Daily Reflections May 27 2026

NO MAUDLIN GUILT

Day by day, we try to move a little toward God’s perfection. So we need not be consumed by maudlin guilt… 

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 15

When I first discovered that there is not a single “don’t” in the Twelve Steps of A.A., I was disturbed because this discovery swung open a giant portal. Only then was I able to realize what A.A. is for me: A.A. is not a program of “don’ts”, but of “do’s.” A.A. is not martial law; it is freedom. A.A. is not tears over defects, but sweat over fixing them. A.A. is not penitence; it is salvation. A.A. is not “Woe to me” for my sins, past and present. A.A. is “Praise God” for the progress I am making today.

As Bill Sees It May 20 2026

Defects and Repairs, p. 140

More than most people, the alcoholic leads a double life. He is very much the actor. To the outer world he presents his stage character. This is the one he likes his fellows to see. He wants to enjoy a certain reputation, but knows in his heart he doesn’t deserve it.

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

Guilt is really the reverse side of the coin of pride. Guilt aims at self-destruction, and pride aims at the destruction of others.

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

“The moral inventory is a cool examination of the damages that occurred to us during life and a sincere effort to look at them in a true perspective. This has the effect of taking the ground glass out of us, the emotional substance that still cuts and inhibits.”

1. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 73
2. Grapevine, June 1961
3. Letter, 1957

EASY DOES IT - April 10 2026

GUILT AND WORRY

With the Past, as past, I have nothing to do; nor with the Future as future. I live now.

~ Emerson~

We discover a truth about the past and future in our recovery. There are areas over which we have no control, so it’s useless to feel guilty about the past or worry over the future. Our Steps have allowed us to clean the slate and make amends for the mess of the past. We receive a generous and loving forgiveness from our Higher Power.

We ask our Higher Power to accept our past mistakes and to free us from the garbage those mistakes have produced. The future is in God’s hands. There is nothing we can do about what might happen except to pray for acceptance of God’s will. These prayers produce plenty of work for the present. When the future comes, we will be ready.

The amount of time I spend right now feeling guilty or being worried only uses time that I could spend thanking God for the moment I am living. Gratitude will always make mincemeat of guilt and worry.

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

Today’s Gift 11th Jan 2026

Letting Go of Guilt

“There’s a good trick that people in dysfunctional relationships use,” said one recovering woman. “The other person does something inappropriate or wrong, then stands there until you feel guilty and end up apologizing.”

It’s imperative that we stop feeling so guilty.

Much of the time, the things we feel guilty about are not our issues. Another person behaves inappropriately or in some way violates our boundaries. We challenge the behavior, and the person gets angry and defensive. Then we feel guilty.

Guilt can prevent us from setting the boundaries that would be in our best interests, and in other people’s best interests. Guilt can stop us from taking healthy care of ourselves.

We don’t have to let others count on the fact that we’ll always feel guilty. We don’t have to allow ourselves to be controlled by guilt—earned or unearned! We can break through the barrier of guilt that holds us back from self care. Push. Push harder. We are not at fault, crazy, or wrong. We have a right to set boundaries and to insist on appropriate treatment. We can separate another’s issues from our issues, and let the person experience the consequences of his or her own behavior, including guilt. We can trust ourselves to know when our boundaries are being violated.
Today, I will let go of my big and little guilty feelings. Light and love are on my side.

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Fr. LEO'S DAILY MEDITATION #essentialsofrecovery

GUILT

It is all the same to me whether one comes from Sing Sing or Harvard. We hire a person, not their history.

~ Henry Ford ~

Too often I get so locked into my history ─ what I did, what I said, and the events of which I was ashamed—that I miss the gift of the new day. Those who suffer from the disease of addiction need to deal with past problems but not live in them.

My attitude toward today need not be based on what happened yesterday. Today is the beginning of the rest of my life.

I know I create most of the pain and tragedy in my life, but I also know I create the joys and successes. I am confident my sobriety makes me a winner.

Spirit, I forgive myself for yesterday and look forward to the healing that comes today.

© 2008 Leo Booth 

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FR. LEO'S DAILY MEDITATION #essentialsofrec #FrLeo #Guilt

GUILT

“It is all the same to me whether one comes from Sing Sing or Harvard. We hire a person, not their history.”

~ Henry Ford ~

Too often I get so locked into my history ─ what I did, what I said, and the events of which I was ashamed—that I miss the gift of the new day. Those who suffer from the disease of addiction need to deal with past problems but not live in them.

My attitude toward today need not be based on what happened yesterday. Today is the beginning of the rest of my life.

I know I create most of the pain and tragedy in my life, but I also know I create the joys and successes. I am confident my sobriety makes me a winner.

Spirit, I forgive myself for yesterday and look forward to the healing that comes today. 

© 2008 Leo Booth

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TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Remorse #Guilt

A.A. Thought for the Day

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?

Meditation for the Day

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.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may always feel God’s presence. I pray that I may realize this Presence constantly all through the day.

© 1954, 1975, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation

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WALK IN DRY PLACES #essentialsofrec #Jealousy #Victory

OUSTING THE GREEN DEMON

Victory over Jealousy

We hear of successful people who drop their old friends after moving up the ladder. Maybe, however, it wasn’t their choice. Maybe they were driven to do so because their friend’s jealousy made the friendship unworkable. We have little trouble accepting a stranger’s good fortune; it’s a different feeling, however, when friends and co-workers move ahead of us.

If the green demon of jealousy strikes during the day, we can come to terms with it in several ways. First, accept no guilt that it happens, because jealousy is part of the human condition. Next, depersonalize it by remembering that good fortune comes to all people in various ways. Then check your own gratitude level to make sure that it hasn’t been sinking. This serves as a reminder that there’s no shortage of the things that really make for happiness and personal well-being in life.

We can easily tell when we’ve been able to oust the green demon. We’ll be able to be relaxed and gracious while extending congratulations for an-other person’s good fortune. And months down the road, we’ll be genuinely sympathetic—not vindictive—if the other person’s luck turns sour.

While I don’t expect to feel jealousy today, I accept the fact that it can happen. Should it appear, I’ll work calmly to deal with it.

© 1996 by Hazelden Foundation

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Daily Reflections #essentialsofrecovery

NO MAUDLIN GUILT

Day by day, we try to move a little toward God’s perfection. So we
need not be consumed by maudlin guilt…

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 15

When I first discovered that there is not a single “don’t” in the
Twelve Steps of A.A., I was disturbed because this discovery swung
open a giant portal. Only then was I able to realize what A.A. is for
me:
A.A. is not a program of “don’ts”, but of “do’s.”
A.A. is not martial law; it is freedom.
A.A. is not tears over defects, but sweat over fixing them.
A.A. is not penitence; it is salvation.
A.A. is not “Woe to me” for my sins, past and present.
A.A. is “Praise God” for the progress I am making today. 

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A Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery

Reflection For The Day

If we felt guilty, degraded or ashamed or either our addiction itself or the things we did while “under the influence,” that served to magnify our feelings of being outcasts. On occasion, we secretly feared or actually believed that we deserved every painful feeling: we thought, at times, that we truly were outsiders. The dark tunnel of our lives seemed formidable and unending. We couldn’t even voice our feelings and could hardly bear to think about them. So we soon drank or used again. Do I remember well what it used to be like?

Today I Pray

May I remember how often, during my days of using chemicals, I felt alone with my shame and guilt. The phony jollity of a drinking party or the shallow relationships struck up at a bar could not keep me from feeling like an outsider. May I appreciate the chance to make new friends through the fellowship of the group. May I know that my relationships now will be saner, less dependent, more mature.

Today I Will Remember

Thank God for new Friends. 

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Just For Today #essentialsofrecovery

Amends And Sponsors

“We want to be free of our guilt, but we don’t wish to do so at the expense of anyone else.”

Basic Text, p. 39

Let’s face it: Most of us left trails of destruction in our wakes and harmed anyone who got in our way. Some of the people we hurt most in our addiction were the people we loved most. In an effort to purge ourselves of the guilt we feel for what we’ve done, we may be tempted to share with our loved ones, in gruesome detail, things that are better left unsaid. Such disclosures could do much harm and may do little good.

The Ninth Step is not about easing our guilty consciences; it’s about taking responsibility for the wrongs we’ve done. In working our Eighth and Ninth Steps, we should seek the guidance of our sponsor and amend our wrongs in a manner that won’t cause us to owe more amends. We are not just seeking freedom from remorse—we are seeking freedom from our defects. We never again want to inflict harm on our loved ones. One way to insure that we do not is by working the Ninth Step responsibly, checking our motives, and discussing with our sponsor the particular amends we plan to make before we make them.

Just for today: I wish to accept responsibility for my actions. Before making any amends, I will talk with my sponsor. 

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Just For Today

Freedom from guilt “Our addiction enslaved us. We were prisoners of our own mind and were condemned by our own guilt.” Basic Text, p. 7 ––––=–––– Guilt is one of the most commonly encountered stumbling blocks in recovery. One of the more notorious forms of guilt is the self-loathing that results when we try to forgive ourselves but don’t feel forgiven. How can we forgive ourselves so we feel it? First, we remember that guilt and failure are not links in an unbreakable chain. Honestly sharing with a sponsor and with other addicts shows this to be true. Often the result of such sharing is a more sensible awareness of the part we ourselves have played in our affairs. Sometimes we realize that our expectations have been too high. We increase our willingness to participate in the solutions rather than dwelling on the problems. Somewhere along the way, we discover who we really are. We usually find that we are neither the totally perfect nor the totally imperfect beings we have imagined ourselves to be. We need not live up to or down to our illusions; we need only live in reality. ––––=–––– Just for today: I am grateful for my assets and accept my liabilities. Through willingness and humility, I am freed to progress in my recovery and achieve freedom from guilt.

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One Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery

~ GUILT ~

Who I am is what I have to give. Quite simply, I must remember that’s enough.

–Anne Wilson Schaef

For most of my growing up years, I was fed on guilt, or so it seemed. I always felt that in order to justify being worthy of what others did for me, I had to be the best at whatever I did. I would feel guilty for not meeting others’ expectations. My self-esteem was virtually non-existent. I was always there for other people rather than being there for myself. It was no wonder I turned to food to help me cope.

Now, I’m grateful that it took the pain of all those years of compulsive overeating to bring me into this wonderful fellowship of people who accept me just as I am. I don’t need to do anything to justify myself. Through working the steps, I have been able to let go of a lot of guilt and I see that, even with all my character defects, I’m still a very special and unique human being. My self-esteem has improved, and I learned that I need to take care of myself if I’m to be of help to others.

I still struggle with those defects from time to time, but with the support I find in this fellowship, I am becoming comfortable with who I am, and I can let go of the guilt. What a relief that has been!

I don’t need to be just the person who is always there for others; I need to be there for myself. I am learning that I am a worthwhile person and that I’m just the way God wants me to be.

One Day at a Time . . .

I don’t need to be just the person who is always there for others;
I need to be there for myself.

I am learning that I am a worthwhile person and that I’m just the way God wants me to be.

 ~ Sharon ~ 

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Daily Reflections

NO MAUDLIN GUILT

Day by day, we try to move a little toward God’s perfection. So we need not be consumed by maudlin guilt …

-AS BILL SEES IT, p. 15

When I first discovered that there is not a single “don’t” in the

Twelve Steps of A.A., I was disturbed because this discovery swung

open a giant portal. Only then was I able to realize what A.A. is for

me:

A.A. is not a program of “don’ts”, but of “do’s.”

A.A. is not martial law; it is freedom.

A.A. is not tears over defects, but sweat over fixing them.

A.A. is not penitence; it is salvation.

A.A. is not “Woe to me” for my sins, past and present.

A.A. is “Praise God” for the progress I am making today.

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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

One Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery

~ GUILT ~

Who I am is what I have to give. Quite simply, I must remember that’s enough.

–Anne Wilson Schaef

For most of my growing up years, I was fed on guilt, or so it seemed. I always felt that in order to justify being worthy of what others did for me, I had to be the best at whatever I did. I would feel guilty for not meeting others’ expectations. My self-esteem was virtually non-existent. I was always there for other people rather than being there for myself. It was no wonder I turned to food to help me cope.

Now, I’m grateful that it took the pain of all those years of compulsive overeating to bring me into this wonderful fellowship of people who accept me just as I am. I don’t need to do anything to justify myself. Through working the steps, I have been able to let go of a lot of guilt and I see that, even with all my character defects, I’m still a very special and unique human being. My self-esteem has improved, and I learned that I need to take care of myself if I’m to be of help to others.

I still struggle with those defects from time to time, but with the support I find in this fellowship, I am becoming comfortable with who I am, and I can let go of the guilt. What a relief that has been!

I don’t need to be just the person who is always there for others; I need to be there for myself. I am learning that I am a worthwhile person and that I’m just the way God wants me to be.

One Day at a Time . . .

I don’t need to be just the person who is always there for others;
I need to be there for myself.

I am learning that I am a worthwhile person and that I’m just the way God wants me to be.

 ~ Sharon ~ 

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Just For Today #essentialsofrecovery

Freedom From Guilt

“Our addiction enslaved us. We were prisoners of our own mind and were condemned by our own guilt.” 

Basic Text, p.7

Guilt is one of the most commonly encountered stumbling blocks in recovery. One of the more notorious forms of guilt is the self-loathing that results when we try to forgive ourselves but don’t feel forgiven.

How can we forgive ourselves so we feel it? First, we remember that guilt and failure are not links in an unbreakable chain. Honestly sharing with a sponsor and with other addicts shows this to be true. Often the result of such sharing is a more sensible awareness of the part we ourselves have played in our affairs. Sometimes we realize that our expectations have been too high. We increase our willingness to participate in the solutions rather than dwelling on the problems.

Somewhere along the way, we discover who we really are. We usually find that we are neither the totally perfect nor the totally imperfect beings we have imagined ourselves to be. We need not live up to or down to our illusions; we need only live in reality.

Just for today: I am grateful for my assets and accept my liabilities. Through willingness and humility, I am freed to progress in my recovery and achieve freedom from guilt.

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One Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery

GUILT

“The worst guilt is to accept an unearned guilt.” 

–Ayn Rand

I think that I was fed on guilt from the minute I was knee-high to a grasshopper. My mother’s favorite saying was, “After all I’ve done for you…” I’d immediately feel guilty because of all that I perceived my mother had given up for me. As a result, I was given the message that love had to be earned and that as far as my mother was concerned, I had to do something to be worthy of her love. I felt like I had to be the perfect daughter my mother wanted. No matter what I did, it never seemed to be good enough. My guilt grew even more.

Of course I know now that I didn’t deserve that guilt and that I chose to take it on ~ but as a child I didn’t know that. Thank goodness for the program which is enabling me to see what I deserve — and what doesn’t belong to me. I am realizing that most of the time it’s other people’s stuff and that I don’t have to take that on.

One day at a time…
I will remember to only take on what is rightfully mine and I don’t need to feel guilty if I don’t deserve to.

~ Sharon

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A Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery

Many of us have had difficulty ridding ourselves of the ravages of guilt.  In my own case, during the early days in The Program, I either misunderstood certain of the Steps, or tried to apply them too quickly and too eagerly.  The result was that I increased my feelings of guilt and worthlessness, rather than freeing myself as The Steps intend.   Soon, though, I became at least willing to forgive myself, and I made a new beginning.  I undertook all the soul-searching and cleansing Steps in our Program as they were intended to be taken, and not from a below-ground position of crippling hate and guilt.  Have I made amends to myself?

Today I Pray

May I forgive myself, as God has forgiven me.  May I know that if I am hanging onto an old satchel full of guilt, then I am to following the example He has shown me.  If God can forgive me — and He has demonstrated His forgiveness by leading me to this healing place — then so can I.  May I not begrudge myself what He has so generously offered.

Today I Will Remember

God forgives;  so must I. 

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Reflection For The Day

Guilt is a cunning weapon in the armory of the addictive person which continues to lurk patiently inside each of us. We can use the weapon against ourselves in many subtle ways; it can be deftly wielded, for example, in an attempt to convince us that The Program doesn’t really work. I have to protect myself constantly against guilt an d self-accusations concerning my past. If necessary, I must constantly “re-forgive” myself, accepting myself as a mixture of good as well as bad. Am I striving for spiritual progress? Or will I settle for working less than the human impossibility of spiritual perfection?

Today I Pray

May I look inside myself now and then for any slow-burning, leftover guilt which can, when I’m unwary, damage any purpose. may I stop kicking myself and pointing our my own imperfections — all those leaser qualities which detract from the ideal and “perfect” me. May I no longer try to be unreachable, inhumanly perfect, but just spiritually whole.

Today I Will Remember

I am human — part good, part no-so-good.

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Reflection For The Day

A friend in The Program taught me to look at excessive guilt in an entirely new way, suggesting that guilt was nothing but a sore of reverse pride.  A decent regret for what has happened is fine, he said.  But guilt, no.  I’ve since learned that condemning ourselves for mistakes we’ve made is just as bad as condemning others for theirs.  We’re not really equipped to make judgments, not even of ourselves.  Do I still sometimes “beat myself to death” when I appear to be failing?

Today I Pray

May I be wary of keeping my guilty role alive long after I should have left it behind.  May I know the difference between regret and guilt.  May I recognize that long-term guilt may infer an exaggerated idea of my own importance, as well as present self-righteousness.  May God alone be my judge.

Today I Will Remember

Guilt may be pride in reverse. 

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