Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Today's Gift
Excerpt of The Daily Motivator
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.
Today, I will take care to make choices that match my values.
From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men ©
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
Walk in Dry Places
Motives
Helping Others
It may sound selfish, but you should always help others for no reason other than your own benefit. In giving assistance, guard against posing as an idealist or even a Good Samaritan. We are not saints, and our spiritual progress is interrupted the moment we begin to act more saintly than we really are.
Two things happen when we help others in the full knowledge that we are really helping only ourselves. First, we do not place the other person in a demeaning role or make him or her obligated to us. Second, we sidestep the swollen egotism that could arise if we view ourselves as rescuers.
In helping others, we are only passing on the good that has come to us. Any good action will always bring rich rewards in personal well-being. People we have helped will be grateful to us when it becomes clear that we don't demand their gratitude. They will also be inspired to follow this example, which is the true AA spirit that became evident with the first Twelve Step calls.
Action for the Day: I'll look for opportunities to help others in the same way that a businessman looks for ways to increase profits. I know that I grow as a person when I help others in the right spirit.
From: Bluidkiti's Alcohol and Drug Addictions Recovery Help/Support Forums
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One Day At A Time
Humility
To those of us who have hitherto known only excitement, depression, or anxiety—in other words, to all of us—this newfound peace is a priceless gift. Something new indeed has been added.
Where humility had formerly stood for a forced feeding on humble pie, it now begins to mean the nourishing ingredient which can give us serenity.
- 12 Steps & 12 Traditions, p. 74
Thought to Ponder . . .
Humility is not thinking less of myself, but thinking of myself less.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S T E P = Something That Enhances Peace
From: AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net)
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Daily Motivation
Excerpt of The Daily Motivator
See the wonder
by Ralph Marston
There is more value in life than anyone can imagine. So never stop imagining.
Everything you imagine plants a seed. The more beautiful and compelling it is, the more of life’s miraculous energy you give to it.
And that makes what was once just imagined, real. What you now see all around you, was first imagined.
When you meet with difficulties, it can be easy to imagine the worst. But that only extends and magnifies your troubles.
Instead, imagine the best. Imagine the most brilliant, stunningly beautiful version of life, and the very act of imagining begins to pull you solidly toward it.
What is possible is limited only by what you sincerely imagine to be possible. See the wonder, see the beauty, and bring it all more fully to life.
From The Daily Motivator website at http://greatday.com/
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