Daily Motivations 3-17-11

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Today's Gift

The reward of friendship is itself. The man who hopes for anything else does not understand what true friendship is. —Saint Ailred of Rievaulx

The comfort of a true friend in a time of trouble, the strength we sense in being with someone who truly knows us, the affirmation of life that comes with enduring friendships - no other experience is like these. Recovery, once our addictive behaviors end, is mostly through relationships. In this program we are developing a friendship with ourselves, with other men and women, and with our Higher Power.

True friendship happens when we lower our guard and let our feelings show. It happens when we listen without judgment. It accumulates over time in many little experiences with someone. There is friendship in returning to someone when we feel offended or hurt so the relationship can be repaired - and in returning to him when we have been the offender. Sometimes friendship means humility, or accepting our worthiness to be forgiven. The development and deepening of our friendships, with other men, with women, and with ourselves sustains us in recovery.

Today, I will be true in my friendships.

From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men ©

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

 

Walk In Dry Places

 

Living Today
 
Handle Today's Problem
Many of us face seemingly insurmountable
difficulties, perhaps because of our compulsion or simply through
misfortune. Whatever the scale of our problems,One Day at a
Time and First things First, are keys to handling them.

Today, we can deal only with today's problems. One of today's problems, of course,
may be worrying about the future. A good method of handling that problem
is to turn our concern about it over to our Higher Power. But when
we do have work that clearly should be done today, we must carry through
with it. It's neither reasonable nor sensible to put off things that we
can and should do today.

 

Action for the Day: There are certain tasks and responsibilities that must be dealt with
today. I will not put them off.

 

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One Day At A Time

 

Perspective
The course ahead began to look easier.
For we had started to get perspective on ourselves,
which is another way of saying that we were gaining in humility.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 47-48

Thought to Ponder . . .
My perspective will change my perception.
My perception will change my experience. My experience is my life.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O P E = Having Optimistic Perspective Every day.

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Daily Motivation

 

Get yourself to love it

 

If you want to get yourself to do it, get yourself to love doing it. Whatever you love to do, you're always eager to do.

But how do you find the way to love doing something that may not seem so lovely? Make yourself fully aware of the reasons why you do it.

 

Even with the most unpleasant job, there's a positive reason somewhere within you why you have chosen to do it. Understand and appreciate that reason, and you'll have something to genuinely love about the job.

In some way, everything you do is connected to what you greatly value. Otherwise, you simply would not do it.

 

Instead of resenting what you must do, rejoice about what you can do to make a meaningful difference.

 

Instead of being ashamed of yourself for avoiding the task, be delighted with yourself for getting out in front of it and getting it done.

 

If you do what you love, you'll soon become successful. When you truly love what you do, success is already yours.

 

-- Ralph Marston