Thursday, January 6, 2011

Daily Motivations 1-6-11

Thursday, January 6, 2011
Today's Gift

There are as many ways to live and grow as there are people. Our own ways are the only ways that should matter to us.  —Evelyn Mandel

Wanting to control other people, to make them live as we'd have them live, makes the attainment of serenity impossible. And serenity is the goal we are seeking in this recovery program, in this life.

We are each powerless over others, which relieves us of a great burden. Controlling our own behavior is a big enough job. Learning to behave responsibly takes practice. Most of us in this recovery program have behaved irresponsibly for much of our lives. Emotional immaturity is slow to depart, but every responsible action we take gives us the courage for another - and then another. Our own fulfillment is the by-product of the accumulation of our own responsible actions. Others' actions need not concern us.

Today, I will weigh my behavior carefully. Responsible behavior builds gladness of heart.

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

 
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Twenty-Four Hours A Day
 
Walk In Dry Places
 
Erasing Old Tapes___Living Today
The human brain works like a tape recorder. With great fidelity, this built-in recorder stores up old memories that are recalled at surprising times. There are two kinds of these "old tapes" that are dangerous to the recovering alcoholic/addict.
 
One dangerous old tape is a bitter memory of an unkind word or cruel action that hurt us deeply. This kind of memory comes back to destroy our peace of mind or to intensify feelings of low self-esteem. Equally dangerous is another old tape:  the recollections of a drinking experience that may have seem enjoyable.  When we run an old tape of this kind, we are revealing that we still wish we could drink or use.

Our recovery shows us how to erase these old tapes. Forgiving the people who hurt us can erase bitter memories and resentments. We can eliminate the desire to relive pleasure in drinking experiences by looking honestly at the total effect of alcohol or drugs on our lives. We cannot relive the past, but we can use the lessons of the past to make our lives what they can be today.
 
Action for the Day: Today, I will not be troubled by anything from the past. I cannot change what happened five minutes ago, but I can refuse to entertain thoughts that will harm me.
 
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One Day At A Time
 
A Gimmick
If we examine every disturbance we have, great or small,
we will find at the root of it some unhealthy dependency
and its consequent unhealthy demand. Let us, with God's help,
continually surrender these hobbling demands.
Then we can be set free to live and love. . .
Of course I haven't offered you a really new idea -- only a gimmick
that has started to unhook several of my own "hexes" at depth.
- The Language of the Heart, p. 238

Thought to Ponder . . .
We surrender to win.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
K I S S =
Keep It Simple, Surrender.


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Daily Motivation
 
Absolutely convinced
The way to get yourself to do anything is to first accept that you must do it. Until you stop fighting against yourself, you'll never get much done.
It is common and natural to avoid difficult, challenging effort. Even so, you can always choose to allow yourself to make the effort.
 
You absolutely have the ability to do the necessary work and reach whatever goal you set for yourself. To fully unleash that ability, you just have to fully and sincerely buy into the goal.
 
It is essential that you completely convince yourself of the worthiness and desirability of what you intend to do. Once you are absolutely convinced, you'll be absolutely committed.
 
The most important person to have on your side is you. Once you are truly convinced and committed, you'll be able to get other people convinced and committed.
 
When it means everything to you, you'll make the commitment to do whatever it takes. And with that total commitment, you'll get it done.
 
-- Ralph Marston

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