Thursday, December 2, 2010
Today's Gift
The old woman I shall become will be quite different from the woman I am now. Another I is beginning . . . —George Sand
Change is constant. And we are always becoming. Each chance, each feeling, and each responsibility we commit ourselves to adds to the richness of our womanhood. We are not yesterday's woman, today. Our new awarenesses have brought us beyond her. And we can't go back without knowing, somehow, that she no longer meets the needs of today.
We can look forward to our changes, to the older woman we are becoming. She will have the wisdom that we still lack. She will have learned to live and let live. She will have acquired, through years of experiences, a perspective that lends sanity to all situations.
The lessons we are learning today, the pain that overwhelms us now and again, are nurturing the developing woman within each of us. If only we could accept the lessons and master them. If only we could trust the gift of change that accompanies the pain.
I am becoming. And with the becoming, comes peace. I can sense it today. I know where I was yesterday.
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
...we tried to carry this message to alcoholics...--Second part of Step 12.
In this part of Step 12, we carry the message of hope. But it's not up to us if anyone accepts the message or not. This keeps us from playing God. We just gently deliver the message. We don't force the program down people's throats. In general, Step Twelve tells us, “Be helpful to those we can help.” When a neighbor is sick, mow her lawn. When a friend is in the hospital, visit him. Step Twelve reminds us that we make a difference. We have hope to give the world. And hope is what we stand for to the addict who still suffers. Hope is what we stand for to the addict's family. How beautiful to stand for hope! Remember when our lives stood for despair?? What a change!
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me shine brightly as a symbol of Your hope.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll help someone in need. It may be an alcoholic or other drug addict, or just someone in need. I'll help make the world a better place.
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One Day At A Time
Merry-go-round
I began to feel like a clown juggling too many balls.
Each ball represented a problem I was keeping up in the air.
My arms were weary and I knew I couldn't keep on much longer,
but I was not about to give up. My pride and ego wouldn't let me.
Bosses, judges, co-workers, lawyers, car notes, bar tabs, loan sharks,
utility payments, landlords, my girlfriend, people I had double-crossed --
I looked to all these as the source of my problems,
while overlooking the most basic problem: my drinking and myself.
I'd known for a long time that I desperately wanted off this merry-go-round,
but I had no idea how to do it.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 506
Thought to Ponder . . .
The solution is simple. The solution is spiritual.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.
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Daily Motivation
Smile at life
No matter what else you have or do not have, you have the beautiful experience of life. No matter what may have happened before, or what might come next, you have this moment.
Now is when you can make it count. Now is when you are connected with unbounded opportunities to make a positive difference.
Don't waste your time complaining about what you lack or worrying about what you might lose. Invest the best of what you have in this moment to create new value.
If you choose to be annoyed or resentful, you'll only drag yourself down. Instead, challenge yourself to be more positive and effective than you've ever been, right now.
Smile at life, even when life has not smiled at you first. Be the first one to initiate goodness, and you'll be the first one to benefit from that goodness.
You are here, and there is nothing to fear. Count your blessings, and before you're finished counting you'll have even more.
-- Ralph Marston
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