AS BILL SEES IT #essentialsofrecovery

 Page 72 ~

Dependence—Unhealthy or Healthy

“Nothing can be more demoralizing than a clinging and abject dependence upon another human being. This often amounts to the demand for a degree of protection and love that no one could possibly satisfy. So our hoped-for protectors finally flee, and once more we are left alone—either to grow up or to disintegrate.”

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

We discovered the best source of emotional stability to be God Himself. We found that dependence upon His perfect justice, forgiveness, and love was healthy, and that it would work where nothing else would.

If we really depended upon God, we couldn’t very well play God to our fellows, nor would we feel the urge to rely wholly on human protection and care.

~ 1. LETTER, 1966 ~
~ 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 116 ~

© 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous ® World Services, Inc 

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A DAY AT A TIME #essentialsofrecovery

Reflection for the Day

We are often told in the Program that “more will be revealed.” As we are restored to health and become increasingly able to live comfortably in the real world without using chemicals, we begin to see many things in a new light. Many of us have come to realize, for example, that our arch-enemy, anger, comes disguised in many shapes and colors: intolerance, contempt, snobbishness, rigidity, tension, sarcasm, distrust, anxiety, envy, hatred, cynicism, discontent, self-pity, malice, suspicion, jealousy. Do I let my feelings get the best of me?

Today I Pray

May I recognize that my anger, like a dancer at a masquerade, wears many forms and many faces. May I strip off its several masks and know it for what it is.

Today I Will Remember

Anger wears a thousand masks.

© 1989 by Hazelden Foundation 

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Daily Reflections #essentialsofrec #Spiritual #Health

SPIRITUAL HEALTH

When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically. 

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p 64

It is very difficult for me to come to terms with my spiritual illness because of my great pride, disguised by my material successes and my intellectual power. Intelligence is not incompatible with humility, provided I place humility first. To seek prestige and wealth is the ultimate goal for many in the modern world. To be fashionable and to seem better than I really am is a spiritual illness.

To recognize and to admit my weakness is the beginning of good spiritual health. It is a sign of spiritual health to be able to ask God every day to enlighten me, to recognize His will, and to have the strength to execute it. My spiritual health is excellent when I realize that the better I get, the more I discover how much help I need from others. 

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Today’s Gift #essentialsofrec #health #Growth

For nothing can be sole or whole that has not been rent.

—W. B. Yeats

The maple out front is young and healthy, but it grows in the shape of a Y. Neighborhood tree experts have warned that as it grows, it will split in half as the weight of the two main branches pull down against each other. One of these two beautiful branches, already lush with new leaves, must be cut. But once pruned, the remaining branch will straighten as it reaches for the sun. It will grow faster, and the whole tree will live many years longer – all by cutting it back today.

Sometimes we are like this tree. We go in too many directions, and can’t seem to do any one thing well. When this happens, we need to give something up, to choose which direction we want and stick with it. The results will be well worth the price.

What is holding me back from growth?

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ELDER'S MEDITATION OF THE DAY #essentialsofrec #Lakota #Health

“Each creature has a medicine, so there are many medicines. Because they are so close to the Creator, they are to communicate that medicine. Then they bring help and health.”

~ Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA ~

The Elders say everything has a purpose and everything has a will. We should never interfere with purpose or the will of everything. Every plant, creature, animal, insect, human being has a purpose to be here on the Earth. Each has a special medicine to contribute for the good of all things. Each person also has good medicine, a special talent, a special gift. These medicines are to help others or to help make us healthy. What is your special medicine?

Creator, today, help me discover and use my medicine to serve a greater good. 

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KEEP IT SIMPLE #essentialsofrec #Sober #Health

Rest is the guardian of health.

~ Melba Colgrave ~

Now that we are sober, we’re feeling better than we have in years. We’re busy too. We attend meetings and visit friends. We have work, school, families, and homes to keep up with.

It’s easy to forget to rest. We forgot that our bodies and minds need time off. We need plenty of sleep each night. And we need a lazy weekend now and then to let our bodies recover from to go, go, go of daily life.

Prayer for the Day:

Higher Power, help me listen to my body. Remind me to slow down and rest now and then.

Action for the Day:

How much have I rested lately? Have I gotten enough sleep each night? What can I do in the next two days to rest my body, mind, and spirit?

© 1989 by Hazelden Foundation

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DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrec #Suffering #God

MYSTERIOUS WAYS

. . . out of every season of grief or suffering when the hand of God seemed heavy or even unjust, new lessons for living were learned, new resources of courage were uncovered, and that finally, inescapably, the conviction came that God does “move in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.”

~ TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 105

After losing my career, family and health, I remained unconvinced that my way of life needed a second look. My drinking and other drug use were killing me, but I had never met a recovering person or an A.A. member. I thought I was destined to die alone and that I deserved it. At the peak of my despair, my infant son became critically ill with a rare disease. Doctors’ efforts to help him proved useless. I redoubled my efforts to block my feelings, but now the alcohol had stopped working. I was left staring into God’s eyes, begging for help. My introduction to A.A. came within days, through an odd series of coincidences, and I have remained sober ever since. My son lived and his disease is in remission. The entire episode convinced me of my powerlessness and the unmanageability of my life. Today my son and I thank God for His intervention.

Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc

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AS BILL SEES IT #essentialsofrec #Recovery #BillW #Dependence

Page 72 ~

Dependence—Unhealthy or Healthy

“Nothing can be more demoralizing than a clinging and abject dependence upon another human being. This often amounts to the demand for a degree of protection and love that no one could possibly satisfy. So our hoped-for protectors finally flee, and once more we are left alone—either to grow up or to disintegrate.”

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

We discovered the best source of emotional stability to be God Himself. We found that dependence upon His perfect justice, forgiveness, and love was healthy, and that it would work where nothing else would.

If we really depended upon God, we couldn’t very well play God to our fellows, nor would we feel the urge to rely wholly on human protection and care.

~ 1. LETTER, 1966 ~
~ 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 116 ~

© 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous ® World Services, Inc

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

HOW TO DESTROY YOUR HEALTH

Get emotional and excited over every trifling occurrence, especially if it is no concern of yours.

Eat and drink indiscriminately. Your stomach is only a sink, anyway, and being make of cast iron, will stand anything.

Cut down on your sleep. This is an excellent way to undermine the nervous system.

Never relax. That would give the body a chance to recuperate.

Avoid all exercise. Exercise promotes circulation.

Read as much as you can about diseases and ailments. Your public library will carry many suitable books.

Discuss your own ailments at great length and, if you have had an operation, give dramatic little lectures about it at every opportunity.

Take good care of your dog, and your horse, and your automobile, but neglect your body. The bible says that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and to go against the Bible is always a good shortcut to trouble.

… If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statues, I will put none of these diseases upon thee

… for I am the Lord that healeth thee (Exodus 15:26).

© 1931 by Emmet Fox

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A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #]essentialsofrec #Recovery #Self-esteem #Fitness

A woman who maintains fitness in her life has earned a Ph.D. in self-esteem.

~ Anne Marie Nelson 

The word fitness covers a lot of ground. It’s related not only to how we take care of our bodies, but also to how we eat, think, behave, plan for the day ahead, and pray. Every avenue of our lives is either fit or it isn’t.

Our Twelve Step program can serve as our manual for fitness. For some of us, the decision to exercise and eat right is an easy one. Decisions about how we think and how we behave, however, may be more difficult and require more discipline. Fortunately, the Fourth and Tenth Steps keep us in touch with our individual characteristics. We can make conscious choices about which ones to exercise in every situation.

My fitness today is within my grasp. The Steps will anchor me.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

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Daily Reflections #essentialsofrecovery

SPIRITUAL HEALTH

When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p 64

It is very difficult for me to come to terms with my spiritual illness because of my great pride, disguised by my material successes and my intellectual power. Intelligence is not incompatible with humility, provided I place humility first. To seek prestige and wealth is the ultimate goal for many in the modern world. To be fashionable and to seem better than I really am is a spiritual illness.

To recognize and to admit my weakness is the beginning of good spiritual health. It is a sign of spiritual health to be able to ask God every day to enlighten me, to recognize His will, and to have the strength to execute it. My spiritual health is excellent when I realize that the better I get, the more I discover how much help I need from others. 

Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

ELDER'S MEDITATION OF THE DAY #essentialsofrecovery

“Each creature has a medicine, so there are many medicines. Because they are so close to the Creator, they are to communicate that medicine. Then they bring help and health.”

~ Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA ~

The Elders say everything has a purpose and everything has a will. We should never interfere with purpose or the will of everything. Every plant, creature, animal, insect, human being has a purpose to be here on the Earth. Each has a special medicine to contribute for the good of all things. Each person also has good medicine, a special talent, a special gift. These medicines are to help others or to help make us healthy. What is your special medicine?

Creator, today, help me discover and use my medicine to serve a greater good. 

Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

KEEP IT SIMPLE #essentialsofrecovery

Rest is the guardian of health.

~ Melba Colgrave ~

Now that we are sober, we’re feeling better than we have in years. We’re busy too. We attend meetings and visit friends. We have work, school, families, and homes to keep up with.

It’s easy to forget to rest. We forgot that our bodies and minds need time off. We need plenty of sleep each night. And we need a lazy weekend now and then to let our bodies recover from to go, go, go of daily life.

Prayer for the Day:

Higher Power, help me listen to my body. Remind me to slow down and rest now and then.

Action for the Day:

How much have I rested lately? Have I gotten enough sleep each night? What can I do in the next two days to rest my body, mind, and spirit?

© 1989 by Hazelden Foundation 

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Daily Zen #essentialsofrecovery

“Live in joy,
In love,
Even among those who hate.

Live in joy,
In health,
Even among the afflicted.

Live in joy,
In peace,
Even among the troubled.

Look within.
Be still.
Free from fear and attachment,
Know the sweet joy of the way.”

-from the Dhammapada 

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Daily Zen #essentialsofrecovery

“Live in joy,
In love,
Even among those who hate.

Live in joy,
In health,
Even among the afflicted.

Live in joy,
In peace,
Even among the troubled.

Look within.
Be still.
Free from fear and attachment,
Know the sweet joy of the way.”

-from the Dhammapada

Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrecovery

Rest is the guardian of health.

–Melba Colgrave

Now that we are sober, we’re feeling better than we have in years. We’re busy too. We attend meetings and visit friends. We have work, school, families, and homes to keep up with.

It’s easy to forget to rest. We forgot that our bodies and minds need time off. We need plenty of sleep each night. And we need a lazy weekend now and than to let our bodies recover from to go, go, go of daily life.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me listen to my body. Remind me to slow down and rest now and then.

Action for the Day: How much have I rested lately? Have I gotten enough sleep each night? What can I do in the next two days to rest my body, mind, and spirit?

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THE EYE OPENER #essentialsofrecovery

Man was created in the image of God. We are told that the heart of man is the Temple of the Holy Ghost. A realization of this fact makes the desecration of the body as sacriligious as the desecration of any church.

We alcoholics have a lot of mess to clean up in our Temples in order to make them a fit place for communion with the God in us.

If we really want God to work in and through us in the rehabilitation of other alcoholics, we must provide Him at least a clean workshop.

Published by Hazelden 

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EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrecovery

HEALTHY PRIDE

Pride works from within; it is the direct appreciation of oneself.

~ Schopenhauer 

Pride should not be feared. It is listed among the “seven deadly sins,” but that is arrogance or false pride, not healthy pride which is a necessary part of self-esteem. Our Program teaches us that the pride that “goes before a fall” is an unhealthy state, a symptom of egotism, grandiosity, and arrogance.

No harm will come to spiritual growth from the pride experienced when we freely admit to ourselves that any accomplishment of ours was not made by us alone. Humble pride acknowledges the guidance of others and faith in a Higher Power whom we call upon for inspiration and motivation.

With humility and God’s help, lean learn to have healthy pride in my accomplishments and growth in the Program.

©1990 by Anonymous, Published by Hazelden 

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A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrecovery

In childhood I was told that if I have faith, health, and love, I have everything. As an adult I know it’s true.

~ Mardy Kopischke ~

Over the years we may have wasted lots of energy seeking material possessions, certain that one more outfit, a new hairstyle, or a better-paying job would fix our problems. Nuturing our health, practicing the presence of a Higher Power, or giving love were low on our “to do” list. Other people may have even suggested these practices to us, but we didn’t understand the payoff.

Now in recovery we are beginning to reap the benefits of such practices. We have discovered that the principles of the program, when lived fully, cultivate our faith, strengthen our health, and teach us the meaning of being loved. These in turn make giving love to others easier. In the process we realize that everything we ever hoped to gain erroneously through possessions can be ours when we follow the simple suggestions of this program.

I am wiser now that I know how to nurture faith, health, and love.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation 

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Daily Zen #essentialsofrecovery

“Live in joy,
In love,
Even among those who hate.

Live in joy,
In health,
Even among the afflicted.

Live in joy,
In peace,
Even among the troubled.

Look within.
Be still.
Free from fear and attachment,
Know the sweet joy of the way.”

-from the Dhammapada

Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery