Daily Motivations 8-5-2010

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Today's Gift

The bottom line is that I am responsible for my own well-being, my own happiness. The choices and decisions I make regarding my life directly influence the quality of my days. —Kathleen Andrus

There is no provision for blaming others in our lives. Who we are is a composite of the actions, attitudes, choices, decisions we've made up to now. For many of us, predicaments may have resulted from our decisions to not act when the opportunity arose. But these were decisions, no less, and we must take responsibility for making them.

We need not feel utterly powerless and helpless about the events of our lives. True, we cannot control others, and we cannot curb the momentum of a situation, but we can choose our own responses to both; these choices will heighten our sense of self and well-being and may well positively influence the quality of the day.

I will accept responsibility for my actions, but not for the outcome of a situation; that is all that's requested of me. It is one of the assignments of life, and homework is forthcoming.

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

*******************************

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

Walk In Dry Places

Problem Solving

Can We Fix Other People's Problems?
In Twelve Step work, we never run out of people who face serious problems. We're often tempted to use our own expertise and resources to fix these problems for others.

This can be a mistake. It is always risky to undertake such assignments without a great deal of thought and understanding. Such attempts to fix others usually deal only with symptoms rather than causes.

Unless another person is totally helpless, the best course is to share experiences and knowledge with others, but to leave the problem solving to them. We should not encourage anyone to become dependent on us, nor should we set ourselves up as godlike individuals who have all the answers. We actually may be showing off instead of helping, and we may also be robbing others of the self-confidence and growth that come from fixing their own problems.

Action for the Day: I'll share my experiences and hope today, while refraining from trying to fix people. I don't have answers for everybody, and it's wrong to believe I do.

***********************

One Day At A Time

Housecleaning
Few people who have ever had a hangover could forget
how unreasonably irritable it makes you feel.
Sometimes, we took it out on family members, fellow workers, friends,
or strangers who certainly had not earned our displeasure.
That tendency can hang around awhile after we start staying sober,
the way wraiths of stale smoke do in a closed-up barroom,
reminding us of drinking days -- until we do a good mental housecleaning.
~ Living Sober, p. 40

Thought to Ponder . . .
Trust God. Clean house. Help others.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Accountable Actions

********************

Daily Motivation

Calmly determined

You can be determined without being frantic. You can be powerfully purposeful without thrashing around and bouncing off the walls.

Let your sense of determination come not from fear, but from love. Focus your energy not on what you wish to avoid, but on what you intend to create.

In a calm and peaceful spirit there is great power. When driven by a positive purpose, you'll always have the energy to move forward.

There may certainly be situations you detest, that you wish to move quickly away from. Yet when that is your only focus, when you're constantly looking backwards, you're more likely to stumble.

Choose where you do want to be, what you do want to experience and the life you do want to lead. Make your goals positive, and your actions will be immensely more effective.

Be calmly and persistently determined to achieve what you have chosen to achieve. And you'll find ways to put every day, and every circumstance, to work in your favor.

-- Ralph Marston