Daily Motivation 4-12-2012

Thursday, April 12, 2012
Today's Gift

I have not ceased being fearful, but I have ceased to let fear control me. -- Erica Jong

Letting Go of Fear

Picture yourself swimming floating - peacefully down a gentle stream. All you need to do is breathe, relax, and go with the flow.

Suddenly, you become conscious of your situation. Frightened, overwhelmed with "what if's?" your body tenses. You begin to thrash around, frantically looking for something to grab on to.

You panic so hard you start to go under. Then you remember - you're working too hard at this. You don't need to panic. All you need to do is breathe, relax, and go with the flow. You won't drown.

Panic is our great enemy.

We don't need to become desperate. If overwhelming problems appear in our life, we need to stop struggling. We can tread water for a bit, until our equilibrium returns. Then we can go back to floating peacefully down the gentle stream. It is our stream. It is a safe stream. Our course has been charted. All is well.

Today, I will relax, breathe, and go with the flow.

From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie ©

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Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Keep It Simple

Make yourself a blessing to someone. Your kind smile or pat on the back just might pull someone back from the edge. --Carmelia Elliott

Someone will be helped today by our kindness. Compassionate attention assures others that they do matter, and every one of us needs that reassurance occasionally. The program has given us the vehicle for giving and seeking the help we need--it's sponsorship.

Not all of the people we encounter share our program, however. Sponsorship as we know it isn't a reality in their lives. Offering words of encouragement to them, or a willing ear, can be unexpected gifts. They will be deeply appreciated.

The real gift, though, is to ourselves. Helping someone in need benefits the helper even more. Our own closeness to our Higher Power and thus assurance about our own being is strengthened each... time we do what our hearts direct.

We are healed in our healing of others. Our Higher Power speaks to us through our words to others. Our own well-being is enhanced each time we put someone else's well-being first.

We're all on a trip, following different road maps, but to the same destination.

Action for the Day: I will be ready to lend a helping hand to a troubled traveler today. It will breathe new life into my own trip.

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One Day At A Time

Prayer/Meditation
I don't need to shut myself in a closet to pray or meditate.
It can be done even in a room full of people.
I just remove myself mentally for an instant.
As the practice of prayer and meditation continues, I will find I don't need words.
For my Higher Power can, and does, hear my thoughts through silence.
- Daily Reflections, p. 322

Thought to Ponder . . .
Prayers may seem unanswered, but never are.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A S A P = Always Say A Prayer.

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Daily Motivation

Sincerely caring

It’s very easy to say you care, and even to look like you care. It’s much more difficult to actually do it.

Sincerely caring about others isn’t just a matter of being nice and agreeable. In fact, when you truly care you often must disagree, even if it would be much easier to just be nice.

There are times when the most loving and compassionate thing you can say is no. There are times when the most respectful and considerate response is to disagree.

Challenging people to do their best is much more empowering than letting them get by with halfhearted efforts. Helping people to become self sufficient is much more generous than letting them become dependent on your generosity, though it is also much more difficult.

Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do for someone is to hold that person accountable. One of the most valuable things you can give to another person is the opportunity, difficult as it may be, to grow stronger, more capable and more dependable.

The world cries out for caring people, yet merely being nice and generous is not enough. Care enough to respect, to positively challenge, to insist on nothing less than the best, and permanently raise those you care about to a higher level of living.

— Ralph Marston