[bluidkiti]

July 13

Step by Step

Today, if the responsibility to sobriety sometimes seems overwhelming or too demanding if I fail to do it First Things First, I will not complain or cop the poor-me attitude or blow off steam on anyone or anything. Instead, I'll remember yesterday when I couldn't be trusted with any responsibility because I was too drunk or too hung over. I'll remember gratitude and that my response in the past to "relaxing" robbed me of being trusted with those responsibilities. Today, no complaints, no self-pity, no turning my back on anything I'm asked to do. I'll be grateful that I'm sober to be entrusted with the responsibilities that I have. That's all. It's that simple. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M.

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~ EASY DOES IT ~ (A Book of Daily 12 Step Meditations) ~

SURRENDER

I can't . . . God can . . . I think I'll let Him.

~ Anonymous ~

We have all lived with the idea we could do anything. We have seen spaceships sent to outer planets. We can send a letter over a phone line. How, then, do we come to terms with our limitations? How do we teach ourselves to say, “I can't”? Where do we learn to trust our limitations and believe that God can take us places we cannot take ourselves?

Our Program tells us to stop trying to manage the world. We will never be all things to all people. Our whole trouble was the misuse of will power. When we lower our expectations, we are not setting our sights on lower goals. We are surrendering ourselves to our Higher Power. We are asking help to be better than we are.

I need to remember that "surrender" doesn't mean "give up." It means admitting to my Higher Power that I need help to reach my goals.

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~ WISDOM TO KNOW ~ (More Daily Meditations For Men) ~

I don’t ask for the meaning of the song of a bird or the rising of the sun on a misty morning. There they are, and they are beautiful

~ Pete Hamill ~

Nature is the mystical, spiritual miracle present all around us every day. A walk in the woods or a hike in a park provides us with abundant evidence that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. No one sent the bird to sing its song; no person designed a tree and planned its leaves to come forth. They are just doing their own thing. Our whole world is generously decorated by spontaneous beauty, and our senses take them in at no cost.

When we feel burdened by our problems and when we are too focused on ourselves, a walk outdoors will surely lighten the load. We can feel the wind in our face, look up at the sky and see the big and ever- changing heavens, or lie on the ground and feel the support of the earth. It is always a good practice to turn to the natural world when we feel the need for spiritual refreshment.

Today I will get outside myself by noticing the eternal world of nature.

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~ A WOMAN’S SPIRIT ~ (More Meditations For Women) ~

We seem to help center each other as our lives travel parallel paths.

~ Robyn Halsema ~

We are walking in concert with many other people. It is not an accident that we have been drawn into the lives of the men and women who surround us. Our destinies are entwined. We have the opportunity to learn from one another, to help one another, and to grow in our trust that there are no accidents in this God-filled world.

Some days we may fear the circumstances edging toward us. We may doubt that the people Involved have our best interests at heart. At those times we need to look to our precious relationships for strength and courage. Just as our friends are with us by design, so are the circumstances from which we will learn our much-needed lessons.

We are never alone. Our friends are only a call away. Our Higher Power is at our service. The love surrounding us centers us and makes us whole and strong and serene.

I rejoice in the knowledge that my loved ones are here by design. My fears will diminish when I am in the company of my friends and God.

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~ TODAY I WILL DO ONE THING ~ (Daily Readings for Awareness and Hope) ~

I now have a spiritual life thanks to my illnesses

Had I been given a choice about experiencing addiction and emotional illness, no doubt I would have declined. It is painful even to think about what I've gone through to reach this stage in recovery.

But through my no-fault illnesses (and because I am accepting them more and more), two wonderful changes are in process: (a) As I begin to care for my own physical and emotional needs in a healthy way, I find myself caring more about other people. (b) I am developing a relationship with a higher power and becoming a more spiritual person. For these surprising new changes, I am profoundly grateful.

Today I will compose a prayer or draw a picture that acknowledges my process and progress in recovery.

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~ BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT ~ (Inspiration and Support for Recovery) ~

Trouble is a part of life, and if you don’t share it, you don’t give the person who loves you a chance to love you enough.

~ Dinah Shore ~

Just as gravity keeps us grounded and connected to the earth, our fellowship keeps us bound to sobriety. The fellowship available to us in our Twelve Step program keeps us in reality. A problem pondered in isolation seems immense; the same problem shared by those who truly understand is manageable. We need other people from the moment we are born. We need to be included, to feel we’re a part of something larger than ourselves. Our spirits hunger for contact from others, and thirst for a relationship with God.

Our fellowship is there, a warm, friendly, and accepting family. Our Higher Power loves us. We are not alone, no matter where we travel, no matter how large our problems seem at the moment. Our joys are doubled and our sadness diminished through the sharing of our hearts.

Today help me listen carefully and give as well as take so I may fully experience this gift of fellowship.

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~ MORNING LIGHT ~ (Meditations to Begin Your Day) ~

The Fox without a Tail

One day a fox became caught in a trap. In his struggle to free himself, he left his tail behind. On his way home, he devised a way to head off being made the butt of jokes. He trotted back into the forest and called together all of the foxes.

“Foxes are much more attractive when they do not have a tail,” he said as he wiggled his stump. “Observe how sleek my appearance is. No longer will I have to pull burrs out of my tail. I am free—and you can all be free, too! It is time for all foxes to cut off their tails.”

“Nonsense!” an elder fox yelled out. “If you had not lost your own tail, my friend, you would not be urging us to lose ours as well. You must deal with your loss on your own.”

The moral of the story: Do not trust all of the advice given by others.

Many in the program offer helpful support based on their experience. There are also those who give advice. Sometimes this advice is well-meaning and useful; other times it may seem suspect. Listen to the support, guidance, and advice you are given. But never let such information have a negative impact on your recovery.

I will listen to the advice I am given, but will make decisions that are right for me.

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~ NIGHT LIGHT ~ (A Book Of Nighttime Meditations) ~

When I hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard," I am always tempted to ash, "Compared to what?"

~ Sydney J. Harris ~

We've probably heard all the negative quotations about life. There was also probably a time when we believed them all. Based on the state of our lives at the time, it was probably no surprise that life was difficult and brutal.

Certainly there are many things in life that are harsh and cruel—we see such things in the paper every day. But there are some very wonderful things, too. It's just that we've been conditioned to believe the horrors instead of the wonders.

Today may have been a long, tiring, boring day. But that doesn't mean all days are long, tiring, and boring. There's much good in life that we can see if we let ourselves. We can get off our "life-is-difficult” soapbox and hear the humor, see the smiles, and feel the caring. Life may be difficult at times, but it is also quite fulfilling.

I need to feel that life is good tonight. What event happened today that I can feel good about? Who did I see today that made me feel good?

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~ DAY BY DAY ~ (Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts) ~

Recognizing opportunities

Today is a day of opportunity. Any experiences that we have today—good or bad—can be seen as opportunities, opportunities to grow closer to God.

As bread is food for the body, opportunities are food for the soul.

Do I see all the opportunities in my daily life? Do I take advantage of them?

I pray that I may use my experiences as opportunities to grow closer to God.

Today I will look for opportunities by

God help me to stay clean and sober today!

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~ IF YOU WANT WHAT WE HAVE ~ (Sponsorship Meditations) ~

All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.

~ CHIEF SEATTLE ~

Newcomer

I was in such a foul mood at the last meeting I went to. I sat there gritting my teeth through the whole meeting, glaring at the speaker and at anyone who had the nerve to look at me. Here’s the strange part: I felt better after the meeting anyway. I ate with a friend and laughed at myself a little. Today everything looks different. Meetings look good to me again.

Sponsor

One of the greatest gifts of recovery is simply that meetings exist and that we go to them. We may be annoyed with everyone in the room, holding on to a foul mood for dear life, and at the same time experience deep healing.

The healing comes from a sense of belonging to a community of people in recovery. Even if I’m out of sync with everyone in the room on a given day, I’m still part of a process that includes them and that is larger than all of us. Whatever moods I go through, whatever resistance I let others see, no one will try to take away my seat in recovery. Often, when I’m expecting disapproval or rejection, I’m met with compassion or sympathetic laughter instead. It’s what we mean by unconditional love. Even on the days when I can’t see the love that’s there, my sense that I’m somehow being held by this program is growing.

Today, it strengthens me to know that I belong to a community of people in recovery.

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~ THE EYE OPENER ~

We alcoholics devoted a whole lifetime to the pursuit of happiness, but it was not until we found our fellowship that we had any success of a permanent nature.

This is a happy Program, made so by our happy release from the Hell of drinking excessively. Our happiness distinguishes us from the dried-up drunk.

The work we are about is dead serious, but we can go about it with a smile in our hearts and a laugh on our lips. Of all God's creatures we really have something to be happy about.

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~ The 12 STEP PRAYER BOOK ~ (A Collection of Favorite 12 Step Prayers and Inspirational Readings) ~

Happiness Prayer from West Africa

I am happy because You have accepted me, dear God.
Sometimes I do not know what to do with all my happiness.
I swim in Your grace like a whale in the ocean
The saying goes "The ocean never dries up," but we know Your love also never fails.
Dear Lord, Your love is my happiness.

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~ AROUND THE YEAR WITH EMMET FOX ~ (A Book of Daily Readings) ~

COMING OF AGE

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him? (Matthew 7:1 1).

We are the children of God; and if children, then sons, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, as Paul says. At the present time we find ourselves full of limitations and disabilities because we are spiritually but children—minors. Children are irresponsible, lacking in wisdom and experience, and have to be kept under control lest their mistakes should entail serious consequences to themselves.

. . . That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be loved by all;

But is under tutors and governors . . . (Galatians 4:1).

But when the fullness of time is come, he realizes that it is the voice of God Himself that is in his heart, making him cry: "Abba Father." Then at last he knows that he is the son of a great king, and that all his Father has is his for the using, whether it be health, or supply, or opportunity, or beauty, or joy, or any other of the thoughts of God.

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~ A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE ~ (365 Daily Inspirations for Heart-Centered Living) ~

Listen

Do you know why we have two ears and one mouth?
We are supposed to listen twice as much as we talk.

~ Anonymous ~

A successful psychiatrist saw eight patients a day and obtained excellent results. Each patient would walk out of his office with a smile and give the doctor a warm handshake. Many observers speculated on the secret of his success, but only his secretary knew it. At the end of each day, he would call her on the intercom and tell her, "Okay, Cindy, you can bring me my hearing aid now."

The only talent more effective than being a good speaker is to be a good listener. Most people are ready to offer advice, but few are willing or able to listen. Real listening is an art and a skill. Cultivate your ability to be fully present with someone who sincerely shares about their life, and you will be the best friend this person has.

In my seminars, I lead an exercise in which one partner speaks for five minutes, and the other simply listens. The speakers are instructed to express what they feel in their heart, and the listeners are instructed to listen without interrupting, giving advice, or telling their own story. Often the listeners receive more from the exercise than the speakers. They report that they feel relieved and refreshed not to have to respond with advice or feedback, and as a result, they were able to pay more attention to the speaker and feel with them as they shared, one speaker, elated, reported, "This is the first time in 20 years of marriage my wife heard me out!"

To truly bless your friends is much simpler than you may have thought. More than anything else, they would probably appreciate your undivided attention. Give the man open ear, and you will bless yourself as well.

Help me to be there for my friends in the highest and most helpful way.

I listen with my heart and hear myself it.