Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Today's Gift
Fear can be a big stopper for many of us: fear of fragility, fear of failure, fear of making a mistake, fear of what others might think, fear of success. We may second-guess our next action or word until we talk ourselves out of participating in life.
"But I failed before!" "I can't do it good enough!" "Look at what happened last time!" "What if.. .?" These statements may disguise fear. Sometimes the fear is disguising shame.
After I finished the first two chapters of a book I was writing, I read them and grimaced. "No good," I thought. "Can't do it." I was ready to pitch the chapters, and my writing career, out the window. A writer friend called, and I told her about my problem. She listened and told me: "those chapters are fine. Stop being afraid. Stop criticizing yourself. And keep on writing."
I followed her advice. The book I almost threw away became a New York Times best seller.
Relax. Our best is good enough. It may be better than we think. Even our failures may turn out to be important learning experiences that lead directly to - and are necessary for - an upcoming success.
Feel the fear, then let it go. Jump in and do it - whatever it is. If our instincts and path have led us there, it's where we need to be.
From: Bluidkiti's Alcohol and Drug Addictions Recovery Help/Support Forums
Fear
At heart we had all been abnormally fearful.
It mattered little whether we had sat on the shore of life
drinking ourselves into forgetfulness
or had plunged in recklessly and willfully beyond our depth and ability.
The result was the same—all of us had nearly perished in a sea of alcohol.
But today, in well-matured AA's, these distorted drives have been restored
to something like their true purpose and direction.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 123-124
Thought to Ponder . . .
Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
F E A R = Forgetting Everything's All Right
Excerpt of The Daily Motivator
Honor your choice
by Ralph Marston
Don’t become overwhelmed by all the possible choices. Consider the options, pick one, and go with it.
The possibilities do not create their own fulfillment. That’s your job, and it’s a great one, though necessarily difficult at times.
When the challenges come, don’t slide into the trap of wishing you had chosen differently. Push on ahead, stick to the road you’re on, and build the value you’ve decided to build.
Every achievement worth achieving takes effort, sacrifice, time and resources. Every possibility worth bringing to life will demand the best of you.
Instead of wishing for an easier ride, reaffirm your commitment with new action, a smarter strategy, a more positive attitude. Honor your choice by seeing it through.
Possibilities have value only to the degree you act upon them. Choose the best, give your best, and live the unmatched experience of bringing great value into being.
If you don't take chances, you can't do anything in life. —Michael Spinks
Many of us have done things that, in looking back, seem insane or dangerous. We may have had friends or family members who got into serious trouble and frightened us by their risky behavior. Out of fear, we may have become too cautious about everything.
Our dilemma is that growth is a risk, too. If we avoid all risk, we become stagnant. Life thrives on possibilities and options. Of course, risk means the outcome is unsure. We may not get the result we desire. But not all risk taking is as self-destructive as it was in our past. Now we have our relationship with our Higher Power and ourselves. Now taking a chance may help us grow, even when we don't get what we want.
Today let me see possibilities, and guide my inner sense of when to take a chance for growth.
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
Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are a little coarse, and. you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice? Up again; you shall never be so afraid of a tumble. --Ralph Waldo Emerson
Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are a little coarse, and. you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice? Up again; you shall never be so afraid of a tumble. --Ralph Waldo Emerson
Fear can be a big stopper for many of us: fear of fragility, fear of failure, fear of making a mistake, fear of what others might think, fear of success. We may second-guess our next action or word until we talk ourselves out of participating in life.
"But I failed before!" "I can't do it good enough!" "Look at what happened last time!" "What if.. .?" These statements may disguise fear. Sometimes the fear is disguising shame.
After I finished the first two chapters of a book I was writing, I read them and grimaced. "No good," I thought. "Can't do it." I was ready to pitch the chapters, and my writing career, out the window. A writer friend called, and I told her about my problem. She listened and told me: "those chapters are fine. Stop being afraid. Stop criticizing yourself. And keep on writing."
I followed her advice. The book I almost threw away became a New York Times best seller.
Relax. Our best is good enough. It may be better than we think. Even our failures may turn out to be important learning experiences that lead directly to - and are necessary for - an upcoming success.
Feel the fear, then let it go. Jump in and do it - whatever it is. If our instincts and path have led us there, it's where we need to be.
Action for the Day: Today, I will participate in life to the best of my ability. Regardless of the outcome, that makes me a winner.
From: Bluidkiti's Alcohol and Drug Addictions Recovery Help/Support Forums
Daily Recovery Readings - http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2
****************************
One Day At A Time
Fear
At heart we had all been abnormally fearful.
It mattered little whether we had sat on the shore of life
drinking ourselves into forgetfulness
or had plunged in recklessly and willfully beyond our depth and ability.
The result was the same—all of us had nearly perished in a sea of alcohol.
But today, in well-matured AA's, these distorted drives have been restored
to something like their true purpose and direction.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 123-124
Thought to Ponder . . .
Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
F E A R = Forgetting Everything's All Right
From: AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net)
***************************
Daily Motivation
Excerpt of The Daily Motivator
Honor your choice
by Ralph Marston
Don’t become overwhelmed by all the possible choices. Consider the options, pick one, and go with it.
The possibilities do not create their own fulfillment. That’s your job, and it’s a great one, though necessarily difficult at times.
When the challenges come, don’t slide into the trap of wishing you had chosen differently. Push on ahead, stick to the road you’re on, and build the value you’ve decided to build.
Every achievement worth achieving takes effort, sacrifice, time and resources. Every possibility worth bringing to life will demand the best of you.
Instead of wishing for an easier ride, reaffirm your commitment with new action, a smarter strategy, a more positive attitude. Honor your choice by seeing it through.
Possibilities have value only to the degree you act upon them. Choose the best, give your best, and live the unmatched experience of bringing great value into being.
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