Daily Motivations 12-23-10

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Today's Gift

There are no riches above a sound body, and no joy above the joy of the heart. —Anonymous

Holidays are a wonderful and exciting time of year - a time to enjoy snowflakes falling, company coming, and presents. Sometimes we find ourselves concentrating solely on the wrapped presents and forgetting about the presents of the heart. With God's help, we can begin to notice such things as the hug from a brother or sister, the laugh of a grandparent or the hand-drawn card given to us by a friend. All of these wonderful presents and more are ours for the taking; we need only to see beyond the wrapped packages. It is then we will fully experience the joys of the heart.

How many gifts do I see around me right now?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©

 

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

Twenty-Four Hours A Day

 

Keep It Simple
 
We not only need to be willing to give, but also to be open to receiving from others.---from On Hope

 

Many of us took so much from others during our addiction that now we may not want to ask for anything.
We may be afraid to ask for help, so our needs go unmet. In fact, many of us would rather give than receive. In recovery, we need to understand the difference between taking and receiving. Giving to others is important. So is receiving from others. As we grow spiritually, we learn to accept gifts. The gift of sobriety teaches us this. We need to accept the gifts the world gives us without shame. We are entitled.

Our Higher Power loves us and will give us much if we're willing to receive it.

 

Prayer for the Day:  Higher Power, help me be receptive to Your gifts. Help me see and believe that I'm entitled to all the happiness of the world.

 

Action for the Day:  I'll think of what a friend has given me. I'll thank this friend.

 

 

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

One Day At A Time

 

Finding Identity
Every day I feel a little bit more useful, more happy and more free.
Life, including some ups and downs, is a lot of fun.
I am a part of AA which is a way of life.
If I had not become an active alcoholic and joined AA,
I might never had found my own identity or become a part of anything.
In ending my story I like to think about this
- Experience, Strength and Hope, p. 363
Editor's note: Countess Felicia G. was an early member. Read her NYTimes obit at http://silkworth.net/aahistory_names/updates/FeliciaGobit1999.html

Thought to Ponder . . .
It's kind of fun to do the impossible.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A W O L = A A Way Of Life.

 

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

Daily Motivation

From where you are

 

No matter how far you've fallen behind, you can choose at any point to start moving forward. Even though nothing else may be going your way, you can decide to get your thoughts and actions going your way.

 

Success is a function of your direction and persistence, not your starting point. When you're ready to start making a positive difference in your own life and in the lives of others, any starting point will do just fine.

 

You are where you are, so accept and embrace the situation. Then find some valuable and useful aspect of it that you can utilize to get yourself going.

 

From where you are, you can move in any direction you choose. From where you are, you can eventually reach any destination you are committed to reaching.

 

It will happen not because of where you've already been or what others have told you. It will happen when you decide to make it happen.

 

Now is when you can make that decision, and take control of your future. From where you are, with your passion to make it happen, anything is possible.

 

-- Ralph Marston