Happiness is not a matter of events; it depends upon the tides of the mind.—Alice Meyvell
It's thought that Abe Lincoln once said, "We're as happy as we make up our minds to be." In other words, we decide to be happy. Bad weather, lost toys, broken plans, even angry friends don't have to ruin our own happiness unless we let them. We're always in control of our own thoughts and feelings, and happiness is a feeling we can choose even when others around us have chosen to be angry or sad. Even when the day is gloomy and none of our plans are working out, we can still be cheerful if we decide to be. How lucky we are that someone else can't decide for us how to feel. We'd be nothing more than robots if that were true.
Am I ready to make this day a happy one?
From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©
Bonus
Through spontaneity we are reformed into ourselves. Freed from handed-down frames of reference, spontaneity becomes the moment of personal freedom when we are faced with a reality, explore it, and act accordingly. —Viola Spolin
Living in the here and the now opens up untold possibilities for new growth. Our inner self is enticed in new directions when our attention is fully in the present. When our minds are still on last night's argument or tomorrow's board meeting, we wear blinders to the activity at hand. And God, as our teacher and protector, resides in this experience, in the hearts of these people present.
Every single moment has something for us. Maybe a new piece of information. A piece that solves a problem that's been puzzling us. Perhaps a chance to make a new friend, one who will be there in a time of need.
Letting go of yesterday frees us. We need not be burdened. It is gone. Our lives could be eased, so much, if we kept our focus on the experience at hand, where the problems we ponder have their solutions. Always.
I will greet today, skipping, smiling, ready for the answers, the truths, the directions meant only for me. The wonders of today will bless me.
From Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women by Karen Casey ©
Most of the evils of life arise from man's being unable to sit still in a room.---Blaise Pascal
How heartily we AA's can agree with him.
for we know the pains of alcoholism had to come before sobriety,
and emotional turmoil before serenity.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 3
Thought to Ponder . . .
Hold your face up to the Light,
even though for the moment you do not see.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Achieve Anything.
A MEMBER SHARES:
Hello all, Jennifer here, definitely an alcoholic. Recovery is all about turning problems into unimaginable blessings. When I got sober, I was all about the problems. I'd say, "You don't understand!" But you did understand. I was physically and mentally sick. Today, after 18 years of dealing with life on life's terms, I see that it is a blessing, even with the changes I constantly go through. Each new day brings a surprise. When I was well enough to travel, I found this wonderful group where I met a lot of you folks and put a face with the screen name -- it brings me even closer to all of you. This program has given me a spirituality that I wouldn't trade for the world. It allows me to handle situations, which used to baffle me. My friend and I both have physical challenges, and once said that we both were blessed to have these life challenges. She said, "It allows us to advance spiritually much quicker than those who don't" -- and what a gift that is. The AA program allows this for all who chose to participate in it. Thanks for reminding me that out of darkness comes Light, and that many things, which others may see as problems, are truly blessings. I am all about solutions today. Hugs to all, and with that I pass. Thanks!
Daily Motivation
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