Daily Motivation 4-16-2012

Monday, April 16, 2012

Today's Gift

 

Two things a man should never be angry at: what he can help, and what he cannot help. --Thomas Fuller

 

In the Serenity Prayer, we pray for the wisdom to know the difference between what we can change and what we cannot. That distinction can be hard for many of us to recognize. When we finally see the reality clearly – that some things we face cannot be controlled by our own will or fixed by force – new possibilities open up to us. When we stop trying to move a mountain, our relationship to the mountain changes. We start to live at peace with the mountain. At the same time we can take greater responsibility for those parts of our lives that we can change.

 

Peace of mind comes from accepting what we can do nothing about and taking responsibility for what we can.

 

Today I pray for the wisdom that helps me know the difference.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

From the book Wisdom to Know by Anonymous

 

********************************
Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Keep It Simple

 

In the face of an obstacle which is impossible to overcome, stubbornness is stupid. --Simone de Beauvoir

 

Sudden obstacles, barriers in the way of our progress, doors that unexpectedly close, may confuse, frustrate, even depress us. The knowledge that we seldom understand just what is best for us, comes slowly. And we generally fight it, even after we've begun to understand. Fortunately, the better path will keep drawing us to it.
We may wonder why a door seems to have closed. Our paths are confounded only when our steps have gone astray. Doors do not close unless a new direction is called for. We must learn to trust that no obstacle is without its purpose, however baffling it may seem.

 

The program can help us understand the unexpected. We perhaps need to focus on the first three Steps when an obstacle has surfaced. We may need to accept our powerlessness, believe there is a higher power in control, and look to it for guidance. We may also need to remind ourselves that fighting an obstacle, pushing against a closed door, will only heighten our frustration. Acceptance of what is will open our minds and our hearts to the better road to travel at this time.

Action for the Day: The obstacles confronting me invite me to grow, to move beyond my present self. They offer me chances to be the person I always dreamed of being. I will be courageous. I am not alone.

 

***********************

One Day At A Time

 

Letting Go
Now I'm beginning to see that letting go doesn't mean giving up.
It means opening myself up to new vistas.
There have been moments of what I would call ecstasy.
I'm thrilled and I'm scared at the same time. I feel, "I'd better not enjoy this,
because it is going to go away." It's so hard for me to say,
"Okay, you've had a little insight. Just let it happen!" The AA Program says,
"Look, we've got some things to give you that are really going to help --
if you'll slow down long enough and if you'll relax."
- Came To Believe . . ., p. 41

Thought to Ponder . . .
Get a grip on letting go.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
N O W = No Other Way.

 

********************
Daily Motivation

Get it finished

When you have to choose between getting it perfect and getting it finished, get it finished. Even when it’s inconvenient and uncomfortable, get it finished.

Are there other things you’d rather be doing? Go ahead, finish what you’ve started, and then you can more fully enjoy moving on to those other things.

Don’t waste your time wishing for it to be easier, or resenting that you must get it done. Stop fighting against your own effort, and put all your energy into getting the job finished.

Give your perspective a positive boost with some effective, productive effort. Follow through on your intentions and commitments, and get it done.

It was important enough for you to start, so go ahead and get it finished. Get it finished, and bring new value to your world.

Accomplishment feels so much better than idleness, wishful thinking or resentment. Make the effort, tackle the challenges, get it finished, and enjoy some good, solid, fulfilling accomplishment along the way.

— Ralph Marston