Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Today's Gift
He wanted to hold onto his fury, to guard it like a treasure. He would not let it be stolen from him . ... But already, he felt it slipping, softened by Ben's compassionate touch. —Joe Johnston and Nilo Rodis-Jamero
The glassblower is an artist who takes broken glass and melts it in a very hot furnace. Then the glassblower blows through a long tube and creates objects such as cups and plates and pieces of art.
The sharp edges of our anger are like pieces of broken glass. We all have things in our lives that anger us - it is only human to bump into our sharp edges. One edge might be crabby, another silent and withdrawn, and still another yelling and screaming.
The heat of love and compassion can melt our anger. This may take the form of sympathy for ourselves, or for the people we love. More often, it is the compassion of those around us that helps melt our anger. Sometimes saying I'm sorry is a good way to melt anger and find the love underneath it.
What beauty can I create with my anger today?
From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©
Choosing to participate actively in our own lives ushers in joy and sometimes fear. We are energized by our conscious involvement; making thoughtful choices regarding our development heightens our sense of well-being. But occasionally we may fear potential failure. About as frequently, we may fear probable success.
Not every day do we want the responsibility for our lives; but we have it. On occasion we only want the loving arms of a caretaker. The beauty of our lives at this time is that we do have a caretaker at our beck and call, a caretaker who has demonstrated repeatedly a concern for our safety, a caretaker who will help us shoulder every responsibility we face.
Clearly, our coming to this program shows that we have chosen to act responsibly. And just as clearly, every day that we ask for the guidance to live to the best of our abilities, we will be helped to accomplish the tasks right for us in this stage of our lives.
I try to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart
cannot entertain great conceits.
When brimming with gratitude,
one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love,
the finest emotion that we can ever know.
- Daily Reflections, p. 63
Thought to Ponder . . .
Grateful is a feeling. Gratitude is an action.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Awesome.
Daily Motivation
Easy and comfortable
If you want to be comfortable, get a good mattress, and have a good, comfortable eight hours of sleep each night. Then, with the other sixteen hours in every day, you can enthusiastically deal with the difficult challenges, knowing that soon you’ll be in your comfortable bed again.
A life filled with nothing but ease and comfort is a very empty life indeed. If all you do is what’s easy and comfortable, you’ll miss out on all but a tiny fraction of life’s richness.
The most authentically fulfilling things are not the easiest things. You know that from past experience.
The times you’ll treasure most are the times when you’re able to make a real and meaningful difference. To bring true, lasting value into your world you must venture away from what’s easy and comfortable.
If you wish to choose success and achievement, then you must choose to be comfortable with not being comfortable some of the time. The easy things have already been done, so choose to do the difficult, complicated, challenging things that will bring great value.
In the long run, easy is not really so easy, because it leads to painful regret for the opportunities missed. Avoid saddling your future self with that regret by jumping fully into life in every waking moment.
— Ralph Marston
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