One can never pay in gratitude; one can only pay "in kind" somewhere else in life. —Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Life is a series of payments. The common expression, "What goes around, comes around," is a truth that governs each of our lives. As women and as members of the human family, we have received untold "payments" from others. On occasion, the payment may not have been one we'd have chosen for ourselves. It takes the distance of time to realize that our payments are meant for our good. And we can share the goodness; in fact, we need to share the goodness with one another. If we give to another the joy given to us, if we give to another the understanding given to us, if we give to another the friendship given to us, we will be ready to receive more in kind.
You and I meet today to make payments. I will receive yours gladly.
From Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women by Karen Casey ©
Keep It Simple
. . . no one who learns to know himself remains just what he was before---Thomas Mann
Deep inside, we all know that we're changing. It started when we took Step One. We learned and accepted something new about ourselves. That changed us, just a little. We no longer wanted to live as addicts. That meant we had to change and to learn to live sober. It's been nonstop ever since: learn about ourselves, change a little, learn about ourselves, change a little more, and so on. All we know is that each step of learning and changing makes life better. How long can it keep getting better? As long as we keep learning to know ourselves.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, teach me about myself today. Teach me gently.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll think about what I've learned about myself by working the program. I'll list five things.
Sobriety
Sobriety is nothing like I thought it would be. At first
it was one big emotional roller coaster, full of sharp highs and deep lows.
My emotions were new, untested, and I wasn't entirely certain I wanted
to deal with them. I cried when I should have been laughing.
I laughed when I should have cried. Events I thought were the end of the world
turned out to be gifts. Slowly things began to even out.
As I began to take the steps of recovery,
my role in the pitiful condition of my life became clear.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 316
Thought to Ponder . . .
I had to get sober to be amazed.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
B E S T = Been Enjoying Sobriety Today?
Get over it
If you've gotten off to a slow start, now is your opportunity to speed up. If you've been disappointed by the results so far, now is the chance to make some effective positive changes.
Negative momentum can be powerful. Yet the moment you commit yourself to a positive perspective, that negative momentum is gone.
Stop worrying and complaining about the fact that your day, your week, your month or your life has gotten off to a bad start. Use this moment right now to interrupt the pattern and point yourself in a positive, empowered, fulfilling direction.
Your past has brought you where you are, and yet it does not dictate where you can now go. Make the choice to point all of your life in the direction of your dreams.
Even though you may have experienced great difficulty in getting started, choose now to be thankful for those difficulties you've gone through. Be thankful for the strength they've enabled you to build, and make positive use of that strength going forward.
This time, this moment is different, because now you're in complete control, and determined to make it great. So no matter what may have happened, get over it, and get going toward the best you can imagine.
-- Ralph Marston
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