May 23, 2015 - Readings in Recovery: Today's Gift from Hazelden

Saturday, May 23, 2015
Today's thought from Hazelden is:

All animals except man know that the ultimate of life is to enjoy it.
 -- Samuel Butler


If we take time to watch animals, we see that they have a zest for life that seems to engage them totally in whatever they are doing. A cat chasing its tail, a dog going after a ball, a horse running along the shore, a dolphin leaping and diving - all are actions that reveal energy and delight in simply being alive.

Life, we say, is to be enjoyed, but how many of us manage to put this theory into practice? We often associate pleasure with guilt or with acting out or with hurting or being hurt, and so we stand back from the full enjoyment of our power to be really alive.

Letting go of our shame and feelings of unworthiness will help us to let go and live. If we can tap into the spontaneity that runs through the animal kingdom, we will rediscover the sheer joy of being alive.

I'll try to take time to watch animals at play and learn from their vitality and enjoyment.
You are reading from the book:
Answers in the Heart © 1989 by P. Williamson and S. Kiser

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