ONE DAY AT A TIME #essentialsofrecovery

SCARS

Dwelling on the negative
simply contributes to its power.

~ Shirley MacLaine ~

I’ve lived most of my life filled with bitterness towards people, God and myself. My mind, soul, and body were consumed by hatred, self-pity, pain, hopelessness, and a complete sense of powerlessness. I focused my energy on reviewing my scars. I counted them, checked them, nurtured them, and flaunted them. They were proof of all the wrongs I’d endured. They were my source of energy. They were my identity. They were my badge of sorrow.

As I work my recovery, I am beginning to see everything from a new perspective. Gradually my head is lifted and my eyes are turned away from my once-beloved scars. The more I allow myself to accept that my powerlessness is not a prison of doom, the more I discover that it is my doorway to faith, surrender, and serenity.

My scars are still here. There is no magic potion to remove them. What is magical, however, is that I see them so differently. I find that I have a choice to make every day: I can cherish my scars as proof of the pain I have suffered, or I can be thankful for them as evidence of things I have survived. Scar tissue forms and creates a stronger, thicker skin in its place. I can either pick at it and make it bleed, or I can welcome the lessons and endurance it has built into my life.

One day at a time

I will choose to see my scars as proof of the difficulties I have survived. I will choose to appreciate them as evidence that God has brought me through suffering and has used all things to strengthen my faith in Him, my hope for tomorrow, and my serenity for today.

~ Lisa ~ 

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Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

When the bath is negative
Personal relations

A member referred to getting a “negative bath” every day at work. She was talking about her boss’s bad disposition and the poor attitudes of several co-workers. How does one deal with this negativity?

It’s not satisfactory to say that this member created her own “negative bath” by her attitudes toward her boss and others. In fact, in many businesses, the atmosphere is negative… and dealing with it takes more than trite comment.

In such situations, we can employ detachment, as practiced in Al-Anon, and accept the things we cannot change, as stated in the Serenity Prayer.

The longer-term solution may require making a major change, such as finding a new job, but we must be careful not to exchange one negative situation for another. We will make the right decision if we’re careful to avoid resentment and self-pity while being completely honest about our own motives and intentions.
I may find myself in a “negative bath” of some kind today, but I can detach from it by avoiding resentment or the tendency to blame others.

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Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrec #Negativity

NEGATIVITY

“My life has been nothing but a failure.”

–Claude Monet

I can identify with Claude Monet because for years I considered myself a complete failure. For years I wallowed on my pity-pot until it became too painful. Whatever the “pay-off” was in the previous years had dried up, and I was left with a rock bottom pain that forced me to consider the alternative: I needed to set about doing something to change things!

Astounding! Impossible! How could this ever be? I was forever to be a victim of alcoholism. “Not so.” I heard a voice of hope from a recovering alcoholic who had made the change. Slowly I took small steps towards recovery and self-esteem.

I am a failure so long as I consider myself a failure. I am what I create in my life. God requires my cooperation to make miracles in my life. My decision to listen to those who had achieved sobriety provided the seeds for my recovery today. I wonder if Claude Monet was an alcoholic who never heard the words of hope? 

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Emmet Fox - Spotlights #essentialsofrec #Negativity

To spend time in negative thinking is merely to add disappointment to disappointment.

It is not the chosen who are saved, but those who choose God.

To recognize the ideal is the first step in brining it forth in our lives.

Live one day at a time. To worry over tomorrow's demands is to lose sight of today's blessings.

Rid your mind of the negative things to that there may be room for the positive.

There are a thousand good starters for one good finisher.

To trust in God with one part of your mind and harbor fear in the other part, is to be a house divided against itself.

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God (Psalm 146:5)



Fox, Emmet (2010-09-07). Stake Your Claim: Exploring the Gold Mine Within (pp. 75-76). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

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One Day At A Time #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Positivity

POSITIVE THOUGHTS

“I’ve always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.”

James Arthur Baldwin

What did I think about before I was in recovery? I worried about what others thought of me. I thought of what and when I could eat next. I picked apart the way others’ bodies looked, while being jealous of them. I didn’t know that thinking of negative things brought my energy level down. I thought self-discipline meant disciplining myself — which meant mentally beating myself up.

My Higher Power has shown me a way of thinking that was new to me, but is age old — positive thoughts. Thinking positive brings me to a level of serenity. When my mind wanders, I can bring it back. When I find myself obsessing over something negative, I can work the first three steps with it. I am powerless over negativity. I have a HP who can remove it from me. I choose to let my HP direct my thoughts. And then let myself to think of something else.

One day at a time…
I choose to think positively. The result is serenity.

Nancy F.

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Today’s Gift #essentialsofrec #Gratitude #Spirit #Women

Celebrate your life and hear your spirit sing

— Elisabeth L.

“What’s to celebrate?” some people ask. We all get our fill of the cynics. Their negativity can weigh down our spirits. But we don’t have to let them control how we see our lives or theirs. To keep our own perceptions positive, it helps to detach from the naysayers. We will improve our chances if we consciously focus on gratitude for even the tiny blessings rather than on whatever might be wrong.

Becoming grateful is the strongest, safest means of feeling good now that we are abstinent. Not only does it readily alter our mood, but it changes our perspective on every detail of our lives. To be thankful rather than “thankless” is a small price to pay for unqualified happiness coupled with serenity.

We’ve all known people who radiate a singing spirit. They love life, themselves, and others. We seek out their company. We can be like those people for the travelers sharing our journey. Let’s do it!

I will practice gratitude today and be a blessing in everyone’s life.

From the book:



A Woman’s Spirit by Karen Casey

A Woman’s Spirit by Karen Casey. © 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

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

FLEE DESOLATION

The moment you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, you should reject it instantly. Do not stop to say “goodbye” to the error but immediately switch your attention to the Presence of God. Indeed, we may say that when error presents itself to consciousness, the first five seconds are golden.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Then let him which is in Judea flee into the mountains;

Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house;

Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes (Matthew 24:15-18).

Jesus teaches this lesson in his own graphic way. The holy place is your consciousness, and the abomination of desolation is any negative thought, because a negative thought means a belief in the absence of God at the point concerned.

It is impossible to forget this illustration once we have taken it in.

© 1931 by Emmet Fox

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Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

When the bath is negative
Personal relations

A member referred to getting a “negative bath” every day at work. She was talking about her boss’s bad disposition and the poor attitudes of several co-workers. How does one deal with this negativity?

It’s not satisfactory to say that this member created her own “negative bath” by her attitudes toward her boss and others. In fact, in many businesses, the atmosphere is negative… and dealing with it takes more than trite comment.

In such situations, we can employ detachment, as practiced in Al-Anon, and accept the things we cannot change, as stated in the Serenity Prayer.

The longer-term solution may require making a major change, such as finding a new job, but we must be careful not to exchange one negative situation for another. We will make the right decision if we’re careful to avoid resentment and self-pity while being completely honest about our own motives and intentions.
I may find myself in a “negative bath” of some kind today, but I can detach from it by avoiding resentment or the tendency to blame others.   

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

Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

When the bath is negative
Personal relations

A member referred to getting a “negative bath” every day at work. She was talking about her boss’s bad disposition and the poor attitudes of several co-workers. How does one deal with this negativity?

It’s not satisfactory to say that this member created her own “negative bath” by her attitudes toward her boss and others. In fact, in many businesses, the atmosphere is negative… and dealing with it takes more than trite comment.

In such situations, we can employ detachment, as practiced in Al-Anon, and accept the things we cannot change, as stated in the Serenity Prayer.

The longer-term solution may require making a major change, such as finding a new job, but we must be careful not to exchange one negative situation for another. We will make the right decision if we’re careful to avoid resentment and self-pity while being completely honest about our own motives and intentions.
I may find myself in a “negative bath” of some kind today, but I can detach from it by avoiding resentment or the tendency to blame others.  

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

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation

NEGATIVITY

“My life has been nothing but a failure.”

–Claude Monet

I can identify with Claude Monet because for years I considered myself a complete failure. For years I wallowed on my pity-pot until it became too painful. Whatever the “pay-off” was in the previous years had dried up, and I was left with a rock bottom pain that forced me to consider the alternative: I needed to set about doing something to change things!

Astounding! Impossible! How could this ever be? I was forever to be a victim of alcoholism. “Not so.” I heard a voice of hope from a recovering alcoholic who had made the change. Slowly I took small steps towards recovery and self-esteem. I am a failure so long as I consider myself a failure. I am what I create in my life. God requires my cooperation to make miracles in my life. My decision to listen to those who had achieved sobriety provided the seeds for my recovery today. I wonder if Claude Monet was an alcoholic who never heard the words of hope?

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

Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

When the bath is negative
Personal relations

A member referred to getting a “negative bath” every day at work. She was talking about her boss’s bad disposition and the poor attitudes of several co-workers. How does one deal with this negativity?

It’s not satisfactory to say that this member created her own “negative bath” by her attitudes toward her boss and others. In fact, in many businesses, the atmosphere is negative… and dealing with it takes more than trite comment.

In such situations, we can employ detachment, as practiced in Al-Anon, and accept the things we cannot change, as stated in the Serenity Prayer.

The longer-term solution may require making a major change, such as finding a new job, but we must be careful not to exchange one negative situation for another. We will make the right decision if we’re careful to avoid resentment and self-pity while being completely honest about our own motives and intentions.
I may find myself in a “negative bath” of some kind today, but I can detach from it by avoiding resentment or the tendency to blame others.   

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

Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

When the bath is negative
Personal relations

A member referred to getting a “negative bath” every day at work. She was talking about her boss’s bad disposition and the poor attitudes of several co-workers. How does one deal with this negativity?

It’s not satisfactory to say that this member created her own “negative bath” by her attitudes toward her boss and others. In fact, in many businesses, the atmosphere is negative… and dealing with it takes more than trite comment.

In such situations, we can employ detachment, as practiced in Al-Anon, and accept the things we cannot change, as stated in the Serenity Prayer.

The longer-term solution may require making a major change, such as finding a new job, but we must be careful not to exchange one negative situation for another. We will make the right decision if we’re careful to avoid resentment and self-pity while being completely honest about our own motives and intentions.
I may find myself in a “negative bath” of some kind today, but I can detach from it by avoiding resentment or the tendency to blame others.  

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

Breaking Addiction to Negative Thinking

Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

When the bath is negative
Personal relations

A member referred to getting a “negative bath” every day at work. She was talking about her boss’s bad disposition and the poor attitudes of several co-workers. How does one deal with this negativity?

It’s not satisfactory to say that this member created her own “negative bath” by her attitudes toward her boss and others. In fact, in many businesses, the atmosphere is negative… and dealing with it takes more than trite comment.

In such situations, we can employ detachment, as practiced in Al-Anon, and accept the things we cannot change, as stated in the Serenity Prayer.

The longer-term solution may require making a major change, such as finding a new job, but we must be careful not to exchange one negative situation for another. We will make the right decision if we’re careful to avoid resentment and self-pity while being completely honest about our own motives and intentions.
I may find myself in a “negative bath” of some kind today, but I can detach from it by avoiding resentment or the tendency to blame others. 

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

Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

When the bath is negative
Personal relations

A member referred to getting a “negative bath” every day at work. She was talking about her boss’s bad disposition and the poor attitudes of several co-workers. How does one deal with this negativity?

It’s not satisfactory to say that this member created her own “negative bath” by her attitudes toward her boss and others. In fact, in many businesses, the atmosphere is negative… and dealing with it takes more than trite comment.

In such situations, we can employ detachment, as practiced in Al-Anon, and accept the things we cannot change, as stated in the Serenity Prayer.

The longer-term solution may require making a major change, such as finding a new job, but we must be careful not to exchange one negative situation for another. We will make the right decision if we’re careful to avoid resentment and self-pity while being completely honest about our own motives and intentions.
I may find myself in a “negative bath” of some kind today, but I can detach from it by avoiding resentment or the tendency to blame others.

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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

Daily Reflections #essentialsofrecovery

TURNING NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE

Our spiritual and emotional growth in A.A. does not depend so deeply upon success as it does upon our failures and setbacks. If you will bear this in mind. I think that your slip will have the effect of kicking you upstairs, instead of down.

-AS BILL SEES IT , p. 184


In keeping with the pain and adversity which our founders encountered and overcame in establishing A.A., Bill W. sent us a clear message: a relapse can provide a positive experience toward abstinence and a lifetime of recovery. A relapse brings truth to what we hear repeatedly in meetings – “Don’t take that first drink!” It reinforces the belief in the progressive nature of the disease, and it drives home the need for, and beauty of, humility in our spiritual program. Simple truths come in complicated ways to me when I become ego driven.

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One Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery

“Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power.”

–Shirley MacLaine

I’ve lived most of my life filled with bitterness towards people, God and myself. My mind, soul, and body were consumed by hatred, self-pity, pain, hopelessness, and a complete sense of powerlessness. I focused my energy on reviewing my scars. I counted them, checked them, nurtured them, and flaunted them. They were proof of all the wrongs I’d endured. They were my source of energy. They were my identity. They were my badge of sorrow.

As I work my recovery, I am beginning to see everything from a new perspective. Gradually my head is lifted and my eyes are turned away from my once-beloved scars. The more I allow myself to accept that my powerlessness is not a prison of doom, the more I discover that it is my doorway to faith, surrender, and serenity.

My scars are still here. There is no magic potion to remove them. What is magical, however, is that I see them so differently. I find that I have a choice to make every day: I can cherish my scars as proof of the pain I have suffered, or I can be thankful for them as evidence of things I have survived. Scar tissue forms and creates a stronger, thicker skin in its place. I can either pick at it and make it bleed, or I can welcome the lessons and endurance it has built into my life.

One day at a time…
I will choose to see my scars as proof of the difficulties I have survived. I will choose to appreciate them as evidence that God has brought me through suffering and has used all things to strengthen my faith in Him, my hope for tomorrow, and my serenity for today.

~ Lisa 

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TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY #essentialsofrecovery

A.A. Thought for the Day

I have learned to be less negative and more positive. I used to take a negative view of almost everything. Most people, in my estimation, were bluffing. There seemed to be very little good in the world, but lots of hypocrisy and sham. People could not be trusted. They would “take you” if they could. All church-goers were partly hypocrites. It seemed I should take everything “with a grain of salt.” That was my general attitude toward life. Now I am more positive. I believe in people and in their capabilities. There is much love and truth and honesty in the world. I try not to run people down. Life now seems worthwhile and it is good to live. Am I less negative and more positive?

Meditation for the Day

Think of God as a Great Friend and try to realize the wonder of that friendship. When you give God not only worship, obedience, and allegiance, but also close companionship, then He becomes your friend, even as you are His. You can feel that He and you are working together. He can do things for you and you can do things for Him. Your prayers become more real to you when you feel that God counts on your friendship and you count on His.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may think of God as my Friend. I pray that I may feel that I am working for Him and with Him.

© 1954, 1975, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation 

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Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

When the bath is negative
Personal relations

A member referred to getting a “negative bath” every day at work. She was talking about her boss’s bad disposition and the poor attitudes of several co-workers. How does one deal with this negativity?

It’s not satisfactory to say that this member created her own “negative bath” by her attitudes toward her boss and others. In fact, in many businesses, the atmosphere is negative… and dealing with it takes more than trite comment.

In such situations, we can employ detachment, as practiced in Al-Anon, and accept the things we cannot change, as stated in the Serenity Prayer.

The longer-term solution may require making a major change, such as finding a new job, but we must be careful not to exchange one negative situation for another. We will make the right decision if we’re careful to avoid resentment and self-pity while being completely honest about our own motives and intentions.

I may find myself in a “negative bath” of some kind today, but I can detach from it by avoiding resentment or the tendency to blame others.

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

One Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery

NEGATIVE THINKING

“Condemn the fault and not the actor of it.”

William Shakespeare

How many times do we beat ourselves because we have failed to attain the goals we have set? We are human and we suffer from a disease that renders us helpless and out of control. Is it any wonder that we fail in trying to conquer such an unforgiving beast?

It is not ourselves we should be angry with, but the disease and how it affects our actions and reactions. Our inability – or unwillingness — to realize that we cannot achieve recovery alone is our only true failure. We need help. Without it we are weak and defenseless. This disease would have us believe we are failures ~ but in reality, all we have done is open the doors to our enemy. These doors can be closed again. Our disease not only manifests itself in the form of uncontrollable eating, but also in our negative thoughts and actions towards ourselves and towards the people around us.

It takes no more time to think positively than it does to think negatively. Our only job is to remember that we have a disease. We can choose to forget it, we can choose to beat ourselves up when we leave the door ajar, or we can choose to forgive ourselves and begin again.

One day at a time…

I will work on forgiving myself.  I am worth forgiving.  You are too.

~Sue 

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