Daily activity is nothing Other than harmony within.When each thing I do isWithout taking or rejecting,There is no contradiction anywhere.For whom is the majesty Of red and purple robes?The summit of the inner being Has never been defiled by the dust of the world.- P’ang Yun
ACTIVE, NOT PASSIVE
Man is supposed to think, and act He wasn’t made in God’s image to be an automaton.
~ AS BILL SEES IT, p. 55 ~
Before I joined A.A., I often did not think, and reacted to people and situations. When not reacting I acted in a mechanical fashion. After joining A. A., I started seeking daily guidance from a Power greater than myself, and learning to listen for that guidance. Then I began to make decisions and act on them, rather than react to them. The results have been constructive; I no longer allow others to make decisions for me and then criticize me for it.
Today—and every day—with a heart full of gratitude, and a desire for God’s will to be done through me, my life is worth sharing, especially with my fellow alcoholics! Above all, if I do not make a religion out of anything, even A.A., then I can be an open channel for God’s expression.
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc
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WHY DO YOU NEED THOSE MEETINGS?
Staying Active
Friends and relatives are often grateful when they witness an alcoholic’s dramatic recovery after years of horror and pain. However, they sometimes fail to understand the importance of meetings after the alcoholic has been sober for months or years. “Do you have to go to another meeting this week?” a spouse might say. “Aren’t you overdoing it a bit?” Or a friend might say, “You’re sober now. Why do you need those people?”
Some AA members probably do use the meetings simply as a social outlet and attend more than they need. But no other person can really determine what you or I need to maintain sobriety. Moreover, even in sobriety, we are always dealing with alcohol, which can come back into our lives with stunning force if we ever become careless or foolish. It is much better to go to more meetings than we need than to attend too few or none at all.
There is another side as well. The meetings need us. By attending meetings, we are carrying the AA message and providing a haven for desperate newcomers who need our help.
However, we should be tolerant and under-standing when others are critical of our zealous attendance of meetings. It is not necessary that they understand our need. It is only necessary that we understand!
I will remember today that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. I don’t want to change anything—including meeting attendance—that is necessary for my continued sobriety.
© 1996 by Hazelden Foundation
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As a piece of machinery deteriorates faster when standing idle, so it is with the Soul.
It is a law of Nature that any faculty that is not used is taken away, and the more it is used the stronger it becomes.
An active Soul is a healthy Soul, and the various functions of the body are so arranged that it is not possible to have physical and mental health without spiritual health and strength.
Hazelden Foundation
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ACTIVE, NOT PASSIVE
Man is supposed to think, and act He wasn’t made in God’s image to be an automaton.
~ AS BILL SEES IT, p. 55 ~
Before I joined A.A., I often did not think, and reacted to people and situations. When not reacting I acted in a mechanical fashion. After joining A. A., I started seeking daily guidance from a Power greater than myself, and learning to listen for that guidance. Then I began to make decisions and act on them, rather than react to them. The results have been constructive; I no longer allow others to make decisions for me and then criticize me for it.
Today—and every day—with a heart full of gratitude, and a desire for God’s will to be done through me, my life is worth sharing, especially with my fellow alcoholics! Above all, if I do not make a religion out of anything, even A.A., then I can be an open channel for God’s expression.
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc
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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrec
Activity is essential, but exhausting,
And its importance is only on the surface.
Withdraw into Tao at the end of the day.
Returning is renewal.
Each day is filled with activity. We rush around from meeting to meeting; we make all sorts of arrangements for the future. Such doings are important, but they are not all that there is in life. Even as we engage in them, we must remember that all human endeavors are temporary and provisional.
We cannot allow our accomplishments to divorce us from what is actually happening in the world. It is imperative that we withdraw to reflect upon the day’s events and collect ourselves for the continuation of our path. There is no need to go to a temple, a sacred spot, or a special room. We do not need elaborate ritual. All we need is a simple and natural turning within.
This is why followers of Tao always use the word ‘returning.’ They recognize the necessity of activity in life, but they also recognize the need to return to Tao. In Tao is the source of all things, and in the source one finds the renewal that one needs to go on with life. This back-and-forth movement between the source and the activity of life is the movement of all things.
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True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body.
—Humboldt
In recovery, we work at taking better care of ourselves. We care for our mind and our body.
Often, during our drinking and drugging, we ignored our mind and body. We probably ate poorly, and we pushed our body to the limit.
But now, we are to recover. . .totally! We are to care for our mind and body as we care for our spirit. Our illness is an illness of mind, body, and spirit. So let’s care for all three. In recovery, we learn to care for and love all of who we are.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me care for my mind and body as I recover. You love all of me. Help me to respect and care for all of me.
Action for the Day: I will write down how much time I’ve spent caring for my mind and body in the past two weeks. Is it enough?
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24
March
ACTIVE, NOT PASSIVE, p. 92Man is supposed to think, and act. He wasn’t made to God’s image to be an automation.
–As Bill Sees It, p. 55Before I joined A.A., I often did not think, and reacted to people and situations. When not reacting I acted in a mechanical fashion. After joining A.A., I started seeking daily guidance from a Power greater than myself, and learning to listen for that guidance. Then I began to make decisions and act on them, rather than react to them. The results have been constructive; I no longer allow others to make decisions for me and then criticize me for it.Today–and every day–with a heart full of gratitude, and a desire for God’s will to be done through me, my life is worth sharing, especially with my fellow alcoholics! Above all, if I do not make a religion out ofanything, even A.A., then I can be an open channel for God’s expression.
Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
