Monday, May 21, 2012
Today's Gift
To err is human; to blame it on the other guy is even more human. --Bob Goddard
We are on a path that leads us to become better people with greater insight and stronger character. A central theme on this path is learning to take responsibility for ourselves, our mistakes, and our choices as we deal with our situations. We can make progress on this path by noticing our defensive reactions when we make a mistake or when someone criticizes us. Our old ways were aimed at shifting the blame or counterattacking to get someone else off our case. Now we are learning how to take on the blame when it honestly belongs to us.
One of the first things we need to learn in taking responsibility is that there is no shame in making a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. But some people don't accept responsibility for them, and others do. We have much greater respect for someone who does. Admitting when we were wrong doesn't mean speaking in vague generalities, saying that "mistakes were made." It doesn't mean saying, "Yes, I did this, but only because you did that." It means saying what we did or didn't do and laying the facts out there for us and others to deal with. When we can do that, forgiveness almost always follows shortly.
Today I will hold back my defensiveness and admit the facts as they are.
From the book Wisdom to Know by Anonymous
********************************
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Keep It Simple
The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.---Marcus Aurelius
The struggles of life teach us a lot. They challenge our beliefs. As we struggle, we come to believe that our friends, family, and Higher Power will be there for us in hard times. But we must do our part. We need to call and honestly let people know how we are doing. We need to pray and ask our Higher Power for help. If we do these things, we'll come to respect and learn from hard times.
Prayer for the Day: I pray for the wisdom to see that struggles are part of live. Higher Power, I pray for Your help in not taking struggles too personally.
Action for the Day: I'll list four times I've struggled and what I learned from each stuggle. I'll share this with a friend.
***********************
One Day At A Time
Selfishness
Selfishness -- self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity,
we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. . .
Above everything, we alcoholics/addicts must be rid of this selfishness.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62
Thought to Ponder . . .
Self-righteousness is a loud din raised to drown the voice of guilt within us.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
W I S D O M = When Into Self, Discover Our Motives.
********************
Daily Motivation
Act on your dreams
Your most treasured dreams are far too valuable to be hidden away. Instead, put them into action so that they become real and vibrant contributions to your world.
Every moment will be filled with some activity or another. So fill as many of those moments as you can today with positive action.
You’re always moving in some direction or another. So move steadily in the direction of those things you value and treasure most.
It can be all too easy to get caught up in the empty distractions that continually come your way. But do you really want to waste your time and energy on them when there is so much more you can be doing?
Pick the most positive, valuable, magnificent thing you can imagine and put it into action. Let it fill your thoughts and fill your moments.
When each action, no matter what it may be, is taken as a step toward what you treasure most, the power of joy and purpose will fill your efforts. Put your dreams into action, and put your own special value into life.
— Ralph Marston
No comments:
Post a Comment