Daily Reflections
October 23

WHAT WE KNOW BEST

“Shoemaker, stick to thy last!” … better do one thing supremely well than many badly.  That is the central theme of this Tradition [Five]. Around it our Society gathers in unity.  The very life of our Fellowship requires the preservation of this principle.
-TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 150

The survival of A.A. depends upon unity. What would happen if a group decided to become an employment agency, a treatment center or a social service agency? Too much specialization leads to no specialization, to frittering of efforts and, finally, to decline. I have the qualifications to share my sufferings and my way of recovery with the newcomer.  Conformity to A.A.’s primary purpose insures the safety of the wonderful gift of sobriety, so my responsibility is enormous. The life of millions of alcoholics is closely tied to my competence in “carrying the message to the still-suffering alcoholic.”

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day
October 23

A.A. Thought For The Day

I have learned how to be honest. What a relief! No more ducking or dodging. No more tall tales. No more pretending to be what I am not. My cards are on the table, for all the world to see. “I am what I am,” as Popeye used to say in the comics. I have had an unsavory past. I am sorry, yes. But it cannot be changed now. All that is yesterday and is done. But now my life is an open book. Come and look at it, if you want to. I’m trying to do the best I can. I will fail often, but I won’t make excuses. I will face things as they are and not run away. Am I really honest?

Meditation For The Day

Though it may seem a paradox, we must believe in spiritual forces which we cannot see more than in material things which we can see, if we are going to truly live. In the last analysis, the universe consists more of thought or mathematical formulas than it does of matter as we understand it. Between one human being and another only spiritual forces will suffice to keep them in harmony. These spiritual forces we know, because we can see their results although we cannot see them. A changed life–a new personality–results from the power of unseen spiritual forces working in us and through us.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may believe in the Unseen. I pray that I may be convinced by the results of the Unseen which I do see.

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Walk In Dry Places
October 23

How do we hurt others?
Inventory

Even while drinking, few of us abused others physically or committed crimes. Yet we did harm others, even when we thought we were hurting only ourselves.

One way we harmed others…. and this applies to many alcoholic family relationships.. was by with-holding the love and support they needed. If we had a nasty disposition at times, this poisoned the atmosphere and made others uncomfortable and afraid.

Maybe we harmed others by not being productive at work. Our absenteeism, for example, may have put our boss in a bad light with superiors or caused the firm to lose a client.

Perhaps the worst harm was in being completely indifferent to what we were doing to others. Any willingness to admit wrong, then, can be a major step toward recovery and self-improvement.

Though, I have no intention of harming anyone today, I’ll realize that even my attitude can affect others unfavorably. I’ll try to maintain an attitude that’s uplifting to everyone.

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Keep It Simple
October 23

We may ask, “Do I have to do an Eighth or Ninth Step?” “Do I really need a sponsor?” “Hmm … can I get by without going to so many meetings?” Having faith means putting our questions aside. So … what do we do? We work the program. We accept that those who’ve gone before us were right. We accept the idea that we need others. Faith is knowing that others love and care for us. Faith is also about action. The main way we know that we have faith is by looking at our behavior. Ask yourself this: “Are my actions those of a person with faith?”

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me remove the questions that get in my way. Help me act like a person with faith.

Action for the Day: I’ll list four parts of my program that I have faith in, such as, “I believe honesty is important to my sobriety.”

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Father Leo’s Daily Meditation
October 23

VALUE

“A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and value of nothing.”
-Oscar Wilde

I never knew the value of my life until I looked beyond it. For years I was so self-obsessed that I missed the joy and beauty of this wonderful world. I was so concerned with details and minutia of life that I missed the fun of living.

I now see that my behavior had its roots in my childhood. I was the child in a dysfunctional family. I became a parent to my parents. I took charge of everybody’s life and I felt responsible and guilty. Everything was work and I did not learn how to play.

Today I am working on my recovery. I am “dumping” my feelings of guilt, shame and anger. I am beginning to understand that I am not responsible for my parents and I am beginning to feel free. Today I am learning how to play.

Lord of the dance, teach me the steps.

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Daily Inspiration
October 23

Start an “I am grateful for … ” list and read it when you are feeling low. Lord, help me see things in a new light and understand that with a little effort I can turn my complaints into something positive.

We are the only ones who can change how we think or how we act. Lord, help me make positive decisions so that life doesn’t just happen to me.

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A Day At A Time
October 23

Reflection For The Day

“One’s own self is well hidden from one’s own self,” a renowned philosopher once wrote.  “of all mines of treasure, one’s own is the last to be dug up.”  The Twelve Steps have enabled me to unearth my “own self,” the one that for so long was buried beneath my desperate need for approval from others.  Thanks to The Program and my Higher Power, I’ve begun acquiring a true sense of self and a comfortable sense of confidence.  No longer do I have to react chameleon like, changing my coloration from one moment to the next, fruitlessly trying to bee all things to all people.  Do I strive, at all time, to be true to myself?

Today I Pray

I pray that I may be honest with myself, and that I will continue — with the help of God and my friends — to try to get to know the real me.  May I know that I cannot suddenly be a pulled-together, totally defined, completely consistent personality;  it may take a while to develop into that personality, to work out my values and my priorities.  May I know now that I have a good start on being who I want to be.

Today I Will Remember

I’m getting to be who I want to be.

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One More Day
October 23

The more passionately we love life, the more intensely we experience the joy of life.
-Jurgen Moltman

While we would occasionally like to hide from the real-life drama around us, we know it’s not a healthy way to live.  Instead we live the drama, love it, cry with it, and at times even hate it.

Choosing to live life on its terms brings enthusiasm and passion into our experiences.  Our decisions to love life – despite the highs and lows — allows us to delight in the highs and to accept the lows as unavoidable, but momentary, setbacks.  Although hiding from reality can sometimes insulate us from pain, it also blinds us to the joys of wonderment and living fully.

I choose to be enthusiastic about my life.

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One Day At A Time
October 23

Pain

“People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous … Pain is meant to wake us up … You should stand up for your right to feel your pain.”
-Jim Morrison

I am what some might call a “pain expert.” Inside, outside, stuffed, unavoidable ~ there are so many kinds of pain. I used to think that if I were really strong, I would never let pain effect me, regardless of its source. And there were plenty of sources. I walked around with this smile on my face and this wall built around me, trying to ward off the pain.

Then one day I cracked. I lost someone very close to me. When I actually accepted that, I just broke down. There was so much pain I had been avoiding for years. At that moment I was confronted by all of it!

That was when I started to realize that I couldn’t go through life avoiding pain. It was still there and it would come back. And it would be worse. Joining this program and reading the Big Book helped me to recognize my pain and feel it. I’m now able to not fear it, but to see it for what it is: a piece of me. I grow from what I feel, including pain. Without it I wouldn’t be me.

One day at a time …
I will feel my pain and I will do what is necessary to accept it. Together we are bound by pain. Together we can see our strength. ~ Miranda G.

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Elder’s Meditation of the Day
October 23

“We do not walk alone.
Great Being walks beside us.
Know this and be grateful.”
-Polingaysi Q’Yawayma, HOPI

Many religions have different names for these Beings.
Some are called angels, some are called spirits.
These Spirit Beings are helpers.
They guide us, protect us and will help us during our times of need. Sometimes they give us dreams.
We need not be afraid when these Spirit Helpers come.
We need to understand they are the Creator’s helpers.

Great Spirit, send me the helpers to guide my path as I seek to walk in Your service.

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Today’s Gift
October 23

I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.
—D. H. Lawrence

Sometimes when we feel sorry for ourselves we will sit alone in our bedroom. We may even feel so down in the dumps that we decide to stay there, indulging in self-pity, thinking about how the world is against us.

However, if we use our imagination to step outside our own point of view for a moment, we might think differently. If we were deer in the forest, we would be thinking about keeping safe from the wolves, and where our next meal would be coming from.

The animals have no time to feel sorry for themselves, they are too busy doing what has to be done to survive, and each thing that happens presents a new survival problem to be solved.

When we feel blue, it helps to keep this in mind. If we have the time to feel down, and can get physically comfortable while doing it, how bad can the problem really be?

In what ways is my life comfortable, easy, and full of love?

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The Language Of Letting Go
October 23

Morning Cues

There is an important message for us first thing every day.

Often, once we get started with the day, we may not listen as closely to life and ourselves as we do in those still moments when we first awaken.

An ideal time to listen to ourselves is when we are laying quietly, our defenses are down, and we’re open and most vulnerable.

What is the first feeling that floods through us, the feeling that perhaps we are trying to avoid during the business of the day? Are we angry, frustrated, hurt, or confused? That is what we need to focus on and work through. That’s the issue we need to address.

When you awaken, what is the first idea or thought that enters your mind? Do you need to finish a timely project? Are you in need of a fun day? A restful day?

Do you feel sick and need to nurture yourself? Are you in a negative frame of mind? Do you have an issue to resolve with someone?

Do you need to tell someone something? Is something bothering you? Is something feeling particularly good?

Does an idea occur to you, something you could get or do that would feel good?

When you awaken, what is the first issue that presents itself? You don’t have to be fearful. You don’t have to rush. You can lay still and listen and then accept the message.

We can define some of our recovery goals for the day by listening to the morning message.

God, help me let go of my need to be in resistance to the harmonic flow of life. Help me learn to go with the flow and accept the help and support that You have to offer me.

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Touchstones Meditation For Men
October 23

Self-knowledge and self-improvement are very difficult for most people. It usually needs great courage and long struggle.
—Abraham Maslow

This is a simple program but it isn’t easy. We cannot take the principles we learn and thereby possess them as if we were taking a class or reading a book. We need to live them. We can only get this program by participating with others who are also on the journey. Gradually we absorb it into every fiber of our being. This takes time and dedication.

The honesty required is sometimes frightening and painful. Any man who remains faithful to this program has great courage and deserves deep respect. But we do not have to wait long to begin receiving the rewards. New freedoms, good feelings, and friendships quickly develop, and we are promised in this program to continue growing and to receive more benefits throughout our lives. What rewards have come from our courage and struggle?

I will give much to my spiritual growth because it gives much to me.

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Daily TAO
October 23

GROWTH

A moving door hinge never corrodes.
Flowing water never grows stagnant.

Even in the autumn of your life, you cannot give up growth. If you do, you only invite decline.

All the different aspects of a person — body, mind, and spirit — have one curious quality : If they cease to be exercised, they stop growing. Once they stop growing, they begin to atrophy. That is why, no matter how much you have accomplished and no matter how old you are, you must keep exercising all parts of yourself.

We only grow when we are challenged. Muscles do not strengthen without resistance. Mental faculties do not sharpen without critical thinking. The spirit does not soar without something to excite it. It may seem like a great effort to constantly try new things, but unless you do, you fall out of your heights very quickly. The constancy of physical exercise, varied from time to time into new routines, and the constancy of mental and spiritual challenges are essential to stave off the infirmities of aging.