Thursday, September 10, 2015
Today's Gift
To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need only to accept yourself. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Most of us want to be liked. We want other people to think of us as nice, friendly, kind, and loving. Most of us want the approval of others.
Since childhood, some of us have been trying to get approval, trying to get people to like us and think highly of us. We may be afraid people will leave us if they disapprove of our actions. We may look for approval from people who have none to give. We may not know that we're lovable now and can learn to approve of ourselves.
In order to live happily, to live consistently with the way our Higher Power wants us to live, and to tap into a way of life that is in harmony with the universe, we need to let go of our extreme need for approval. These unmet needs for approval and love from our past give others control over us today. These needs can prevent us from acting in our best interest and being true to ourselves.
We can approve of ourselves. In the end, that's the only approval that counts.
Today, I will let go of my need for approval and my need to be liked. I will replace them with a need to like and approve of myself. I will enjoy the surprise I find when I do this. The people who count, including myself, will respect me when I am true to myself.
From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie ©
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Twenty-Four Hours a Day
What does this saying mean: “To thine own self be true”? Hadn’t we thought
only of ourselves before recovery? The answer is no. That wasn’t the real us.
Each of us lost touch with our real self because of our addiction. We lost our
goals, our feelings, our values. We chased the high. In this way, we lost our
spirit. We became addicts.
With sobriety, we find ourselves again---and it feels great! We stop playing a
role and become ourselves---and it’s wonderful. We follow our dreams and
beliefs, not some addictive wild goose chase. We are again free to be ourselves.
Thank you. Higher Power.
Prayer for the Day: Today, I pray to be myself, to know all of me. I can trust
myself because my spirit is good.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll pray: “thine own self be true.”
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One Day At A Time
Sometimes, I've lacked the discernment to be grateful, and I see this now. . .
Often in the past, my prayers for help have been answered in ways that I have not recognized as answers.
Indeed, I have cursed my fate instead of thanking my Higher Power.
I have prayed and prayed, sometimes in desperation, but I haven't thanked Them as much as I've implored Them.
~ The AA Grapevine, September 1979
Thought to Ponder . . .
Gratitude has to be practiced.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A S A P = Always Say A Prayer.
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Daily Motivation
Peace has no boundaries. To be truly at peace with anything is to be fully at peace with everything.
But how can you be at peace when the world is so relentlessly demanding and complicated? How can you offer peace when you get none in return?
Understand that peace is not a transaction. It is a choice.
Peace is the way you can choose to be, whatever the situation. Peace is a choice that gives you great power in any situation.
You can be peaceful while still being ambitious and fully engaged with life and its many complications. You can be peaceful by following your own authentic purpose and living true to your highest values.
Peace is yours not to wish for, or to force upon others, or to negotiate, but to choose. Choose peace inside, and let the power flow out to your whole world.
— Ralph Marston
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