Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Today's Gift
There are countless ways to take shortcuts in life or to grab for pleasures. We could cheat on our income taxes, excuse a food binge, or lie to a loved one about where we've been. We say, "It won't hurt anyone!" "I wouldn't do it if it weren't for the other guy." Or, "Everyone does it." But if we are to like and respect ourselves, we need to live by the rules we believe in. Whether we get caught or not isn't the point. We cannot hold values and then repeatedly justify breaking them.
What does it do to us if we constantly fudge on our values? It undermines our self-esteem and damages the faith we have in ourselves. We do not expect to be perfect, but we must be accountable. If we are honest with ourselves, we admit our wrongs and reestablish our self-respect.
Step Five
"Admitted to our Higher Power, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."
We pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character,
every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding
nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye.
We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us.
We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 75
Thought to Ponder
Once we clear a hurdle, it doesn't seem so high.
AA-related 'Alconym'
F E A R = Face Everything And Recover
Treasure every moment
What would it be like if you lived each day, each breath, as a work of art in progress? Imagine that you are a masterpiece unfolding, every second of every day, a work of art taking form with every breath. -- Thomas Crum
So many of us avoid living in the present moment. We worry about the future.
Daydreaming and pondering are necessary in moderation, but we try to stay in the present moment for most of the day. To do this, we return to the most basic element - our breath. We concentrate on taking deep breaths. Barring a respiratory disorder, breathing is simple. When we return to the simplicity of breathing, we automatically simplify our life by focusing only on what's happening to one part of our body in one moment in time.
Today, when I have trouble living in the present, I will concentrate on my breathing.
From the book Letting Go of Debt ©
From: Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation - Thought for the Day http://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/recovery/thought-for-the-day
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Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Keep It Simple
I have learned this: it is not what one does that is wrong, but what one becomes as a consequence of it. --Oscar Wilde
I have learned this: it is not what one does that is wrong, but what one becomes as a consequence of it. --Oscar Wilde
There are countless ways to take shortcuts in life or to grab for pleasures. We could cheat on our income taxes, excuse a food binge, or lie to a loved one about where we've been. We say, "It won't hurt anyone!" "I wouldn't do it if it weren't for the other guy." Or, "Everyone does it." But if we are to like and respect ourselves, we need to live by the rules we believe in. Whether we get caught or not isn't the point. We cannot hold values and then repeatedly justify breaking them.
What does it do to us if we constantly fudge on our values? It undermines our self-esteem and damages the faith we have in ourselves. We do not expect to be perfect, but we must be accountable. If we are honest with ourselves, we admit our wrongs and reestablish our self-respect.
Action for the Day: Today, I will take care to make choices that match my values.
From: Bluidkiti's Alcohol and Drug Addictions Recovery Help/Support Forums Daily Recovery Readings - http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2
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One Day At A Time
Step Five
"Admitted to our Higher Power, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."
We pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character,
every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding
nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye.
We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us.
We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 75
Thought to Ponder
Once we clear a hurdle, it doesn't seem so high.
AA-related 'Alconym'
F E A R = Face Everything And Recover
From: AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net)
Excerpt of The Daily Motivator
Treasure every moment
by Ralph Marston
Treasure every moment. Align yourself with the goodness, the value, the positive possibilities in every situation.
Your life is too precious to waste even a tiny fraction of it. The opportunity for richness is too valuable to let it slip away without making full use of it.
Say yes to each day as soon as it dawns. Then make it your business to fill the day with joy.
The beauty of all existence is yours to behold. Countless possibilities are yours to fulfill.
Do what you would do if you were the most fortunate, joyful person who has ever lived. Imagine new and creative ways to express the wonder of life’s limitless abundance.
Remind yourself in each moment of the great opportunity you have. Treasure it, love it, live it, give it everything you have.
Treasure every moment. Align yourself with the goodness, the value, the positive possibilities in every situation.
Your life is too precious to waste even a tiny fraction of it. The opportunity for richness is too valuable to let it slip away without making full use of it.
Say yes to each day as soon as it dawns. Then make it your business to fill the day with joy.
The beauty of all existence is yours to behold. Countless possibilities are yours to fulfill.
Do what you would do if you were the most fortunate, joyful person who has ever lived. Imagine new and creative ways to express the wonder of life’s limitless abundance.
Remind yourself in each moment of the great opportunity you have. Treasure it, love it, live it, give it everything you have.
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