Today's Thought - February

[bluidkiti]

February 1

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime.
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Few of us ever think of ourselves as "great," and fewer still consider our lives "sublime." Yet there is no question that we will all depart life someday and leave some kind of footprints behind us. To our glory or regret, we all leave our marks.

Though we may not be aware of it, people do watch us. What we say and don't say, do and don't do, all have an effect on others. Our positive, hopeful attitude translates into encouraging applause for a struggling brother or sister, or our cutting remark may be the final douse of water on someone else's weak flame. Our actions and words do matter.

Let us look back at the footprints we have left so far. Do they lead toward recovery? It's not too late to strike out in a different direction.

For these twenty-four hours, I will set an encouraging example to those around me.

Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy: Daily Meditations for Adult Children*

[bluidkiti]

February 2

Dealing with them is like dealing with a porcupine in heat.

~Anonymous

Some days we wake up angry at the world. Everyone annoys us. We try to tell ourselves that we're spiritual people and need to have a better attitude. But still, sometimes those inner voices keep whispering that the world is out to get us.

This is called life. Part of life is having bad days. What is important is how we choose to behave during these bad days. We can't take our negative attitudes too seriously. These voices feed self-righteousness and can drive us back to being self-centered addicts. We can end up believing we are entitled to happiness on demand. We know where these old attitudes and old behaviors will land us.
Prayer for the Day

When I feel negative and full of myself, Higher Power, help me to remember that this, too, will pass, especially if I don't take it too seriously.
Today's Action

Today I will write down a plan for what to do the next time I wake up feeling negative and mad at the world. Who will I call? What will I do to try and turn over my negative attitude?

Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me: More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple*

[bluidkiti]

February 3

God delays but doesn't forget.

~Spanish saying

It's frustrating to get sick, lose a job, or encounter financial setbacks. We suddenly feel curtailed, with the rhythm of our lives changed in a way we never anticipated. But our Higher Power slows us down for a reason. There can be gifts in adversity. They can provide us with time alone, time to think.

Being alone gives us the chance to find ourselves in a new way. We may be surprised to find inner resources we didn't know we had. A period of waiting through adversity can also turn us to our Higher Power when the solace we need is beyond the capacity of people to give.

It's challenging to do nothing when the world tells us that we must always take action. When action isn't possible, accepting the circumstances of our lives enables us to experience the value of being, rather than doing.

When some part of my life is beyond my control, I can be patient and simply wait. Inaction is not necessarily inactivity.

Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart

[bluidkiti]

February 4

The Now

Yesterday is gone; forget it. Tomorrow never comes; don't worry. Today is here; get busy.

~Anonymous

When we live in the now, for this day only, "One day at a time," we assure ourselves a comfortable reality. We cannot afford to regret the past. Solutions that worked for yesterday's problems might be obsolete today.

Thinking into the future is projection, an act of purely wishful thinking that is a waste of precious time for growth. The time we spend "projecting" is time wasted. The future is never what we project it to be. Instead of spending time thinking about the future in the present, we can be spending time making the present better.

The only thing that emerges from thinking about the negative parts of our past is guilt and shame. The only thing that emerges from thinking about our future is fear of the unknown. We can eliminate guilt, shame, and fear from our present lives by dealing only with the present.

Today I will spend each moment in the here and now, making the present better.

Today's reading is from the book Easy Does It: A Book of Daily Twelve Step Meditations*

[bluidkiti]

Fberuary 5

It is the soul's duty to be loyal to its own desires.

~Rebecca West

Our soul's pure desires, those that harm no one else, are really invitations from God for us to try new activities, to perhaps move along unfamiliar corridors, or tackle challenges that will carry us closer to our destiny.

Fulfilling our desires can expand our knowledge of life, but even more, it can strengthen our trust in our Higher Power.

Perhaps our primary goal is to trust more in our Higher Power's presence, loving guidance, and commitment to our growth. Our Higher Power is our most treasured friend and teacher, our most significant other.

We'll never be led astray with the guidance offered us for fulfilling our purest desires.

I will ask God for direction and attune myself to my innermost desires today.

Today's reading is from the book In God's Care: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery*

[bluidkiti]

February 6

Believe the best in yourself. Then it is easier to believe the best in others.

~Mardy Kopischke

Most of us have struggled - perhaps for years - trying to see the best in ourselves. Our less-than-stellar behavior has muddied our attempts to focus on our positive qualities. We have always had them; however, it may require a careful inventory and our sponsor's feedback to bring our positive qualities into focus. Why is it so much easier to remember the actions over which we feel shame?

Many of us can't see the good in ourselves until we can recognize what it looks like. It helps to start by identifying the good in other people; then we can learn to identify it in ourselves. This effort will ensure us many rewards.

It's really not important how we go about identifying our best attributes. That we come to appreciate them is the goal. And the beauty of this is that by openly expressing our appreciation we strengthen the good in ourselves and in others.

The contribution I can make today is really so easy. All I need to do is focus on a positive quality not only in someone else but also in myself.

Today's reading is from the book A Woman's Spirit: More meditations for Women*

[bluidkiti]

February 7

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

~Julian of Norwich

Some mornings we wake with anxiety, fretting over the future or the state of our lives. Not many things we do will change the direction of events in the future. Our fears for our safety and well-being may be based more on habit than reality, and our desires for control only feed frustration.

To restore calm, we can turn to the care of our Higher Power. We do that in our deep meditation, taking a few minutes alone in a quiet, undisturbed, and safe place. We can breathe slowly and deeply, allowing the chair or the floor to hold our body as we allow our Higher Power to hold us. Repeating in our minds today's opening quote, we find calm settling over us.

Today, I accept that all will be well.

Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones: More Daily Meditations for Men*

[bluidkiti]

February 8

AA Thought for the Day

The new life can't be built in a day. We have to take the program slowly, a little at a time. Our subconscious minds have to be re-educated. We have to learn to think differently. We have to get used to sober thinking instead of alcoholic thinking. Anyone who tries it knows that the old alcoholic thinking is apt to come back on us when we least expect it. Building a new life is a slow process, but it can be done if we really follow the AA program. Am I building a new life on the foundation of sobriety?
Meditation for the Day

I will pray daily for faith, for it is God's gift. On faith alone depends the answer to my prayers. God gives it to me in response to my prayers, because it is a necessary weapon for me to possess for the overcoming of all adverse conditions and the accomplishment of all good in my life. Therefore, I will work at strengthening my faith.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may so think and live as to feed my faith in God. I pray that my faith may grow because with faith God's power becomes available to me.

Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day: A Spiritual Resource with Practical Applications for Daily Life*

[bluidkiti]

February 9

Say what you like: say I'm ill,
Say I broke my leg on the stairs,
Say we've had a fire.

~T.S. Elliot

Think of the trouble of excuses and lies. They force us to make ourselves sick, live with a whole broken leg, start some sort of slow burn. When we tell someone we're not at home, we have to hide in that place. When we invent a long line of lies, we have to memorize each one. It's easiest just to come clean, use plain and simple words, and speak true. When accusers spear us with their stares, we can disarm them by looking them right in the eye.

Not only do lies deceive others, they keep us hidden from ourselves, and make our real reasons for the choices we've made seem unworthy, if we feel we can't express them. Better that we be truthful, even if a little pain results. Truth keeps communication lines open. Then, when someone really wants to know what's on our minds, we can simply open our hearts.

Is anything too terrible to tell to a friend?

Today's reading is from the book Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families*

[willbe275]

The truth may hurt a little while, but a
lie will keep you in bondage forever.

[bluidkiti]

February 10

Study sickness when you are well.

~Thomas Fuller

Now is the time to learn about our sickness - addiction. It is a chronic illness. That means it never goes away. We have to live with it the best we can. Luckily, we can live with it - very well! Our program of recovery is so simple, and it feels so good, that we think we'll never give it up. But we can't take our recovery for granted.

Our disease is cunning, baffling, powerful. The more we know about it, the less we'll let it fool us. Some days we may find we're headed toward a slip. We must learn to recognize the first trouble signs in ourselves so we can get help to stay sober.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, my addiction is cunning, baffling, powerful. Don't let me use alcohol or other drugs again. Thank you for my sobriety today.
Action for the Day

Today I’ll learn my warning signs: I’ll list ten old thoughts, feelings, and actions that were part of my illness. I’ll share this with my sponsor.

Today's reading is from the book Keep it Simple: Daily Meditations for Twelve Step Beginnings and Renewal*

[willbe275]

The Power of Thinking.

Did you know that thoughts can actually make you more anxious, happy, fearful, or content? And what you spend time thinking about has the power to affect your emotions, your actions, and ultimately, your character? Your thoughts are some of the most powerful things about you.

Scripture has a lot to say about our thoughts because God knows the power of our minds. Isaiah 26:3 says that God will keep our hearts in perfect peace if we keep our minds fixed on Him.

Can you imagine that? Perfect peace.

The more time we spend focusing our thoughts on God and His Word, the more our hearts will be kept in peace. That is a powerful thought, especially in a world that is constantly looking for peace and unity.

The starting point for this peace is trusting God. We must come to Him trusting in who He is, and having faith in what He has done for us. We know that God is good and just. So if we have faith in Him, we know that we are accepted and loved by Him. And those who trust in God are given access to Him and His presence.

Perfect peace is available to those who consistently trust in God, and fix their thoughts on Him.

How many of your thoughts are spent on things relating to God? Do you keep your mind focused on Him when you’re feeling anxious or stressed? What are some simple ways you can continue to remind yourself to think about God throughout your day?

Spend some time thinking about the power of your own thoughts and the access you’ve been given to God through Scripture. Commit to building the habit of centering your thoughts on God so that you can experience His perfect peace.

[bluidkiti]

February 11

If I truly showed my feelings, the other guys would eat me alive. It's too dog-eat-dog out there to be honest about the things that really count to you. You can't leave yourself wide open like that

~Michael E. McGill

As we deepen our commitment to strong and mature manhood, we see a conflict between this program and much of what we learned as young men. When we drop our defenses and are honest, we take the chance of getting hurt. Many of us learned long ago that when we became vulnerable, others became abusive. It is difficult to abandon everything we learned about being nobody's fool and staying safe.

In fact, we don't have to leave ourselves wide open. We can be selective about how open we will be and whom we will trust. But for our spiritual growth to continue, we must be an open book to ourselves, to our Higher Power, and to a few friends. We must face the fear of being open to others in this program. Developing true friends is part of the change that the program brings.

I pray for the courage to be honest with myself and to stand up for who I truly am with my friends.

*Meditations can be specific, but themes are universal: apply as needed on your personal journey.

[bluidkiti]

February 12

Making Amends

As Freya North once said, "It’s not a person's mistakes which define them - it's the way they make amends." It's not just saying we are sorry about things that we may have done in the past, although that can be part of it. Some people may not want to hear from us ever again, and we need to honor that. When we do make verbal amends, we admit mistakes, but it isn't always about making right what was wrong. Sometimes making amends involves listening to others describe how what we did affected them. We can make indirect or direct amends. Once we offer them, we move on from our amends. Clearing up bad energy is important.

I don't believe in making direct amends if there is a chance that doing so might injure myself or others. Making amends is about making better or improving, amending our behaviors and our actions. It's not about repentance for me. It's about taking responsibility and changing my behavior. And sometimes it's even an opportunity to show others how much I've changed - that my amends show themselves in me.

Though we can't take back the past, recovery gives us opportunities to change the future.

Today's reading is from the book She Recovers Every Day: Meditations for Women*

[bluidkiti]

February 13

Accepting powerlessness

There is nothing negative in the First Step of the program, where we admit that we are powerless over our addiction and our lives. Powerlessness is not weakness; it simply recognizes that power is not a human attribute. We are powerless in and of ourselves. But when we look to our Higher Power, we can be set free - no longer bound by an addiction that does not love us. Have I tapped the source of all power?

Higher Power, help me to joyfully accept my powerlessness over my addiction, knowing that this will set me free.

I will accept my powerlessness today by...

Today's reading is from the book Day by Day: Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts*