Monday, August 8, 2016

The Work-In: Daily Motivation 8-8-2016

Monday, August 8, 2016
Today's Gift

I got the blues thinking of the future, so I left off and made some marmalade. It's amazing how it cheers one up to 'shred oranges and scrub the floor. —D. H. Lawrence

Focusing on pain or having difficulties can put us in a rut, and we neglect the other things in our lives. A simple task like making marmalade can be a brief vacation. We change our thought patterns when we change activities. The simple action of doing something pleasant might inject a new feeling into our outlook. Sharing a problem with a friend may be all we need to see it more clearly or let it go. Moving from busy physical activity to a few moments of quiet contemplation creates an inner balance. A problem that seems overwhelming at night may be met with new insight and new energy after a night's rest.

We don't have to continue feeling like victims of circumstance or remain stuck with a nagging problem. Just like changing the subject of a conversation, we can change the subject of our attention for a time. When we do, we regain our sense of hope and change our responses.

Today, I will give myself a break when I become caught or obsessed with a problem.

From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men ©


From: Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation - Thought for the Day http://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/recovery/thought-for-the-day

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

Keep It Simple

Saying No

For many of us, the most difficult word to say is one of the shortest and easiest in the vocabulary: No. Go ahead, say it aloud: No.

No - simple to pronounce, hard to say. We're afraid people won't like us, or we feel guilty. We may believe that a "good" employee, child, parent, spouse, or friend never says no.

The problem is, if we don't learn to say no, we stop liking ourselves and the people we always try to please. We may even punish others out of resentment.

When do we say no? When no is what we really mean.
When we learn to say no, we stop lying. People can trust us, and we can trust ourselves. All sorts of good things happen when we start saying what we mean.

If we're scared to say no, we can buy some times. We can take a break, rehearse the word, and go back and say no. We don't have to offer long explanations for our decisions.

When we can say no, we can say yes to the good. Our no's and our yes's begin to be taken seriously. We gain control of ourselves. And we learn a secret: "No" isn't really that hard to say.

Action for the Day: Today, I will say no if that is what I mean.

From: Bluidkiti's Alcohol and Drug Addictions Recovery Help/Support Forums

****************************
One Day At A Time

Anger
If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the sudden rage were not for us.
Anger is the dubious luxury of normal men, but for us alcoholics it is poison.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 5

Thought to Ponder . . .

Anger is the wind that blows out the light of reason.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A =
Avoid Anger

From: AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net)

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

Excerpt of The Daily Motivator

Let go of anger
by Ralph Marston

In today’s world, there’s no shortage of things to make you angry. But is angry really the way you want to be?

Anger certainly grabs your attention, heightening your awareness, giving a burst of energy. Yet once that happens, anger has nothing more to offer.

Maintaining anger will drain your energy. And what you get in return is nothing of any value.

Be angry if you must, then quickly let the anger go. Free yourself to respond in a way that’s beneficial and effective.

Don’t let yourself be trapped by anger and forced into a destructive reaction. Step away from the desire for revenge or punishment, and find a positive response.

Focus on the good you can do, on the positive difference you can make. Leave anger behind as you move forward with the commitment to make things better.

From The Daily Motivator website at http://greatday.com/


No comments:

Post a Comment