In the world to come they will not ask me, "Why were you not Moses?" They will ask me, "Why were you not Zusya?" —Zusya of Hanipoli
We grow in the direction of the choices we make. That growth depends as much on how we make decisions as on which ones we make. Often in the past we tried to model ourselves after someone we admired. Our self-confidence was poor, so we depended on others to let us know if our decisions were correct, or we modeled our decisions on how we thought others would decide. Now we see that we can never become exactly like someone else and we need not try.
To each of us, our Higher Power gives a creative task and a problem - to take our special abilities and limitations and become whole men. We use standards for our choices based on our best ideas of right and wrong, of what fits with our inner feelings, and of what our Higher Power is guiding us toward. Unfinished and imperfect as we are, we become more peaceful as we become more fully ourselves.
May I be true to myself in the choices I make today? I am becoming the man that I admire.
From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men©
One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back of life. ---Eleanor Roosevelt
We’re going to have tough times. Maybe we don’t get a pay raise. Maybe we get fired. Whatever happens, don’t use alcohol or other drugs. Whatever happens, keep working the program. Our program will never turn its back on us. When tough times come, we can always turn to our meetings and sponsors. We’re lucky because we don’t have to face hard times alone. We have no reason to give up because our program will never give up.
So, pull closer to your program when times get tough. Call a friend and talk about your problems. Take in an extra meeting. All of this keeps us from turning our backs on life.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me believe that tough times are a chance to get closer to You.
Action for the Day: The program will always be there for me in tough times. Today, I’ll make a list of what to do to stay sober when tough times come.
If a strong inner core of peace, patience, and contentment
looks at all desirable to you, it can be found.
Remind yourself once in a while that maybe "Easy Does It"
is this day's ideal speed. The change can start right now, remember?
- Living Sober, p. 46
Thought to Ponder . . .
Rashness and haste make all things insecure: Take it easy!
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
O D A A T = One Day At A Time.
Daily Motivation
Your own terms
The timing of your effort can be just as important, and even more important, than the amount of effort. Acting early is much more effective than waiting until the last minute, and infinitely more effective than waiting until it’s too late.
It is not only frustrating to fall behind and to constantly be playing catch up. It also wastes your energy and wears you out.
Are you weary from always falling behind? You can actually make it easier on yourself by working ahead.
What happens when you put something off until the last minute? Not only do you eventually have to do it anyway, you also have to carry the burden of its necessity much longer.
Choose instead to look ahead, and to quickly do now what must be done. Keep reminding yourself that by taking action early, you get much more value out of that action.
Make the commitment to get out in front of your life. Instead of being enslaved by procrastination, you can be wonderfully free to live each moment on your own terms.
— Ralph Marston
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