Daily Motivation 1-4-2012

Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Today's Gift

We can be redeemed only to the extent to which we see ourselves.--Martin Buber

"One of the best ways I know to get in touch with myself," a woman explained, "is to write my thoughts and feelings. When I express my reactions to the happenings of life - in the privacy of a journal - I can more easily sort out and work through my positive and negative feelings. A journal is a great tool for self-knowledge. And I don't have to be a ‘great writer' to have it work. All I have to have is an earnest desire to know myself.

"You know, I've often surprised myself with my own insight and common-sense solutions to seemingly hopeless situations. And all I did was take time to clarify my thoughts by writing them down. It's wonderful to discover my deepest feelings and values. It's even greater to share my thoughts after they're clear in my own mind. Not only do I benefit from journal writing. But all my loved ones do too!"

TODAY - I will take time to get to know myself by putting my thoughts and feelings on paper. Clarifying my attitudes and reactions will help me share my concerns with others more calmly and serenely. I will also get a better perspective of myself and my experiences.

From the book The Reflecting Pond by Liane Cordes

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Twenty-Four Hours a Day

 

Keep It Simple

 

Like an old gold-panning prospector, you must resign yourself to digging up a lot of sand from which you will later patiently wash out a few minute particles of gold ore. --Dorothy Bryant

Sometimes we feel buried in sand, blocked, clogged, unable to move. Then we must remember that we are not alone. Help is at hand, if only we will ask for it. If we invoke our higher power, our source of spiritual strength can help us to believe that there is gold somewhere in all this sand, and that the sand itself is useful.

No one and no thing is good all the time. Let us remember that if we expect nothing but gold, we are distorting life, getting in our own way. We don't want to falsify the texture of our lives; the homespun quality helps us to appreciate the gold when it appears.

 

Action for the Day: I will find some gold among the sand, today.

 

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One Day At A Time

Any Length
If you have decided you want what we have
and are willing to go to any length to get it --
then you are ready to take certain steps.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 58

Thought to Ponder . . .
The express elevator to sobriety doesn't work -- please use the Steps.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.

 

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Daily Motivation

Extreme advantage

Before you make a plan, make a connection. Connect your plan with a purpose that is genuinely yours.

To reach whatever you plan, you must plan to reach something that has real and captivating meaning for you. To make your plan succeed, define the success of that plan in a way that resonates with who you are.

Doing something just because everyone else thinks it’s a good idea, won’t give you much drive or determination or commitment. An important key to success is knowing precisely what success means to you.

You have what it takes to reach whatever goal you truly desire. The way to reach your full potential is to make sure you are fully engaged in the endeavor.

Align your intentions with your convictions, and you’ll be able to put the full power of those convictions into your efforts. Follow a purpose that is your very own, and you’ll always be able to find an effective way forward.

Give your intentions and your efforts an extreme advantage. Let them flow from the power of your purpose.

— Ralph Marston