ONE DAY AT A TIME #essentialsofrecovery

PATIENCE

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.”

Saint Augustine

(354 – 430) The Bishop of Hippo, was a philosopher and theologian
and one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity.

Patience is an area that I have had some REAL problems with in the past. I had a tendency to want – what I want – NOW! That included recovery. Gaining recovery, as I would eventually realize, is not the same as earning a university credit. It is a process not an end result. You have to be willing to learn to do things in HP’s time and manner rather than your own. What began to happen was – the more impatient I became – the more life tended to resist my efforts. It took a long time for me to realize this. Instead of calming down, I would get even more impatient and struggle even harder. Eventually, I would have a big meltdown and feel like a fool afterwards.

The end result was absolutely no different for having done this. It took time for me to muster the willingness to do things in HP’s time and manner. But when I did – life became much more peaceful and things had a tendency to work themselves out – without all the dramatics.

One Day at a Time . . .

I will learn to patiently and willingly do things in HP’s time and manner.

~ Rob R.  

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One Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery

WISDOM

“Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it becomes too proud to weep, too grave to laugh,
and too selfish to seek other than itself.”

Kahlil Gibran

When I heard the serenity prayer at the first OA meeting I attended, I didn’t understand what it meant to accept what I couldn’t change, have courage to change the things I could, and wisdom to know the difference. I said it at each meeting and hoped that eventually I would somehow find that wisdom. It was quite some time into my recovery when I finally understood what having wisdom really meant.

Before Program, I never accepted things or people the way they were. I felt paralyzed by my fears about what wasn’t working in my life. This fear kept me from seeing what I could change, or even try to change, in my life.

I finally realized that before coming into the Program I had put on a mask and never let anyone know the real me. I didn’t know how to laugh or cry, and I certainly never knew how to reach out to others because it was always about me and my unfortunate life.

But once I finally allowed myself to be real and vulnerable with others, miracles began to happen. I became more willing to accept people and places as exactly the way they should be at that time. I was able to walk through my fears and learn what I could change in my life. To my delight, when I became more vulnerable to others it didn’t make me weak; rather, I felt a strength and power flow through me and I became more able to know the difference between what I could or couldn’t change, and for me, that is wisdom.

One day at a time…

May I always be willing to know the difference between what I can and cannot change.

~ Sharon S.  

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A Day At A Time #essentialofrec

Reflection For The Day

“It is the privilege of wisdom to listen,”  Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote.  If I try as hard as I can to cultivate the art of listening — uncritically and without making premature judgments — chances are great that I’ll progress more rapidly in my recovery.  If I try as hard as I can to listen to the feelings and thoughts expressed — rather than to the “speaker”  — I may be blessed with an unexpectedly helpful idea.  The essential quality of good listening is humility, which reflects the fact that God’s voice speaks to us even through the least of most inarticulate of His children.  Does a holier-than-thou attitude sometimes close my mind to the shared suggestions of others?

Today I Pray

May my Higher Power keep me from being “holier-than-thou” with anyone whose manner or language or opposite point of view or apparent lack of knowledge turns me off to what they are saying.  May I be listening always for the voice of God, which can be heard through the speech of any one of us.

Today I Will Remember

Hear the speech, not the speaker. 

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Daily Tao / 191 – Fields #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Tao #Taoism #Buddhism

Worship by cultivating nine fields :
Diet. Herbs. Clothing. Recitation.
Movement. Meditation. Creativity. Teaching.
And most important : Compassion.


Worship is not a matter of making an obeisance to a god. It is a matter of achieving godlike qualities in yourself. This is done through the cultivation of nine areas :

Diet should be moderate, healthy, and of living foods. If you want to be sustained, eat things that themselves sustained life.

Learn to use herbs, for they heal and maintain health

Be moderate in your clothing; wear natural fibers. What you wear is an expression of your state of mind

Recitation includes prayer, song, chanting, and finally, the practice of silence. What you say becomes reality

Stretch, move, and exercise every day. The universe moves; so too should the energy within your body

Meditate every day — once in the morning and once in the evening, if possible. Only then will you attain tranquility and triumph over your dilemmas

Be creative. Thus we contribute, and thus we elevate our souls

Acquire a good education. Treasure what you learn, and preserve it so that it may be passed on to others. Never be selfish with what you know

Above all, be compassionate. This is a stand against all evil, and it opens your spirit

People ask, “How can I worship properly?” Cultivate these nine fields

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Daily Tao / 188 – Caring #essentialsofrec #Tao #Zen #Taoism #Buddhism

Don’t go out looking for good deeds to do,
But if one comes your way, do not refuse.
If you meet someone who is suffering,
You must help them.


What good is self-cultivation and wisdom if you just keep it for yourself? Knowledge is meant to be used, and if you can use it on behalf of others, you should.

There was once a man who prayed daily to a particular god among many in the temple. Eventually, he noticed that the incense he lit drifted over all — other gods were getting the benefit of his efforts! He built a paper cone over the incense burner so that all the smoke would be directed right at the nose of his god. Unfortunately, this turned the face of his god black with soot.

Those who follow Tao believe in using sixteen attributes on behalf of others : mercy, gentleness, patience, nonattachment, control, skill, joy, spiritual love, humility, reflection, restfulness, seriousness, effort, controlled emotion, magnanimity, and concentration. Whenever you need to help another, draw upon these qualities. Notice that self-sacrifice is not included in this list. You do not need to destroy yourself to help another. Your overall obligation is to complete your own journey along your personal Tao. As long as you can offer solace to others on your same path, you have done the best that you can.

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Keep It Simple #essentialsofrec #Livining #Wisdom #Recovery

The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.—Marcus Aurelius

The struggles of life teach us a lot. They challenge our beliefs. As we struggle, we come to believe that our friends, family, and Higher Power will be there for us in hard times. But we must do our part. We need to call and honestly let people know how we are doing. We need to pray and ask our Higher Power for help. If we do these things, we’ll come to respect and learn from hard times.

Prayer for the Day: I pray for the wisdom to see that struggles are part of life. Higher Power, I pray for Your help in not taking struggles too personally.


Action for the Day: I’ll list four times I’ve struggled and what I learned from each stuggle. I’ll share this with a friend.

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Keep It Simple #essentialsofrec #Wisdom #Program

Anyone who follows a middle course is called a sage.

— Maimonides

Much of the wisdom of our program is about how to live in the middle. We learn how to pause and think before we act. We ask, “What is the best way to handle this?” We look for the smooth part of the road. Our actions tell us who we are. We listen to our actions, and we think about them. This listening and thinking takes time. This slows us down. It’s good for us. It gives us time to talk with our Higher Power. After all, we want our actions to come from the new values our Higher Power has given us. Thus, over time we act and feel wiser. The wisdom of the program becomes part of who we are.

Prayer for the Day: I pray that I I don’t get caught up in the rush of the day. Higher Power, teach me to stop and think, to seek Your wisdom.


Action for the Day: Today, I’ll set aside time to think, meditate, and be alone. I will listen to what’s inside me

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A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrec #Healing #Wisdom

Healing is learning to trust my own wisdom, my own intuition.
~ Mary Zink ~

Being insecure is common with our disease. Some think insecurity triggered our abuse of chemicals. Yet it doesn’t matter which came first, the chemical abuse or the insecurity. They were good partners for years. Unfortunately, the partnership left us bankrupt!

Getting into recovery is like putting money in the bank. Working the Steps, going to meetings, getting a sponsor, being a sponsor, and taking time every day to commune with our Higher Power are I he deposits we make in our account. When we hit u rough spot, we have something to fall back on.

Believing that we can think clearly about the important matters in our lives is concrete progress. Our confidence about handling problems is growing. In time, what used to baffle us no longer will.

I am wise. I’ll know what to do today in every situation if I open my heart to my Higher Power.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

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

LIES

“It takes a wise man to handle a lie; a fool had better remain honest.” 
–Norman Douglas

As a drinking alcoholic I was telling so many lies to cover the lies I had previously told that I got lost in a maze of untruth! Most of the lies were stupid, irrelevant and harmless – but they were all aimed at building up my ego. Making me look good. Telling people I had more. My memory could not keep up with my tongue and I became guilty, ashamed and embarrassed.

Today I need to remember that there is nothing any lie can give me that I need; there is nothing in the world of fabrication that I need; I have what I need.

Today I have a relationship with a God and Friend that I can understand and be vulnerable with; I don’t need to be perfect to be loved.

Help me to seek the good life in those things that are good.

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DAILY ZEN #ESSENTIALSOSREC #ZEN #BUDDHISM

A person of wisdom should be truthful, without arrogance, without deceit, not slanderous and not hateful. The wise person should go beyond the evil of greed and miserliness.

Do not get excited by what is old, do not be contented with what is new. Do not grieve for what is lost or be controlled by desire.

-Sutta-nipata, translated by H. Saddhatissa 

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AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX #essentialsofrec #Knowledge #Wisdom

INSUFFICIENCY OF KNOWLEDGE
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).
Most people, and learned people especially, have all kinds of knowledge that
does not in the least affect or improve their practical lives. Doctors know all
about hygiene, but often live in an unhealthy accumulated wisdom of the ages,
and assent to most of it, continue to do foolish and stupid things in their own
personal lives. Now, knowledge such as this is only opinion, or head
knowledge, as some people call it. It has to become heart knowledge, or to be
incorporated into the subconscious, before it can really change one. The modern
psychologists in their efforts to “re-educate the subconscious” have the right
idea, though they have not yet discovered the true method of doing so, which is
by single-minded prayer, or the Practice of the Presence of God.

Jesus, of course, thoroughly understood all this, and that is why he stresses
the fact that we have to be pure in heart.

© 1931 by Emmet Fox

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Elder’s Meditation of the Day #essentialsofrec #sioux #Native

“All living creatures and all plants derive their life from the sun. If it were not for the sun, there would be darkness and nothing could grow the earth would be without life.”

–Okute, TETON SIOUX

This is why we call the sun, Father Sun. Father Sun shines life on Mother Earth and from this Father and Mother all life forms exist and continue to reproduce. The Sun shines on all; it is not selective. We should not allow anything to block the Sun from shining on the Earth. We must not pollute the air because the pollutants block the light of life to the Earth. If the Earth cannot receive this light, then life will start to be affected. We must live in harmony with the Sun and Earth. Otherwise, we are harming ourselves.

My Creator, give me the wisdom to live in harmony with all things.

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AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX #essentialsofrec #Judgement #Knowledge

DIG DEEPER

The study of the Bible is not unlike the search for diamonds in South Africa. At first people found a few diamonds in the yellow clay, and they were delighted with their good fortune, even while they supposed that this was to be the full extent of their find. Then, upon digging deeper, they came upon the blue clay, and to their amazement found as many precious stones in a day as they had previously found in a year.

In your exploration of Bible Truth, see to it that you do not rest satisfied in the yellow clay of a few spiritual discoveries, but press on to the rich blue clay underneath. The Bible, however, differs from the diamond field in the sublime fact that beneath the blue clay there are more and still more richer strata, awaiting the touch of spiritual perception—on and on to Infinity.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:133).

© 1931 by Emmet Fox

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A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrec #Recovery #Wisdom

No one can tell you which choices to make. We can only show you by good example.
~ Jan Pishok 

We are attracted to men and women who share their wisdom and their hope freely, to people whose behavior reflects thoughtfulness of others. We recognize the love that radiates from some people as they enter a room or speak to others. We are nil creating examples for others in every move we make.

One of the first principles we learned about recovery was that this is a program of “attraction rather than promotion.” Though we may not have understood the meaning initially, we now appreciate how valuable that principle is. None of us like to be told what to do. Even when we ask for advice, we seldom really want it. But we can willingly follow the example someone sets, particularly 11 the outcome was successful. Let’s learn from the good example of others. Let’s be good examples as well

I am someone’s example for healthy behavior today. I won’t steer anyone wrong.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation

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THE EYE OPENER #essentialsofrec #Wisdom

You cannot know and appreciate wisdom unless you are also acquainted with a liberal amount of pure folly. Folly provides the lessons that really stick in our memories and provide danger signals to govern our decisions in our future conduct.

For that reason the lessons learned overnight in a jail cell outlast those acquired after long periods of study. Believe you me, those lessons are seldom forgotten.

Published by Hazelden

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The Wisdom of Forgiveness , The Dalai Lama , Part 2

DAILY ZEN #essentialsofrecovery

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art  of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of  non-essentials."

~ Lin Yutang

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DAIly ZEN #essentialsofrecovery

A person of wisdom should be truthful, without arrogance, without deceit, not slanderous and not hateful. The wise person should go beyond the evil of greed and miserliness.

Do not get excited by what is old, do not be contented with what is new. Do not grieve for what is lost or be controlled by desire.

-Sutta-nipata, translated by H. Saddhatissa 

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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

A WOMAN’S SPIRIT #essentialsofrecovery

No one can tell you which choices to make. We can only show you by good example.

~ Jan Pishok 

We are attracted to men and women who share their wisdom and their hope freely, to people whose behavior reflects thoughtfulness of others. We recognize the love that radiates from some people as they enter a room or speak to others. We are nil creating examples for others in every move we make.

One of the first principles we learned about recovery was that this is a program of “attraction rather than promotion.” Though we may not have understood the meaning initially, we now appreciate how valuable that principle is. None of us like to be told what to do. Even when we ask for advice, we seldom really want it. But we can willingly follow the example someone sets, particularly 11 the outcome was successful. Let’s learn from the good example of others. Let’s be good examples as well

I am someone’s example for healthy behavior today. I won’t steer anyone wrong.

© 1994 by Hazelden Foundation 

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One Day At A Time #essentialsofrecovery

WISDOM

“Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it becomes too proud to weep, too grave to laugh,
and too selfish to seek other than itself.”

Kahlil Gibran

When I heard the serenity prayer at the first OA meeting I attended, I didn’t understand what it meant to accept what I couldn’t change, have courage to change the things I could, and wisdom to know the difference. I said it at each meeting and hoped that eventually I would somehow find that wisdom. It was quite some time into my recovery when I finally understood what having wisdom really meant.

Before Program, I never accepted things or people the way they were. I felt paralyzed by my fears about what wasn’t working in my life. This fear kept me from seeing what I could change, or even try to change, in my life.

I finally realized that before coming into the Program I had put on a mask and never let anyone know the real me. I didn’t know how to laugh or cry, and I certainly never knew how to reach out to others because it was always about me and my unfortunate life.

But once I finally allowed myself to be real and vulnerable with others, miracles began to happen. I became more willing to accept people and places as exactly the way they should be at that time. I was able to walk through my fears and learn what I could change in my life. To my delight, when I became more vulnerable to others it didn’t make me weak; rather, I felt a strength and power flow through me and I became more able to know the difference between what I could or couldn’t change, and for me, that is wisdom.

One day at a time…

May I always be willing to know the difference between what I can and cannot change.

~ Sharon S.   

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