A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit. —D. Elton Trueblood
Our lives are enriched by the contributions of those who lived before us. Many men and women gave more than they ever took from society, and now we enjoy the rewards. Some people were fired with a spirit to beautify the world and planted trees that will live for 200 years. Others wrote music that speaks to us from another generation, and others established a government that guides our principles of justice. They gave so much because they knew they were a part of their community and the world.
Most of us cannot make the great contributions that will make us famous, but we enrich our lives when we contribute freely to improving our community and the world. We do that when we simply say hello to our neighbor, when we serve on a volunteer cleanup committee for a local park, when we take time to mentor our youth. We too have beautified and contributed to the world, and that gives us a feeling of peace and self-respect.
Today, I will appreciate all that comes freely to me from others, and I will give what I can to make the world a better place.
From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men©
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Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Keep It Simple
My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue, an everlasting vision of the ever-changing view. --Carole King
Every event of our lives is contributing a rich thread to our personal tapestry. Each of us is weaving one unique to ourselves, but all of our tapestries are complementary. We need others' rich designs in order to create our own.
We seldom have the foresight to understand the worth, the ultimate value of a particular circumstance at its beginning. But hindsight offers us clarity. It's good to reflect on the many circumstances that failed to thrill us; in all cases we can now see why we needed them. As our trust in our Higher Power and the goodness of all experiences grows, we'll more quickly respond with gladness when situations are fresh. No experience is meant for harm. We are coming to understand that, even though on occasion we forget.
Practicing gratitude will help us more fully appreciate what has been offered us. Being grateful influences our attitude; it softens our harsh exterior and takes the threat out of most new situations.
Action for the Day: If I greet the day, glad to be alive, I will be gladdened by all the experiences in store for me. Each is making a necessary contribution to my wholeness.
Circus
In my prized sobriety, I was still running a kind of circus
which had numerous, highly believable posters all over its outside
~~ 'See the Spectacular Non-Drinking Person!
Watch how Movingly He can Recite the Twelve Steps!' ~~
but which had nothing going on inside the tent.
I've been working hard to shut that circus down ever since
with varying degrees of success.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], p. 238
Thought to Ponder . . .
The monkey’s asleep but the circus hasn't left town.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
P R I D E = Personal Recovery Involves Deflating Ego.
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Daily Motivation
Life on this day
Life on this day is filled with endless possibilities for joy. The world right now offers magnificent beauty stretching out in every direction.
Everywhere there are opportunities for creating value. Each situation is a situation that can add great richness and positive substance to life.
Goodness is so pervasive that most of it goes unnoticed. Love is so abundant that its power can never be exhausted.
Every moment brings the chance to make a positive difference. Life is rich beyond all measure, and grows richer as time goes on.
The blessings are many, and they give rise to many more. Life on this day is an open-ended opportunity for every kind of fulfillment imaginable.
Life on this day is here to be lived with joy, with immense gratitude, with confidence, and with love.
— Ralph Marston
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