Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Today's Gift
Slow Down and Live
Many of us rush through our days as well as rush through our meals. Often we let ourselves get so busy that we do not enjoy what we are doing or what we are eating. We swallow life in great gulps instead of savoring it moment by moment.
Hurry and busyness are forms of self-will. Deluded by an exaggerated sense of our own importance, we deem it crucial to perform all tasks and activities according to our personal schedule. Impatient with traffic tie-ups, other people's slowness, or unavoidable delays, we make ourselves tense and miserable by our refusal to accept life as it comes.
Time spent each day in quiet meditation can give us glimpses of God's timelessness. We see that our schedule is not that important after all, when measured against eternity. As the presence of God seeps into our consciousness, we relax into the fullness and peace of each moment. Trusting our Higher Power to order our lives, we can slow down and enjoy God's gifts.
May I exchange hurry and busyness for Your peace.
Many of us rush through our days as well as rush through our meals. Often we let ourselves get so busy that we do not enjoy what we are doing or what we are eating. We swallow life in great gulps instead of savoring it moment by moment.
Hurry and busyness are forms of self-will. Deluded by an exaggerated sense of our own importance, we deem it crucial to perform all tasks and activities according to our personal schedule. Impatient with traffic tie-ups, other people's slowness, or unavoidable delays, we make ourselves tense and miserable by our refusal to accept life as it comes.
Time spent each day in quiet meditation can give us glimpses of God's timelessness. We see that our schedule is not that important after all, when measured against eternity. As the presence of God seeps into our consciousness, we relax into the fullness and peace of each moment. Trusting our Higher Power to order our lives, we can slow down and enjoy God's gifts.
May I exchange hurry and busyness for Your peace.
You are reading from the book:
Food for Thought by Elisabeth L.
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Twenty-Four Hours A Day
Walk In Dry Places
Willpower Isn't the Power_____Power
We almost universally agree that willpower simply does not work as a direct force in overcoming alcoholism. The alcoholic/addict who believes that a strong will and determination bring sobriety is probably headed for disaster.
Willpower Isn't the Power_____Power
We almost universally agree that willpower simply does not work as a direct force in overcoming alcoholism. The alcoholic/addict who believes that a strong will and determination bring sobriety is probably headed for disaster.
In the same way, willpower is ineffective in dealing with a number of personal problems. In fact, the mustering of willpower seems to strengthen the problems or cuase them to take other forms. We know that we are using willpower on problems when there is a great deal of tension and anxiety in letting our Higher Power handle matters in a way that brings contentment and satisfaction. When excessive will is involved, we usually suppress feelings that ought to be expressed in positive ways.
The solution is not to fight problems in ourselves or in the outer world. By turning all matters over to the Higher Will, we will find the best way to deal with the evils within ourselves and with the opposition in our world. "Self-will run riot" was a problem in drinking, and it can be equality destructive in sobriety. Our will should be joined with the Higher Will for true success in living.
Action for the Day: I will rely on my Higher power as I go through the day. Higher Power can do the many things I cannot do for myself.
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One Day At A Time
Honesty
~ Scroll down for share ~
Only God can fully know what absolute honesty is.
Therefore, each of us has to conceive what this great ideal may be
-- to the best of our ability.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 172
Thought to Ponder . . .
Honesty isn't an event -- it's a process.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.
A MEMBER SHARES:
My name is Chip, and I'm an alcoholic. I came to AA because I'm a really nice guy -- I was already extremely honest -- I just drank too much. Oh, wait! That's a lie; at least part of it. I drank too much - mine, yours, and anything else I could find. I didn't get honest in the beginning out of any virtue. I was driven to my knees by alcohol to the point of desperation. I stood ready to do anything. Even to get honest. My head was in such a jam, my life such a lie, that I couldn't untangle that mess by myself. So I listened, and heard the truth about me come out of your mouth. I heard someone say, "When I wasn't drinking, I was thinking about drinking or getting over drinking." I had that moment of clarity that we hear about when it makes sense; when I realized this is the truth, I am alcoholic. I remember the first time I said that out loud at a meeting -- it was as if someone else was saying it. Soon afterward, I began to get a sense of peace, like being an alcoholic may not be a death sentence but the beginning of a new life. And so it has been with me. Honesty, the principle, is one I still have to practice. Not out of virtue, but out of necessity. If I don't, I start to believe that lie, "maybe this time it will be different, maybe I can drink like a gentleman." So, honesty is the core of this program for me. I've grown in leaps and bounds. There is still plenty of room for improvement. Thank you for my life.
Only God can fully know what absolute honesty is.
Therefore, each of us has to conceive what this great ideal may be
-- to the best of our ability.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 172
Thought to Ponder . . .
Honesty isn't an event -- it's a process.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.
A MEMBER SHARES:
My name is Chip, and I'm an alcoholic. I came to AA because I'm a really nice guy -- I was already extremely honest -- I just drank too much. Oh, wait! That's a lie; at least part of it. I drank too much - mine, yours, and anything else I could find. I didn't get honest in the beginning out of any virtue. I was driven to my knees by alcohol to the point of desperation. I stood ready to do anything. Even to get honest. My head was in such a jam, my life such a lie, that I couldn't untangle that mess by myself. So I listened, and heard the truth about me come out of your mouth. I heard someone say, "When I wasn't drinking, I was thinking about drinking or getting over drinking." I had that moment of clarity that we hear about when it makes sense; when I realized this is the truth, I am alcoholic. I remember the first time I said that out loud at a meeting -- it was as if someone else was saying it. Soon afterward, I began to get a sense of peace, like being an alcoholic may not be a death sentence but the beginning of a new life. And so it has been with me. Honesty, the principle, is one I still have to practice. Not out of virtue, but out of necessity. If I don't, I start to believe that lie, "maybe this time it will be different, maybe I can drink like a gentleman." So, honesty is the core of this program for me. I've grown in leaps and bounds. There is still plenty of room for improvement. Thank you for my life.
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Daily Motivation
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