tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370682872513846042024-03-19T00:30:34.704+00:00Essentials Of Recovery 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.
Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.comBlogger49127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-57856049458071020252024-03-19T00:30:00.001+00:002024-03-19T00:30:00.128+00:00DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrec #Prayer #Action<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">PRAYER: IT WORKS</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;"><i>It has been well said that “almost the only scoffers at prayer are those who never tried it enough.”</i></span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">~ TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 97 ~</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Having grown up in an agnostic household, I felt somewhat foolish when I first tried praying. I knew there was a Higher Power working in my life—how else was I staying sober?—but I certainly wasn’t convinced he/she/it wanted to hear my prayers. People who had what I wanted said prayer was an important part of practicing the program, so I persevered. With a commitment to daily prayer, I was amazed to find myself becoming more serene and comfortable with my place in the world. In other words, life became easier and less of a struggle. I’m still not sure who, or what, listens to my prayers, but I’d never stop saying them for the simple reason that they work.</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-27825114547671564942024-03-19T00:28:00.000+00:002024-03-19T00:28:00.137+00:00JUST FOR TODAY #essentialsofrec #Recovery #NA #Addiction<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Something Valuable to Share</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;"><i>“A simple, honest message of recovery from addiction rings true.”</i></span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">~ Basic Text p. 50 ~</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">You’re in a meeting. The sharing has been going on for some time. One or two members have described their spiritual experiences in an especially meaningful way. Another has had us all rolling in the aisles with entertaining stories. And then the leader calls on you.., gulp. You shyly introduce yourself, apologetically stammer out a few lines, thank everyone for listening, and sit out the rest of the meeting in embarrassed silence. Sound familiar? Well, you’re not alone.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">We've all had times when we've felt that what we had to share wasn't spiritual enough, wasn't entertaining enough, wasn't something enough. But sharing is not a competitive sport. The meat of our meetings is identification and experience, something all of us have in abundance. When we share from our hearts the truth of our experience, other addicts feel they can trust us because they know we’re just like them. When we simply share what’s been effective in our lives, we can be sure that our message will be helpful to others.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Our sharing doesn't have to be either fancy or funny to ring true. Every addict working an honest program that brings meaningful recovery has something of immense value to share, something no one else can give: his or her own experience.</span><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;"><b><br /></b><b>Just for today:</b></span><span style="color: #666666;"> I have something valuable to share. I will attend a meeting today and share my experience in recovery from addiction.</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">© 1991 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services Inc </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-65163576105198393872024-03-19T00:26:00.001+00:002024-03-19T00:26:00.127+00:00TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Remorse #Guilt<b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />A.A. Thought for the Day</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">When we were drinking, we used to be ashamed of the past. Remorse is terrible mental punishment: ashamed of ourselves for the things we've said and done, afraid to face people because of what they might think of us, afraid of the consequences of what we did when we were drunk. In A.A. we forget about the past. Do I believe that God has forgiven me for everything I’ve done in the past, no matter how black it was, provided I’m honestly trying to do the right thing today?</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Meditation for the Day</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">God’s spirit is all about you all day long. You have no thoughts, no plans, no impulses, no emotions, that He does not know about. You can hide nothing from Him. Do not make your conduct conform only to that of the world and do not depend on the approval or disapproval of others. God sees in secret, but He re-wards openly. If you are in harmony with the Divine Spirit, doing your best to live the way you believe God wants you to live, you will be at peace.</span><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />Prayer for the Day</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">I pray that I may always feel God’s presence. I pray that I may realize this Presence constantly all through the day.</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">© 1954, 1975, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-12457904700423545482024-03-19T00:24:00.001+00:002024-03-19T00:24:00.124+00:00AS BILL SEES IT #essentialsofrec #BillW #Decisions <b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /> Page 78 ~<br /><br />Clearing a Channel</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;"><i>During the day, we can pause where situations must be met and decisions made, and renew the simple request “Thy will, not mine, be done.”</i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">If at these points our emotional disturbance happens to be great, we will more surely keep our balance provided we remember, and repeat to ourselves, a particular prayer or phrase that has appealed to us in our reading or meditation. Just saying it over and over will often enable us to clear a channel choked up with anger, fear, frustration, or misunderstanding, and permit us to return to the surest help of all—our search for God’s will, not our own, in the moment of stress.</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">~ TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 102-103 ~<br /><br />© 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous ® World Services, Inc </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-49421412683655388852024-03-19T00:23:00.001+00:002024-03-19T00:23:00.124+00:00EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Laughter<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">LAUGHTER</span></b><br /><i><br /><span style="color: #666666;">The most useless day of all is that which we have not laughed.</span></i><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">~ Sebastien R.N. Chamfort ~</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">When we wallowed in the self-pity of obsession, we were sure we’d never laugh again. How easy it was to weep, alone and secretly, inspired by sad music like “Born to Lose” or “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.”</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">What a shock it was to hear people laugh in our first few meetings! How could they laugh about something as serious as addiction? What an awakening when we were able to join the laughter!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">We laughed with them as they laughed at the sad objects they once were. Today we can also laugh for pure joy at being free of restraints, and in gratitude for the resolve not to return to our old ways. We can laugh just for being alive.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Laughter is a source of growth for me. It keeps me thinking positively. It reduces the stress of problems. It tells me that any effort at progress is worthwhile. Laughter is progress.</span><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />©1990 by Anonymous. All rights reserved. Published by Hazelden. </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-22791839841221278552024-03-19T00:22:00.000+00:002024-03-19T00:22:00.125+00:00WALK IN DRY PLACES #essentialsofrec #HigherPower #Growth #Guidance<b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />WHERE IS GOD?<br /><br />Guidance</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;"><i>AA members have always had a difficult time explaining the “God business.” We didn’t want to be considered religious, but at the same time we’ve always believed some contact with a Higher Power is necessary for real personal growth.</i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">There’s nothing wrong—for our purposes—in simply visualizing God as a Higher Power that has always been within us and around us. “Before they call, I will answer,” goes an old saying, and that was true even in our darkest days. Many of us can look back to realize that a certain force was moving us toward recovery long before we knew we needed any recovery. Many of us also believe that a Higher Power helped bring AA into being and move it along to become a worldwide force for good.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">But God works in ways that can seem to come from chance or coincidence. Quite often, we’ll find that little events had far-reaching results in our lives. When we review how such things happened, we should not conclude that this happens only to certain “special” people. All human beings are part of God’s creation and can avail themselves of guidance and direction. The more serious problem is that guidance and direction are sometimes ignored or rejected.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">I’ll go about my affairs today with the knowledge that my Higher Power is making the important decisions in my life. I’ll come out about where God wants me to be.</span><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />© 1996 by Hazelden Foundation </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-91819762319635343892024-03-19T00:20:00.001+00:002024-03-19T00:20:00.130+00:00KEEP IT SIMPLE #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Anger<div>
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<i style="color: #666666;">Speak when you’re angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret</i><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">~ Lawrence J. Peter ~</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">When we used alcohol or other drugs, most of us were hotheads. We thought we were right. If we were proven wrong, we may have made life hell for everyone. People knew enough to stay away from us.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">In recovery, things will still go badly at times. We’ll get hurt. And we’ll get angry. But now, our anger no longer controls us. We also turn over our anger to our Higher Power. In our groups, we talk about what makes us angry. Then we leave the anger behind when the meeting is over. We find that being at peace is now more important than getting even.</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Prayer for the Day</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Higher Power, when I’m angry, help me slow down. Help me remember it’s okay to be angry, but it’s not okay to abuse people.</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Action for the Day</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">I will remember a time when I turned anger into rage and hurt someone. I will also remember a time I was angry in a respectful way.</span><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />Copyright © 1988 by Hazelden Foundation </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-81587750751895157512024-03-19T00:18:00.000+00:002024-03-19T00:18:00.126+00:00FR. LEO'S DAILY MEDITATION #essentialsofrec #FrLEo #Disease<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">MADNESS</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;"><i>“Sanity is madness put to good use.”</i></span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">~ George Santayana </span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">The phrase “Make the disease work for you” makes a great deal of sense. I am a recovering alcoholic. My alcoholism is still with me, so every day I take the necessary steps to stay sober.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">My disease is the “mad” part of me that wants to destroy my life, relationships, and understanding of God. I need to accept my “madness” and turn it around so that it works for me. My suffering is a key to my spiritual growth. My anger helps me understand the imperfections of others. My powerlessness over alcohol gives me an understanding of humility based in reality. The acceptance of my “madness” keeps me sane!</span><br /><i><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Loving Spirit, give me the sanity to accept my imperfections and grow into the best I can be. </span></i><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">© 2008 Leo Booth </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-68276633965760399692024-03-19T00:16:00.001+00:002024-03-19T00:16:00.134+00:00ONE DAY AT A TIME #essentialsofrec #Abstinence #Strength #Commitment <br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">COMMITMENT</span></b><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #666666;">Shallow men believe in luck ~</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Strong men believe in cause and effect.</span></i><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Abstinence did not happen for me until I made a commitment to it. I realized that I would have abstinence until something was a bit too uncomfortable for me to face or feel. Then I would have a slip. So it became a game for me. Was this event or circumstance enough to justify another slip? Sure, why not? That’s the nature of the disease. Everything and anything was an excuse to eat.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">It wasn’t until I made a commitment to abstinence that I was forced to find my solutions in the Twelve Steps and really let go of my addiction. I’m grateful to my Higher Power that I hit the bottom I did. By accepting the truth about myself and my food addiction, I am now free to live in the solution.</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">One Day at a Time . . .</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">I will renew my commitment by receiving the gift of abstinence and practicing my program to the best of my ability.</span><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />~ Christine S. ~ </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-35766783738494509342024-03-19T00:12:00.000+00:002024-03-19T00:12:00.123+00:00ELDER MEDITATION #essentialsofrec #WAMPANOAG #Native<i style="color: #666666;"><br />“There’s a deep wound in people that they have been so cut off from the source of their being, their mother, their Earth Mother.”</i><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /><b>~ Francis Story Talbott II (Medicine Story), WAMPANOAG </b></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">When we are connected to the Earth Mother, or when we are clear on our purpose, we will feel connected and safe. We will feel love. When we are disconnected from the Earth Mother, or we don’t know who we are or why we are, we will feel pain. It will be similar to a little child who has lost its Mother. We will hurt inside; we will be wounded within. If this happens to the whole community, the people will be very sad and lost. It will seem like there is death in the air. When this happens, it is time for ceremony and reconnection to God and Mother Earth. This is the time of prayer.</span><br /><br /><i style="color: #666666;">Great Mystery, today, help me to stay connected to the Earth and to You, my Creator. </i><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-57397334675431505052024-03-19T00:10:00.001+00:002024-03-19T00:10:00.136+00:00A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Lettinggo<i style="color: #666666;"><br />With one foot in the past and the other in the future, how can we possibly know what new path we might follow today?</i><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">~ Jan Pishok ~</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Now is all there is. But how often, really, are our minds in the present? Honestly, aren’t we much more focused on what just happened or what we fear will happen in the next hour or day or year? Being here, now, means giving up the past absolutely. It also means relinquishing all thoughts about the future. Occupying our minds with the experience of this instant only seems hard to do. We’re far more used to greater chaos than what we experience solely in the here and now.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">We have a direction that’s right for us. Unfortunately, we miss the road signs because we are still looking over our shoulder at what we passed yesterday. The destiny we need, needs us too. Quietly focusing on our lives, one moment at a time, can assure us of fulfilling it.</span><br /><i><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Letting go of the noise I carry in my mind changes my life. I can feel and acknowledge what’s here when my mind is open.</span></i><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-14580516823087706332024-03-19T00:06:00.000+00:002024-03-19T00:06:00.135+00:00THE EYE OPENER #essentialsofrec #God #Strength<br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">No man ever lived without a God of some kind. If it was not the God of Abraham or the Christian conception, it was the sun, or Nature or thunder or mythical gods. It was golden images or idols of wood, and to some it was money, or position or fame. We all had a God even if it was no more than a bottle.No man, however brave, would have the temerity to face the forces of Nature and a hostile world unless he had recourse to something beyond his own puny strength.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Every time I hear an atheist sounding off I always think of the days when I denied the fact that I was an alcoholic, knowing, deep down inside, that I was kidding myself.</span><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />Published by Hazelden </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-76878274626418250612024-03-19T00:04:00.000+00:002024-03-19T00:04:00.131+00:00Daily Tao / 78 – Fear #Taoism #Essentialsofrec #Tao #Zen #Fear<br /><i><b><span style="color: #666666;">Trust the gods within,<br />Accept given boons.<br />Illusion is reality’s border :<br />Pierce fear to go beyond.</span></b></i><br /><br /><br />I<span style="color: #666666;">n your meditations, you will meet gods. These gods are nothing more than the holiest aspects of your own mind; they are not other beings. Your inner gods will grant gifts of knowledge and power. Accept what comes your way without doubt and without fear. You can trust your gods. They will never betray you, for you cannot betray yourself.<br /><br />Such trust dissolves fear and regret. You will find a resolution to your inner conflicts. The gods will direct you forward to the very border of reality itself. On the other side is vast profundity, the ultimate nature of existence. But the border can be crossed only if you have resolved all fear and regret.<br /><br />All fear comes from our sense of self. When we stand at the border of reality, we are afraid that we will lose our identities by plunging in. We are afraid of being destroyed. but we came from Tao in the first place. We are Tao. To return to Tao is not to be negated, but to become one with the entire universe. True, we will no longer be who we are now, but we will be one with Tao. In that state, there is no need for fear.</span><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-65360018914974484302024-03-19T00:02:00.001+00:002024-03-19T00:02:00.124+00:00DAILY ZEN #essentialsofrec #Zen #Buddhism<span style="color: #666666;"><br />Tiger Creek and the lone moon<br />Guide visitors along;<br />Ivy and vines decorate<br />Snowy pine branches;<br />Many green mountains await climbing:<br />The true old masters<br />Hide deep in white clouds.<br /><br /><b><br />- Ling Yi (728-762) </b></span><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-55086063203075662422024-03-19T00:01:00.001+00:002024-03-19T00:01:00.134+00:00AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX #essentialsofrec #Emmet #Fox<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">THE PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Externally, the Bible is a collection of inspired documents written by men of all kinds, in all sorts of circumstances, and over hundreds of years of time. The documents are seldom original, but redactions and compilation of older fragments; and the names of the actual writers are seldom known for certain. This, however, does not affect the spiritual purpose of the Bible. The book, as we have it, is an inexhaustible reservoir of spiritual Truth, compiled under divine inspiration, and the actual route by which it reached its present form does not matter.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">History, biography, lyrical and other poetic forms are various mediums through which the spiritual message is given in the Bible; and above all, the parable is used to convey spiritual and metaphysical truth. In some cases what was never intended to be more than a parable was, at one time, taken for literal statement of fact; and this often made the Bible seem to teach things that are opposed to common sense.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">The spiritual key to the Bible rescues us from these difficulties, dilemmas, and seeming inconsistencies. And the Truth turns out to be nothing less than the amazing but undeniable fact that the whole outer world—whether it be the physical body the common things of life, the winds and the rain, the clouds, the earth itself—is amenable to man’s thought, and that he has dominion over it when he knows it.</span><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #666666;">Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet (Psalm 8:6).</span></i><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">© 1931 by Emmet Fox </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-27023765036046800032024-03-18T13:04:00.002+00:002024-03-18T13:04:00.120+00:00Let go of wants...<img src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/09/f0/79/09f079cb4fc8e944922d4526ffbb15dd.jpg" style="max-width: 586px;" /><br />
<div>EssentialsOfRecovery</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-5511493309388808232024-03-18T01:30:00.000+00:002024-03-18T01:30:00.123+00:00 RANDOM BIG BOOK OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS #ESSENTIALSOFREC #BIGBOOK<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">These men had found something brand new in life. Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary. It was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves for others.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="author">~ A Vision For You, pg. 159 </span></span></b></blockquote>
Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-18087432749982699942024-03-18T00:30:00.001+00:002024-03-18T00:30:00.126+00:00DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrec #Independence #Recovery<b><span style="color: #134f5c;">REAL INDEPENDENCE</span></b><div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i>The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power,</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i>the more independent we actually are.</i></span><div>
<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 36</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">I start with a little willingness to trust God and He</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">causes that willingness to grow. The more willingness I</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">have, the more trust I gain, and the more trust I gain,</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">the more willingness I have. My dependence on God grows</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">as my trust in Him grows. Before I became willing, I</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">depended on myself for all my needs and I was restricted</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">by my incompleteness. Through my willingness to depend</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">upon my Higher Power, whom I choose to call God, all</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">my needs are provided for by Someone Who knows me</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">better than I know myself – even the needs I may not</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">realize, as well as the ones yet to come, bring me to be</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">myself and to help me fill the need in someone else that</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">only I am meant to fill. There never will be another</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">exactly like me. And that is real independence. </span><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-44949706102015795512024-03-18T00:28:00.000+00:002024-03-18T00:28:00.123+00:00Just For Today #essentialsofrec #Recovery #NA #Message<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">The Full Message</span></b><br /><br /><i><br /><span style="color: #666666;">“There is a special feeling for addicts when they discover that there are other people who share their difficulties, past and present.”</span></i><div>
<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Basic Text p. 53</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">The wealth of our recovery is too good to keep to ourselves. Some of us believe that when we talk in meetings, we should “remember the newcomer” and always try to carry a positive message. But sometimes the most positive message we can carry is that we are going through difficult times in our recovery and are staying clean in spite of them!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Yes, it’s gratifying to send out a strong message of hope to our newer members. After all, no one likes a whiner. But distressing things happen, and life on life’s terms can send shock waves even through the recovery of long-time members of Narcotics Anonymous. If we are equipped with the tools of the program, we can walk through such turmoil and stay clean to tell the tale.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Recovery doesn't happen all at once; it is an ongoing process, sometimes a struggle. When we dilute the fullness of our message by neglecting to share about the tough times we may walk through on our journey, we fail to allow newcomers the chance to see that they, too, can stay clean, no matter what. If we share the full message of our recovery, we may not know who benefits, but we can be sure someone will.</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Just for today: </span></b><span style="color: #666666;">I will honestly share both the good times and the difficult times of my recovery. I will remember that my experience in walking through adversity may benefit another member. </span><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-21612498383192285192024-03-18T00:26:00.000+00:002024-03-18T00:26:00.140+00:00TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY #essentialsofrec #Past #Yesterday<b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />A.A. Thought For The Day</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">When alcoholics first come into A.A. and we face the fact</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">that we must spend the rest of our life without liquor, it</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">often seems like an impossibility for us. So A.A. tells us to</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">forget about the future and take it one day at a time.</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">All we really have is now. We have no past time and no</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">future time. As the saying goes: “Yesterday is gone,</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">forget it; tomorrow never comes, don’t worry; today is</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">here, get busy.” All we have is the present. The past is</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">gone forever and the future never comes. When</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">tomorrow gets here, it will be today. Am I living one day</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">at a time?</span><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />Meditation For The Day</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Persistence is necessary if you are to advance in</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">spiritual things. By persistent prayer, persistent firm</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">and simple trust, you achieve the treasures of the spirit.</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">By persistent practice, you can eventually obtain joy,</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">peace, assurance, security, health, happiness and serenity.</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Nothing is too great, in the spiritual realm, for you to obtain, </span><div>
<span style="color: #666666;">if you persistently prepare yourself for it.</span><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />Prayer For The Day</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">I pray that I may persistently carry out my spiritual</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">exercises every day. I pray that I may strive for peace and serenity. </span><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-35437694276032722312024-03-18T00:24:00.000+00:002024-03-18T00:24:00.122+00:00AS BILL SEES IT #essentialsofrec #BillW #Avoiding<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">R.S.V.P.–Yes or No?, p. 77</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Usually, we do not avoid a place where there is drinking–if we have a</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">legitimate reason for being there. That includes bars, night clubs,</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">dances, receptions, weddings, even plain ordinary parties.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">You will note that we made an important qualification. Therefore,</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">ask yourself, “Have I any good social, business, or personal reason</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">for going to this place? Or am I expecting to steal a little vicarious</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">pleasure from the atmosphere?” Then go or stay away, whichever</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">seems better. But be sure you are on solid spiritual ground before</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">you start and that your motive in going is thoroughly good. Do not</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">bring to it.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;"><i>If you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic instead!</i></span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 101-102 </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-50859612392094424552024-03-18T00:23:00.001+00:002024-03-18T00:23:00.121+00:00EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrec #Tolerance #Recovery #Learning<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">LEARNING</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;"><i>I have learned . . . tolerance from the intolerant and kindness from the unkind. I should not be ungrateful to these teachers.</i></span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">~ Kahlil Gibran ~</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Once again, we are students. This time we are learning the secrets f living completely. These secrets have always been around us. We only had to clear our thinking of the obsessions, dependencies, denials, excessiveness, fears, jealousies and other destructive ideas and habits that ruled us. We had to open our minds to accept and our hearts to understand.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">We have found teachers in our Program. Each teacher is a new friend. We learn from them and they learn from the growth of our awareness. We find lessons in the glaring faults we see in others. We learn from our own errors.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">In my troubled years, I remembered my school days as perhaps the happiest of my life. I thought they were gone forever. But I’ve found them again in the Program, and I love being back in school.</span><br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br />©1990 by Anonymous. All rights reserved. Published by Hazelden. </span></b><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-47460637962016588092024-03-18T00:22:00.000+00:002024-03-18T00:22:00.130+00:00Walk in Dry Places #essentialsofrec #Relations #Recovery <b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Should everybody like me?<br />Personal Relations.</span></b><div>
<span style="color: #666666;"><br />In AA discussions, the term “people pleasers” doesn't fare very well. When people say they are people-pleasers, they’re acknowledging that it’s also a problem<br />It’s a problem because it reflects a desire to have everybody’s acceptance and approval…… to be universally liked. But from what we know about human relationships, this is not possible. No matter how hard we work to be pleasant and likeable, some people may still detest us for reasons we cannot understand. When that happens, we should not blame ourselves or step up our efforts to them and to avoid giving offense in any way, while accepting the fact that they do not like us.<br />If our own behavior is mature and reasonable, even the people who don’t like us will at least respect us. That may be the best we can hope for , and it is certainly far better than shameless people pleasing. In the end, people-pleasers don’t please anybody and, as a famous comedian notes about himself, they “get no respect.”<br /><br /><br /><i>I’ll try hard to be pleasant and cordial to everyone I meet today. If some people do not respond in the same way. I’ll accept this without feeling hurt or betrayed. </i></span><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-90858473478919456992024-03-18T00:20:00.000+00:002024-03-18T00:20:00.127+00:00Keep It Simple #essentialsofrec #Money #Prayer <br /><span style="color: #666666;"><i>Money cost to much.</i></span><div>
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<b><span style="color: #134f5c;">—Ross MacDonald</span></b><div>
<br /><span style="color: #666666;">Many people are poor and really need money to live better. But we’re in trouble if we think money will solve all our problems. If money solved all problems, all rich people would be happy.</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Consider this: A man talks about his shortcomings in a Twelve Step meeting. He says his main shortcoming is to think being happy means having enough money. But then he says that he has over a million dollars! This man is lucky—not because he has money, but because he knows greed is a shortcoming. He knows he has a spiritual problem. He doesn’t need money; he needs faith in a Higher Power.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Prayer for the Day:</span></b><span style="color: #666666;"> Higher Power, help me to really believe I’ll be given what I need. This will free me to get on with life.</span></div>
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<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Action for the Day:</span></b><span style="color: #666666;"> Today, I’ll read over the promises of the program. They are found at the bottom of page 83 at the top of the page of page 84 in the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, Third Edition</span><blockquote>
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Essentialsofrecoveryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14489994335279074275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-737068287251384604.post-39877361145494720152024-03-18T00:18:00.000+00:002024-03-18T00:18:00.125+00:00Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Humor<br /><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">HUMOR</span></b><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">“Humor may be defined as the kindly contemplation of the incongruities of life and the artistic impression thereof . . . The essence of humor is human kindliness.”</span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">— Stephen Leacock</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Humor for me is a key to balance. In the joke I am able to release some tension or frustration and cope with my disease of alcoholism. When I drank, I did not have a genuine sense of humor — rather it was sarcasm, cruel “put-downs” or insane expressions of my manic personality. My fun was created at the expense of others. It was a form of violence. It kept people away from me and created a loneliness in my life.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Today I seek to use humor as an expression of acceptance, tolerance, understanding and forgiveness. Humor is an aspect of my spiritual program. In humor I experience God.</span><br /><i><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Give me the gift of humor that reflects the dignity and hope for us all. </span></i><blockquote>
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