Keep It Simple - May 10 2026

As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.

—Andrew Carnegie

Doing something with our lives, not just talking about it, is important. When we were sick with our addiction, what we did was drink or use other drugs. We only talked about what we wanted to do. Now that we are sober, we can really live our lives.

We’ve already done a lot. we’ve gotten help for our chemical dependency. We’ve facing the harm we did to our families. We’ve let other people into our lives.

Before recovery, we didn’t have to tell people we were alcoholics and addicts. Our actions showed it, if people knew what to look for. Now we don’t have to tell people we were recovering, because our actions will show it.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, let my actions show that I am getting better every day.

Action for the Day: Today, I’ll let my actions speak louder than words. I’ll do one thing that I have been saying I want to do.

Today’s Gift. - May 7 2026

Our deeds will travel with us from afar, and what we have been makes us what we are. 

–George Eliot

We grow within, the way a tree does. We’ve all seen the rings representing the years of a tree’s life. We carry our histories with us, too. Our actions, our attitudes, our goals, and our dreams all gather together inside us to make us what we are today. We’re probably ashamed of some of our past, but our behavior each day adds to our history, and we control it.

We can’t escape our mistakes, but we don’t have to repeat them; and every day that is lived well gives us a history to be proud of.

How can I add goodness to my past–and my future–by my actions today?

DAILY ZEN - May 5 2026

Let your actions be like clouds going by; the clouds going by are mindless. Let your stillness be as the valley spirit; the valley spirit is undying. When action accompanies stillness and stillness combines with action, then the duality of action and stillness no longer arises.

-Pei-chi

Just For Today - April 29 2026

“What If….”

“Living just for today relieves the burden of the past and the fear of the future. We learned to take whatever actions are necessary and to leave the results in the hands of our Higher Power.”

Basic Text, pp. 90-91

In our active addiction, fear of the future and what might happen was a reality for many of us. What if we got arrested? lost our job? our spouse died? we went bankrupt? and on, and on, and on. It was not unusual for us to spend hours, even whole days thinking about what might happen. We played out entire conversations and scenarios before they ever occurred, then charted our course on the basis of “what if…” By doing this, we set ourselves up for disappointment after disappointment.

From listening in meetings, we learn that living in the present, not the world of “what if,” is the only way to short-circuit our self-fulfilling prophecies of doom and gloom. We can only deal with what is real today, not our fearful fantasies of the future.

Coming to believe that our Higher Power has only the best in store for us is one way we can combat that fear. We hear in meetings that our Higher Power won’t give us more than we can handle in one day. And we know from experience that, if we ask, the God we’ve come to understand will surely care for us. We stay clean through adverse situations by placing our faith in the care of a Power greater than ourselves. Each time we do, we become less fearful of “what if” and more comfortable with what is.

Just for today: I will look forward to the future with faith in my Higher Power.

The Eye Opener #essentialsofrec #Actions

Those of us who have our drinking tamed do not necessarily have our thinking or our actions under control. We are not under control until all our actions are under the domination of our intelligence, and our intelligence cannot properly function until we have thoroughly schooled it into instinctive sober and sane thinking. This constitutes one whale of a big job, one that will last a lifetime – but we can start on it today.

Hazelden Foundation 

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A Day At A Time #essentialsorec #Impulse #Recovery

Reflection For The Day

What wonderful things could happen in my life if I could get rid of my natural impulse to justify my actions.  Is honesty so deeply repr4essed under layers of guilt that I can’t release it to understand my motives?  Being honest with ourselves isn’t easy.  It’s difficult to search out why I had this or that impulse and, more importantly, why I acted upon it.  Nothing makes us feel so vulnerable as to give up the crutch of The Alibi, yet my willingness to be vulnerable will go a long way toward helping me grow in The Program.  Am I becoming more aware that self-deception multiplies my problems?

Today I Pray

May God remove my urge to make excuses.  Help me to face up to the realities that surface when I am honest with myself.  Help me to know, as certainly as day follows sunrise, that my difficulties will be lessened if I can only trust His Will.

Today I Will Remember

I will be willing to do His Will. 

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The Eye Opener #essentialsofec #Actions

We not only are judged by our words and actions, but also we are frequently misjudged by them. If you do or say anything at all, you will be either judged or misjudged and the purity of your motives will not affect the verdict.

Therefore, take but little thought of the judgment of men but in all things strive to earn the commendation of that still, small voice within you.

Hazelden Foundation 

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EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrec #Forgiving #love

FORGIVING

Joy to forgive and joy to be forgiven hang level in the balance of love.

~ Richard Garnett~

If we are unable or unwilling to forgive others for whatever they do, we won’t be able to forgive ourselves for our actions. The agony of resentment, guilt, remorse, and shame will overpower us. These emotions will halt our progress toward the comfortable and rewarding living we are promised in recovery.

Early in recovery, we often were told to pray for those whom we thought had wronged us. This philosophy is as old as civilization. Forgiveness will always triumph over guilt and shame. Recovery is one-third love and two-thirds forgiveness.

We’ve been our own worst enemies during most of our lives. We’ve often hurt ourselves over what we thought was justifiable anger and resentment.

Self-forgiveness is strength, not weakness. Gaining the strength is simple. I need only remind myself that “God has forgiven me. Why not forgive myself?”

©1990 by Anonymous. All rights reserved. Published by Hazelden®.

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WALK IN DRY PLACES #essentialsofrecovery

RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS

Maturity

The practice of scapegoating goes way back to biblical times. It’s easier to blame others for our problems than to take personal responsibility for facing and solving these problems.

In the AA program, however, there’s nothing that serves as a basis for blaming others. In every way, AA insists that alcoholics take personal responsibility—not only for finding and maintaining sobriety, but also for past wrongs and personal shortcomings. This is a difficult change for alcoholics who have believed that many of their problems were caused by others.

But being forced to take responsibility for our actions is a blessing in disguise. It fairly shouts the good news that we can take charge of our lives despite what others think and do. With God’s help, we can change ourselves into the people we ought to be. We are fortunate that life is arranged to give us this personal responsibility— where would we be if our recovery depended only on others?

We also learn that this responsibility is not limited to our drinking. We are responsible for everything we think and do, and we have the power to make improvements in our lives beginning today.

I will go through the day without blaming others for my problems. I will feel grateful today that I am responsible, that personal responsibility is part of my God-given free will.

© 1996 by Hazelden Foundation 

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Today’s Gift #essentialsofrecovery

Our deeds will travel with us from afar, and what we have been makes us what we are.
—George Eliot

We grow within, the way a tree does. We’ve all seen the rings representing the years of a tree’s life. We carry our histories with us, too. Our actions, our attitudes, our goals, and our dreams all gather together inside us to make us what we are today. We’re probably ashamed of some of our past, but our behavior each day adds to our history, and we control it.

We can’t escape our mistakes, but we don’t have to repeat them; and every day that is lived well gives us a history to be proud of.

How can I add goodness to my past – and my future – by my actions today? 

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Keep It Simple #essentialsofrec

To enjoy freedom, we have to con troll ourselves.

Virginia Woolf

Freedom is a funny thing, in a way, it makes life harder. We are free to do what we want but every choice makes a difference in our lives. Some choices make us happy and some bring trouble.

We can make good choices. We can control our actions. We can start by having control in little ways: follow the law, pay the rent, and make the bed every day. These choices put order in our lives. Eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep. These choices make us strong enough to live each day to the fullest.

These kinds of choices set us free.

Prayer for the day: Higher Power, I was drinking and drugging. I couldn’t enjoy my freedom. I had no control over the little things in my life. Help me stay sober today.

Action for the day: Today, I’ll be grateful for having some control. I will list five way I am more free because I can control my actions. 

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Daily Reflections #essentialsofrecovery

“WE PAUSE … AND ASK”

As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.87

Today I humbly ask my Higher Power for the grace to find the space between my impulse and my action; to let flow a cooling breeze when I would respond with heat; to interrupt fierceness with gentle peace; to accept the moment which allows judgment to become discernment; to defer to silence when my tongue would rush to attack or defend. I promise to watch for every opportunity to turn toward my Higher Power for guidance. I know where this power is: it resides within me, as clear as a mountain brook, hidden in the hills – it is the unsuspected Inner Resource. I thank my Higher Power for this world of light and truth I see when I allow it to direct my vision. I trust it today and hope it trusts me to make all effort to find the right thought or action today.

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A Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery

Reflection For The Day

It’s time for me to start being responsible for my own actions. It’s time for me to be willing to take some chances. If my new life in The Program is valid and right, as I truly believe, then surely it can stand the test of exposure to real-life situations and problems. So I won’t be afraid to be human and, if necessary, to sometimes fall on my face in the process of living. Living is what The Program is all about. And living entails sharing, accepting, giving — interacting with other people. Now is the time for me to put my faith into action. Have I begun to practice what I preach by putting my new thoughts and ideas into action?

Today I Pray

May The Program, with God’s help, give me a chance to live a steady, creative, outreaching life, so that I may share with others what has been given to me. May I realize on this Declaration of Independence Day that I, too, have a celebration of freedom — freedom from my addiction.

Today I Will Remember

To celebrate my personal freedom.

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A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrecovery

The opinion we have of ourselves isn’t just based on beliefs—it’s also based on actions.

~ Marie Lindquist ~

Seeing ourselves for who we really are is easier now that we are sober. When we work the Steps, we discover a process for living more peaceful lives. When we do an inventory, we discover who we are. Keeping track of our actions on a daily basis gives us the biggest payoff.

Trying to be our best is a challenge. Many of us are just beginning to practice taking control of our thoughts before reacting to circumstances. As a result, we have far fewer amends to make. Deciding what we want to do based on what we have consciously chosen to think is an adventure in creativity. The more we actively take charge of our own lives, the greater our rewards.

The opinion I have of myself is in my control. I can act well today, thus think well of myself, and vice versa.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

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A DAY AT A TIME #essentialsofrecovery

Reflection for the Day

It has truly been said that “We become what we do.” It’s emphasized to us over and over in the Program that our thoughts and actions toward others color and shape our spiritual lives. Words and acts of kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness, and forgiveness serve to strengthen those qualities within us that heighten our consciousness of God’s love. In asking God to direct and guide my life, am I also asking love to take over and lead me where it will?

Today I Pray

May I make a resolute attempt at acting out the way I want to be—loving, forgiving, kind, thoughtful. May I be aware that each small, attentive act carries with it an echo of God’s all-caring. For God so loved the world…may we make His love our example.

Today I Will Remember

We become what we do.

© 1989 by Hazelden Foundation 

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JUST FOR TODAY #essentialsofrecovery

Responsibility

“We are not responsible for our disease, only for our recovery. As we begin to apply what we have learned, our lives begin to change for the better.”

~ Basic Text, p.88 ~

The further we go in recovery, the less we avoid responsibility for ourselves and our actions. By applying the principles of the Narcotics Anonymous program, we are able to change our lives. Our existence takes on new meaning as we accept responsibility and the freedom of choice responsibility implies. We do not take recovery for granted.

We take responsibility for our recovery by working the Twelve Steps with a sponsor. We go to meetings regularly and share with the newcomer what was freely given to us: the gift of recovery. We become involved with our home group and accept responsibility for our part in sharing recovery with the still-suffering addict. As we learn how to effectively practice spiritual principles in all areas of our lives, the quality of our lives improves.

Just for today: Using the spiritual tools I’ve gained in recovery, I am willing and able to make responsible choices.

© 1991 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services Inc. 

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ONE DAY AT A TIME #essentialsofrecovery

Limitations

“You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.”

~ Abraham Lincoln 

I love the idea of helping people. Seeing the other person shine after my input gives me a great feeling. The flipside of this peak experience is the sadness and bleakness I feel when the person I am helping does not succeed. When it is all about me, I have to accept responsibility for everything: the good and the bad.

Thank You, God, that it is not really me who is the source of all help, it is You. I can point the way and make suggestions, but I cannot make someone change for the better. What causes people to change is something for which no person can take credit. It is simply divine!

The real question is whether or not the person I want to help will turn to his or her Higher Power and use the help that is offered. I cannot actually take these steps for others. I can pretend to do that, and perhaps offer some temporary relief, but lasting recovery will come only to those who make a quality decision to take the necessary steps on their own.

One day at a time…

I will realize the limitations of my help. I will not try to do for others what only they can and should do for themselves.

~ Q ~ 

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THE EYE OPENER #essentialsofrecovery

In your AA talks you may have the eloquence of a Patrick Henry, but if your AA work stops there, you are only fooling the new man temporarily. He will soon get wise to the fact that you are but a phonograph, nice to listen to but of no use to anyone beyond this one function.

Beautiful sentiments need lovely actions or they have but little value. Lovely actions speak for themselves.

Published by Hazelden 

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DAILY ZEN #essentialsofrecovery

Abandon wrongdoing. It can be done. If there were no likelihood, I would not ask you to do it. But since it is possible and since it brings blessing and happiness, I do ask of you: abandon wrongdoing.

Cultivate doing good. It can be done. If it brought deprivation and sorrow, I would not ask you to do it. But since it brings blessing and happiness, I do ask of you: cultivate doing good.



-Anguttara Nikaya

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Keep It Simple #essentialsofrec

 Words that do not match deeds are not important
.
—Ernesto Ch’e Guevara

What we do can be much more important than what we say. We tend to talk about things we want to do. We need to also be people who do things we talk about. We are not spiritual people unless our actions are spiritual.

Many of us used to be “all or nothing” people. That made us afraid to take the big projects. But now we can get things done, if we take one step at a time. We’re not “all or nothing” people anymore. We’re people who are changing and growing a little every day. And each day our deeds match our words a little better.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me live fully today. Help me not to talk to much about what I want to do. Give me the gift of patience, so I can be pleased with my progress.

Action for the Day: Today, I’ll list the things that I say I’d like to do. What is one thing I can do today to make each of them happen? I’ll take one step today to match my life to my dreams.

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