When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. —Helen Keller
In the game of musical chairs, everyone walks around a circle of chairs. When the music stops, they scramble for the nearest open chair. If we were playing this game and found the nearest chairs taken, wouldn't we quickly look around for the next open one? To remain immobilized, angry that the chair we wanted was taken, would undoubtedly lose our place in the game.
Sometimes in life, we set our sights on a particular chair. Perhaps there is an award we want to win, or we want to be the high scorer on our team. Perhaps there is a promotion or a job we would like to get. When we do not get what we want, it is easy to keep looking at what we didn't get instead of seeing all we have.
It is important to be grateful for what we have - for the open doors and empty chairs waiting and inviting our attention. Loss and disappointment are a part of life - but the music will play again and our lives can move on.
What is available to me today?
From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©
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Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Walk In Dry Places
Unselfishness
Have I ever been helped?
Sometimes we hear hard luck stories by people who claim they never "had a single helping hand." Everybody was against them.
It's true that certain people have had more than their share of abuse and abandonment. But it's hard to believe that helping hands haven't been extended... acts of kindness, often made by selfless but ordinary people.
Our problem has been in recognizing such helping hands. Lost in self-pity, we could hardly have recognized help when it was given. Nor were we capable of giving constructive assistance to others.
Furthermore, if people were against us, we may have provoked it. Our task is to change our thinking about the past and to be grateful for the people who were kind to us.
Action for the Day: I realize that there are kind and decent people who have helped me. There are many such people in the world, and I want to be one of them.
Selfishness -- self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, and self-pity,
we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. . .
So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making.
They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an example of self-will run riot,
though he usually doesn't think so.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62
Thought to Ponder . . .
Avoidance is not the key; surrender opens the door.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
P R I D E = Personal Recovery Involves Deflating Ego.
Daily Motivation
Leading expert
You are the world’s leading expert when it comes to your own life. You know better than anyone else what you truly desire, what’s most important to you, and what you most enjoy doing.
It’s always helpful to consider the advice and opinions of others. Yet it’s rarely ever a good idea to let anyone else make your decisions for you.
A lifetime of experience has given you a unique and valuable perspective on what’s best for your life. When you’re seeking some good advice, be sure to listen to your own.
Yes, it’s easier to blindly follow someone else’s advice than it is to think for yourself. Plus, when things don’t work out you have someone to blame.
You’re far better off, however, following your own best instincts when it comes to the direction of your life. Sure, that means you must take full responsibility, and yet with that responsibility comes the possibility of real fulfillment.
Listen to others, learn from others, and let their positive examples inspire you. Then decide for yourself, move confidently forward and live the life you were truly meant to live.
— Ralph Marston
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