Friday, November 22, 2019
Today's Gift
Without heroes, we are all plain people and don't know how far we can go. —Bernard Malamud
It is useful for us to reflect on our heroes for a time. Who do we greatly admire? Are they closely involved in our lives, or are they distant and beyond our ability to reach on a personal level? Can we feel hopeful and open enough about life to have heroes?
Our heroes inspire us to find the new edges of our growth. We see in other people the qualities and values we admire. We find our own best parts, perhaps partly hidden or undeveloped, in the people we hold as heroes. For example, if we admire a television personality, we can learn about our own values by asking what we admire in them. If we admire a friend, we may see a trait we hold dear in ourselves. As we grow and change, our heroes are replaced by others who fit our maturing values.
As I think about people I admire, I learn about myself from them.
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
Keep It Simple
I want to feel myself part of things, of the great drift and swirl; not cut off, missing things, like being sent to bed early as a child. ~Joanna Field
Feeling apart from the action and always looking on; wanting attention, and yet afraid of being noticed; no doubt these are familiar memories to most of us. We may still struggle with our self-perception, but we can celebrate that we no longer drown our moods. Connecting with the people next to us, though difficult, is no longer impossible when we rely on the program.
There is a way to be a part of the action, a way that never fails. It takes only a small effort, really. We can simply look, with love, at someone nearby today and extend our hearts in honest attention. When we make someone else feel special, we'll become special too.
Recovery can help each of us move beyond the boundaries of our own ego. Trusting that our lives are in the loving care of a Higher Power, however we understand Them, relieves us of the need for self-centeredness. We can let go of ourselves now that our Higher Power is in charge, and we'll discover that we have joined the action.
Action for the Day: I will open my heart, and I'll be joined to all that's around me.
From: Bluidkiti's Alcohol and Drug Addictions Recovery Help/Support Forums Daily Recovery Readings - http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2
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One Day At A Time
Essential Requirements
Belief in the power of our Higher Power, plus enough willingness, honesty
and humility to establish and maintain the new order of things,
were the essential requirements. Simple, but not easy; a price
had to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must
turn in all things to the Power of Light who presides over us all.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Bill's Story) pp. 13 - 14
Thought to Ponder
While it isn't always easy, if I keep it simple, it works.
AA-related 'Alconym'
A B C = Accept, Begin, Continue
From: AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) http://www.aa-alive.net/index.html
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Daily Motivation
Everyday heroes
by Ralph Marston
The most influential heroes in life are not those who get all the glory. All over the world are everyday heroes, doing what they do because they know it is good and right, and not for any recognition.
Everyday heroes work patiently and diligently behind the scenes to create meaningful value, day after day. They honor commitments and pay attention to quality.
Without humble everyday heroes, the world would be a dark and difficult place. Everyday heroes understand how positive and fulfilling life can be, and work to make it so for as many people as possible.
Everyday heroes know how satisfying it feels to make a real difference in the world. That satisfaction enables them to sleep well at night and to be quite comfortable in their own skin while awake.
It doesn’t take any supernatural skill to be a real hero. All it takes is a genuine love of life and of all those who live it, plus a bit of decency, honesty and respect.
Remind yourself often what a blessing it is to live in a world filled with everyday heroes. Though they don’t make the news, they constantly make a positive difference in more ways than can ever be imagined.
From The Daily Motivator website at http://greatday.com/
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