Friday, March 11, 2011
Today's Gift
The influence of a beautiful, helpful, hopeful character is contagious, and may revolutionize a whole town. —Eleanor H. Porter
We have met certain people who inspired laughter, hope, or changes in us, or those close to us. We look forward to seeing them. We leave their presence believing in ourselves, aware that we can tackle whatever problems had us immobilized. That special gift to inspire is ours for the taking, too. The inspiration comes from our Higher Power.
We can look to our Higher Power for the strength we need. It will come. We can look also to our Higher Power for direction, for the steps we need to take today. And then wait. Those persons who inspire us have developed a secure connection to their Higher Power. And it's their connection that comes through them to inspire us.
We can take some time today, before the demands overwhelm us, to weave our connection to our higher power. When that contact is secure, we won't have to await inspiration from another person to forge ahead with our plans. The inspiration will live within us, and it will beckon us onward. Our way will be illuminated.
I shall meditate upon this. Conscious contact with my Higher Power is only a prayer away. My life will be brightened. My burdens will be lifted. My hopes will become realities, whenever I look to my Higher Power for the gift of inspiration.
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
Living with Bad Vibes____Human Relations
Some of us are sensitive to the feelings we pick up from people in the immediate environment. The feelings we sense from the people around us can be as powerful as odors and sounds. We can feel tense in the presence of domineering people, and we can be uncomfortable around people who seem resentful.
Acceptance and knowledge help us retain mastery of ourselves in these situations. But we don't have to tune in to another person's bad feelings, just as we wouldn't tune in to a radio station whose music bothers us. We can also detach from the situation in thought, just as Al-Anon trained spouses detach from alcoholics in a spirit of love and understanding.
The less we try to resist such a situation, the less power it has to disturb us. And the less involved we become with such situations, the sooner they seem to change. People in Twelve Step programs sometimes report miraculous changes when they adjust their own feelings. One frequently hears of outcomes such as this: "I learned not to let this person bother me, and two weeks later he was transferred to another department."
Action for the Day: My own sensitivity makes me vulnerable to good or bad feelings in the atmosphere. Recognizing them for what they are, I'll enjoy the good feelings and refuse to e disturbed or upset by those that seem bad.
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One Day At A Time
Rights
I realized for the first time that as a practicing alcoholic, I had no rights.
Society can do anything it chooses to do with me when I am drunk,
and I can't lift a finger to stop it, for I forfeit my rights
through the simple expedient of becoming a menace to myself
and the people around me. With deep shame came the knowledge too
that I had lived with no sense of social obligation nor had I known
the meaning of moral responsibility to my fellow men.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 549
Thought to Ponder . . .
It's not your fault, but it is your responsibility.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Aware.
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Daily Motivation
Great new treasures
Sincere, focused, purposeful effort is never wasted. Though it often does not bring the results you expected, it never fails to bring new value to your life.
Sometimes all you get is experience, greater strength, and the confidence of knowing that you can work with discipline and focus. Though those things may not seem like much at the moment, over time they will bring great treasure to your life.
Then there are the efforts that don't bring what you expected, but instead bring something even better than you could have imagined. When you're fully engaged in life, you tend to discover new paths to fulfillment that are far more amazing than anything you could have ever envisioned.
You cannot know for sure what the days and months and years ahead will bring. Yet you can be sure that the most fulfilling and enriching way to greet each new moment is in the active service of a meaningful purpose.
Sometimes your efforts can seem tiresome and downright exhausting. Consider, though, how truly fortunate you are to be in a position to make them, and even more so, to make them meaningful.
What great new treasures will your efforts bring you? Right now is when you have the opportunity to find out.
-- Ralph Marston
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