Daily Motivations 7-9-2010

Friday, July 9, 2010

Today's Gift

And if not now, when?
--The Talmud

It's so easy to put things off. Sometimes we're like Scarlet O'Hara, who hoped and dreamed for a better life by saying, "There's always tomorrow." But is there always a tomorrow? If we live too many of our days counting on tomorrows, we may find ourselves putting off achievements and growth now.

What if tomorrow never came? What if all of our time to do what we wanted was put in the hours left in today? We'd be scurrying around like mice trying to cram as much as we could into this short period of time. But today, not having such a deadline, we believe our time is endless and no goal or task is so important that it can't be put off.

The time to achieve is now. The time to live is now. For as long as we believe tomorrow will come, we'll be living for tomorrow. If we don't believe today is the greatest gift we could receive, we'll never know how to live for today. Everything we want to achieve, to learn, to share can begin today. If we don't live the best we can right now, then when?

Higher Power, help me learn to use my time wisely. Help me avoid putting things off.

You are reading from the book:

Night Light by Amy E. Dean

BONUS

The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. --Herbert Spencer

We sometimes wish we could protect friends or loved ones from the consequences of their actions. We'd like to pick up the pieces after they've made a mess of their lives. Or we fail to look at the dark side of someone's motives because we want only the best. Perhaps it is our controlling willfulness that tries to make things into what we want, rather than accepts things as they really are.

In our masculine recovery, a deeper love allows us to have a respectful distance from others. When we truly care about someone, we don't snatch him or her out of his or her learning experience. When we allow our loved ones and friends to confront the natural consequences of their own actions, they learn and grow just as we do. We can be with a friend, but we are no one's Higher Power.

Today, I will be respectful of others by letting them walk their path while I walk mine.

From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men ©

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

Keep It Simple

The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. —Herbert Spencer

Do we think we can't be happy until others are happy? Then nobody is happy. Our unhappy friends won't take our advice. They say,” Why should I do what you say? You are not happy either." And we answer, "I'll be okay when you're happy." We make them responsible for our happiness. What a mess!

We can only make one person happy---ourselves. How? By living as our Higher Power leads us. By working the Steps. By being grateful for the good things in our lives. By loving ourselves and others, just as we are. And maybe when we're happy, our friends will learn from us. They can be happy too. But only our friends can make themselves happy.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, as I do my part in Your plan today, help me feel connected to You and to life.

Today's Action: Today I'll enjoy my happiness. I'll look for three ways to share it with others.

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One Day At A Time

Easy Does It

We must learn to walk before we can run. That's why we have these slogans.
I use that "Easy Does It" every day, to slow me down a little.
I have to watch myself all the time.
So I don't just take the inventory at night -- I take it continually throughout the day.
Before I step out and do anything, I stop and check it over first,
and then let my conscience be my guide.
~ Experience, Strength and Hope, p. 410

Thought to Ponder . . .
Rashness and haste make all things insecure: Take it easy!

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
P A U S E = Patience And Understanding Succeed Every time.

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Daily Motivation

A big enough dream

How big is your dream? Make sure it's big enough to overwhelm all the challenges.

Are life's pains and problems and annoyances getting to you too often? Though you can't stop them from popping up, you can stop them from dragging you down.

When you're passionate about where you want to go, you'll more easily deal with all the things that happen where you are. When you focus on what's on the other side of the challenges, you'll find the strength to persist through those challenges.

There is a beautiful purpose within you. It is a purpose so compelling that it absolutely will not allow you to give up.

Open yourself to the truth of who you are, and you open yourself to that purpose. Allow that purpose to inspire you, connect with it, and tap into its undeniable power.

Express that purpose with a dream that is too big and too wonderful and too meaningful to abandon. With a big enough dream, anything is possible.

-- Ralph Marston