Essentials Of Recovery : February 2024

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.

Thursday 29 February 2024

On this day - new feature just for fun

1940 Hattie McDaniel becomes 1st African American woman to win an Oscar for "Gone with the Wind"
1968 Beatles' "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" wins Grammy Award for Album of the Year, the first rock LP to do so

Carla R. - AA Speaker - "The Key to Keeping it Simple"

Carla R. - AA Speaker - "The Key to Keeping it Simple" #essentialsofrec #Recovery #AA #Speakers

DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrec #Fear #Recovery #Miracle

ONE A.A. MIRACLE

Save for a few brief moments of temptation the thought of drink has never returned; and at such times a great revulsion has risen up in him. Seemingly he could not drink even if he would. God had restored his sanity.

— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 57

The word "God" was frightening to me when I first saw it associated with A.A.'s Twelve Steps. Having tried all the means I could to stop drinking, I found that it was not possible for me to sustain that desire over a period of time. Yet, how could I believe in a "God" that had allowed me to sink to the deep despair that engulfed me — whether drinking or dry?

The answer was in finally admitting that it might be possible for me to know the mercy of a Power greater than myself who could grant me sobriety contingent on my willingness to "come to believe." By finally admitting that I was one among many, and by following the example of my sponsor and other A.A. members in practicing faith I did not have, my life has been given meaning, direction and purpose.
From the book Daily Reflections

DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrec #Fear #Recovery #Miracle

ONE A.A. MIRACLE

JUST FOR TODAY #essentialsofrec #NA #Addiction #Recovery

Anything!

“Our disease has been arrested, and now anything is possible. We become increasingly open-minded and open to new ideas in all areas of our lives.”

Basic Text, p. 106

––––=––––

For many of us, our first few months or years in NA are a wonderful time. We’re willing to try anything, and our eyes are constantly opened to new joys and new horizons. Finally freed from active addiction, our recovery young and fresh, anything seems possible.

With a little time clean under our belts, however, there may be less urgency to our program. We might not be quite as willing as we once were to put to use the experience of others. We may have encountered a few seemingly intractable defects in our character, whittling away at the boundless optimism of our early recovery. We know too much to believe that anything is possible.

How do we restore enthusiasm to our recovery? We pray about it; we share about it; and we seek out the enthusiasm we are lacking. There are members—some with more time clean than ourselves, some with less—who have the enthusiasm we seek, and who will be happy to share it with us if we ask them to. To gain the benefit of their experience, however, we must practice open-mindedness and become teachable again. When we become open to new ideas and willing to try them out we’ll find that, once more, anything seems possible.

––––=––––

Just for today: There is always more to learn and someone to learn from in my recovery. Today, I will be open to new ideas and willing to try them out. As long as I am, I know that anything is possible.

© 1991 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services Inc

JUST FOR TODAY #essentialsofrec #NA #Addiction #Recovery

Anything!

“Our disease has been arrested, and now anything is possible. We become increasingly open-minded and open to new ideas in all areas of our lives.”

Basic Text, p. 106

––––=––––

Twenty-Four Hours A Day #essentialsofrec #Sobriety #Recovery

A.A. Thought for the Day

Getting sober was a long and painful journey, but we can truthfully say it was worth it. We know now that all we've been through led us to A.A. and was part of our spiritual journey. We found in A.A. what we had been vainly seeking in the bottle. We've learned that our journey goes on as we continue to deal with our shortcomings and the human problems everybody must face. And when we reach a crossroads or a roadblock, we know that our Higher Power will come to our aid in making the right choices and surmounting all obstacles. Do I turn to my Higher Power to sustain me as I continue the spiritual journey that brought me to A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

As I continue on my spiritual journey, I will seek and follow Divine Guidance and know there is always a place prepared for me. Nothing but my own pride and fear can keep me from my dwelling place with God. I need not strain or struggle to obtain that which God wants me to have. My only responsibility is to accept God's guidance and follow the highest principles in all my affairs.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I'll continue to seek guidance as my spiritual journey continues today. I pray to trust that I am always doing the right thing and am in the right place when my Higher Power is leading me.

Twenty-Four Hours A Day #essentialsofrec #Sobriety #Recovery

As Bill Sees It #essentialsofrec #BillW #Progress

In Partnership, p. 220

As we made spiritual progress, it became clear that, if we ever were
to feel emotionally secure, we would have to put our lives on a
give-and-take basis; we would have to develop the sense of being
in partnership or brotherhood with all those around us. We saw
that we would need to give constantly of ourselves without demand
for repayment. When we persistently did this, we gradually found
that people were attracted to us as never before. And even if
they failed us, we could be understanding and not too seriously
affected.

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

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 mean unity and survival for the group and for A.A.'s
entire Fellowship.

1. 12 & 12, pp. 115-116

As Bill Sees It #essentialsofrec #BillW #Progress

Walk in dry Places #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Message

Giving the Right Support

Carrying the message

We're surrounded by people who need help...... financial and otherwise. It is sometimes tempting to believe that we can and should reach out to improve the conditions of their lives. This is not always an easy thing to do, or even a right thing to do. The early AA members who tried this finally decided to limit most of their help simply to carrying the Twelve Step message. While this seemed callous, it was really the only practical approach to a difficult problem.

Many people are able to solve their own financial problems when they really understand and practice the Twelve Step program. If they still need other assistance, it is then given and received in ways that work. In any case, we should always seek guidance and direction from our Higher Power when considering or offering any kind of assistance. We'll then know that any support we give will be the right kind.

I'll be willing today to assist others in any way I can. I will not, however, take responsibility for running their lives.

Walk in dry Places #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Message

Giving the Right Support

Carrying the message

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrec #Recovery #People #Hurt

I have never seen a greater monster or miracle than myself.----Montaigne
We know we’ve hurt people. We’ve heard our family cry out from pain we’ve caused them. Because of alcohol and other drugs, we acted like monsters.
But we now live surrounded with love. We now work to make this world better. Recovery is a miracle. The rebirth of our spirit is our miracle.
It’s no wonder we love life the way we do! We’ve been given a second chance. Our joy is overflowing. Our Higher Power must love us very much.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me with the monster that lives within me. I pray it will never again be let out.

Action for the Day: Today, I’ll see myself as a miracle. I’ll be grateful for my new life.

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrec #Recovery #People #Hurt

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me with the monster that lives within me. I pray it will never again be let out.

Action for the Day: Today, I’ll see myself as a miracle. I’ll be grateful for my new life.

FR. LEO'S DAILY MEDITATION #essentialsofrec #Meditation #Recovery

CHANGE

"Nothing stays the same. When you think you've got something down, it changes!" --Leo Booth

Today I am aware that life is about change and even the familiar, at some point in the future, transforms.
When I was drinking, I hated change. I wanted to control everything and everyone; things had to be my way. Naturally, if you
had asked me if I needed to be in charge, I would have replied, "Certainly not!" The addict's disease is fed by illusion and
denial.

Today I take a leap of faith and trust that the Universe will still be around in the morning, and it will probably look much the
same. Today I try to accept, one day at a time, that variety really is the spice of life and that must include the awkward
ingredient of change.

Creator, I accept and welcome the spiritual ingredient of change in my life.

FR. LEO'S DAILY MEDITATION #essentialsofrec #Meditation #Recovery

A Day At A Time #essentialsofrec #recovery #Fear

Reflection For The Day

Just for today, I'll not be afraid of anything. If my mind is clouded with nameless fears, I'll track them down and expose their unreality. I'll remind myself that God is in charge of me and my life, and that all I have to do is accept His protection and guidance. What happened yesterday need not trouble me today. Do I accept the fact that it's in my power to make today a good one just by the way I think about it and what I do about it?

Today I Pray

May I make today a good day. May I know that it is up to me to assign to it qualities of goodness, through a positive attitude toward what the present is providing. May I be untroubled by vestiges of yesterday. Please, God, remain close to me all through this day.

Today I Will Remember

To make it good.

A Day At A Time #essentialsofrec #recovery #Fear

To make it good.

One Day At A Time #essentialsofrec #recovery #patience

Patience

There is no fruit which is not bitter before it is ripe.

Publilius Syrus

There are some things in life you simply cannot rush. In the early stages of my disease, I went through life like a steam roller ... impatiently starting one project after another. If there was something in my life that depended on the actions of another for resolution, it was excruciating while waiting on the decision. As a result, sometimes decisions were forced. I have made many bad decisions because of lack of patience.

I have learned that sometimes we have to turn decisions over to others ... we have to let go and let others take control. We must wait it out and hope that our decision to let go was a good one. Many times it is. Sometimes it isn't.

I have become a very patient person ... and sometimes that is to my detriment. It can be hard to find a middle ground in the decision making process. Snap decisions aren't good. Neither are those we sit on forever.

One Day at a Time . . .

I will patiently wait on my Higher Power
to direct me ... to guide me ...and to help me with the decisions I must make.

Mari

One Day At A Time #essentialsofrec #recovery #patience

Patience

There is no fruit which is not bitter before it is ripe.

I will patiently wait on my Higher Power
to direct me ... to guide me ...and to help me with the decisions I must make.

Mari

Elder's Meditation Of The Day

Msit Nókmaq/All My Relations,

"In our language there is no word to say inferior or superiority or equality because we are equal; it's a known fact. But life has become very complicated since the newcomers came here. And how does your spirit react to it?. It's painful. You have to be...strong to walk through the ...storm. I know I'm a bridge between two worlds. All I ask is for people to wash their feet before they try to walk on me."

--Alanis Obomsawin, ABENAKI--

Today's GIft

Belief consists in accepting the affirmations of the soul; unbelief, in denying them.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

What do we believe? Do we believe in ourselves? Do we believe we have enough time and energy to do what we need? Or do we believe that things will turn out badly for us? Someone said that fear is faith in the negative. We can choose to believe the worst will happen, or we can choose to believe we deserve good things. We can believe the right things will happen at the right time. What we believe becomes true for us because we behave as though it were true. For this reason, it is wise to choose our beliefs carefully. The more we choose the positive, the more aware we become that our choices are many.

This means telling ourselves that we're all right just as we are and acting as though it were true without question.

How can I make my world better today?

DAILY ZEN #essentialsofrec #Zen #Tao #Taoism

The key to cultivating the Way is knowing that your own mind is originally pure, that it is neither created nor destroyed, and that it is free of discrimination. The mind whose nature is perfectly pure is your true teacher and superior to any of the Buddhas of the ten directions you might call upon.

- Hung-jen (601-675)

DAILY ZEN #essentialsofrec #Zen #Tao #Taoism

Wednesday 28 February 2024

Lilly H. - AA Speaker - "Practicing These Principles in All Our Affairs" #essentialsofrec #Speakers #AA #Recovery

Marsha S. - AA Speakers - "Sharing with the Newcomer the Problem and Solution" #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Speakers #AA

DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrec #Recovery #AA #Society

WHAT? NO PRESIDENT?

When told that our Society has no president having authority to govern it, no treasurer who can compel the payment of any dues, . . . our friends gasp and exclaim, “This simply can’t be. . . .”

~ TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 132

When I finally made my way to A.A., I could not believe that there was no treasurer to “compel the payment of dues.” I could not imagine an organization that didn't require monetary contributions in return for a service. It was my first and, thus far, only experience with getting “something for nothing.” Because I did not feel used or conned by those in A.A., I was able to approach the program free from bias and with an open mind. They wanted nothing from me. What could I lose? I thank God for the wisdom of the early founders who knew so well the alcoholic’s disdain for being manipulated.

Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc

WALK IN DRY PLACES #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Serenity

SEEKING EXCITEMENT

Seeking Serenity

“I haven’t found anything to replace the excitement I felt while drinking,” a member complained. “Sure, I’m grateful to be sober. But sometimes it’s so darned boring!”

Let’s talk about that need for excitement, or “high.” For many of us, it was an important part of our drinking. At times, our drinking was exciting—it came with celebrations, graduations, marriage receptions, engagements, and just about anything else out of the ordinary. Along with it, we wanted other excitement: exciting love affairs, exciting experiences, exciting stories.

For us, however, excitement always ended with a crash, often a terrible one. Waking up after an exciting binge was a horrible moment. It stretched out to become more horrible. It never seemed to have a happy ending.

We can take this addiction to excitement in hand by recognizing it as a component of our alcoholism. We’ll still be able to be excited at times, but it must be a type of excitement that brings neither crash nor hangover.

I will not let boredom push me into actions that I know will be destructive in the long run. I do not want thrills at the expense of my self-respect and sense of well-being.

© 1996 by Hazelden Foundation

JUST FOR TODAY #essentialsofrec #Recovery #NA #Addiction

The Greatest Gift

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

~ Basic Text, p. 93 ~

When we begin coming to meetings, we hear other addicts talking about the gifts they have received as a result of this program, things we never thought of as “gifts” before. One such “gift” is the renewed ability to feel the emotions we had deadened for so long with drugs. It’s not difficult to think of love, joy, and happiness as gifts, even if it’s been a long time since we’ve felt them. But what about “bad” feelings like anger, sadness, fear, and loneliness? Such emotions can’t be seen as gifts, we tell ourselves. After all, how can we be thankful for things we want to run from?

We can become grateful for these emotions in our lives if we place them in their proper perspective. We need to remember that we’ve come to believe in a loving Higher Power, and we’ve asked that Power to care for us – and our Higher Power doesn’t make mistakes. The feelings we’re given, “good” or “bad;” are given to us for a reason. With this in mind, we come to realize that there are no “bad” feelings, only lessons to be learned. Our faith and our Higher Power’s care give us the courage we need to face whatever feelings may come up on a daily basis.

As we heard early in recovery, “Your Higher Power won’t give you more than you can handle in just one day.” And the ability to feel our emotions is one of the greatest gifts of recovery.

Just for today: I will try to welcome my feelings, firm in the belief that I have the courage to face whatever emotions may come up in my life.

© 1991 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services Inc

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY #essentialsofrec #Freedom #AA #Preparation

A.A. Thought for the Day

We should be free from alcohol for good. It’s out of our hands and in the hands of God, so we don’t need to worry about it or even think about it anymore. But if we haven’t done this honestly and fully, the chances are that it will become our problem again. Since we don’t trust God to take care of the problem for us, we reach out and take the problem back to ourselves. Then it’s our problem again and we’re in the same old mess we were in before. We’re helpless again and we drink. Do I trust God to take care of the problem for me?

Meditation for the Day

No work is of value without preparation. Every spiritual work must have behind it much spiritual preparation. Cut short times of prayer and times of spiritual preparation and many hours of work may be profitless. From the point of view of God, one poor tool working all the time, but doing bad work because of lack of preparation, is of small value compared with the sharp, keen, perfect instrument working for only a short time, but that turns out perfect work because of long hours of spiritual preparation.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may spend more time alone with God. I pray that I may get more strength and joy from such times, so that they will add much to my work.

© 1954, 1975, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation

AS BILL SEES IT #essentialsofrec #Conviction #Compromise

Page 59

Conviction and Compromise

One qualification for a useful life is give-and-take, the ability to compromise cheerfully. Compromise comes hard to us “all or nothing” drunks. Nevertheless, we must never lose sight of the fact that progress is nearly always characterized by a series of improving compromises.

Of course, we cannot always compromise. There are circumstances in which it is necessary to stick flat-footed to one’s convictions until the issue is resolved. Deciding when to compromise and when not to compromise always calls for the most careful discrimination.

~ TWELVE CONCEPTS, PP. 42-43

© 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous ® World Services, Inc

EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrec #Sponsorship #Sponsor #Recovery

SPONSORSHIP

Sponsors: Have one, use one, be one.

~ Anonymous ~

Before we were in the Program very long, it was suggested we find a sponsor. We found an individual who had the kind of recovery we wanted. The purpose of finding a sponsor was to have someone who would guide us through the 12 Steps and help us apply the Steps to problems we encountered.

Sponsorship is one of the important ways of carrying the message. Sponsors share their experience of working the Program freely. They do not nag or manage our lives. At times, sponsors may appear to be very strict, but they’re only trying to pass on their knowledge. They have a deep concern about our recovery.

The first thing my sponsor said to me was, “Get a check-up from the neck up.” I followed the advice. I am grateful for all the help my sponsor has given me.

©1990 by Anonymous, Published by Hazelden

Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

Easy does it
Avoiding tension

As people of excess, alcoholics tend to swing between periods of great activity and times of complete lassitude. There is a tendency to waste time at one point, and then overcompensate for it by working feverishly and frantically to catch up. Both ways are out of balance.

We need to approach life in a relaxed manner, letting the natural rhythm of events take over and do some of the work for us. Too much effort defeats itself. The overanxious person strives too hard and makes things worse, like the salesman who talks too long and kills the sale.

In the AA way of life, we expect and accept responsibilities. But we are not slavishly committed to success at any price. We make a full commitment to any project we undertake, and we do our best at all times. Then we let things unfold rather than trying to force them.

It is also common to hear people say, “EASY DOES IT, BUT DO IT!” This is a reminder that t he slogan is not a prescription for laziness and indifference. It is also a reminder to avoid high-pressure tactics and excessive pushing.
I’ll let things work out today. I’ll do whatever has to be done.

KEEP IT SIMPLE #essentialsofrec #Recovery #HigherPower

Leave yourself alone.

~ Jenny Janacek

We often pick on ourselves. We put our-selves down. But doing this isn’t part of our recovery. In fact, it goes against our program. Our program is based on loving care. We have turned our lives over to a caring, loving Higher Power who will give us the answers.

We are told Easy Does It. We back off. As recovering addicts, we learn not to judge. Instead, we learn to be kind to ourselves. Our job is not to figure out the world, but to add more love to it. Let’s start with ourselves.

Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, stop me from judging. Help me know what You want me to do. Help me work Steps Two and Three.

Action for the Day

Today, I’ll leave myself alone. I will remember that picking on myself is another form of control.

Copyright © 1988 by Hazelden Foundation

FR. LEO'S DAILY MEDITATION #essentialofrec #Recovery #Perfection

PERFECTION

“God, the Good, is the basic power you express.”

~ Robert Bitzer ~

It is so easy for me to focus on the failings of others and miss my own. My attraction to gossip allows me to criticize other people while keeping the attention away from me. Sometimes I feel good by exposing the weaknesses of others.

This attitude needs to be changed if I am to fully enjoy the fruits of sobriety. I do not need to be drinking to behave like a drunk; gossip and character assassination are reminiscent of my past addictive behavior. I do not need the side of me that seeks to destroy the character of others. With my spiritual program, I am seeking to change.

May I grow in forgiveness and acceptance of others.

© 2008 Leo Booth

A DAY AT A TIME #essentialsofrec 'Recovery #defects #fear

Reflection for the Day

We’re taught in the Program and the Twelve Steps that the chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear—mainly fear that we would lose something we already possessed or that we would fail to get something we demanded. Living on the basis of unsatisfied demands, we obviously were in a state of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore, we are taught, no peace will be ours unless we find a means of producing these demands. Have I become entirely ready to have God remove all my defects of character?

Today I Pray

May I make no unrealistic demands on life, which, because of their grandiosity, cannot be met. May I place no excessive demands on others which, when they are not fulfilled, leave me disappointed and let down.

Today I Will Remember

The setup for a let-down.

© 1989 by Hazelden Foundation

ONE DAY AT A TIME #essentialsofrec #OA #Recovery

ELDER'S MEDITATION OF THE DAY #essentialsofrec #Mohawk #Native #Elders

“Ultimately, nature will do the teaching.”

~ Tom Porter, MOHAWK

There are things man has control over, and there are things man does not have control over. No matter how smart we get, whether it be in technology or science, there are things we will never control. The Great Spirit carefully protected and hid the control over certain things in the Unseen World. There are forces in the Unseen World that make sure humans don’t mess things up. The bottom line is, no matter what we do, nature will have the last say. Nature is the teacher, we are the students. May we honor and respect our teacher.

Great Spirit, today, help me to live in harmony with people, principles, and life.

A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Faith #Love

Faith and love solve many things.

~ Phyllis Elliott ~

Most of the situations we encounter need not become sticky; problems develop, however, when we insist that outcomes meet our specifications. It’s far too easy for us to forget to let God be in charge of every situation and outcome. Luckily, we have friends and sponsors who offer frequent reminders.

Having faith takes painstaking effort for most of us. Yet we will feel so much better every time we back away from a situation and let God take over; we realize that God has a better solution than the one we were proposing.

Learning to love not only others but also ourselves takes practice similar to the effort we put into developing faith. Love softens the harsh edges of conflict, and when we act from a vision of love, we see every event in our lives more positively. Choosing love as a way of life eliminates most of the conflict that undermines our well-being. Having faith that God is in charge takes care of the rest.

Having faith and feeling love are my assignments today. God can help me do both. Each person I encounter will give me an opportunity to rely on God’s help.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

THE EYE OPENER #essentialsofrec #Determination

Many of us would have been ready to do something about our drinking problem years before we did, except for the obstinate determination not to allow the wife, mother or boss to tell us what to do.

Published by Hazelden

Daily Tao / 59 – Source #essentialsofrec #Tao #Taoism #Zen

Wellspring of energy
Rises in the body’s core
Tap it and be sustained.
Channel it, and it will speak.

The source of all power is within yourself. Although external circumstances may occasionally hamper you, true movement comes solely from within yourself. The source is latent in everyone, but anyone can learn to tap it. When this happens, power rises like a shimmering well through the center of your body.

Physically, it will sustain and nourish you. But it can do many other things as well. It can give you gifts ranging from unusual knowledge to simple tranquility. It all depends on how you choose to direct your energies.

We cannot say that a person will become enlightened solely by virtue of having tapped this source of power; energy is neutral. It requires experience, wisdom, and education to direct it. You may gain power from your meditations, but it is possible for two people with the same valid attainment to use it in two different ways, even to the extremes of good and evil. Finding the source of spiritual power is a great joy; deciding how to direct it is the greatest of responsibilities.

DAILY ZEN #essentialsofrec #Zen #Buddhism

Limpid ocean, clear sky,
And moon-reflecting snow;
This is the realm without a trace of the
Holy and sentient.
At the opening of the diamond eye,
Flowers of vanity fall.
The whole universe vanishes
Into the realm of extinction.

- Han-shan Te-ch’ing (1546-1623)

AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Emmet #Fox

FLEE DESOLATION

The moment you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, you should reject it instantly. Do not stop to say “goodbye” to the error but immediately switch your attention to the Presence of God. Indeed, we may say that when error presents itself to consciousness, the first five seconds are golden.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Then let him which is in Judea flee into the mountains;

Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house;

Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes (Matthew 24:15-18).

Jesus teaches this lesson in his own graphic way. The holy place is your consciousness, and the abomination of desolation is any negative thought, because a negative thought means a belief in the absence of God at the point concerned.

It is impossible to forget this illustration once we have taken it in.

© 1931 by Emmet Fox

Tuesday 27 February 2024

Emily B. - AA Speaker - "Don't Settle for Half Measures" #essentialsofrec #AA #Speakers #Recovery

Daily Reflections #essentialsofrec #Stability #AA Tradition2

A UNIQUE STABILITY

Where does A.A. get its direction? . . . These practical
folk then read Tradition Two, and learn that the sole
authority in A.A. is a loving God as He may express
Himself in the group conscience. . . The elder statesman
is the one who sees the wisdom of the group’s decision,
who holds no resentment over his reduced status, whose
judgment, fortified by considerable experience, is
sound, and who is willing to sit quietly on the sidelines
patiently awaiting developments.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 132, 135

Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven
the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions. As my
recovery progressed, I realized that the new mantle was
tailor made for me. The elders of the group gently
offered suggestions when change seemed impossible.
Everyone’s shared experiences became the substance for
treasured friendships. I know that the Fellowship is
ready and equipped to aid each suffering alcoholic at
all crossroads in life. In a world beset by many
problems, I find this assurance a unique stability.
I cherish the gift of sobriety. I offer my gratitude
for the strength I receive in a Fellowship that truly
exists for the good of all members.

As Bill Sees It #essentialsofrec #Blame #Recovery #BillW

Who Is To Blame?,

p. 222

At Step Four we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking, and frightened? Though a given situation had not been entirely our fault, we often tried to cast the whole blame on the other person involved.

We finally saw that the inventory should be ours, not the other man’s. So we admitted our wrongs honestly and became willing to set these matters straight.

Page 67

Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Relationships #Rejection

Selling myself
Personal Relations

Thoughtful people tell us that every person has to “sell” himself or herself in daily work. As alcoholics, we can find that threatening. Uncertainty and the fear of rejection or failure put us under.

We can avoid this stress and tension by putting all responsibility for results in God’s hands. While it is true that we want to succeed and to be accepted, we can never be sure that our idea of success is the right one. There are times when our strong determination to succeed at all costs makes us overbearing and demanding in our approach. We may be so anxious to appear competent and knowledgeable that we overreach our selves and make stupid blunders.

God can show us how to handle each day’s affairs in an orderly, reasonable way. It is not necessary to win every argument or to make every sale. We can sell ourselves more effectively when we go through the day calmly and take a genuine interest in the ideas and concerns of others.

I will look upon my customers and fellow workers as friends and allies. I don’t have to bludgeon every person into accepting my point of view. If I am sincerely trying to follow God’s will in all my affairs, others will sense my sincerity and will be glad to consider what I have to say.

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Work

Without work all life goes rotten.

—Albert Camus

Work is more than earning money. Work means using our time and skills to make life better for those around us. Our work can be our hobbies. Growing food or growing flowers can be our work.
Raising children or caring for older people who need help can be our work. Building homes or helping people live in them can be our work. Thanks to our program of recovery, we can do our best work again. What a change from the drugged-up and hung over days when we didn’t do anything well. We are sober, and we have something to offer.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me see that work makes me part of the human family. Help me do Your will in my work today.

Action for the Day: Good work teaches us good habits. How do the things I’ve learned in my work help me in my recovery program? I’ll list five ways.

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrec #FrLeo #Facts

FACTS

“To treat your facts with imagination is one thing, but to imagine your facts is another.”

— John Burroughs

When I was drinking, I was always confusing fantasy with reality. Lies got mingled with the facts and the facts became exaggerated. It was almost impossible for me to distinguish between reality and fantasy, imagination and fact. My life was a complicated lie.

Today I have a program of “rigorous” honesty; I must be rigorous and stop the game before it starts. I need to practice the principles of recovery in every area of my life. The spiritual road involves a comprehensive journey and nothing need be left out.

God, who created the mountains, help me to take responsibility for the grit between my toes.

A Day At A Time #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Fear

Reflection For The Day

If I live just one day at a time, I won’t so quickly entertain fears of what might happen tomorrow. As long as I'm concentrating on today’s activities, there won’t be room in my mind for worrying. I’ll try to fill every minute of this day with something. Then, when the day is ended, I’ll be able to look back on it with satisfaction, serenity and gratitude. Do I sometimes cherish bad feeling so that I can feel sorry for myself?

Today I Pray

That I will get out of the self-pity act and live for today. May I notice the good things from dawn to nightfall, learn to talk about them and thank God for them. May I catch myself if I seem to be relishing my moans and complaints more often than appreciating the goodness of my life.

Today I Will Remember

Today is good.

One Day At A Time #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Fighting

FIGHTING

And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone …

–The Big Book, page 84

When one goes through life at full speed ahead as I have done, it’s hard to really step back and look at one’s life. Everything is happening too fast and each day seems to blend into the next and, before you know it, the next segment of life seems to take over.

When I began my Twelve Step recovery program, I found myself slowing down … examining my life … observing those around me … and reflecting on my past. I began to know who I was and I didn’t like one of the things I discovered: I was a fighter. I didn't accept people, places or things unless and until they met my expectations of what they should be. I tried to control situations that I should have walked away from. I clung to people I should have distanced myself from. I tried to manipulate things that were toxic to me, and make them un-toxic … and, in the process, did myself great harm.

When I first read those words from the AABB, “We have ceased fighting anything or anyone,” I felt it didn't apply to me … because at that point, I hadn't categorized myself as a fighter. It took living and working the Steps to realize that. And it took living and working the Steps to take the action necessary to stop being a fighter.

Life is calmer now. Relationships are smoother. I sometimes miss the excitement of going through like as though I were on a roller coaster … but I won’t go back there. Serenity means too much to me. Fighting is something I have put away forever.

One Day at a Time . . .
I will direct my thinking and doing to those things in my life which will contribute to a meaningful and pleasant journey.

~ Mari

Elder’s Meditation of the Day #essentialsofrec #Chippewa #Native #Recovery

“The Old Ones have always said that no matter who despises or ignores you, no matter who keeps you from entering their circles, it is right to pray for them because the are like us, too.”

–Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA

You don’t know how an apple tastes until you taste it. You don’t know what a fish tastes like until you eat it. You don’t know how it is to be a woman unless you are one. You don’t know what it means to have a baby until you have one. So it is with the natural laws. An example: the natural law of forgiveness says, if you hate someone, pray for the person to be blessed with happiness, joy and all the blessings of the Great Spirit. You will not know about this law unless you do it. The natural law says love others as you love yourself. If you hate yourself or feel guilt in some area of yourself, you will tend to judge and condemn your neighbor. You cannot give away what you don’t have. You teach your children by your example, not by your words. The natural laws are written in our hearts.

Great Spirit, teach me how to look into my heart.

Daily Tao / 58 – Opportunity #essentialsofrec #Tao #Taoism #Zen #

A green bird darting in the night.
Will you be able to see it?
Will you be able to catch it?
Cling to Tao like a shadow.
Move without a shadow.

Times of oppression and adversity cannot last forever. How is the transition made to new and better situations? In the midst of great difficulty, a tiny opportunity will open, if only by chance. You must be sharp enough to discern it, quick enough to catch it, and determined enough to do something with it. If you let it pass, you will be filled with regrets.

Stick to Tao like a shadow. Wherever it goes, you go. As soon as it throws something your way, catch it by sheer reflex. It is like the bird : If you try to catch it, you will miss. If you are always with it, moving at its speed, as much a part of it as its own shadow, then it is easy to seize it.

When you act, however, you in turn must have no shadow. In other words, what you do must leave no messiness, no leftover consequences, nothing that will haunt you later. That is one of the ways in which you avoid creating more bad situations for yourself : Your every movement is traceless.

Daily Zen #essentialsofrec #Zen #Buddhism

When you can listen to your thoughts
without becoming lost in what you hear;
when you can hear them
without adding or subtracting,
without editing;
when you can remember the
very worst without cringing,
without even an eyeblink of the mind,
it’s then your life will turn.

– Journeys on Mind Mountain

Around The Year Emmet Fox‎ #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Emmet #Fox

AGREE QUICKLY

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou has paid the uttermost farthing (Matthew 5:25-26).

Jesus is stressing here the instruction contained in his injunction to "watch and pray." It is ever so much easier to overcome a difficulty if you tackle it at its first appearance than it will be after the trouble has had time to establish itself in your mentality - to dig itself in, as the soldiers say. The moment a difficulty presents itself to your attention, quietly affirm the Truth, giving it no chance to dig itself in.

On the other hand, by thinking about your difficulty, you incorporate it into your mentality, and if you go on doing this long enough, it may be exceedingly difficult to get rid of it.

Jesus, when he wished to drive home a particularly important point, employed a graphic illustration from everyday life. In those times the law governing debtors was extremely severe. When a man found himself in debt, it behooved him to come to terms with his creditor as quickly as possible. Even at the present day it is important for the creditor to keep his case from coming into court, for the longer the case drags on the more do lawyers' fees, court dues, and expenses of various kinds accumulate, all piled on top of the debt proper. So it is with the various difficulties that present themselves to us in our daily lives.

Monday 26 February 2024

Casey R. - AA Speakers - Young Person in Alcoholics Anonymous #essentialsofrec #Speakers #Young #AA #Recovery

RANDOM BIG BOOK ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS #essentialsofrec #Resentment #Poision

DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrec #Recovery #BillW ##Success

NO ORDINARY SUCCESS STORY

A.A. is no success story in the ordinary sense of the word. It is a story of suffering transmuted, under grace, into spiritual progress.

~ AS BILL SEES IT, p. 35 ~

Upon entering A.A. I listened to others talk about the reality of their drinking: loneliness, terror and pain. As I listened further, I soon heard a description of a very different kind—the reality of sobriety. It is a reality of freedom and happiness, of purpose and direction, and of serenity and peace with God, ourselves and others. By attending meetings I am reintroduced to that reality, over and over. I see it in the eyes and hear it in the voices of those around me. By working the program I find the direction and strength with which to make it mine. The joy of A.A. is that this new reality is available to me.

Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc

JUST FOR TODAY #essentialsofrec #Step8 #NA #Guilt

Remorse

“The Eighth Step offers a big change from a life dominated by guilt and remorse.”

~ Basic Text, p. 38 ~

Remorse was one of the feelings that kept us using. We had stumbled our way through active addiction, leaving a trail of heartbreak and devastation too painful to consider. Our remorse was often intensified by our perception that we couldn’t do anything about the damage we had caused; there was no way to make it right.

We remove some of the power of remorse when we face it squarely. We begin the Eighth Step by actually making a list of all the people we have harmed. We own our part in our painful past.

But the Eighth Step does not ask us to make right all of our mistakes, merely to become willing to make amends to all those people. As we become willing to clean up the damage we’ve caused, we acknowledge our readiness to change. We affirm the healing process of recovery.

Remorse is no longer an instrument we use to torture ourselves. Remorse has become a tool we can use to achieve self-forgiveness.

Just for today: I will use any feelings of remorse I may have as a stepping-stone to healing through the Twelve Steps.

© 1991 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services Inc

Twenty-Four Hours A Day #essentialsofrec #Peace #Serenity

A.A. Thought For The Day

When we first came into A.A., the first thing we did was
to admit that we couldn’t do anything about our drinking.
We admitted that alcohol had us licked and that we were
helpless against it. We never could decide whether or not
to take a drink. We always took the drink. And since we
couldn’t do anything about it ourselves, we put our whole
drink problem into the hands of God. We turned the whole
thing over to that Power greater than ourselves. And we
have nothing more to do about it, except to trust God to
take care of the problem for us. Have I done this honestly
and fully?

Meditation For The Day

This is the time for my spirit to touch the spirit of God.
I know that the feeling of the spirit-touch is more
important than all the sensations of material things. I
must seek a silence of spirit-touching with God. Just a
moment’s contact and all the fever of life leaves me. Then
I am well, whole, calm and able to arise and minister to
others. God’s touch is a potent healer. I must feel that
touch and sense God’s presence.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that the fever of resentment, worry and fear may
melt into nothingness. I pray that health, joy,

peace and serenity may take its place.

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Power

A.A. Thought for the Day

When we came into A.A., we came to believe in a Power greater than ourselves. We came to believe in that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God, and to whom we can turn for help. Each morning we have a quiet time. We ask God for the power to stay sober for the next twenty-four hours. And each night we thank Him for helping us to keep sober that day. Do I believe that each man or woman I see in A.A. is a demonstration of the power of God to change a human being from a drunkard to a sober person?

Meditation for the Day

I should pray for faith as a thirsty person prays for water in a desert. Do I know what it means to feel sure that God will never fail me? Am I sure of this as I am sure that I still breathe? I should pray daily and most diligently that my faith may increase. There is nothing lacking in my life because, really, all I need is mine, only I lack the faith to know it. I am like a rich person’s child who sits in rags when all around me are stores of all I could desire.

Prayer for the Day

I pray for the realization that God has everything I need. I pray that I may know that His power is always available.

© 1954, 1975, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation

AS BILL SEES IT #essentialsofrec #Recovery #newcomers

~ Page 57 ~

Better than Gold

As newcomers, many of us have indulged in spiritual intoxication. Like a gaunt prospector, belt drawn in over the last ounce of food, we saw our pick strike gold. Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds.

The newcomer feels he has struck something better than gold. He may not see at once that he has barely scratched a limitless lode
which will pay dividends only if he mines it for the rest of his life and insists on giving away the entire product.

~ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 128-129 ~

© 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous ® World Services, Inc