Thursday, September 13, 2012
Today's Gift
Love, a thousand, thousand voices,
From night to dawn,
from dawn to night,
Have cried the passion
of their choices
To orb your name and keep it bright.
—William Rose Benet
We are each in the midst of unique lives, and our choices are based on our own experiences, so it's only natural that they all be different. One of us may choose to go to jail for protesting nuclear weapons; another may choose to pray for peace. Both are working for the same goal.
It is a sign of our love to respect others' right to choose for themselves, even to make choices we may not agree with. Perhaps a brother or sister likes music we hate, or a son or daughter wants to wear an unusual style of clothing. How often do we, in the name of love, try to force our choices on others? When we give the gift of letting loved ones choose what is right for them, it strengthens our ability to choose what is right for us.
Whose choices can I honor today, even if I disagree?
From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©
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Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Keep It Simple
This above all: To thine own self be true. ---William Shakespeare
What does this saying mean: “To thine own self be true”? Hadn’t we thought
only of ourselves before recovery? The answer is no. That wasn’t the real us.
Each of us lost touch with our real self because of our addiction. We lost our
goals, our feelings, our values. We chased the high. In this way, we lost our
spirit. We became addicts.
With sobriety, we find ourselves again---and it feels great! We stop playing a
role and become ourselves---and it’s wonderful. We follow our dreams and
beliefs, not some addictive wild goose chase. We are again free to be ourselves.
Thank you. Higher Power.
Prayer for the Day: Today, I pray to be myself, to know all of me. I can trust
myself because my spirit is good.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll pray: “thine own self be true.”
Daily Reprieve
It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels.
We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe.
What we really have is a daily reprieve
contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 85
Thought to Ponder . . .
Life will take on new meaning.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
G I F T S = Getting It From The Steps
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Daily Motivation
Practice persistence
The most valuable experiences are often the most difficult experiences. The biggest challenges bring out the best in you, and compel you to make your best even better.
Difficult situations are not much fun. Yet by working your way through them, you create great strength and value.
Even when your hard work is not fully appreciated or immediately rewarded, it still brings important value to your life. The experience of dealing with challenge can produce a lifetime of beneficial dividends.
When you know you have done it in the past, you also know you can do it again. That is the essence of true confidence.
The difficult experiences give you the opportunity to practice persistence. And persistence is a quality that is always in demand.
Though your efforts may not pay off immediately, they will pay off. Persist, and know that you are growing stronger and stronger.
— Ralph Marston
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