Daily Motivation 1-13-2012

Friday, January 13, 2011

Today's Gift

 

The adventure of connection is to speak out. . .

 

The feeling of connection we yearn for with our partner comes when we speak what is on our mind; we have to stop guessing what each other feels and stop guarding against all offenses. A relationship with vitality is not so guarded that we constantly have to avoid rubbing each other the wrong way. We expect offenses and misunderstandings occasionally.

 

The greatest offense we can commit in an intimate relationship is dishonesty. Perhaps when we speak to our partner we will not express what we really mean on our first try. Or we will not realize how our partner feels about what we say until he or she tells us. In vibrant and living relationships people agree that they will keep talking when someone feels hurt, misunderstands, or disagrees. The adventure of connection is to speak our thoughts and feelings in their complete form, and then continue to talk until they become clear and understood.

 

Tell your mate something you have been guarding in your mind.

 

From the book: The More We Find In Each Other by Merle Fossum and Mavis Fossum

 

 

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Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Keep It Simple

The greatest gift we can give one another is rapt attention to one another's existence. --Sue Atchley Ebaugh

We all want to matter to others. Very often in the past and sometimes in the present, our behavior screams for the attention we seek from others. Perhaps, instead of trying to get attention, we ought to give it. The program tells us we have to give it away in order to keep it. Wisdom of the ages also dictates that in life there are no accidents. Those people close to us and those just passing through our lives have reason to be there. Giving attention to another's humanity is our calling.

Action for the Day: I will fully attend to another person I have occasion to be with today. They will matter to me, and my attention will matter to them.

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One Day At A Time

Instant Magic

Whenever I start climbing the walls for some reason -- usually because
I'm unable to have things my way, like the behavior of my boss,
my son's attitude, or even my country's politics -- I have an instant cure.
I close my eyes and visualize one of the many moments
of past horror and humiliation: waking up in the street,
begging a stranger for money, talking my way into buying a bottle on credit,
or trying to convince a doctor to hospitalize me because I had nowhere to go.
This and the Serenity Prayer always work instant magic.
- AA Around the World, p. 33

Thought to Ponder . . .
Pray to God, row to shore.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A S A P = Always Say A Prayer.

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Daily Motivation

Just a little progress

Even just a little progress, is progress. Even the smallest step forward is very much worth taking, because it maintains a positive momentum.

If you’re not moving ahead as fast as you’d like, don’t get discouraged. Get creative, get inspired, get focused and get truly enthusiastic about the direction you’re going.

Then, take the next step, and keep yourself moving steadily toward the goal. Remind yourself that even when you’re going slowly, you’re going solidly in the direction you’ve chosen.

Yes, the setbacks will certainly come, and when they do, you’ll know exactly how to quickly recover because you’ve been doing it all along. Get back up, face forward, and take the next step.

Even if it were possible, you wouldn’t want all your dreams to be fulfilled at once. It’s far more satisfying to savor each milestone as it comes, and to know that there will be many more.

Spend this day celebrating, enjoying and making use of your chance to make a little progress. Feel how great it feels to continue moving forward.

— Ralph Marston