Daily Motivations 6-9-2010

Wednesday, Jun 9, 2010

Today's Gift

We need the courage to start and continue what we should do, and courage to stop what we shouldn't do. --Richard L. Evans

What is courage? Many of us think it involves surviving against all odds. Some of us believe courage is personified by an individual like Helen Keller, who coped with many physical defects to vastly change her life and the lives of those around her. Others of us believe courage is personified by people like astronaut John Glenn, who took risks trying something new knowing he could fail.

Are we courageous? Compared to those people we would probably say no. Yet we are because we have taken risks to change our lives. Being willing to change is an act of courage. Believing in change and forging ahead on the new, uncharted path is an act of courage.

We are the only ones who can change ourselves. Just as Helen Keller and John Glenn made decisions to alter their lives, so do we make decisions to risk changes. Whether we started on our new way of life years ago, days ago, or even hours ago, we are filled with courage because of the decisions we made.

I can say the Serenity Prayer and remember my courage.

You are reading from the book:

Night Light by Amy E. Dean

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

Keep It Simple

Anyone can blame; it takes a specialist to praise.---Konstantin Stanislawski
Are we blamers? We sure were blamers when we were using alcohol and other drugs. Then everything was someone's fault. Some of us did our blaming out loud. And some of us blamed others silently.
It's harder to praise than to blame people. Faults stand out like street
signs, but the good things about people may be harder to see. We can see the good in people when we slow down, watch, and listen.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me pay attention to people around me. Help me praise them.

Action for the Day: Today, I'll list three people who mean a lot to me. I'll write what I like about each of them. I'll talk to them and tell them what I wrote.

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One Day At A Time

Letting Go

~ Scroll down for share ~

I found myself in the midst of a journey into darkness, separated from God . . .
I had to realize that of myself I had no power to help myself.
The day came, by the grace of God, when I had that "moment of truth."
- Came To Believe, p. 42

Thought to ponder . . .
When I struggle, I sink. When I let go, I float.

AA-Related 'Alconym' . . .
L E T G O = Leave Everything To God, Okay?

A MEMBER SHARES:
My name is Jennifer, and I am an alcoholic. “Let Go and Let God“-- wow, that’s a hard one for me right now. I was diagnosed with cancer a year ago this month. I have a good number of years in the program (9 years), so I wasn't new to sobriety. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I am 32 years old, and am not in any way of an age when you would look at your life and say, "Ok I'm ready; I have done what I needed to do here." Then the big thought hit -- "You mean to tell me that I got clean and sober, went back to school, am a year from getting my Masters Degree and you're going to give me cancer? You've got to be kidding me, right, God?" I had no idea how I was ever going to get through this. I started treatment, and 5 months ago, they pronounced me as being in remission. My husband and I rejoiced, we all breathed a big sigh, and I got over my resentment toward God. I hadn't let God through it, though -- I hadn't let God at all. I put on the “happy, joyous, I'm strong, I'm a fighter” face. My husband had just lost his mother 2 months before I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. When he heard I had cancer again, he just fell apart -- he hasn't gone to one doctor’s appointment with me. But I have friends; friends who went with me, friends who held my hand and brought me home to my hubby who, while he couldn't handle the doctors, was absolutely wonderful at taking care of me when I was sick. Well, I went into remission and started planning a party, a graduating-with-my-Masters Degree, 10-year sober, 10-year married, 1 year in remission party. Then, 3 months later, the doctor said, "The cancer has moved from the uterus to the ovaries, you have to start treatment again, and we need to be more aggressive." That was God’s way of saying, "Hey there, remember me? You didn't drink through it, you didn't drug through it, you went to meetings through it, and you went to school through treatment, but you forgot to let Me do it, too. You didn't let go, you didn't let Me help.” I was humbled. Right then and there, I started working 12 Steps. The First being admitting that I have cancer and without God’s help it is unmanageable. A friend who introduced me to the program when I started drinking at 15 brought me to this room, where I found all of you, and I learned that when I let go and let God, He leads me to the people I need to see. Thanks for letting me share.

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Daily Motivation

Now you can
What thought are you holding that is holding you back? Now you can let it go.

Nothing will come when you try to get it. Now you can stop trying and let it be.

The task is as difficult as you decide to make it. Now you can choose to let it easily and naturally flow.

The little things can give you an excuse to stop, or a place from which to jump to a higher level. Now you can be more authentic and effective than ever.

Proceed with the assumption that you will, and you will. Now you can make a valuable difference.

Touch the vision of who you wish to be, where you wish to go, and how you wish to live. Now you can let it come fully to life.

-- Ralph Marston