A Day At A Time

Reflection For The Day

I’ve learned in The Program that the trick, for me, is not stopping drinking, but staying stopped and learning how not to start again. It was always relatively easy to stop, if only by sheer incapacity alone; God knows, I stopped literally thousands of times. To stay stopped, I’ve had to develop a positive program of action. I’ve had to learn to live sober, cultivating new habit patterns, new interests and new attitudes. Am I remaining flexible in my new life? Am I exercising my freedom to abandon limited objectives?

Today I Pray

I pray that my new life will be filled with new patterns, new friends, new activities, new ways of looking at things. I need God’s help to overhaul my lifestyle to include all the newness it must hold. I also need a few ideas of my own. May my independence from chemicals or compulsive behavior help me make my choices with an open mind and a clear; appraising eye.

Today I Will Remember

Stopping is starting. 

W

One Day At A Time May 27 2026

Balance

“I’ve learned that you can’t have everything … and do everything … at the same time.”

–Oprah Winfrey

Learning about balance has been a struggle throughout my life; both as an addict and as a mother, friend, lover, sister… and woman. I’m not sure if it is my addiction that causes me to be over-zealous when it comes to giving too much to too many, or if my desire for love has manifested my addiction out of a need to feel full and satisfied. For me, finding that spot where a relationship is comfortable and not one-sided, where work is just ‘work’ and not all that nourishes my life… where school is an enhancement and not a crutch for hiding and isolating, is a hard place to for me to find. I see patterns within my life where I consistently struggle for harmony and balance. Why isn’t one of anything enough? No matter what it is that is in my life; relationships, work, eating, shopping, I have to work at managing balance so that things flow at the right pace, otherwise, my entire life is off kilter.

But today, I don’t need to struggle. I don’t need to overdo my relationships or my work. I can do just one thing and know that the rest will be there tomorrow. Today I have the gifts that have been given to me to manage my life.

One Day at a Time . . .
I pray that God will help me to manage and balance my life so that I can do a good job with all things, especially living.

~ Pamela

Father Leo’s - May 15 2026

TEACHING


“To teach is to learn.”

–Japanese Proverb

The more I learn the more I know that I do not understand. Life is full of new and wonderful information; paradoxes and confusion abound; every new idea leads to a further truth – and the journey seems endless.

In a sense we are all disciples; we are all learning from each other and the role of teacher and student is forever being exchanged. In my sobriety I am able to see how many wonderful “things” exist in the world – so many fascinating and interesting places to visit, so many loving and insightful people. God has given me so much, I am so grateful to be able to learn in His garden.

Teacher, may I never stop learning and being a student in Your world.

AS BILL SEES IT - April 18 2026

Page 108 ~

Learn in Quiet

In 1941, a news clipping was called to our attention by a New York member. In an obituary notice from a local paper, there appeared these words: “God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Never had we seen so much A.A. in so few words. With amazing speed the Serenity Prayer came into general use.

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

In meditation, debate has no place. We rest quietly with the thoughts or prayers of spiritually centered people who understand, so that we may experience and learn. This is the state of being that so often discovers and deepens a conscious contact with God.

~ 1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 196 ~
~ 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 100-101 ~

© 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous ® World Services, Inc

WALK IN DRY PLACES - April 18 2026

MISTAKES ARE FOR LEARNING

Personal growth

One sign of an alcoholic’s immaturity is revealed in responses to personal mistakes. We take each simple mistake as further proof of our inadequacy. As one person observed, “I can handle a general catastrophe, but running my nylons can ruin my day.”

Some of us may feel we’re victims of past conditioning – a parent, for example, who berated us when the slightest thing went wrong. But we’re at fault if we continue to let ourselves be victimized by such experience. We should give no person – past, present, or future – the right to set the level of our self-esteem.

Properly viewed, all mistakes are for learning purposes. We often have to make a few mistakes before we can learn anything. Sometimes a mistake can occur simply to teach us one basic lesson – that we are human and cannot be perfect in everything we do.

Above, all, we should never condemn ourselves for the countless mistakes that occurred while we were drinking. Our alcoholism, a terrible mistake in the sight of many, led to the deep learning we find in AA. Nothing that brings us this far can really be a mistake in the sight of God.

In sobriety, I’m learning tolerate the shortcomings and mistakes of others. I will extend the same grace to myself today if I make a simple mistake.

© 1996 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.

EASY DOES IT - April 15 2026

LESSONS FROM PAIN
The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you.

~ Anonymous ~
Today we are living free from compulsions and addictions, but that happiness won’t ever let us forget the times we cried from pain. We went through a lot of suffering in order to surrender. All that suffering wouldn’t matter if we hadn’t become willing to make a spiritual change. We learned valuable lessons from the pain.

In recovery, we learn that pain changes our lives. We gain an understanding of honest values from our suffering. Until we stopped hurting, we couldn’t make progress toward a richer life and appreciate the gift of love and service.

I have learned that happiness is getting away from suffering. Even to crave happiness is painful. Finding happiness helps me get rid of pain and find peace of mind.

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

EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrecovery

LEARNING

I have learned . . . tolerance from the intolerant and kindness from the unkind. I should not be ungrateful to these teachers.

~ Kahlil Gibran ~

Once again, we are students. This time we are learning the secrets f living completely. These secrets have always been around us. We only had to clear our thinking of the obsessions, dependencies, denials, excessiveness, fears, jealousies and other destructive ideas and habits that ruled us. We had to open our minds to accept and our hearts to understand.

We have found teachers in our Program. Each teacher is a new friend. We learn from them and they learn from the growth of our awareness. We find lessons in the glaring faults we see in others. We learn from our own errors.

In my troubled years, I remembered my school days as perhaps the happiest of my life. I thought they were gone forever. But I’ve found them again in the Program, and I love being back in school.

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

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

A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrecovery

Through learning to like myself, I’ve been more willing to understand others.
~ JoAnn Reed ~

Unrealistic expectations hinder our growth and relationships. We too often try to be superwoman and we want others to complement our drama. But no one can match our expectations. It’s helpful, then, to step back and remind ourselves that we’re all okay, we’re good enough. We are where we need to be for this point in our journey. With effort we’re coming to believe this, little by little.

How do we give up unrealistic expectations, especially when they are triggered by our shame over not being perfect? Coming to believe that we are acceptable, even lovable, to our Higher Power requires a suspension of our disbelief. We must first “act as if’ and then take time to notice all the goodness in our lives. The evidence will convince us that we are protected and guided, thus loved. Meditating on this truth will give us permission to accept and love ourselves. Understanding and then loving others is only a small step away.

I want to love and appreciate myself and all my friends today. We are here to help each other. God is here too.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

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

KEEP IT SIMPLE #essentialsofrecovery

… no one who learns to know himself remains just what he was before.

~ Thomas Mann 

Deep inside, we all know that we’re changing. It started when we took Step One. We learned and accepted something new about ourselves. That changed us, just a little.

We no longer wanted to live as addicts. That meant we had to change and to learn to live sober. It’s been nonstop ever since: learn about ourselves, change a little, learn about ourselves, change a little more, and so on.

All we know is that each step of learning and changing makes life better. How long can it keep getting better? As long as we keep learning to know ourselves.

Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, teach me about myself today. Teach me gently.

Action for the Day

Today, I’ll think about what I’ve learned about myself by working the program. I’ll list five things.

Copyright © 1988 by Hazelden Foundation 

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

A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrecovery

Learning to listen to one’s own inner voice is the last crucial step to wholeness.

~ Paula Sunray 

How does our inner voice develop? Those of us who grew up in violent families most often heard abusive voices. Or perhaps we grew up in near- empty homes where the absence of attention Injured our well-being. Almost certainly, the voices most of us heard didn’t affirm us. But the voices we can now cultivate, with the help of this program, will change us and make us whole and healthy.

Developing the inner voice we want and deserve may seem difficult at first. Luckily, sponsors get us on the right track, modeling habits that will help us change our lives, just as soon as we express our willingness. Becoming whole is our decision, and developing a healthy inner voice is our responsibility. Utilizing the program tools assures it.

I can listen to a loving inner voice if I practice loving myself and others today.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation 

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

The old people say, `Learn from your mistakes’. So I try to accept everything for what it is and to make the best of each situation one day at a time.”

~ Dr. A.C. Ross (Ehanamani), LAKOTA ~

The Creator did not design us to beat ourselves up when we make mistakes. Mistakes are our friends. It is from mistakes that we learn. The more mistakes we learn from, the faster we gain wisdom. The faster we gain wisdom, the more we love. The more we love, the fewer our mistakes. Therefore, mistakes help us to learn love. God is love. Mistakes are sacred and help us learn about God’s will for ourselves.

Great Spirit, help me, today, to learn from my mistakes. 

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

FR. LEO'S DAILY MEDITATION #essentialsofrec #Intelligence #Recovery #Intelligence

INTELLIGENCE
“The brighter you are, the more you have to learn.”

~ Don Herald ~

The one thing I have learned in sobriety is how much I do not know! I thought I knew a lot about God, only to discover that I had made God a prisoner of the Church. Once I was willing to free God from my prison, I discovered a freedom and an awareness that constantly fascinate and astound me.

Today I see that the glory of God shines within my pain, within my loneliness and confusion. The acceptance of my disease is the key to my recovery. Today any suffering enables me to discover a realistic spirituality— and it is okay to be confused!

With each new day, let me learn something, even if it is that I have not learned anything that day!

© 2008 Leo Booth

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

Daily Reflections #essentialsofrec #Gratitude

GRATEFUL FOR WHAT I HAVE, p.208

During this process of learning more about humility, the most profound result of all was the change in our attitude toward God. 

12 & 12, p. 75

Today my prayers consist mostly of saying thank you to my Higher Power for my sobriety and for the wonder of God’s abundance, but I need also to ask for help and the power to carry out His will for me. I no longer need God each minute to rescue me from the situations I get myself into by not doing His will. Now my gratitude seems to be directly linked to humility. As long as I have the humility to be grateful for what I have, God continues to provide for me. 

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

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrec #Expectations #Learning

To make the world a friendly place One must show it a friendly face.

–James Whitcomb Riley
We are beginning to learn that we get what we expect. Why? If we believe that people are out to get us, we’ll not treat them well. We will think it’s okay to “get them” before they “get us.” Then, they’ll be angry and want to get even. And on it goes. It’s great when we can meet the world with a balance. We are honest people. We can expect others to be fair with us. We get the faith, strength, and courage to do this because of our trust in our Higher Power.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, I put my life in Your care. Use me to spread Your love to others.

Action for the Day: Today, I’ll spread friendliness. I will greet people with a smile.

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

A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrec #Rejection #self-esteem

By embracing the unfair, I no longer feel fear or rejection or lack of self-esteem.
~ Eileen Fehlen ~
It’s so human to quickly label an unwanted situation as unfair and to assume we know what’s best for us. We reason that if God would answer our prayers, our lives would unfold appropriately. It’s also terribly human to have to relearn repeatedly that God’s will and God’s timetable don’t always match our own; however, without fail they serve us well.

Learning to appreciate the good in everything that comes our way makes us courageous. In time few things will fill us with fear, and that is measurable progress. We were tormented by fear for so many years that we never expected this rebirth of spirit. Life is beginning to feel inviting, exciting, and safe. Let’s step forth together.

I can be certain that God will give me only what is right for me today.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

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

DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrec #teaching #Learning

THE TEACHING IS NEVER OVER

Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny. May God bless you and keep you—until then.

~ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 164 ~

These words put a lump in my throat each time I read them. In the beginning it was because I felt, “Oh no! The teaching is over. Now I’m on my own. It will never be this new again.” Today I feel deep affection for our A.A. pioneers when I read this passage, realizing that it sums up all of what I believe in, and strive for, and that—with God’s blessing—the teaching is never over, I’m never on my own, and every day is brand new.

Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc

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

EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrec #Tolerance #Recovery #Learning

LEARNING

I have learned . . . tolerance from the intolerant and kindness from the unkind. I should not be ungrateful to these teachers.

~ Kahlil Gibran ~

Once again, we are students. This time we are learning the secrets f living completely. These secrets have always been around us. We only had to clear our thinking of the obsessions, dependencies, denials, excessiveness, fears, jealousies and other destructive ideas and habits that ruled us. We had to open our minds to accept and our hearts to understand.

We have found teachers in our Program. Each teacher is a new friend. We learn from them and they learn from the growth of our awareness. We find lessons in the glaring faults we see in others. We learn from our own errors.

In my troubled years, I remembered my school days as perhaps the happiest of my life. I thought they were gone forever. But I’ve found them again in the Program, and I love being back in school.

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

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

A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrec #Pain #Experience #Recovery

There’s a lesson to be learned in every painful experience.

~ Mary Timberlake ~

We can learn from every experience, but we may not perceive the full impact of the lesson until months of other experiences have passed. In the interim, however, our reliance on God to help us through will count as a valuable lesson, one that we may need repeatedly.

It might be helpful to believe that every moment of our lives is giving us “something to grow on.” Many hours in a week go by almost unnoticed; thus it’s difficult to realize that they, too, were contributing something to our divine plan.

Getting comfortable with the knowledge that we’re alive to experience God’s lessons and fulfill our destiny makes the problems we face more acceptable and less painful. God intends us not to suffer pain but to experience the world’s joys. Remembering that will lessen the sting.

I will remember that God is with me throughout today’s experiences.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

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

A DAY AT A TIME #essentialsofrec #Anger #Recovery

Reflection for the Day

When I become angry, can I admit to it and state it as a fact without allowing it to build up and burst out in inappropriate ways? Pent-up anger, I’ve finally begun to learn, quickly shatters the peace of mind that’s so critical to my ongoing recovery. When I become enraged and lose control, I unwittingly hand over control to the person, place, or thing with which I am enraged. When I’m angry will I try to remember that I am endangering myself? Will I “count to ten” by calling a friend in the Program and say the Serenity Prayer aloud?

Today I Pray

May I recognize angry feelings and let them out a little at a time, stating my anger as a fact, instead of allowing it to fester into rage and explode uncontrollably.

Today I Will Remember

Anger is. Rage need not be.

© 1989 by Hazelden Foundation

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

A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrec #Women #Learning #Recovery

Learning to listen to one’s own inner voice is the last crucial step to wholeness.

~ Paula Sunray 

How does our inner voice develop? Those of us who grew up in violent families most often heard abusive voices. Or perhaps we grew up in near- empty homes where the absence of attention Injured our well-being. Almost certainly, the voices most of us heard didn’t affirm us. But the voices we can now cultivate, with the help of this program, will change us and make us whole and healthy.

Developing the inner voice we want and deserve may seem difficult at first. Luckily, sponsors get us on the right track, modeling habits that will help us change our lives, just as soon as we express our willingness. Becoming whole is our decision, and developing a healthy inner voice is our responsibility. Utilizing the program tools assures it.

I can listen to a loving inner voice if I practice loving myself and others today.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

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