Surrender

A.A. Thought for the Day

The way of A.A. is the way of faith. We don't get the full benefit of the program until we surrender our lives to some Power greater than ourselves and trust that Power to give us the strength we need. There is no better way for us. We can't get sober without it. We can stay sober for some time without it. But if we are going to truly live, we must take the way of faith in God. That is the path for us. We must follow it. Have I taken the way of faith? 

Meditation for the Day

Life is not a search for happiness. Happiness is a by-product of living the right kind of a life, of doing the right thing. Do not search for happiness, search for right living and happiness will be your reward.
 

The Greatest Thing In The World, by Henry Drummond

Trusting Others

The three Ts of gratitude to repay the program for our recovery: our TIME, our TALENT, our TRUST.

~Anonymous

In our recovery, we are building trust in others and in ourselves. For the first time in our lives, we know that we can reveal ourselves completely to others without fear of being put down. When we get stuck with negative thoughts, it is important to find the strength of sharing with others in the program.

At the same time, we are aware that others are placing trust in us not to use their sharing to benefit ourselves or to belittle them. By exchanging confidences and personal experiences, we are truly expressing our ability to love. We hear that our entire program rests on the principle of mutual trust. We trust God, we trust the Twelve Steps, and we trust each other. The Second Tradition states that our leaders are but “trusted servants.”

When I share with others, I am also aware that they need me, just as I need them.

from the book Easy Does It, A Book of Daily Twelve Step Meditations

 

Forgiving

 

Joy to forgive and joy to be forgiven hang level in the balances of love.

~Richard Garnett

If we are unable or unwilling to forgive others for whatever they do, we won’t be able to forgive ourselves for our actions. The agony of resentment, guilt, remorse, and shame will overpower us. These emotions will halt our progress toward the comfortable and rewarding living we are promised in recovery.

Early in recovery, we often were told to pray for those whom we thought had wronged us. This philosophy is as old as civilization. Forgiveness will always triumph over guilt and shame. Recovery is one-third love and two-thirds forgiveness.

Sane choices

 

Every day we pray for the willingness to make sane choices about our lives. In the morning, when we awaken, the way we feel gives us an idea of whether the day will be easy or difficult. If we’re not feeling our strongest, we need to take special care of our abstinence that day.

That might mean a phone call, writing out how we plan to confront a difficult situation, writing affirmations to take with us, or thinking ahead to potential danger. Do we need to avoid a certain part of town, make a contract not to call an old acquaintance, or stay away from certain music?