Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrec #Optimism

RISK


“We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it.”

–Mark Twain

I need to risk in life. I need to try again. I need to face life and not run from it. Early in my sobriety I was scared to try new things because I was afraid I might get hurt. I was afraid to express my feelings. I hid in the idea of simply “not drinking”.

Spirituality is about being willing to reach out into new areas, engage in new and different relationships, enjoy the richness of God’s world. As I grow in sobriety I develop the capacity to react differently to painful situations and overcome them. I learn that mistakes can make for new conquests. That lasting joys and achievements are born in the risk.

Teach me to overcome yesterday’s sorrows with today’s optimism.

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Walk in Dry Places #essentialsofrec #Hope #Optimism

The Importance of Hope
Maintaining Optimism

.
As a great virtue, hope is ranked with faith and love. But those of us caught in the thicket of alcoholism and other addictions had much experience with hopes that turned out to be merely cruel illusions. In recovery, however, hope has a sound purpose. It is really a form of optimism, an underlying belief that things will work out in spite of the obstacles and problems we face. This helps provide the strength and energy we need to succeed in the face of opposition and setbacks.
We also own much of our recovery to the capacity for hope that was in our friends and family members. Henrietta D… wife of AA member Number three, told an interviewer that she had never lost hope that her husband would eventually recover. She saw it as the answer to her hope and prayers when Bill W. and Dr. Bob arrived at her husband’s bedside in Akron’s City Hospital… an when he left, he never drank again.
Hope is the optimism that keeps us moving toward our highest good. Let’s keep it alive.


I’ll face my day with the underlying belief that things will work out in the long run. I’ll refuse to be overwhelmed by temporary setbacks.

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Walk in Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

The Importance of Hope
Maintaining Optimism.

As a great virtue, hope is ranked with faith and love. But those of us caught in the thicket of alcoholism and other addictions had much experience with hopes that turned out to be merely cruel illusions. In recovery, however, hope has a sound purpose. It is really a form of optimism, an underlying belief that things will work out in spite of the obstacles and problems we face. This helps provide the strength and energy we need to succeed in the face of opposition and setbacks.

We also own much of our recovery to the capacity for hope that was in our friends and family members. Henrietta D… wife of AA member Number three, told an interviewer that she had never lost hope that her husband would eventually recover. She saw it as the answer to her hope and prayers when Bill W. and Dr. Bob arrived at her husband’s bedside in Akron’s City Hospital… an when he left, he never drank again.

Hope is the optimism that keeps us moving toward our highest good. Let’s keep it alive.

I’ll face my day with the underlying belief that things will work out in the long run. I’ll refuse to be overwhelmed by temporary setbacks. 

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KEEPING OPTIMISM AFLOAT

The other Steps can keep most of us sober and somehow functioning. But Step Eleven can keep us growing . . .

~ THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 240 ~

A sober alcoholic finds it much easier to be optimistic about life. Optimism is the natural result of my finding myself gradually able to make the best, rather than the worst, of each situation. As my physical sobriety continues, I come out of the fog, gain a clearer perspective and am better able to determine what courses of action to take. As vital as physical sobriety is, I can achieve a greater potential for myself by developing an ever-increasing willingness to avail myself of the guidance and direction of a Higher Power. My ability to do so comes from my learning—and practicing—the principles of the A.A. program. The melding of my physical and spiritual sobriety produces the substance of a more positive life.

Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc

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Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery

OPTIMISM


“Optimism is a kind of heart stimulant — the digitalis of failure.”

– Elbert Hubbard

Today I am an optimist. I believe in life, and more importantly, I believe in me. I know that God cares and this brings me hope.

But when I was drinking I had a negative and destructive attitude in all areas of life; nothing pleased me, people were not to be trusted, everybody had a price, God seemed to be “out for lunch” and life had lost its meaning. I was a sad man. I was a lonely man. I was an angry man.

When I was told to put down the drink and follow some new directions, I halfheartedly agreed. I met people who laughed, shared their pain and lived in the realistic “now”. I began to listen. Slowly I changed. Peace was within my grasp.

Today I wonder at my halfhearted risk that started it all — and thank God.

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EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrecovery

OPTIMISM

The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears that this is true.

~ James Branch Cabell ~

Optimists say that there are far more successes than failures in recovery. Pessimists say the opposite. The Program says that anyone in recovery is a success. The Program never fails, but individuals do because they give up too easily and too quickly.

When we decide to work closely with others, we have already declared that we will be optimistic about succeeding. During our excessive years, we suffered all the pessimism we ever again want to suffer. When we gather at a meeting, we are former pessimists who join in being optimists about winning. The irony is that this makes us winners.

Two people were served hamburgers for lunch. The pessimist muttered, “What a small dab of meat,” while the optimist exclaimed, “What a big bun they serve here.”

©1990 by Anonymous, Published by Hazelden 

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WALK IN DRY PLACES #essentialsofrecovery

VISUALIZING SUCCESS

Optimistic Thinking

Some people insist that we must visualize ourselves enjoying success if we ever hope to achieve it. AA says virtually the same about sobriety; in fact, “A Vision for You” is the name of a chapter in Alcoholics Anonymous.

There is a lot of talk in AA about projecting into the future and “seeing the worst.” It takes far less energy—and it’s far more constructive—to see ourselves doing our best, in sobriety and in all things

We have rich imaginative powers. Quite often, we used these gifts wrongly when we were drinking—we would create dark pictures of our future troubles, particularly in the depressed periods between drinking bouts.

In AA, we learn to use those same powers to see ourselves enjoying happy sobriety as well as a secure place in the world.

I’m confident that I’m growing in sobriety and building healthy relationships in all of my activities.

© 1996 by Hazelden Foundation 

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DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrecovery

KEEPING OPTIMISM AFLOAT

The other Steps can keep most of us sober and somehow functioning. But Step Eleven can keep us growing . . .

~ THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 240 ~

A sober alcoholic finds it much easier to be optimistic about life. Optimism is the natural result of my finding myself gradually able to make the best, rather than the worst, of each situation. As my physical sobriety continues, I come out of the fog, gain a clearer perspective and am better able to determine what courses of action to take. As vital as physical sobriety is, I can achieve a greater potential for myself by developing an ever-increasing willingness to avail myself of the guidance and direction of a Higher Power. My ability to do so comes from my learning—and practicing—the principles of the A.A. program. The melding of my physical and spiritual sobriety produces the substance of a more positive life.

Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc 

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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrecovery

OPTIMISM

The Program works if you want it to work.

~ Anonymous 

Rarely do climbers stare up to see how far away the top still is. Instead, when they rest, they look down toward the starting point of their journey. The view they see assures them that they have already come a long, long way.

Like the climbers, we need to keep our eyes on where we are and where we’ve been, not on where we’re going. When we become discouraged with the progress of our recovery, we only need to look back over how far we have come. The rewarding “view” gives us courage to continue. Many of us recall times when we lived without hope and the sense of impending doom. Now we look forward to life with confidence.

Today, I will remember to face my climb with optimism. Even if my progress sometimes seems slow to me, it’s still a long way from where I once was.

©1990 by Anonymous, Published by Hazelden

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Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery

OPTIMISM

“Optimism is a kind of heart stimulant — the digitalis of failure.”

– Elbert Hubbard

Today I am an optimist. I believe in life, and more importantly, I believe in me. I know that God cares and this brings me hope.

But when I was drinking I had a negative and destructive attitude in all areas of life; nothing pleased me, people were not to be trusted, everybody had a price, God seemed to be “out for lunch” and life had lost its meaning. I was a sad man. I was a lonely man. I was an angry man.

When I was told to put down the drink and follow some new directions, I halfheartedly agreed. I met people who laughed, shared their pain and lived in the realistic “now”. I began to listen. Slowly I changed. Peace was within my grasp.

Today I wonder at my halfhearted risk that started it all — and thank God. 

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EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Positivity

BE POSITIVE

Two men look out through bars. One sees the mud, the other the stars.

~ F. Longbridge

When we tell ourselves we can’t progress, we are making sure we never can. We need to remember that success breeds success. A feeling of “I can do it” meant success in the important action of finding a Higher Power. After that, we could turn over our problems to that Higher Power. That accomplished, we could recognize our shortcomings and the release of their pos-session of us. Then we could make amends to those we had harmed. We continued to pray and meditate, and finally could give of what we had in serenity and security to others who suffered our problems.

Recovery places the accent on the positive side of involvement and effort. A negative approach creates a feeling of being a loser which causes extra problems in itself.

Today I will say only positive things, or I will say nothing at all

©1990 by Anonymous, Published by Hazelden

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EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrec #Success #failure #Optimism

OPTIMISM

The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears that this is true.

~ James Branch Cabell 

Optimists say that there are far more successes than failures in recovery. Pessimists say the opposite. The Program says that anyone in recovery is a success. The Program never fails, but individuals do because they give up too easily and too quickly.

When we decide to work closely with others, we have already declared that we will be optimistic about succeeding. During our excessive years, we suffered all the pessimism we ever again want to suffer. When we gather at a meeting, we are former pessimists who join in being optimists about winning. The irony is that this makes us winners.

Two people were served hamburgers for lunch. The pessimist muttered, “What a small dab of meat,” while the optimist exclaimed, “What a big bun they serve here.”

©1990 by Anonymous, Published by Hazelden

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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrec

WALK IN DRY PLACES #essentialsofrec #Success #Recovery

13
December


VISUALIZING SUCCESS

Optimistic Thinking

Some people insist that we must visualize ourselves enjoying success if we ever hope to achieve it. AA says virtually the same about sobriety; in fact, “A Vision for You” is the name of a chapter in Alcoholics Anonymous.

There is a lot of talk in AA about projecting into the future and “seeing the worst.” It takes far less energy—and it’s far more constructive—to see ourselves doing our best, in sobriety and in all things

We have rich imaginative powers. Quite often, we used these gifts wrongly when we were drinking—we would create dark pictures of our future troubles, particularly in the depressed periods between drinking bouts.

In AA, we learn to use those same powers to see ourselves enjoying happy sobriety as well as a secure place in the world.

I’m confident that I’m growing in sobriety and building healthy relationships in all of my activities.

© 1996 by Hazelden Foundation

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Today’s Gift from Hazelden #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Optimism

  6
November


The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from hope to hope.
— Samuel Johnson

A truly powerful force in the universe is that of optimism. Optimism lies at the root of our mental and physical health. Feelings of hope can stimulate the body’s immune system and inspire recovery from a critical illness.

Optimism expresses itself in the persistence and resilience of living things. A child learning to walk repeatedly falls down and picks himself up until he stands erect. A decade after theeruption of Mount St. Helens destroyed the local ecology, life had reestablished itself on this volcano with amazing abundance and rapidity. And despite its hostile environment, a sole dandelion miraculously pushed itself up through a crack in the concrete. That dandelion was optimistic that it could and would survive.

In the long run, the forces of love and life always triumph over those of fear and death. No matter how challenging the obstacles or difficult the tests, there is always cause for optimism.

From the book:

Listening to Your Inner Voice by Douglas Bloch

Listening to Your Inner Voice © 1991, by Douglas Bloch

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DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrec #Optimism

  2
November

KEEPING OPTIMISM AFLOAT

The other Steps can keep most of us sober and somehow functioning. But Step Eleven can keep us growing . . .

~ THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 240 ~

A sober alcoholic finds it much easier to be optimistic about life. Optimism is the natural result of my finding myself gradually able to make the best, rather than the worst, of each situation. As my physical sobriety continues, I come out of the fog, gain a clearer perspective and am better able to determine what courses of action to take. As vital as physical sobriety is, I can achieve a greater potential for myself by developing an ever-increasing willingness to avail myself of the guidance and direction of a Higher Power. My ability to do so comes from my learning—and practicing—the principles of the A.A. program. The melding of my physical and spiritual sobriety produces the substance of a more positive life.

Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc

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Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Optimism

  1
September 

OPTIMISM


“Optimism is a kind of heart stimulant — the digitalis of failure.”

– Elbert Hubbard

Today I am an optimist. I believe in life, and more importantly, I believe in me. I know that God cares and this brings me hope.

But when I was drinking I had a negative and destructive attitude in all areas of life; nothing pleased me, people were not to be trusted, everybody had a price, God seemed to be “out for lunch” and life had lost its meaning. I was a sad man. I was a lonely man. I was an angry man.

When I was told to put down the drink and follow some new directions, I halfheartedly agreed. I met people who laughed, shared their pain and lived in the realistic “now”. I began to listen. Slowly I changed. Peace was within my grasp.

Today I wonder at my halfhearted risk that started it all — and thank God.

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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrec