Walk in Dry Places May 26 2026

Today’s problem
Orderly living

Facing a vexing or even threatening problem, we sometimes feel a sense of hopefulness or futility. “How will I ever get through this situation?” we think.

The truth is we have probably worked our way through many situations much like today’s problem. It is a wonder, for example, that most of us survived the crises brought on by our compulsion. We will certainly be able to work through or around today’s problem.

The Twelve step program is a plan for mastering the problems of life. As we apply its principles in all of our affairs, we find improvements beginning to appear. We also can find the confidence and fortitude that we’ve always needed.

Knowing that my Higher power is in the midst of the situation, I’ll face today’s problem with the assurance of an outcome that will be for my highest good.

Today's Gift - May 12 2026

Every human being is a problem in search of a solution.

— Ashley Montagu

Each of us is a strong and fragile creature. We’re always subject to forces outside our control, and we’re learning steps for living that help us cope and rise above these problems. Our particular situation might seem special to us but in another sense, everyone’s situation is a unique problem. Spiritual growth is the result of coming face to face with our own situation, feeling the brunt of our own puzzlement, recognizing no recipe will apply completely, and then trusting our Higher Power as we make unsure responses.

No school or parent can ever teach us enough to smooth our search for solutions. We become complete human beings by living through the muddle, by truly trusting our connections with God and other people to carry us along until we find clarity again. We progress into adulthood when we meet our own particular life crises. We learn to see we have this process in common with every human being. Rather than resist our problems, we band together with others and pool our strength to find solutions.

My problems today are opportunities for spiritual growth.

From the book:



Touchstones by Anonymous

Touchstones ©1986, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation

Father Leo’s 11th Jan 2026

 11
January 

PHILOSOPHY


“To teach men how to live without certainty and yet without being paralysed by hesitation is perhaps the chief thing philosophy can do.”

—Bertrand Russell

I suppose the “Twelve Steps” are a practical philosophy of how to live positively with the disease of alcoholism: (a) Don’t drink. (b) Find a God in your life that is understandable. (c) Begin to make positive choices in attitudes and behaviours. (d) Let “never forget” be an essential part of the message.

The miracle of this philosophy is that it reaches out to so many who suffer with addictive compulsions and teaches us how to live with being imperfect. I believe the Twelve Steps are the answer to “The Fall” of man—we are going home to God. Let me see beyond the logic to Your loving energy.

Random Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous #essentialsofrecovery

There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the levelling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others...~ Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 25

THE EYE OPENER #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Solution

We cannot give the new man our conception of the Program and expect him to get the same results as we. This is particularly true of the spiritual phases of our thinking. We must each seek and find our own solution, but we can tell him how we did it; we can direct his thinking along spiritual lines so that he too will find a God of his understanding and work out a system of procedure that will make the Program work for him.

Published by Hazelden

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

JUST FOR TODAY #essentialsofrec #Recovery #NA #Addiction

Our Own Recovery

“The steps are our solution. They are our survival kit They are our defense against addiction, a deadly disease. Our steps are the principles that make our recovery possible.”
~ Basic Text, p. 19

There’s lots to like in Narcotics Anonymous. The meetings, for one, are great. We get to see our friends, hear some inspiring stories, share some practical experience, maybe even hook up with our sponsor. The campouts, the conventions, the dances are all wonderful, clean fun in the company of other recovering addicts. But the heart of our recovery program is the Twelve Steps—in fact, they are the program!

We’ve heard it said that we can’t stay clean by osmosis—in other words, we can’t just attend meetings, no matter how many, and expect to breathe recovery in through the pores of our skin. Recovery, as another saying goes, is an inside job. And the tools we use in working that “inside job” are the Twelve Steps. Hearing endlessly about acceptance is one thing; working the First Step for ourselves is something very different. Stories about making amends may be inspiring, yet nothing will give us the freedom from remorse that taking the Ninth Step ourselves will give. The same applies to all twelve steps.

There’s much to appreciate about NA, but to get the most from our recovery we must work the Twelve Steps for ourselves.

Just for today: I want everything my personal program has to offer. I will work the steps for myself.

© 1991 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services Inc

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

Marsha S. - AA Speakers - "Sharing with the Newcomer the Problem and Solution" #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Speakers #AA

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

RANDOM BIG BOOK ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS #essentialsofrec #BigBook #Quote

There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others…”
~There Is A Solution, pg. 25

Just For Today #essentialsofrecovery

“Acting As If”

“Today, we seek solutions, not problems. We try what we have learned on an experimental basis.”
Basic Text p. 55

The first time we heard that we should “act as if” many of us exclaimed, “But that’s not honest! I thought we were always supposed to be honest about our feelings in Narcotics Anonymous.”

Perhaps we can reflect on when we first came into the program. We may not have believed in God, but we prayed anyway. Or maybe we weren’t sure the program would work for us, but we kept coming to meetings regardless of what we thought. The same applies as we progress in recovery. We may be terrified of crowds, but if we act confidently and extend our hand, we’ll not only feel better about ourselves, we’ll find that we are no longer so frightened of large gatherings.

Each action we take in this vein brings us closer to becoming the people we were meant to be. Each positive change we make builds our self-esteem. Through acting differently, we will realize that we are beginning to think differently. We are living ourselves into right thinking by “acting as if.”

Just for today: I will take the opportunity to act as if I can accept a situation I used to run from. 

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

Ebby T. - Gave Bill The Solution

DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrecovery

A COMMON SOLUTION

The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action. This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism.

~ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 17

The most far-reaching Twelfth Step work was the publication of our Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. Few can equal that book for carrying the message. My idea is to get out of myself and simply do what I can. Even if I haven’t been asked to sponsor and my phone rarely rings, I am still able to do Twelfth Step work. I get involved in “brotherly and harmonious action.” At meetings I show up early to greet people and to help set up, and to share my experience, strength and hope. I also do what I can with service work. My Higher Power gives me exactly what He wants me to do at any given point in my recovery and, if I let Him, my willingness will bring Twelfth Step work automatically.

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 #essentialsofrecovery

Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

Going with the Flow
Problem solving.

It’s surprising how many problems solve themselves when we’re willing to turn them over to our Higher

Power. This isn’t a self-fulfilling prophecy brought about by suspicious beliefs we can actually find proof of this seemingly providential activity in our lives.

We don’t have to convince anybody except ourselves that this process works. What we can prove is that some of our best opportunities come about by what we would call chance or coincidence. Indeed, the first meeting of two AA founders could be called such a chance event.

We need to believe that our Higher Power is working ceaselessly for the upward development of the human race, and Twelve Step programs can be essential forces in this upward development. In our own lives, we can go with this flow of ever-increasing good, as we continue to feel ourselves a part of it.

I will not wrestle with every problem today. Some problems will be dealt with later and some will seem to solve themselves. I will know that I am part of an upward development that is continuing.

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

Twenty-Four Hours A Day #essentialsofrecovery

A.A. Thought For The Day

“The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We who have found this solution to our alcoholic problem, we who are properly armed with the facts about ourselves, can generally win the entire confidence of another alcoholic. We who are making the approach to new prospects have had the same difficulty they have had. We obviously know what we are talking about. Our whole deportment shouts at new prospects that we are people with a real answer.” Am I a person with the real answer to the alcoholic problems of others?

Meditation For The Day

For straying from the right way there is no cure except to keep so close to the thought of God that nothing, no other interest, can seriously come between you and God. Sure of that, you can stay on God’s side. Knowing the way, nothing can prevent your staying in the way and nothing can cause you to seriously stray from it. God has promised peace if you stay close to Him, but not leisure. You still have to carry on in the world. He has promised heart-rest and comfort, but not pleasure in the ordinary sense. Peace and comfort bring real inward happiness.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may keep my feet on the way. I pray that I may stay on God’s side.

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

EASY DOES IT #essentialsofrecovery

NO EASY SOLUTION

There is no chemical solution to a spiritual problem.

~ Anonymous ~

We are faced with a dilemma in recovery. On the one hand, we have a physical disease that will kill us if it is not treated. On the other hand, medical science knows of no cure for our physical malady. The real problem for us is spiritual in nature. That is why the medical profession can’t cure us. Until we treat the symptoms, there can be no cure. The solution to the real problem is the long-term treatment of our spiritual lives, and this can only begin when we quit using.

We have watched men and women stop without getting into recovery. Their lives do not become that much better. They are usually said to be on a “dry drunk.” The stoppage of the disease halts its progression. The recovery Program promotes long- term treatment.

What an order! I can’t go through with this. There is no easier, softer way. There is no pill I can take to make me better. There is no chemical solution to a spiritual problem.

©1990 by Anonymous, Published by Hazelden 

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

DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrecovery

A COMMON SOLUTION

The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action. This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism.

~ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 17 ~

The most far-reaching Twelfth Step work was the publication of our Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. Few can equal that book for carrying the message. My idea is to get out of myself and simply do what I can. Even if I haven’t been asked to sponsor and my phone rarely rings, I am still able to do Twelfth Step work. I get involved in “brotherly and harmonious action.” At meetings I show up early to greet people and to help set up, and to share my experience, strength and hope. I also do what I can with service work. My Higher Power gives me exactly what He wants me to do at any given point in my recovery and, if I let Him, my willingness will bring Twelfth Step work automatically.

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 #essentialsofrecovery

A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrecovery

I truly want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

~ Kathy Kendall 

Honestly assessing how we perceive our experiences reveals how prone we are to create problems. Seeing the glass as half-empty is a habit, perhaps one we can’t imagine breaking. Fortunately, now we are surrounded by the good example of other people. Through listening at meetings we learn that the women we most admire understand our outlook. They have had it too.

We are in the company every day of women who have changed in the very ways we want to change. No matter how hopeless we feel at times, their very presence reminds us that we can do what they have done. Turning to their Higher Power was their solution. And that’s ours too. We can turn to our Higher Power every time we begin to dwell on some experience, making it a bigger problem than it needs to be. Turning to our Higher Power becomes easier with practice and, in time, newcomers will admire our perspective, just as we have admired the perspective of others.

I can emulate the good example of other people today rather than getting stuck in a problem. It’s all in how I look at my opportunities.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation 

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

Daily Tao / 295 – Solutions #essentialsofrecovery

Don’t be afraid to explore;
Without exploration there are no discoveries.
Don’t be afraid of partial solutions;
Without the tentative there is no accomplishment.
Indecision and procrastination are corrosive habits. Those who wait for every little thing to be perfect before they embark on a project or who dislike the compromise of a partial solution are among the least happy. Ideal circumstances are seldom given to anyone for an undertaking. Instead there is uncertainty in every situation. The wise are those who can wrest great advantage from circumstances opaque to everyone else.

Wanting everything in life to be perfect before you take action is like wanting to reach a destination without travel. For those who follow Tao, travel is every bit as important as the destination. One step after another : That is still central to the wisdom of Tao.

Every day passes whether you participate or not. If you are not careful, years will go by and you will only have regrets. If you cannot solve a problem all at once, at least make a stab at it. Reduce your problems into smaller, more manageable packages, and you can make measurable progress toward achievement. If you wait for everything to be perfect according to your preconceived plans, then you may well wait forever. If you go out and work with the current of life, you may find that success comes from building upon small things.

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

Walk In Dry Places #essentialsofrecovery

Going with the Flow
Problem solving.

It’s surprising how many problems solve themselves when we’re willing to turn them over to our Higher

Power. This isn’t a self-fulfilling prophecy brought about by suspicious beliefs we can actually find proof of this seemingly providential activity in our lives.

We don’t have to convince anybody except ourselves that this process works. What we can prove is that some of our best opportunities come about by what we would call chance or coincidence. Indeed, the first meeting of two AA founders could be called such a chance event.

We need to believe that our Higher Power is working ceaselessly for the upward development of the human race, and Twelve Step programs can be essential forces in this upward development. In our own lives, we can go with this flow of ever-increasing good, as we continue to feel ourselves a part of it.

I will not wrestle with every problem today. Some problems will be dealt with later and some will seem to solve themselves. I will know that I am part of an upward development that is continuing. 

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

Twenty-Four Hours A Day #essentialsofrec

A.A. Thought For The Day

“The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We who have found this solution to our alcoholic problem, we who are properly armed with the facts about ourselves, can generally win the entire confidence of another alcoholic. We who are making the approach to new prospects have had the same difficulty they have had. We obviously know what we are talking about. Our whole deportment shouts at new prospects that we are people with a real answer.” Am I a person with the real answer to the alcoholic problems of others?

Meditation For The Day

For straying from the right way there is no cure except to keep so close to the thought of God that nothing, no other interest, can seriously come between you and God. Sure of that, you can stay on God’s side. Knowing the way, nothing can prevent your staying in the way and nothing can cause you to seriously stray from it. God has promised peace if you stay close to Him, but not leisure. You still have to carry on in the world. He has promised heart-rest and comfort, but not pleasure in the ordinary sense. Peace and comfort bring real inward happiness.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may keep my feet on the way. I pray that I may stay on God’s side.

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

Keep It Simple #essentialsofrec

There are time we must grab God’s and walk forward.

— Anonymous

Sometimes we struggle with being part of the problem, instead of being part of the solution.
Inside we know this, but somehow we can’t Let Go and Let God.

To let go takes faith that the outcome will be okay. When we have faith, we know our Higher Power believes in us and will guide us. When we have faith, we believe in ourselves.

When we let go, we let go of our need to always be right. Letting go first takes place on the inside. Letting go allows us to change how we view what’s happening. Often, all we really need is this change of attitude. This is the beauty of faith: it allows us to see the same thing in different Ways.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, permit me to let go. Let me see that believing in You must also mean believing in myself.

Action for the Day: I will review my life since entering the Twelve Step program. I will work at seeing what good partners my Higher Power and I make.

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