Daily Motivations 8-16-2010

Monday, August 16, 2009

Today's Gift

Love is a force. It is not a result; it is a cause. It is not a product; it produces. It is a power, like money, or steam or electricity. It is valueless unless you can give something else by means of it. —Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Love and feeling loved - how often both elude us! We have taken the first step, though. Let's be grateful for our recovery; this is an act of love. We have chosen to love ourselves, and the program opens the way to our loving others. Love and loving are balms for the soul sickness we experience. We are being healed. We are healing one another.

Loving others means going beyond our own selfish concerns, for the moment, and putting others' concerns first. The result is that others feel our love. They feel a caring that is healing. And our spiritual natures are likewise soothed.

We find God and ourselves through touching the souls of one another. Our most special gift is being loved and giving love. Every moment we spend with another person is gift-giving time.

Every day is a gift-giving holiday, if I will but make it so.

From Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women by Karen Casey ©

 

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Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Keep It Simple

 The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.---Benjamin Spock

In recovery, we each rebel against our disease. Each day we fight for the freedom to stay close to our Higher Power, friends and family. It's mainly a quiet battle. It's fought daily. We fight and win by acting in a spiritual way. We fight and win every time we help a friend, go to meetings, or read about how to improve our lives. We move slowly but always forward. Rushing will only tire us out. Our battle will go on for life. We are quiet fighters, but we're strong, for we do not fight alone. And we know what waits for us if we lose. 

Prayer for the Day:  Higher Power, help me stay free. When I want to give up, help me realize this is normal. Help me to keep fighting at these times.

Action for the Day:  Today, I'll be a rebel. I will go to an extra meeting, or I'll talk with my sponsor. I'll find a way to help someone without the person knowing.

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One Day At A Time

Encouragement
~ Scroll down for share ~

Many of us exclaimed, "What an order! I can't go through with it."
Do not be discouraged.
No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence
to these principles. We are not saints.
The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines.
The principles we have set down are guides to progress.
We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. - Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 60
Thought to Ponder . . .Every recovery from alcoholism began with one sober hour.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.

A MEMBER SHARES:
I'm Vikki -- I'm thinking I'm an alcoholic - 'one is too many and 1000 not enough' fits me. I don't pray; I don't know how, and don't want to learn. I lost my dad when I was 13, my mom at 21, been married since I was 18. Life hurts me so deep inside, I can't breathe. I trust these people here, and I keep coming back. But my hurt and pain is so long. I lived a million nightmares. I sit here at this computer reaching out to anyone who will listen to me. I hurt so bad, but I take the responsibility for myself. I have no God. No one. But I do have my husband and you, and I can't help it if I don't believe like you do. Thanks for letting me share.

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Daily Motivation

Let life inspire you

Let life inspire you. No matter what happens, you can choose to be inspired by it.

If you make a mistake, let it inspire you to be more careful and diligent next time. When you're having a great time, let it inspire you to create even more positive experiences.

Each time you see kindness, be inspired to pass it forward. If you encounter deception or injustice, feel inspired to raise your world above it.

Anything can inspire you when you choose to let it. You can even be inspired for no reason at all.

Be inspired by the big accomplishments and by the small, simple moments as well. An inspired life is a life that's rich, and it's a life you can choose no matter what.

If there's a reason to be inspired or if there is not, be inspired. Bring your spirit fully to life, and raise your life to a higher, more enriching level.

-- Ralph Marston