Reflection For The Day
We’re often told that alcoholics and other addictive persons are perfectionists, impatient about any shortcomings — especially our own. We tend to set impossible goals for ourselves, struggling fiercely to reach our unattainable ideals. Then, of course — since no person could possibly meet the extremely high standards we demand of ourselves — we find ourselves falling short. Discouragement and depression set in; we angrily punish ourselves for being less than superhuman. The next time around, rather than setting more realistic goals, we set them even higher. And we fall farther, then punish ourselves more severely. Isn’t it about time I stopped setting unattainable goals for myself?
Today I Pray
May God temper my own image of myself as a super-person. May I settle for less than perfection from myself, as well las from others. For only God is perfect, and I am limited by being human.
Today I Will Remember
I am not God; I am only human.
Reflection For The Day
We’re often told that alcoholics and other addictive persons are perfectionists, impatient about any shortcomings — especially our own. We tend to set impossible goals for ourselves, struggling fiercely to reach our unattainable ideals. Then, of course — since no person could possibly meet the extremely high standards we demand of ourselves — we find ourselves falling short. Discouragement and depression set in; we angrily punish ourselves for being less than superhuman. The next time around, rather than setting more realistic goals, we set them even higher. And we fall farther, then punish ourselves more severely. Isn’t it about time I stopped setting unattainable goals for myself?
Today I Pray
May God temper my own image of myself as a super-person. May I settle for less than perfection from myself, as well las from others. For only God is perfect, and I am limited by being human.
Today I Will Remember
I am not God; I am only human.
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Today, let my impatience and spontaneous anger not command the words I speak in response – for my words may give rise to another amend that I might have to make. But unlike physical injuries, emotional hurt from an unkind word spoken in recklessness or anger may not be as easily reconciled. If today I explode in frustration from impatience or anger at whatever its source, may God grant me the wisdom to respond first with the discipline and tolerance that are contained within the 12 Steps. More than eating tomorrow the reckless words I speak today, no words can be taken back – and some can cause hurt for which an apology or amend cannot un-hurt. Today, discipline and patience partner with tolerance and wisdom to guide my words. And our common journey continues.
Step by step. – Chris M., 2014
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Reflection for the DayThe Program teaches me to remain on guard against impatience, lapses into self-pity, and resentments of the words and deeds of others. Though I must never forget what it used to be like, neither should I permit myself to take tormenting excursions into the past—merely for the sake of self-indulgent morbidity. Now that I’m alert to the danger signals, I know I’m improving day by day. If a crisis arises, or any problem baffles me, do I hold it up to the light of the Serenity Prayer?Today I PrayI pray for perspective as I review the past. May I curb my impulse to upstage and outdo the members of my group by regaling them with the horrors of my addiction. May I no longer use the past to document my self-pity or submerge myself in guilt. May memories of those miserable earlier days serve me only as sentinels, guarding against hazardous situations or unhealthy sets of mind.Today I Will RememberI cannot change the past.
© 1989 by Hazelden Foundation
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A LIFELONG TASK“But just how, in these circumstances, does a fellow ‘take it easy?’ That’s what I want to know.”
~ TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 26 ~I was never known for my patience. How many times have I asked, “Why should I wait, when I can have it all right now?” Indeed, when I was first presented the Twelve Steps, I was like the proverbial “kid in a candy store.” I couldn’t wait to get to Step Twelve; it was surely just a few months’ work, or so I thought! I realize now that living the Twelve Steps of A.A. is a lifelong undertaking.Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc
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Reflection For The Day
We’re often told that alcoholics and other addictive persons are perfectionists, impatient about any shortcomings — especially our own. We tend to set impossible goals for ourselves, struggling fiercely to reach our unattainable ideals. Then, of course — since no person could possibly meet the extremely high standards we demand of ourselves — we find ourselves falling short. Discouragement and depression set in; we angrily punish ourselves for being less than superhuman. The next time around, rather than setting more realistic goals, we set them even higher. And we fall farther, then punish ourselves more severely. Isn’t it about time I stopped setting unattainable goals for myself?
Today I Pray
May God temper my own image of myself as a super-person. May I settle for less than perfection from myself, as well las from others. For only God is perfect, and I am limited by being human.
Today I Will Remember
I am not God; I am only human.
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Reflection For The Day
We’re often told that alcoholics and other addictive persons are perfectionists, impatient about any shortcomings — especially our own. We tend to set impossible goals for ourselves, struggling fiercely to reach our unattainable ideals. Then, of course — since no person could possibly meet the extremely high standards we demand of ourselves — we find ourselves falling short. Discouragement and depression set in; we angrily punish ourselves for being less than superhuman. The next time around, rather than setting more realistic goals, we set them even higher. And we fall farther, then punish ourselves more severely. Isn’t it about time I stopped setting unattainable goals for myself?
Today I Pray
May God temper my own image of myself as a super-person. May I settle for less than perfection from myself, as well las from others. For only God is perfect, and I am limited by being human.
Today I Will Remember
I am not God; I am only human.
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Reflection for the Day
The Program teaches me to remain on guard against impatience, lapses into self-pity, and resentments of the words and deeds of others. Though I must never forget what it used to be like, neither should I permit myself to take tormenting excursions into the past—merely for the sake of self-indulgent morbidity. Now that I’m alert to the danger signals, I know I’m improving day by day. If a crisis arises, or any problem baffles me, do I hold it up to the light of the Serenity Prayer?
Today I Pray
I pray for perspective as I review the past. May I curb my impulse to upstage and outdo the members of my group by regaling them with the horrors of my addiction. May I no longer use the past to document my self-pity or submerge myself in guilt. May memories of those miserable earlier days serve me only as sentinels, guarding against hazardous situations or unhealthy sets of mind.
Today I Will Remember
I cannot change the past.
© 1989 by Hazelden Foundation
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Reflection For The Day
We’re often told that alcoholics and other addictive persons are perfectionists, impatient about any shortcomings — especially our own. We tend to set impossible goals for ourselves, struggling fiercely to reach our unattainable ideals. Then, of course — since no person could possibly meet the extremely high standards we demand of ourselves — we find ourselves falling short. Discouragement and depression set in; we angrily punish ourselves for being less than superhuman. The next time around, rather than setting more realistic goals, we set them even higher. And we fall farther, then punish ourselves more severely. Isn’t it about time I stopped setting unattainable goals for myself?
Today I Pray
May God temper my own image of myself as a super-person. May I settle for less than perfection from myself, as well las from others. For only God is perfect, and I am limited by being human.
Today I Will Remember
I am not God; I am only human.
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Reflection For The Day
We’re often told that alcoholics and other addictive persons are perfectionists, impatient about any shortcomings — especially our own. We tend to set impossible goals for ourselves, struggling fiercely to reach our unattainable ideals. Then, of course — since no person could possibly meet the extremely high standards we demand of ourselves — we find ourselves falling short. Discouragement and depression set in; we angrily punish ourselves for being less than superhuman. The next time around, rather than setting more realistic goals, we set them even higher. And we fall farther, then punish ourselves more severely. Isn’t it about time I stopped setting unattainable goals for myself?
Today I Pray
May God temper my own image of myself as a super-person. May I settle for less than perfection from myself, as well las from others. For only God is perfect, and I am limited by being human.
Today I Will Remember
I am not God; I am only human.
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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery
Reflection For The Day
We’re often told that alcoholics and other addictive persons are perfectionists, impatient about any shortcomings — especially our own. We tend to set impossible goals for ourselves, struggling fiercely to reach our unattainable ideals. Then, of course — since no person could possibly meet the extremely high standards we demand of ourselves — we find ourselves falling short. Discouragement and depression set in; we angrily punish ourselves for being less than superhuman. The next time around, rather than setting more realistic goals, we set them even higher. And we fall farther, then punish ourselves more severely. Isn’t it about time I stopped setting unattainable goals for myself?
Today I Pray
May God temper my own image of myself as a super-person. May I settle for less than perfection from myself, as well las from others. For only God is perfect, and I am limited by being human.
Today I Will Remember
I am not God; I am only human.
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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery
Reflection For The Day
We’re often told that alcoholics and other addictive persons are perfectionists, impatient about any shortcomings — especially our own. We tend to set impossible goals for ourselves, struggling fiercely to reach our unattainable ideals. Then, of course — since no person could possibly meet the extremely high standards we demand of ourselves — we find ourselves falling short. Discouragement and depression set in; we angrily punish ourselves for being less than superhuman. The next time around, rather than setting more realistic goals, we set them even higher. And we fall farther, then punish ourselves more severely. Isn’t it about time I stopped setting unattainable goals for myself?
Today I Pray
May God temper my own image of myself as a super-person. May I settle for less than perfection from myself, as well las from others. For only God is perfect, and I am limited by being human.
Today I Will Remember
I am not God; I am only human.
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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery
IMPATIENT? TRY LEVITATING
We reacted more strongly to frustrations than normal people.
-AS BILL SEES IT, p. 111
Impatience with other people is one of my principal failings. Following a slow car in a no-passing lane, or waiting in a restaurant for the check, drives me to distraction. Before I give God a chance to slow me down, I explode, and that’s what I call being quicker than God. That repeated experience gave me an idea. I thought if I could look down on these events from God’s point of view, I might better control my feelings and behavior. I tried it and when I encountered the next slow driver, I levitated and looked down on the other car and upon myself. I saw an elderly couple driving along, happily chatting about their grandchildren. They were followed by me–bug eyed and red of face–who had no time schedule to meet anyway. I looked so silly that I dropped back into reality and slowed down. Seeing things from God’s angle of vision can be very relaxing.
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Reflection For The Day
We’re often told that alcoholics and other addictive persons are perfectionists, impatient about any shortcomings — especially our own. We tend to set impossible goals for ourselves, struggling fiercely to reach our unattainable ideals. Then, of course — since no person could possibly meet the extremely high standards we demand of ourselves — we find ourselves falling short. Discouragement and depression set in; we angrily punish ourselves for being less than superhuman. The next time around, rather than setting more realistic goals, we set them even higher. And we fall farther, then punish ourselves more severely. Isn’t it about time I stopped setting unattainable goals for myself?
Today I Pray
May God temper my own image of myself as a super-person. May I settle for less than perfection from myself, as well las from others. For only God is perfect, and I am limited by being human.
Today I Will Remember
I am not God; I am only human.
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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery
IMPATIENT? TRY LEVITATING
We reacted more strongly to frustrations than normal people.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 111
Impatience with other people is one of my principal failings. Following a slow car in a no-passing lane, or waiting in a restaurant for the check, drives me to distraction. Before I give God a chance to slow me down, I explode, and that’s what I call being quicker than God. That repeated experience gave me an idea. I thought if I could look down on these events from God’s point of view, I might better control my feelings and behavior. I tried it and when I encountered the next slow driver, I levitated and looked down on the other car and upon myself. I saw an elderly couple driving along, happily chatting about their grandchildren. They were followed by me–bug eyed and red of face–who had no time schedule to meet anyway. I looked so silly that I dropped back into reality and slowed down. Seeing things from God’s angle of vision can be very relaxing.
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PATIENCE
How poor are they that have no patience.
~ Shakespeare ~
Patience is important to our growth and peace of mind. Without patience, we would have difficulty holding down anxiety, anger, envy, and unreasonable pride. Patience has often prevented disaster threatened by a loose tongue or an impulsive fist. Patience has taught us to stay cheerful in hard times, and to quickly forgive mistakes.
Faith, peace, love, and humility all “study” in the school of patience. We learn patience from nature’s careful maturing of crops. Baby chicks are born from letting eggs hatch, not by quickly smashing the shell. We are reminded that time is a faithful servant.
When we set goals that we can reach and are patient with our progress, we save ourselves a lot of anxiety. Happiness is not having what we went, but wanting what we have.
I need to be patient, but I don’t have to “grin and bear it.” I can accept reality, then take careful, positive action.
©1990 by Anonymous, Published by Hazelden
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IMPATIENT? TRY LEVITATING
We reacted more strongly to frustrations than normal people.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 111
Impatience with other people is one of my principal failings. Following a slow car in a no-passing lane, or waiting in a restaurant for the check, drives me to distraction. Before I give God a chance to slow me down, I explode, and that’s what I call being quicker than God. That repeated experience gave me an idea. I thought if I could look down on these events from God’s point of view, I might better control my feelings and behavior. I tried it and when I encountered the next slow driver, I levitated and looked down on the other car and upon myself. I saw an elderly couple driving along, happily chatting about their grandchildren. They were followed by me–bug eyed and red of face–who had no time schedule to meet anyway. I looked so silly that I dropped back into reality and slowed down. Seeing things from God’s angle of vision can be very relaxing.
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23
NovemberToday, may I embrace and respect the virtue of patience and loosen my grip on a character defect that can be as crippling as any other – impatience. Whether I am new to the Program or have worked it for countless 24 Hours, may I understand in expecting too much too soon that recovery requires growth – and growth is not a one-time “event” but an ever-evolving dynamic. If today I am tempted or have an impulse to drink or shoot up, grant me the wisdom of patience. I have the 12 Steps at my disposal to overcome a potential relapse and my own history to know where impatience has taken me before. And let me know that the temptation to slip will pass, as all things do. But the temptation will not pass if I feed it. If people in my life do not live up to what I expect of them or in the time I think they should, let me use patience to ask myself if I am unfairly asking anything of someone else and, if not, grant me patience to “allow” others to do what needs to be done in their own time. If something looms for me three weeks in the future, let me not fret over it today or every other today for the next three weeks for I risk igniting other potentially crippling emotions, including anger, resentment and a possible blow-up like a pressure cooker left unattended. Today, let me recognize that impatience can be as deadly a character defect as any other that is “popular” in AA discussion and that I need to respect life evolving on its time schedule, not mine. And our common journey continues.
Step by step. – Chris M.
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30
September
PATIENCE
“Prayer of the modern American: ‘Dear God, I pray for patience. And I want it right now!’”
– Oren Arnold
How I appreciate those times when I experience the gift of patience in my life, not as often as I would like. That is an interesting point: I am impatient about having patience!
Seriously, patience is when I recognize the need to “back off” — allow God into the driver’s seat, resting in the knowledge that things happen in God’s time. This does not mean that I am not involved, but it allows for God’s comprehensive plan for His world. I can experience patience usually when I get in touch with gratitude. Once I stop giving energy to the “I wants”, the joy of serenity breathes through my life and I can rest. Sometimes I need to “stop” and say a loud and resonant “thank you”.
Lord, let me breathe these words into my life: “Thy will be done.”
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27
September
Patience“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties and obstacles vanish.”
–John Quincy AdamsWhen I first walked through the meeting doors, I wanted recovery and I wanted it now! Give me the magic wand, I’ll waive it, then get on with my life. At least that’s what I thought.One of the most difficult things I’ve had to learn is the art of patience and allowing God to work within his own time while I do the footwork to the best of my ability. It is my belief that the universe and my Higher Power will order the next level of my physical recovery. Physical recovery does not grow without spiritual progress. This Program is a journey, not a crash-course in fad dieting.When I struggled with bouts of pride connected to my levels of patience and God’s timing, I knew I was uncovering yet another character flaw that could delay my spiritual recovery. Spiritual recovery, as “Old-timers” have told us again and again, is the actual foundation of the program. The inner-person will eventually make its way to the outer-person.One day at a time…Today I will slow down, take a deep breath, and just remind myself that my Higher Power is in control and that my natural pattern will develop under His nurture, care, and control.
~ January
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