One is happy as a result of one's own efforts, once one knows the necessary ingredients of happiness - simple tastes, a certain degree of courage, self-denial to a point, love of work, and above all, a clear conscience. Happiness is no vague dream, of that I now feel certain.
—George Sand
We are as happy as we make up our minds to be, so goes the saying. But happiness is the result of right actions. We prepare for it daily. We chart our course. Many of us have to first determine where we want to go before we can decide on the chart. We have perhaps passively floated along for years. But now the time is right to navigate, to move toward a goal.
We may have fears about moving ahead. We can be courageous, however. Strength is at hand, always, if we but ask for it. We can make a small beginning today. And every day, we can do at least one thing we need to do to bring us closer to our goal. Accomplishment, however small, nurtures good feelings. Happiness is the byproduct.
Today is wide open. I will decide on a course of action and move ahead. All around me help is available for the asking.
From Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women by Karen Casey©
Walk in Dry Places
Living today.
"You never do anything right!" Some of us carry this accusation deep in our minds, perhaps from childhood. We remember past mistakes and failures, sometimes dregging them up again when new failures occur.
Today our failure and mistakes are but signs that we are will human and still fall short of perfection. But now we can use failure to good advantage and even learn from it. Our best progress will come when we separate ourselves from the mistakes and failures of the past.
We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see
how our experience will benefit others.
That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude of economic insecurity will leave us.
We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
We will suddenly realize
that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 83-84
Thought to Ponder . . .
God enters us through our wounds.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.
Fill your future
Is there something you wish you had done earlier? Although you can’t go back to the past and get it done, you can take a valuable lesson from it.
Tomorrow, you may very well be wishing that you had done some particular thing today. Fortunately, you still have the opportunity to do it.
Looking ahead to next month, or next year, what actions will you wish you had already taken? Now is your chance to change each of them from a future wish into present reality.
Today, with your actions, you can make those future wishes come true. Today, you can avoid the painful regrets that would otherwise be headed your way.
What once seemed like a distant future has already come and gone. What you now consider to be the future is fast approaching, and can benefit greatly from what you choose to do with this day.
What can you do today that you’ll soon thank yourself for doing? Instead of empty wishes and painful regrets, fill your future with sincere gratitude for what you’re doing with right now.
— Ralph Marston
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