Daily Reflections
December 19
UNDERSTANDING THE MALADY
When dealing with an alcoholic, there may be a natural annoyance that a man could be so weak, stupid and irresponsible. Even when you understand the malady better, you may feel this feeling rising.
-ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 139
Having suffered from alcoholism, I should understand the illness, but sometimes I feel annoyance, even contempt, toward a person who cannot make it in A.A. When I feel that way, I am satisfying my false sense of superiority and I must remember, but for the grace of God, there go I.
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
December 19
A.A. Thought For The Day
The skeptic and the agnostic say it is impossible for us to find the answer to life. Many have tried and failed. But many have put aside intellectual pride and have said to themselves: Who am I to say there is no God? Who am I to say there is no purpose in life? The atheist makes a declaration: “The world originated in a cipher and aimlessly rushes nowhere.” Others live for the moment and do not even think about why they are here or where they are going. They might as well be clams on the bottom of the ocean, protected by their hard shells of indifference. They do not care. Do I care where I am going?
Meditation For The Day
We may consider the material world as the clay which the artist works with, to make of it something beautiful or ugly. We need not fear material things, which are neither good nor bad in the moral sense. There seems to be no active force for evil–outside of human beings themselves. Humans alone can have either evil intentions–resentments, malevolence, hate and revenge–or good intentions–love and good will. They can make something ugly or something beautiful out of the clay of their lives.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may make something beautiful out of my life. I pray that I may be a good artisan of the materials which I have been given to use.
Walk In Dry Places
December 19
Deadlines
Facing delays
The procrastination of our drinking years caused some of us to become compulsive and fearful about meeting deadlines. We fret and stew if we’re unable to get things done when we think they should be completed.
Without being careless or irresponsible, we should remember that we’re really living in a spiritual world on a spiritual basis. There are times when a delay even turns out to be beneficial because additional information or assistance turns up later on to ensure the success of a project.
It is part of mature living to keep promises and to meet the proper deadlines. Let’s be sure, however, that we’re not simply meeting unrealistic deadlines of our own making. We don’t have to do this to atone for any failures of the past.
I’ll look over my plans today to make sure that I haven’t set any unrealistic deadlines for myself. I may be trying too much, too soon.
The truth is more important than the facts.
-Frank Lloyd Wright
Before recovery, we relied on false facts about addiction. We said things like, “I can quit anytime I want.” “If you had my family, you’d drink too.” The truth is, we were out of control. We couldn’t manage our lives. We were sick. We were scared. When others pointed out this truth to us, we denied it. Honesty, the backbone of our program, is about truth. We even start our meetings with the truth about who we are. “Hi, my name is ___________, and I’m an alcoholic,” or “Hi, my name is _______________, and I’m a drug addict.” The truth frees us from our addiction. The truth heals us and gives us comfort. It’s like a blanket on a cold winter night.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me be an honest person. I pray for the strength to face the truth and speak it.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll list 3 ways I have used facts in a dishonest way.
“Keep your head and your heart going in the right direction and you will not have to worry about your feet.”
-UnknownReputation is what you are in the light; character is what you are in the dark.
-American ProverbReflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.
-Charles DickensThe mere sense of living is joy enough.
-Emily DickinsonLearn to get in touch with silence within yourself, And know that everything in this life has purpose. There are no mistakes, No coincidences, All events are blessings given to us to learn from.
-Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
Father Leo’s Daily Meditation
December 19
INDIVIDUALITY
“The People, though we think a great entity when we use the word, means nothing more than so many — millions of individual men (and women).”
-James Bryce
I am an individual. I am unique. I am special. Today I am able to enjoy my difference. I do not need to hide in alcohol, food or drugs. I do not have to put energy into being the same as friends or neighbors. I do not need to please people in order to feel good about myself. Today I am my own person.
God made us varied and different in so many ways, and yet so many of us spend our time trying to be the same. The effort exerted to achieve the lowest common denominator is exactly that: the lowest. My spiritual program demands that I be honest with who I am and what I feel. My self-worth is rooted in my individuality. In my difference is my soul.
May I always remain true to my individuality.
Daily Inspiration
December 19
Through the power of God within me, I am stronger than any of my circumstances. Lord, I seek, I knock and I ask and You are always there and ready to give me the miracles that I need.
The first and most powerful commandment is love. Through love we unite ourselves together with God and with each other and bring ourselves closer to our desired goal. Lord, I love You with all my heart and soul and mind.
Elder’s Meditation of the Day
December 19
“Flexible strength is better than inflexible. Let the storm flow over you, and then pop back up.”
-Michael Kabotie, HOPI
Flexibility is taught by nature. You will see the trees bend in the wind. You will see that tree branches are flexible. To be rigid is to break. When we have life problems it is good for us to be flexible. Sometimes we need to flow with what is going on. If we resist, it becomes more painful. We need to be on the path of least resistance. Water flows down the mountain through the path of least resistance. Electricity flows through the path of least resistance. Power flows through the path of least resistance. As Indian people our strength has always been our flexibility.
Creator, I will be flexible today because I know You are with me.
Today’s Gift
December 19
Open your mind and your heart to be still.
—Shawn Phillips
In this time of international conflict and mistrust it is easy to despair. At times we may even feel hopeless as we hear about wars and weapons. But there is hope! Change can grow from within each of us.
The world is like a tree – if the tree is diseased and the leaves brown and brittle; the gardener does not treat the branches, but tends to the roots. Our world is made up of nations, in which there are states containing communities of neighborhoods where individual people live. We are the roots of our world tree. As attitudes change; as we accept and love ourselves honestly and learn, in turn, to accept and love others regardless of our differences, slowly, the branches that extend from us and cover the world will grow strong. The peace we can make within ourselves can be reflected everywhere.
Will I find the peace within myself today?
Touchstones Meditations For Men
December 19
If I were given a change of life, I’d like to see how it would be to live as a mere six-footer.
—Wilt Chamberlain
It’s human nature for us to wonder what life would be like in another man’s shoes. No matter how good or bad we’ve had it; we like to consider those possibilities sometimes. While we were still in the trap of living with an addict or being one, some of us used a fantasy world as an escape from our circumstances. Perhaps it was the only option we knew.
Now we are in a program, which liberates us and gives us hope. It’s not an easy program, but it is simple. We’re learning that when we have a relationship with our Higher Power and become accountable, we gain more options and can have hope. We can do interesting and rewarding things in our lives now that were closed to us before. Sobriety makes it possible for us to go forward into reality and leave fantasy for play.
Today, I am grateful for life in the real world that recovery has given me.
Daily TAO
December 19
PROMISES
Visions better than drugs haven’t come.
Intelligence exceeding genius hasn’t come.
Titanic strength hasn’t come.
Beauty to attract lovers hasn’t come.
Visitations from gods haven’t come.
Freedom from weariness hasn’t come.
An end to vexing annoyances hasn’t come.
Great wealth hasn’t come.
Fame hasn’t come.
Unlimited understanding of others hasn’t come.
Supernatural powers haven’t come.
The skill to spontaneously heal hasn’t come.
The gift of prophecy hasn’t come.
None of these things have come,
Yet I would not forsake this spiritual path.