Today's Thought - November

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November 1

Always remember that no matter what the problem may be, there is an infinity of solutions.
--Marion Weinstein

A girl named Iris was tormented by the boys at school. Whenever she walked by they would make rude noises. Sometimes, when no one was looking, they would block her way and not let her go home. She was too inexperienced at taking care of herself to realize that believing she couldn't do anything made it true. Feeling helpless kept her from thinking about what she might do.

One day she got so scared that she told her best friend what was happening. Together they began to think of all sorts of things she could do. Knowing she could do something took away the helpless feeling, and the boys noticed and stopped teasing her. It wasn't fun for them anymore.

We often feel helpless in situations that seem too much for us to handle. In fact, help is always available - through friends and family, and through God, who helps us see how we can help ourselves. All we have to do is stop being distracted by that helpless feeling and ask for what we need.

Can I see the many solutions to my problems today?

You are reading from the book:

Today's Gift by Anonymous

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November 2

Fearful as reality is, it is less fearful than evasions of reality.
--Caitlin Thomas

We've become much less fearful of reality since we've come to know the principles of this program. Just about anything could have made us fearful in past years. No doubt practicing our addictions gave us a false courage for a while. But then we could no longer keep the fears away.

How do we keep fear at bay now that we're free of our addictions? Most of us have begun to rely on our Higher Power for courage, understanding, and acceptance. The challenges that we're offered are opportunities from God for our advantage. When we're in God's care these challenges are manageable, and we need no longer fear them.

We can conquer our fears as we take advantage of the help, guidance, and courage that come from God.

I know that God will be there for me through every challenge today.

You are reading from the book:

In God's Care by Karen Casey

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November 3

It's a simple formula; do your best and somebody might like it.
--Dorothy Baker

We're never guaranteed success by others' standards. However, if we do our best according to the standards we think God has in mind, we'll be successful. And from God we'll always receive unconditional love and acceptance.

In the past, many of us were haunted by fears that our best wasn't good enough. And not infrequently those fears hindered our performance, thus validating our fears. We can slip back into those immobilizing fears if we don't attend, with vigilance, to the program and its suggestions.

Our higher power will help us do whatever task lies before us. And no task will be ours except those for which we've been readied. Our job is simply to go forth, taking God as our partner, and set about completing the task. We will not falter if we remember where our strength rests, where the guidance lies.

Self-esteem is one of the byproducts of a job done with God's help. An additional byproduct is that we learn more quickly to rely on God's direction and strength the next time, thus reducing the time we give to fear.

I can be successful today, in every endeavor, if I let God manage my moves.

You are reading from the book:

Each Day a New Beginning by Karen Casey

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November 4

Angels Are Everywhere

I never believed in angels. Now I do. I think of angels as people who do nice things for us without expecting much in return. They give for the love of giving. They seek out opportunities to help, even when it seems inconvenient. They don't always look like we expect them to look or smell like we think they should. Their beliefs aren't always aligned with ours. But when we need them, they are there.

One of the first times I really understood their concept was when I drove to New York from Las Vegas in 1982. There I was, thrust into a big world I had never known except in geography schoolbooks. I was terrified but willing to make the drive. This cross-country trip was to become a metaphor for the bigger journey in my life.

Angels were everywhere. I met them in gas stations and rest stops, on the highway, in hotels, at restaurants, and at every meeting place I stopped along the way. From Flagstaff, Arizona to Albuquerque, New Mexico; from Joplin, Missouri to Chicago, Illinois and then on to New York. Their support was unfailing. Because of them, I got from one city to another. Because of them, I completed my journey. My job was simply to show up; they did the rest.

When was the last time you recognized an angel? Perhaps they let your car pass into the next lane without giving you a dirty look. Perhaps they offered to assist you when you were overloaded with bags. Perhaps they gave you their seat on the subway or the bus. Maybe they gave you a gift they knew you'd like. Perhaps they loaned you some money, bought clothes or toys for your kids when you couldn't, or just lent a helping hand in whatever way they could. Or maybe it was a friend who just stopped in the middle of a busy workday to take your call or meet with you for coffee or lunch. An angel can be someone you know or someone you meet in passing. Angels enhance your life, if even for a moment.

You're invited to recognize and acknowledge the angels in your life, people who have contributed to your life in big and small ways.

You are reading from the book:

52 Weeks of Esteemable Acts by Francine Ward

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November 5

Stop building cases

You don't have to build a big drama around your life. We may need to end a relationship or explore a new career. Instead of simply saying, This is what I'm going to do, we build a case.

Like a lawyer getting ready to go to court, we prepare our arguments. We take one feeling and build a hundred page document around it, prepared to battle our case.

You can build cases if you want to. But usually, there's a hidden feeling underneath all that case building that's asking to be cleared. It could be a tinge of guilt or fear. Or it could just be the belief that it's not okay to clearly express ourselves, say how it feels to us, and do what we need to do to take care of ourselves.

Let go of the drama. Just say what you need and how it feels to you.

Be as simple and clear as you can in expressing yourself. If you find yourself building a case or creating a big dramatic scene, take a moment. Why are you making such a fuss?

God, help me keep it simple, especially when it comes to expressing myself.

You are reading from the book:

More Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie

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November 6

Do unto others...

Snapping at a friend often results in being snapped at in return. That doesn't surprise us. Accusations generally elicit an angry defense from others and an argument. That comes as no surprise either. By contrast, being loving and compassionate toward the people in our lives generally results in others returning love and compassion to us. Why, then, is it harder to express love?

The fear of rejection is strong for many of us. Offering love while fearing it won't be returned makes us feel too vulnerable. However, the principles we are being exposed to through this program will help us understand that we do receive from others what we give. The scales are balanced. Remembering that before responding to anyone around us will make our lives far more peaceful.

I will know what to expect from others today by how I treat them. I pray to be kind and loving.

You are reading from the book:

A Life of My Own by Karen Casey

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November 7

Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet.
--Roger Miller

Gifts are usually surprises. We don't generally know what the ribbons, bows, and wrapping conceal.

Life's greatest misfortunes are, in retrospect, often referred to as gifts. While a debt can feel like a curse, when we finally get to the bottom of what's happened to us, we're surprised to find something good - a gift or blessing of sorts. Through our misfortune, we may have developed some true and lasting relationships, learned we had some admirable qualities we didn't know we had, or discovered the meaning of courage.

Today, if I am struggling. I will anticipate the wondrous surprise to come.

You are reading from the book:

Letting Go of Debt by Karen Casanova

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November 8

He who hesitates is sometimes saved.

Recovery is teaching us to think a situation through to the end before we act. In the past, we often reacted first and thought later. Unable to wait out the pain, we tried to "fix" our problems by artificial means: drugs, alcohol, food, sex, and excitement. Our only goal was to escape and get relief from the ups and downs of life. Rushing from one situation to another, we seldom slowed down enough to relax and really think through the consequences of our actions.

Now, we're learning to solve problems instead of escaping from them. Learning to sit still with discomfort, knowing it will eventually pass, has given us real personal power in our day-to-day living. What a wonderful freedom to no longer be driven by the demons of obsession and compulsion, but instead to experience our feelings as friends instead of enemies. When we allow ourselves to sit with such friends, open to what they can teach us, we will never be alone.

Today let me think difficult situations through to the end before deciding how to act.

You are reading from the book:

Body, Mind, and Spirit by Anonymous

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November 9

Changing

You cannot build a house or a life without some foundation. While we were still drinking or using drugs, it seemed our lives could not change. There was no foundation to build on. We had no working principles in our lives. We found we could not become the good things we wanted to become.

Until we quit drinking or using, we didn't know that there was a way we could make ourselves, one day at a time, into the kind of person we could accept. But the Steps and the fellowship make personality change possible.

How have I changed?

Higher Power, let me be willing to love myself and live myself into a new life, one day at a time, based on honesty, open mindedness, and willingness.

You are reading from the book:

Day by Day - Second Edition by Anonymous

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November 10

Some things we think are bad may be good.
-- Harry Bartholomew

Making hasty judgments about people can be detrimental. We quickly decide if an invitation to dinner is worth our time, or maybe we pass up an opportunity to engage in a book club or get acquainted with a prospective friend simply because we are a bit fearful. Does it really make sense to so quickly dispense with the people or the possibilities that beckon when we have so much time to spare?

While it is true that some opportunities may not be good, we can't make educated judgments about anything without at least a modicum of exposure. It's by design that we are still here, in this life, in these bodies. Perhaps we should be more open and trust the Grand Designer. Quietly seeking our inner voice will tell us what to do.

No doubt we have all regretted passing up opportunities after hearing of another's experiences with them. That doesn't have to be the standard for our lives, though. Careful contemplation coupled with some quiet meditation will always guide us appropriately. Taking the time to fully consider an option allows us to cull the good from the bad.

I don't have to accept every invitation that comes my way, but I can be open to new options.

You are reading from the book:

Keepers of the Wisdom by Karen Casey

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November 11

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.
--Anonymous

One of the biggest problems of addiction began with the initial desire to increase and continue to use an addictive substance. All of us who have gotten to the point of overdoing the consumption of a substance were basically, in some manner, filling a need to be what we thought was "normal" like other people.

We were convinced we were unworthy, inadequate, afraid, and lonely whenever we compared ourselves to others. We disconnected and isolated ourselves, not only from our peers, but also from our own real selves. We lived in a world of fantasy.

Our problem was more than a physical hunger for the things that made us dependent. It was also not dealing with crazy thinking, self-defeating behavior, and screwed-up emotions.

Today, I'll remember addiction is two-fold: one was my substance use and the other was an irrational thinking problem.

You are reading from the book:

Easy Does It by Anonymous

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November 12

We fear to trust our wings. We plume and feather them, but dare not throw our weight upon them. We cling too often to the perch.
--Charles B. Newcomb

Even before it has learned to fly; a baby bird is pushed from its nest. It will totter upon the ground, stubby wings outstretched from its body, following the guiding cries of its parents to flap its wings and take flight.

When we were young, our wings hadn't even developed before we began tottering through life. We may have received little direction about how to fly. As we grew, we may have built a nest and retreated within it, still not knowing how to fly.

Although our wings have not been used, we can still learn to fly. There are those who can teach us at meetings. They, too, have had to learn to fly after years of nest sitting. It isn't easy at first. In fact, it may be quite painful and tiring. But by trying out our wings every day, they will grow stronger and more familiar to us. Our nest will always be there, but we won't have to visit it as often. We'll be too busy flying and testing our wings.

I can begin to learn the freedom of flight and trust my wings.

You are reading from the book:

Night Light by Amy E. Dean

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November 13

We have no right to ask when sorrow comes, "Why did this happen to me?" unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way.
--Author unknown

A millionaire wanted his son to understand that the world was made up of those who had great happiness in the world because they never wanted for anything, and those who lived in unhappiness because their struggles were never-ending. He asked one of his lowest-paid workers if his son could stay for a weekend, and the employee agreed.

When the weekend was over, the millionaire picked up his son. On the way home he asked his son, "What did you learn about how others live?"

"A lot," the boy replied as he sat with his shoulders slumped, "We have a dog, but they have three dogs and a couple of cats. They even have chickens and ducks and a donkey. We have a swimming pool, but they have this great big lake. We have a deck, but they have a back yard that stretches for miles and miles. And at dinner, they all sit around a table and laugh and talk together."

The millionaire sat in silence, listening to his son.

"I guess the lesson I learned, Dad, is how poor we really are."

Rather than rue what I do not have, I will be happy for all that I have been given.

You are reading from the book:

Morning Light by Amy E. Dean

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November 14

The principle of life is that life responds by corresponding; your life becomes the thing you have decided it shall be.
--Raymond Charles Barker

The attitude that we carry with us into a particular setting will greatly influence our perceptions of any event. Our attitude also influences, positively or negatively, personal interactions, and not just those involving ourselves. The effect of our message is this: our personal power is profound. We have explicit control over our own perceptions. We determine our own attitudes. Every moment of our lives we are deciding what we want to see, to think, to feel. And reflections will inform us that our expectations are firmly fulfilled.

How exhilarating to become aware of our freedom to think and to feel as we wish. However, with this freedom comes responsibility. We're barred from blaming others for our troubles. Each of us is charged with the responsibility for deciding our own fate. How we prepare ourselves for this experience or this day is individually chosen. Every minute we are in control of our perceptions, our attitudes, and our responses.

Today is mine to mold. My attitude, my thoughts and responses.

You are reading from the book:

The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg

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November 15

I can't handle it, God. You take over.
--Anonymous

The life we lived in the dark world of our disease was a terrifying one. It was as if we were perched on a tiny ledge thousands of feet up the side of a mountain. The drop was straight down. We never dared to look up or down because we so desperately feared falling. All we could do was feed our disease and tremble in fear. We were stuck. There was no room on our ledge for anyone else. We were all alone. Every day, little bits and pieces of our perch would fall off. All we could do was wait.

Finally, out of desperation, we looked up and saw thousands of people urging us to climb. They reached down and created a human chain for us to climb. All we had to do was let go of our perch and take the hands extended to us. We stood, looked up, let go, and took the hands. We were safe.

I'm not stuck any more. I've let go of my fear and accept help when I need it.

You are reading from the book:

Easy Does It by Anonymous