Thursday, December 24, 2020
Today's Gift
Celebration is a forgetting in order to remember. A forgetting of ego, of problems, of difficulties. A letting go. —Matthew Fox
A holiday presents us all with an opportunity to practice letting go. This is a special day to set aside our work and our routines, to put our problems and burdens on the shelf. Let us join with others who are also letting go on this day and celebrate. Maybe we can learn from them how they do it.
We may have been too compulsive on past holidays to celebrate. Or perhaps our holidays are clouded with painful memories. We might miss loved ones or we may recall disappointments or the chaos of earlier holidays. There is no need for perfection in our celebration. We can have some tension, or pain, and yet set it aside as we join with others for a special day.
Today, I will set my ego aside and let go of the usual things in my life in order to reach out to others and participate in celebration.
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
********************************Twenty-Four Hours a DayKeep It Simple
For some, the sights, signs, and smells of the holidays bring joy and a warm feeling. But, while others are joyously diving into the season, some of us are dipping into conflict, guilt, and a sense of loss.
We read articles on how to enjoy the holidays, we read about the Christmas blues, but many of us still can't figure out how to get through the holiday season. We may not know what a joyous holiday would look and feel like.
Many of us are torn between what we want to do on the holiday, and what we feel we have to do. We may feel guilty because we don't want to be with our families. We may feel a sense of loss because we don't have the kind of family to be with that we want. Many of us, year after year, walk into the same dining room on the same holiday, expecting this year to be different. Then we leave, year after year, feeling let down, disappointed, and confused by it all.
Many of us have old, painful memories triggered by the holidays.
Many of us feel a great deal of relief when the holiday is ended.
One of the greatest gifts of recovery is learning that we are not alone. There are probably as many of us in conflict during the holidays than there are those who feel at peace. We're learning, through trial and error, how to take care of ourselves a little better each holiday season.
Our first recovery task during the holidays is to accept ourselves, our situation, and our feelings about our situation. We accept our guilt, anger, and sense of loss. It's all okay.
There is no right or perfect way to handle the holidays. Our strength can be found in doing the best we can, one year at a time.
Action for the Day: This holiday season, I will give myself permission to take care of myself.
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
But I soon found that when all other measures failed, work with another
alcoholic would save the day. Many times I have gone to my old hospital
in despair. On talking to a man there, I would be amazingly lifted up
and set on my feet. It is a design for living that works in rough going.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Bill's Story) p. 15
Thought to Ponder
In AA, we discover that it is impossible to give
without receiving, or receive without giving.
AA-related 'Alconym'
A A = Attitude Adjustment
From: AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) http://www.aa-alive.net/index.html
Christmas presence***************************Daily MotivationExcerpt of The Daily Motivator
by Ralph Marston
There is a light in the darkness. It is love; it is joy.
There is a pure and simple radiance with a positive, joyous power. It warms the hearts of those who value peace and love.
The spirit of Christmas transcends beliefs, traditions, culture and customs. It speaks directly to the heart, of love and grace, of giving and of renewal.
In the pure, limitless power of love, life is created and sustained. In the radiance of this day, love’s presence is joyously expressed again and again, in countless ways.
In this moment, new life begins. And love is the ever-present purpose that drives every other purpose.
On this day, you have a glimpse of how truly blessed you are. Give love, give joy, and you have even more.
From The Daily Motivator website at http://greatday.com/
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