Essentials Of Recovery : March 2022

Created to carry the message of recovery to all addicts. Whether the addiction is alcohol, drugs, food or any other addiction the program of recovery is the same. I am a recovering alcoholic of over twenty-seven years, a day at a time of course and I believe my primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve recovery. Remember seven days without a meeting makes one weak. Sign up to get emails.This Blog is NOT IN ANY WAY affiliated to either A.A. or N.A. Help to stop drinking.

Monday, 28 March 2022

DAILY ZEN #essentialsofrecovery

Actions motivated by attachment, aversion, or ignorance, regardless of any external appearances, are simply not Buddhist practices.

-Lorne Ladner, "Wheel Of Great Compassion"

Sunday, 27 March 2022

RANDOM BIG BOOK ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

Sunday, 20 March 2022

QUOTE OF THE DAY

How to Live on 24 Hours a Day, by Arnold Bennett #essentialsofrecovery

AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX #essentialsofrecovery

TRUTH DEMONSTRATED

Truth never chasten, but what we have to deal with on this plane is man’s apprehension of the Truth, and throughout historical time, this has been steadily and continuously becoming more plain to us.

Jesus Christ summed up this Truth, taught it completely and thoroughly, and, above all, demonstrated it in his own person. Most of us now can glimpse intellectually the idea of what it must mean in its fullness. To accept the Truth is the great first step, but not until we have proved it in doing is it ours. Jesus proved everything that he taught, even to the overcoming of death in what we call the resurrection. By surmounting every sort of limitation to which mankind is subject, he performed a work of unique and incalculable value to the race, and is therefore justly entitle the Savior of the world.

…when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth….(John 16:13).

© 1931 by Emmet Fox

DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrecovery

LOVE AND TOLERANCE

Love and tolerance of others is our code.

~ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84 ~

I have found that I have to forgive others in all situations to maintain any real spiritual progress. The vital importance of forgiving may not be obvious to me at first sight, but my studies tell me that every great spiritual teacher has insisted strongly upon it.

I must forgive injuries, not just in words, or as a matter of form, but in my heart. I do this not for the other persons’ sake, but for my own sake. Resentment, anger, or a desire to see someone punished, are things that rot my soul. Such things fasten my troubles to me with chains. They tie me to other problems that have nothing to do with my original problem.

Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc

Wednesday, 2 March 2022

RANDOM BIG BOOK ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX #essentialsofrecovery

CONFUSION OF DUTIES

It cannot be your duty to do anything that is beyond your reach or your strength at the moment.

It cannot be your duty to do anything that sacrifices your own integrity of your own spiritual development.

It cannot be right to be hurried, or sad, or discouraged, or angry, or resentful, or antagonistic, under any circumstances.

If you have no time for prayer and meditation, you will have lots of time for sickness and trouble.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandment: for this is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

© 1931 by Emmet Fox

DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrecovery

HOPE

Do not be discouraged.

~ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 60 ~

Few experiences are of less value to me than fast sobriety. Too many times discouragement has been the bonus for unrealistic expectations, not to mention self-pity or fatigue from my wanting to change the world by the weekend. Discouragement is a warning signal that I may have wandered across the God line. The secret of fulfilling my potential is in acknowledging my limitations and believing that time is a gift, not a threat.

Hope is the key that unlocks the door of discouragement. The program promises me that if I do not pick up the first drink today, I will always have hope. Having come to believe that I keep what I share, every time I encourage, I receive courage. It is with others that, with the grace of God and the Fellowship of A.A., I trudge the road of happy destiny. May I always remember that the power within me is far greater than any fear before me. May I always have patience, for I am on the right road.

Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc

JUST FOR TODAY #essentialsofrecovery

Success

“Any form of success was frightening and unfamiliar.”

~ Basic Text, p. 14 ~

Before coming to NA, few of us had much experience with success. Every attempt to stop using on our own had ended in failure. We had begun to give up hope of finding any relief from active addiction. We had grown accustomed to failure, expecting it, accepting it, thinking it was just part of our makeup.

When we stay clean, we begin to experience success in our lives. We begin to take pride in our accomplishments. We start to take healthy risks. We may take some knocks in the process, but even these can be counted as successes if we learn from them.

Sometimes when we fulfill a goal, we hesitate to “pat ourselves on the back” for fear that we will seem arrogant. But our Higher Power wants us to succeed, and wants us to share with our loved ones the pride we take in our accomplishments. When we share our successes with others in NA, they often begin to believe that they can achieve their goals as well. When we succeed, we help lay the groundwork for others who follow in our path.

Just for today: I will take time to savor my successes. I will share my victories with an “attitude of gratitude.”

© 1991 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services Inc

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY #essentialsofrecovery

A.A. Thought for the Day

Over a period of drinking years, we’ve proved to ourselves and to everybody else that we can’t stop drinking by our own willpower. We have been proved helpless before the power of alcohol. So the only way we could stop drinking was by turning to a Power greater than ourselves. We call that Power God. The time that you really get this program is when you get down on your knees and surrender yourself to God, as you understand Him. Surrender means putting your life into God’s hands. Have I made a promise to God that I will try to live the way He wants me to live?

Meditation for the Day

Spirit-power comes from communication with God in prayer and times of quiet meditation. I must constantly seek spirit-communication with God. This is a matter directly between me and God. Those who seek it through the medium of the church do not always get the joy and the wonder of spirit-communication with God. From this communication comes life, joy, peace, and healing. Many people do not realize the power that can come to them from direct spirit-communication.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may feel that God’s power is mine. I pray that I may be able to face anything through that power.

© 1954, 1975, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation

AS BILL SEES IT #essentialsofrecovery

Page 61 ~

Resolving Fear

Fear somehow touched about every aspect of our lives. It was an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence was shot through with it. It set in motion trains of circumstances which brought us misfortune we felt we didn’t deserve. But did not we often set the ball rolling ourselves?

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

The problem of resolving fear has two aspects. We shall have to try for all the freedom from fear that is possible for us to attain. Then we shall need to find both the courage and the grace to deal constructively with whatever fears remain.

~ 1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 67-68 ~

~ 2. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962 ~

© 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous ® World Services, Inc

WALK IN DRY PLACES #essentialsofrecovery

DO WE NEED SOME FEAR?

Courage

It’s easy to get into an argument about the role of fear in our lives. Some say that we need some fear—it helps us get out of the path of an oncoming truck.

Is that really true? If it is, it’s still not like the fear that was present with alcoholism. This fear was more likely to make us freeze and lose all power of action in the face of a threat. It was the sort of fear that paralyzes us, making us unable to move out of the way when a truck is bearing down on us.

Fear is even more destructive when it keeps us from doing the simple things we need to function in our lives. Fear certainly can’t be helpful when it makes us unable to face a new customer or ride in an airplane for necessary business travel. Some people even put off medical examinations simply because they fear bad news—and thus delay treatment, so that their condition becomes worse.

We might not need to get rid of all fear, but we do need to dispose of the unhealthy kind that keeps us from necessary actions on our own be-half.

A really strong sense of the program can help me deal with fear today. One good idea for coping with fear is to remember that if God is for us, nobody can really be against us. Keeping that thought in mind can help stabilize our feelings in the face of threatening situations.

© 1996 by Hazelden Foundation

KEEP IT SIMPLE #essentialsofrecovery

Love conquers all; let us surrender to love.

~ Virgil ~

In Step Three, we turn our lives over to God’s care, God’s love. If we turn our lives over to a loving God, we can conquer all.

If you need proof, look around at your next meeting. The room will be full of people who know that love conquers addiction. Like them, we’ve surrendered to love. Once we’ve done this, we can’t use again. For us, using alcohol or other drugs is an act of hate, not love.

To face the hard things in life, we’ll need a lot of love. We’ll find love in our Higher Power, groups, and friends. We’re now part of a community based on love. We’re all working at turning our lives over to love.

Prayer for the Day

There was a time that love scared me. It still does, at times. Higher Power, help me see that You tire love, and I must follow where love takes me.

Action for the Day

I’ll meditate on the question, “How has Step Three changed my life?”

Copyright © 1988 by Hazelden Foundation

FR. LEO'S DAILY MEDITATION #essentialsofrecovery

INTEGRITY

“Persons of integrity, by their very existence, rekindle the belief that as a people we can live above the level of moral squalor.”

~ John Gardner ~

I understand integrity to be a willingness to make sacrifices for what we believe to be true. Living a spiritual program must lead to integrity.

Not so many years ago, integrity was not a word in my vocabulary because of my unwillingness to make sacrifices. I was so selfishly preoccupied with my wants that I gave little thought to the needs of others. The more I lost myself in self, the greater was the emotional pain.

Today I live the paradox that only in giving do I truly receive.

May I express the paradox of sacrifice in my life.

© 2008 Leo Booth

A DAY AT A TIME #essentialsofrecovery

Reflection for the Day

Why don’t I spend part of today thinking about my assets, rather than my liabilities? Why not think about victories, instead of defeats—about the ways in which I am gentle and kind? It’s always been my tendency to fall into a sort of cynical self-hypnosis, putting derogatory labels on practically everything I’ve done, said, or felt. Just for today, I’ll spend a quiet half hour trying to gain a more positive perspective on my life. Do I have the courage to change the things I can?

Today I Pray

Through quietness and a reassessment of myself, may I develop a more positive attitude. If I am a child of God, created in God’s image, there must be goodness in me. I will think about that goodness, and the ways it manifests itself. I will stop putting myself down, even in my secret thoughts. I will respect what is God’s. I will respect myself.

Today I Will Remember

Self-respect is respect for God.

© 1989 by Hazelden Foundation

EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrecovery

GRATITUDE

We have no right to ask, when sorrow comes, “why did this happen to me?” unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way.

~ Philip S. Bernstein ~

Self-pity used to overwhelm us. We bitterly asked why fate had burdened us with the obsession that brought us to a 12 Step Group. Now that recovery fills our lives, we are grateful for the good fortune that we have been shown a way out.

Gratitude brings humility for our progress and compassion for all those who still suffer. We are not only grateful for what we have received. We are grateful for the opportunity to give. We want to always do more than feel grateful. We need to express that gratitude.

My reply to every complaint I have is “compared to what?” No matter how badly I think I hurt today, every day with my old problems was worse.

©1990 by Anonymous, Published by Hazelden

ONE DAY AT A TIME #essentialsofrecovery

EXPERIENCE

“I’m not afraid of storms . . .
for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”

~ Louisa May Alcott ~

We spend our youth living and experiencing life. At some point our experiences become lessons. We who are compulsive eaters weren’t aware of that when we began to eat out of control. Deep down, however, we were living and experiencing food issues. These issues later would become our lessons.

I am so grateful that the Twelve Steps made it possible for me to look at my past experiences and see the reality they presented. If not, I may have continued life in denial.

One Day at a Time . . .

I will use the lessons I have learned to make the quality of my life better.

~ Mari ~

ELDER'S MEDITATION OF THE DAY #essentialsofrecovery

“the voice and the heart are not working together.”

~ Barney Bush, SHAWNEE ~

We can say any words we want with our voice but we cannot hide the true meaning and the true spirit behind the words. The true meaning is always understood. The voice is heard in the physical world, but the meaning is transmitted in the spiritual world. If our voice says one thing but the heart is saying something else, it’s the something else that is heard. It is said that the truth will set you free. Reaching the truth means your voice and your words will be in alignment with the heart.

Great Spirit, let my tongue, speak the truth today.

A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrecovery

As I recover, I am learning to detach with love and mind my own business with dignity.

~ Kathy Kendall ~

Very few situations actually need our input. On most occasions we can contribute most by observing or listening. Although controlling how others live and think may still appeal to us, we are learning from our friends and sponsors the wisdom of detachment and the necessity for boundaries between ourselves and others.

Our desire to “help” friends make decisions may be rooted in love: we don’t want to see our friends get hurt by making wrong choices. But the wisdom of the program tells us that we hurt our friends more by doing for them what they need to do for themselves. While this may be hard to believe at first, we can learn to trust that it is true.

It is enough to live our own lives thoughtfully. We have been given a second chance through getting clean and sober. Now it’s time to give our lives all of our attention. Let’s free other people to do the same.

I have enough to do just to live my life today. I can show my love for others best if I let them live their lives too.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

THE EYE OPENER #essentialsofrecovery

Life is too short even if we live the whole of it to its fullest, but we alcoholics have wasted so many years of our lives that we must now double our efforts if we hope to do any living at all. Truly, for us, it is later than we think.

There is one consolation, however, and that is, that it is possible to use a single moment to produce an eternity of benefits for humanity. Much time has been frittered away but there is still ample time to do good.

Life is not measured by its length but by its width and its depth.

Published by Hazelden

Daily TAO / 61 – Sorrow #essentialsofrecovery

Rain scatters plum petals;
Weeping stains the earth.
One can only take shelter
And wait for clearing.

When sorrow comes, its bitterness soaks everything. The sages say that life is illusion, but does that change its poignancy? Let us be sad; it is feeling that makes us human. If we gain enlightenment, understanding all life to be a dream, sadness and happiness will fall away soon enough.

The greatest sorrow of life is witnessing. Experiencing our own sufferings is not as difficult as watching others held in fate’s mighty grip. Bearing our own problems is easier because we are always aware that we can exercise other options — up to the final one. However, it hurts the most when we can do nothing for others. The greatest sorrow is to see those we love suffer helplessly.

When faced with a sad situation, it is best not to languish in it. We can change things by being with different people, moving to other places, or, if all else fails, adjusting our own attitudes to take the initiative. Sadness is transitory, like everything else. If we want to deflect it, we need only alter its context and allow it to be subsumed back into Tao.

DAILY ZEN #essentialsofrecovery

"Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.

--Lao-tzu

Tuesday, 1 March 2022

Consequence of Desir

EssentialsOfRecovery

Walk In Dry Places

Monday, 28 March 2022

Sunday, 27 March 2022

Sunday, 20 March 2022

Wednesday, 2 March 2022

Tuesday, 1 March 2022