #Buddah

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
~ Buddha

Joe & Charlie Big Book Study Part 21 - 33 - The Vital Fourth Step - Part 2 #essentialsofrecovery


Daily Zen #essentialsofrecovery.com #Recovery #Zen #Buddhism #Tao #Recovery #Spiritual #Doubt

 28 
October


“There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.”~  Buddha 

Daily Tao #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #Tao #LaoTzu #zen #Buddhism

 28 
October

1.

THE way that can be told of is hardly an eternal, absolute, unvarying one;

The name that can be coded and given is no absolute name.

Heaven and earth sprang from something else: the bright nameless;

The named is but the said mother that rears the ten thousand creatures of heaven and earth, each after its kind.

He that rids himself of base desire can see the secret essences;

He that didn't and reached high being, he can see outcomes.

Still the two are the same; the secret and its manifestations came from the same ground, the same mould, but anyway sound different -

They are given different names where they appear.

They can both be called the cosmic mystery, awesome deep.

Or rather more secret than so-called mystery.

There is the deeper mystery: the gate and doorway all hidden essences issued from: all such subleties.

And the subtle, mysterial opening homewards.

Call it the door mystery or golden secret of all life.

One Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery.com #OA #Meditation #OneDayAtATime #Spiritual #Recovery

 28
October


Home



“My home is not a place, it is people.”

–Lois McMaster Bujold


I’ve spent most of my adult life feeling very alone in the world. My disease of compulsive overeating separated me from others due to my isolation, embarrassment and shame. I was always the outsider looking in at others.

It wasn’t until I walked into a twelve step meeting that I found a home for myself. Here these people knew me, heck they WERE me. Whatever I thought, whatever I felt, and whatever I had done in my life, so had others in OA. I am accepted in my totality. OA is the only place where I feel truly safe and at home. I am not alone anymore. The entire twelve step fellowship is on my side ~ and what a great feeling that is!

One day at a time…

I will make OA my home.

~ Cindi L.

Elder’s Meditation of the Day #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #Meditation #Spiritual #NativeAmerican #Lakota #Elders

 28
October


“Our religion seems foolish to you, but so does yours to me. The Baptists and Methodists and Presbyterians and the Catholics all have a different God. Why cannot we have one of our own?”

–Sitting Bull, HUNKPAPA LAKOTA

The Creator gave each culture a path to God.

To the Indian people, he revealed that the Creator is in everything. Everything is alive with the Spirit of God.
The water is alive.
The trees are alive.
The woods are alive.
The mountains are alive.
The wind is alive.
The Great Spirit’s breath is in everything and that’s why it’s alive. All of nature is our church, we eat with our families in church, we go to sleep in church.

My Creator, let us leave people to worship You in the way You have taught them.

A Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Meditations #Spiritual #JustForToday

 28
October

Reflection For The Day


“Pride, like a magnet, constantly points to one object, self; unlike the magnet, it has no attractive pole, but at all points repels.” Colton.

When the earliest members of The Program discovered just how spiritually prideful they could be, they admonished one another to avoid “instant sainthood.” That old-time warning could be taken as an alibi to excuse us from doing our best, but it’s really The Program’s way of warning against “pride blindness” and the imaginary perfections we don’t possess. Am I beginning to understand the difference between pride and humility?

Today I Pray

May God, who is His mercy has saved our lives, keep us from setting ourselves up as the saints and prophets of The Program. May we recognize the value of our experiences for others without getting smug about it. May we remember with humility and love the thousands of other “old hands” who are equally well-versed in its principles.

Today I Will Remember
I Will avoid “instant sainthood.”

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery.com #Recovery #Spiritual #Fr.Leo #Spiritual

 28
October 

ORATORY

“The finest eloquence is that which get things done.”

— David Lloyd George
I know how to talk. I know how to sound good. I know how to convince a person of my good intentions — indeed that was part of my manipulation for years.

Today I try to walk the talk. I try to demonstrate what I say in the behavior I exhibit. The bottom line is action. Talking never stopped me from drinking — my physical refusal of the first drink was the start of my recovery.

God is to be discovered not merely in pious sentiments, as attractive as they may sound, but rather in the small steps of altered behavior.

Am I doing what I am saying? Lord give me the courage to live my words.

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrecovery.com #AA #KeepItSimple #Spiritual

 28
October 

I wish you the courage to be warm when the world would prefer you to be cool.

–Robert A. Ward

Our program and the Steps have warmed us from the inside out. Just as a bonfire warms those who stand around it, the Steps take away the chill we have felt for so long.

At Times, we’ll be tempted to move away from the Steps. At times, we’ll get tired of looking at our behavior and attitudes. We are by nature, controlling people. We’ll want to

“prove our point” about something when our program tells us to let it go. We need to stay close to the Steps and the warmth they hold. Remember the chill of our disease.

Prayer for the Day: I need to member that the Steps and the fellowship of the program keep me sober, not me alone.

Action for the Day: Today, I’ll thank about what the Steps have done for me. I will think of how they have kept me warm.

As Bill Sees It #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #AsBillSeesIt #BillW

 28
October 


Anonymity and Sobriety, p. 299


As the A.A. groups multiplied, so did anonymity problems. Enthusiastic over the spectacular recovery of a brother alcoholic, we’d sometimes discuss those intimate and harrowing aspects of his case meant for his sponsor’s ear alone. The aggrieved victim would then rightly declare that his trust had been broken.

When such stories got into circulation outside of A.A., the loss of confidence in our anonymity promise was severe. It frequently turned people from us. Clearly, every A.A. member’s name–and story, too–had to be confidential, if he wished.

<< << << >> >> >>

We now fully realize that 100 per cent personal anonymity before the public is just as vital to the life of A.A. as 100 per cent sobriety is to the life of each and every member. This is not counsel of fear; it is the prudent voice of long experience.

1. 12 & 12, p. 185
2. A.A. Comes Of Age, p. 293

Twenty-Four Hours A Day #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Twenty-Four-Hours #Spiritual

 28
October
A.A. Thought For The Day


What other rewards have come to me as a result of my new way of living? Each one of us can answer this question in many ways. My relationship with my husband or my wife is on an entirely new plane. The total selfishness is gone and more cooperation has taken its place. My home is a home again. Understanding has taken the place of misunderstanding recriminations, bickering, and resentment. A new companionship has developed which bodes well for the future. “There are homes where fires burn and there is bread, lamps are lit and prayers are said. Though people falter through the dark and nations grope, with God Himself back of these little homes, we still can hope.” Have I come home?

Meditation For The Day
We can bow to God’s will in anticipation of the thing happening which will, in the long run, be the best for all concerned. It may not always seem the best thing at the present time, but we cannot see as far ahead as God can. We do not know how His plans are laid, we only need to believe that if we trust Him and accept whatever happens as His will in a spirit of faith, everything will work out for the best in the end.

Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may not ask to see the distant scene. I pray that one step may be enough for me.

Just For Today #essentialsofrecovery.com #JustForToday #Recovery #Spiritual #NA

 28 
October

Attitudes


“We can also use the steps to improve our attitudes.”
Basic Text, p. 53
––––=––––

Ever have a day when everything seems to be working against you? Do you go through periods when you are so busy taking people’s inventories you can barely stand yourself? What about when you find yourself snapping at your coworker or loved one for no reason? When we find ourselves in this bleak frame of mind, we need to take action.

At any point in the day, we can set aside a few moments and take a “spot inventory.” We examine how we are reacting to outside situations and other people. When we do, we may find that we are suffering from a plain old “bad attitude.” A negative outlook can hurt our relationship with our Higher Power and the people in our lives. When we are honest with ourselves, we frequently find that the problem lies with us and our attitude.

We have no control over the challenges life gives us. What we can control is how we react to those challenges. At any point in time, we can change our attitude. The only thing that really changes in Narcotics Anonymous is us. The Twelve Steps give us the tools to move out of the problem and into the solution.

––––=––––

Just for today: Throughout the day, I will check my attitude. I will apply the steps to improve it.


Daily Reflections #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Reflections #Spiritual

 28
October


AN UNBROKEN TRADITION


We conceive the survival and spread of Alcoholics Anonymous to be something of far greater importance than the weight we could collectively throw back of any other cause.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 177

How much it means to me that an unbroken tradition of more than half a century is a thread that connects me to Bill W. and Dr. Bob. How much more grounded I feel to be in a Fellowship whose aims are constant and unflagging. I am grateful that the energies of A.A. have never been scattered, but focused instead on our members and on individual sobriety.

My beliefs are what make me human; I am free to hold any opinion, but A.A.'s purpose —so clearly stated fifty years ago — is for me to keep sober. That purpose has promoted round-the-clock meeting schedules, and the thousands of intergroup and central service offices, with their thousands of volunteers. Like the sun focused through a magnifying glass, A.A.'s single vision has lit a fire of faith in sobriety in millions of hearts, including mine.

From the book Daily Reflections
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.


Monday 27 October 2014

Joe & Charlie Big Book Study Part 120 - 33 - The Vital Fourth Step - Part 1 #essentialsofrecovery.com #Joe& Charlie #BigBook #Inspirtation #AA


Daily Zen #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #Zen #Tao #Buddhism #Meditation #Spiritual

 27
October



“Zen is a journey of exploration and a way of living that, in and of itself, does not belong to any one religion or tradition. It is about experiencing life in the here and now and about removing the dualistic distinctions between "I" and "you" between "subject" and "objective", between our spiritual and our ordinary, everyday activities.”


― Chris PrentissZen and the Art of Happiness

Daily Tao #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #Daily Tao #Zen #Buddhism #LaoTzu

 27 
October


The five colors blind the eyes;
the five musical tones deafen the ears;
the five flavors dull the taste.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
Precious goods keep their owners on guard.

Therefore the wise satisfy the inner self
rather than external senses.
They accept the one and reject the other.

~Lao Tzu

Elder’s Meditation of the Day #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #Meditation #NativeAmerican #Spiritual #Elders #Lakota

 27
October



“O Great Spirit Whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me!
I am small and weak.
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.”

–from, PRAYER TO THE GREAT SPIRIT
The Great Spirit runs the world and the people by a set of natural laws and principles. He says we are to live our lives and make decisions that will be in harmony with these laws.
He says we should be respectful to all things and to all people.
He says we should pray for each other.
He says we should forgive one another.
It is easy to tell if a person is following the ways of the Great Spirit. You can tell by how a man walks in life. He doesn’t need to say anything. If we are dishonest or deceitful, other people will know. This is true because we are all interconnected in the Unseen World.

My Creator, let me obey Your ways. Let me Walk the Talk.

A Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery.com #ADayAtATime #Inventory #Recovery #Spiritual

 27
October


Reflection For The Day

The Program’s Fourth Step suggests that we make a fearless moral inventory of ourselves. For so many of us, especially newcomers, the task seems impossible. Each time we take pencil in hand and try to look inward, Pride says confidingly, “You don’t have to bother to look.” And Fear cautions, “You’d better not look.” We find eventually that this sort of pride and fear are mere wisps of smoke, the cloudy strands from which we woven the mythology of our old ideas. When we push pride and fear aside and finally make a fearless inventory, we experience relief and a new sense of confidence beyond description. Have I made an inventory? Have I shared its rewards so as to encourage others?

Today I Pray

May I not be stalled by my inhibitions when it comes to making a moral inventory of myself. May I not get to the Fourth Step and then screech to a stop because the task seems overwhelming. May I know that my inventory today, even though I try to make it “thorough” and honest, may not be as complete as it will be if I repeat it again, for the process of self-discovery goes on and on.

Today I will Remember

Praise God for Progress.

One Day at a Time #essentialsofrecovery.com #OA #Meditation #Inspiration #Spiritual

 27
October

Living in the Present


“As long as you are seeking to find happiness somewhere,
you are overlooking where true happiness is.”

Gangaji


Happiness is always somewhere else, isn’t it? It is all too human to put off our happiness until a more appropriate or perfect time. Ideally, we know that happiness is not a matter of timing; it is a state of mind caused by even the smallest actions that we take (or fail to take) each day. However, I often used to remark to others that, “One day I will be happy when I get thin.” I got much thinner, but never thin enough, it seems. “One day I will take a night course.” I was so busy working, “on-call”, and doing things for others that I never managed to find the time.

“One day I will start this new food Plan,” I’d promised myself. It had worked for others. I truly wanted to give myself a chance to see if it could work for me too, yet I approached it haphazardly, at first. On paper, any food plan is just a diet, unless, you have a Sponsor, use the Tools, and work the Steps! I’d been told this over and over, and later--lived the actual experience of doing it my way. As long as I told myself, “One day I will find the time for me,” it didn’t come about!

One day at a time...
I now realize that as long as I keep looking to the future in order to allot myself wonderful challenges and small joys, I am choosing to postpone my happiness until my life is perfect, which is never in the realm of reality. I believe that this is why those who have gone before us in recovery suggest that we live life on life’s terms to the best of our ability just “One day at a time.”

~ January K.

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essenialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Meditation FrLeo #Spiritual

 27
October

JUSTICE


“Justice is truth in action.”

Benjamin Disraeli
It is not enough for me to believe that a thing is true, it is important for me to live out my beliefs. For too long I had a thousand beliefs that only kept me silent. A fear of displeasing others played a large part in my silence.

Today I understand justice to be part of what I mean by spirituality: I need to be seen to walk as I talk! I am comfortable when I remain silent in the face of injustice. As a recovering alcoholic, this uncomfortability is dangerous because it can so easily lead to low self-esteem, anger, resentments and relapse.

Today I know I can have a slip without taking a drink. I slip from where I want to be in my life. My personal integrity combines a justice that can be seen in my lifestyle.

O God of justice, teach me never again to hide in the lie of silence.

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #meditation #AA #KeepItSimple

 27
October


An excuse is worst and more terrible than a lie.

—Alexander Pope
Excuses. They’re lies. We use excuses to hide from ourselves. Maybe we don’t want to be honest about our anger. So we say someone else made us angry. Maybe we don’t want to admit how mean we can be. So we pretend we have no part in what happens.

Excuses keep us from ourselves. They keep us from our High Power. A lot of our program is about looking at ourselves. Steps Four, Five, and Ten tell us to be honest about our excuses. We can be honest because we are good people. We are loved.

Prayer for the day: Today, I’ll say the serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Action for the Day: I’ll list my five most often excuses. Then, I’ll share them with my friends, family, and sponsor. I’ll ask them to tell me when I make excuses.

As Bill Sees It #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Meditation #BillW #AsBillSeesIt

 27
October 


A Mighty Beginning, p. 298


Even the newest of newcomers find undreamed rewards as he tries to help his brother alcoholic, the one who is even blinder than he. This is indeed the kind of giving that actually demands nothing. He does not expect his brother sufferer to pay him, or even to love him.

And then he discovers that through the divine paradox of this kind of giving he has found his own reward, whether or not his brother has yet received anything. His own character may still be gravely defective, but he somehow knows that God has enabled him to make a mighty beginning, and he senses that he stands at the edge of new mysteries, joys, and experiences of which he had never before dreamed.

12 & 12, pp. 109-110

Twenty-Four Hours A Day #essentialsofrecovery.com #Meditation #AA #Recovery #Twenty-Four-Hours

 27
 October 


A.A. Thought For The Day


Seventh, I can help other alcoholics. I am of some use in the world. I have a purpose in life. I am worth something at last. My life has a direction and a meaning. All that feeling of futility is gone. I can do something worthwhile. God has given me a new lease on life so that I can help other alcoholics. He has let me live through all the hazards of my alcoholic life to bring me at last to a place of real usefulness in the world. He has let me live for this. This is my opportunity and my destiny. I am worth something! Will I give as much of my life as I can to A.A.?

Meditation For The Day
All of us have our own battle to win, the battle between the material view of life and the spiritual view. Something must guide our lives. Will it be wealth, pride, selfishness, greed or will it be faith, honesty, purity, unselfishness, love and service? Each one has a choice. We can choose good or evil. We cannot choose both. Are we going to keep striving until we win the battle? If we win the victory, we can believe that even God in His heaven will rejoice.

Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may choose the good and resist the evil. I pray that I will not be a loser in the battle for righteousness.

Just For Today #essentialsofrecovery.com #JustForToday #Recovery #Spiritual #NA


 27 
October

Living in the present

“We want to look our past in the face, see it for what it really was, and release it so we can live today.”
Basic Text, p. 28
––––=––––

For many of us, the past is like a bad dream. Our lives aren’t the same any more, but we still have fleeting, highly charged emotional memories of a really uncomfortable past. The guilt, fear, and anger that once dominated us may spill into our new life, complicating our efforts to change and grow.

The Twelve Steps are the formula that helps us learn to put the past in its place. Through the Fourth and Fifth Steps, we become aware that our old behavior didn’t work. We ask a Higher Power to relieve us of our shortcomings in the Sixth and Seventh Steps, and we begin to be relieved of the guilt and fear that plagued us for so many years. In the Eighth and Ninth Steps, by making amends, we demonstrate to others that our lives are changing. We are no longer controlled by the past. Once the past loses its control over us, we are free to find new ways to live, ways that reflect who we truly are.

––––=––––

Just for today: I don’t have to be controlled by my past. I will live this new day as the new person I am becoming.


Daily Reflections #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Reflections #Spiritual

 27
October

GLOBAL SHARING

The only thing that matters is that he is an alcoholic who has found a key to sobriety. These legacies of suffering and of recovery are easily passed among alcoholics, one to the other. This is our gift from God, and its bestowal upon others like us is the one aim that today animates A.A.'s all around the globe.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 151

The strength of Alcoholics Anonymous lies in the desire of each member and of each group around the world to share with other alcoholics their suffering and the steps taken to gain, and maintain, recovery. By keeping a conscious contact with my Higher Power, I make sure that I always nurture my desire to help other alcoholics, thus insuring the continuity of the wonderful fraternity of Alcoholics Anonymous.

From the book Daily Reflections
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Sunday 26 October 2014

Joe & Charlie Big Book Study Part 18 - 33 - Chapter 5 - How it works - Part 2 #essentialsofrecovery.com #Joe& Charlie


#essentialsofrecovery.com #Quotes #Recovery #inspiration #Einstein

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
~ Albert Einstein

Daily Tao #essentialsofrecovery.com #tao #Buddhism #Zen #LaoTzu

 26
October

Favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared; honour and
great calamity, to be regarded as personal conditions (of the same
kind).

What is meant by speaking thus of favour and disgrace? Disgrace is
being in a low position (after the enjoyment of favour). The getting
that (favour) leads to the apprehension (of losing it), and the losing
it leads to the fear of (still greater calamity):--this is what is
meant by saying that favour and disgrace would seem equally to be
feared.

And what is meant by saying that honour and great calamity are to be
(similarly) regarded as personal conditions? What makes me liable to
great calamity is my having the body (which I call myself); if I had
not the body, what great calamity could come to me?

Therefore he who would administer the kingdom, honouring it as he
honours his own person, may be employed to govern it, and he who would
administer it with the love which he bears to his own person may be
entrusted with it.


Translation J. Legge

Daily Zen #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #Meditation #Zen #Tao #Buddhism #Spiritual

  26
October

No Delusive Thoughts 

"Away with your delusive thoughts!" "Don't be deluded!"  ~ Maku Mõzõ

Whatever the master was asked, he replied "Maku mõzõ!" 

Elder’s Meditation of the Day #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #Elders #NativeAmerican

 26
October


“It seems that if Elders can feel that you are open to learning, they are more than generous with their teaching.”

–Chief Councilor, Leonard George
There is a saying, when the student is ready the teacher appears.

If the Elders sense that you are ready, they will help you see and learn new things. Most human beings love to share what they know with people who are excited to listen.

If you are talking to someone and you feel they really aren’t listening, you won’t want to tell them much.

Before you go talk to the Elders, examine your motives – are you really excited about listening to them?
My Creator, give me an open mind.

One Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #meditation #OA #Addiction

  26
October 
 
Paths


“I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

–Robert Frost


As a compulsive overeater, I longed to find a solution to my problems. Like so many of us, I tried all the heavily traveled roads ~ the endless means to lose weight and to alleviate my indulgent eating behaviors. But at the end — and there was always an end — of every new “method of weight loss” I returned to walking my old path of destructive compulsive overeating. I always went back to the old eating behaviors as well as the consequences of those behaviors. I had heard of OA but did not know anyone who belonged to its groups. It seemed like the whole world was on the latest fad diet — diets that I could never continue for more than a few days or weeks.

Since joining The Recovery Group, I now walk a new path and have abandoned the old roads and the diet of the week. I have been on this road nearly a year now, and it is a wonderfully pleasant trek. I indeed believe “I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence.” I have found an incredible amount of recovery spiritually, emotionally and physically. I am traveling on “the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference!”

One day at a time…I will enjoy this road less taken…a path of acceptance and surrender. It is a path of spiritual, emotional and physical recovery!

~ Karen A.

A Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #ADayAtATime

 26
October

Reflection For The Day


From time to time when I see the slogan, But for The Grace of God, I remember how I used to mouth those words when I saw others whose addictions had brought them to what I considered a “hopeless and helpless” state. The slogan had long been a cop-out for me, reinforcing my denial of my own addiction by enabling me to point to others seemingly worse off than I. “9if I ever get like that, I’ll quit,” was my on-repeated refrain. Today, instead, But for the Grace of God has become my prayer of thankfulness, reminding me to be grateful to my Higher Power for my recovery, my life, and the way of life I’ve found in The Program. Was anyone ever more “hopeless and helpless: than I?

Today I Pray
May I know that “but for The grace of God.” I could be dead or insane by now, because there have been others who wanted on addictive paths when I did who are no longer here. May that same grace of God help those who are still caught in the downward spin, who are heading for disaster as sure as gravity.

Today I Will Remember
I have seen God’s amazing Grace.

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #Zen #Tao #FrLeo #LaoTzu

 26 
October 

KINDNESS



“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”

~ Lao-Tzu

It costs me nothing to say “hello” and yet it might make all the difference to my neighbor. It costs me nothing to give a hug and yet that hug might make all the difference to a friend. It costs me nothing to listen to anothers pain and yet the listening might make all the difference to another person.

Love is to be found in the small, ordinary acts of kindness as well as in the extravagant gesture. I need to seek God in the everyday happenings of life alongside the “religious”. Spirituality is in the smile that is real!

Today I know that I give only what I received — and I received a great deal. People loved me enough to be patient, they cared enough to telephone, they encouraged me with the gentle word of hope: I am in the flow.

Lord, You have created this wondrous patterned fabric of life — may I find You in its smallest detail.

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #meditation #AA #KeepItSimple

 26
October



Nobody gives you freedom.

Malcolm X
We were not free. We were prisoners of our illness. What our illness wanted, we give itour dignity, our self-respect, even our families. Our prison walls were made of denial, false pride, and self-will run riot. Now we know that brick walls don’t have to stop us. We don’t have to bang our heads on them.

Slowly, we’re learning about freedom. We’re learning that freedom. We’re learning that freedom comes from within. It comes when we think clearly and make our own choices.

It comes when we follow a better way of life. It comes when we take care of ourselves. It comes when we take responsibility. The key to freedom is in loving our Higher Power.

Do you choose freedom?

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, show me how to walk away from a wall or go around it. But teach me to stop and think when I get to a wall. Maybe it’s there for my safety.

Today’s Action: Today I’ll think about all the freedom I have given myself by living a sober way of life.

As Bill Sees It #essentialsofrecovery.com #Recovery #Meditation #AA #AsBillSeesIt #BillW

 26
October
A VISION OF THE WHOLE, p. 297

“Though many of us have had to struggle for sobriety, never yet has this Fellowship had to struggle for lost unity. Consequently, we sometimes take this one great gift for granted. We forget that, should we lose our unity, the millions of alcoholics who still ‘do not know’ might never get their chance.

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

“We used to be skeptical about large A.A. gatherings like conventions, thinking they might prove too exhibitionistic. But, on balance, their benefit is huge. While each A.A.’s interest should center principally in those about him and upon his own group, it is both necessary and desirable that we all get a larger vision of the whole.

“The General Service Conference in New York also produces this effect upon those who attend. It is a vision-stretching process.”

1. Letter, 1949
2. Letter, 1956

Twenty-Four Hours A Day #essentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #AA #Twenty-Four-Hours #Spiritual

 26
October
A.A. Thought For The Day


Sixth, I have A.A. meetings to go to, thank God. Where would I go without them? Where would I be without them? Where would I find the sympathy, the understanding, the fellowship, the companionship? Nowhere else in the world. I have come home. I have found the place where I belong. I no longer wander alone over the face of the earth. I am at peace and at rest. What a great gift has been given me by A.A.! I do not deserve it. But it is nevertheless mine. I have a home at last. I am content. Do I thank God everyday for the A.A. Fellowship?

Meditation For The Day
Walk all the way with another person and with God. Do not go part of the way and then stop. Do not push God so far into the background that He has no effect on your life. Walk all the way with Him. Make a good companion of God, by praying to Him often during the day. Do not let your contact with Him be broken for too long a period. Work all the way with God and with other people, along the path of life, wherever it may lead you.

Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may walk in companionship with God along the way. I pray that I may keep my feet upon the path that leads upward.