June 23, 2024 - Readings in Recovery: The Eye Opener

 

The Eye Opener
Sunday, June 23, 2024

It takes courage, intelligence, initiative and deep emotions to make a really successful fool. The timid, under-imaginative, cowardly seldom do.

We as alcoholics made fools of ourselves, it is true, but, in so doing, we experienced more, we lived more, we suffered more. These are the ingredients of a liberal education.

If wisdom could be dissected, there would be a large portion of Folly, Defeat, Suffering and just plain Damned Foolishness in its makeup.

By the same token, our foolishness taught us valuable lessons that could not have been acquired anywhere else.

Hazelden Foundation

June 19, 2024 - Readings in Recovery: Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

 

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:

Imitating

We don't need to imitate anyone. If we admire someone, we might aspire to her or his qualities (substance), but we needn't imitate that person's every gesture and word (style). A person's talent is the sum of his or her experiences; we can't simply adopt them. And we don't need to! Our Higher Power will teach us what we have to offer.

We don't know our capabilities -- nor do others -- until we have exhibited them. When we do what we are asked to do, to the best of our ability, we feel a moment of great joy and fulfillment. No matter how small the task, we are then right in the eyes of our Higher Power. Have I stopped imitating?

Higher Power, I pray for your presence in all areas of my life and your guidance in all I do.

I will practice being my best self today by...

Hazelden Foundation

June 12, 2024 - Readings in Recovery: A Day at a Time

 

A Day at a Time

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Reflection for the Day

Many of us have had difficulty ridding ourselves of the ravages of guilt. In my own case, during the early days in The Program, I either misunderstood certain of the Steps, or tried to apply them too quickly and too eagerly. The result was that I increased my feelings of guilt and worthlessness, rather than freeing myself as The Steps intend. Soon, though, I became at least willing to forgive myself, and I made a new beginning. I undertook all the soul-searching and cleansing Steps in our Program as they were intended to be taken, and not from a below-ground position of crippling hate and guilt.

Have I made amends to myself?

Today I Pray

May I forgive myself, as God has forgiven me. May I know that if I am hanging onto an old satchel full of guilt, then I am not following the example He has shown me. If God can forgive me – and He has demonstrated His forgiveness by leading me to this healing place — then so can I. May I not begrudge myself what He has so generously offered.

Today I Will Remember

God forgives; so must I.

Hazelden Foundation

June 7, 2024 - Readings in Recovery: A Day at a Time

 

A Day at a Time
Friday, June 7, 2024

Reflection for the Day
Few of us are entirely free from a sense of guilt. We may feel guilty because of our words or actions, or for things left undone. We may even feel guilty because of irrational or false accusations by others. When I’m troubled by a gnawing feeling of guilt, obviously I can’t put into my day all I’m capable of. So I must rid myself of guilt — not by pushing it aside or ignoring it, but by identifying it and correcting the cause.

Have I finally begun to learn to “keep it simple?”

Today I Pray
May I learn not to let myself be “guilted,” made to feel guilty when I don’t consider that I am. Since I doubtless have the dregs of guilt left over from my addictive behavior, I do not need the extra burden of unreasonable blame laid on me. I count on God to help me sort out and get rid of these twinges and pangs of guilt, which whether justified or not, need to be recognized and unloaded.

Today I Will Remember
The verdict of guilty is not for life.

Hazelden Foundation

May 23, 2024 - Readings in Recovery: The Eye Opener

 

The Eye Opener

Thursday, May 23, 2024

“God created the world and God saw everything He had made and, behold, it was very good.” He gave man dominion over the world and we have badly fouled it up.

This world, with all its wars, crimes, sins and sorrows, is truly our world — not the one God made.

Alcoholics and non-alcoholics alike must get out of the driver’s seat, admit we are powerless over our baser instincts and let God take over.

Then our world will become His world again and it will be very good, indeed.

Hazelden Foundation

April 6, 2024 - Readings in Recovery: A Day at a Time

 

A Day at a Time

Saturday, April 6, 2024

Reflection for the Day

What do we say to a person who has slipped, or one who calls for help? We can carry the message, if they’re willing to learn; we can share our experience, strength and hope. Perhaps the most important thing we can do, however, is to tell the person that we love him or her, that we’re truly happy he or she is back, and that we want to help all we can. And we must mean it.

Can I still “go to school” and continue to learn from the mistakes and adversities of others?

Today I Pray

May I always have enough love to welcome back to the group someone who has slipped. May I listen to that person’s story-of-woe, humbly. For there, but for my Higher Power, go I. May I learn from others’ mistakes and pray that I will not re-enact them.

Today I Will Remember

Sobriety is never fail-safe.

Hazelden Foundation

March 29, 2024 - Readings in Recovery: A Day at a Time

 

A Day at a Time

Friday, March 29, 2024

Reflection for the Day

What is the definition of humility? “Absolute humility,” said AA co-founder Bill W., “would consist of a state of complete freedom from myself, freedom from all the claims that my defects of character now lay so heavily upon me. Perfect humility would be a full willingness, in all times and places, to find and to do the will of God.”

Am I striving for humility?

Today I Pray

May God expand my interpretation of humility beyond abject subservience or awe at the greatness of others. May humility also mean freedom from myself, a freedom which can come only through turning my being over to God’s will. May I sense the omnipotence of God, which is simultaneously humbling and exhilarating. May I be willing to carry out His will.

Today I Will Remember

Humility is freedom.

Hazelden Foundation

Aug. 15, 2023 - Readings in Recovery: Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

 

Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023

Today’s Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:

The baby learning to walk falls a lot.

— Kathleen Rowe

We are developing new attitudes, new behaviors, new patterns for nearly every activity in our lives. We can’t be expected to master them immediately. The commitment to make progress on a daily basis is quite enough.

We won’t be perfect. Ever. The determination to keep improving is as close to perfection as we need ever come. The challenge is in the effort. The growth is in the effort too. We are in this program to grow and change. It will happen, sometimes in spite of ourselves, if we keep showing up to do the footwork.

Falling while learning to put a better foot forward is expected. The learning process is just that: a process. A little effort, one day at a time, will hone our new skills. In no time, we will look back on our old selves with disbelief. How did we come so far, so fast?

I may make plenty of mistakes today. I can accept that I’m learning and moving forward.

Hazelden Foundation

July 7, 2023 - Readings in Recovery: The Eye Opener

 

The Eye Opener
Friday, July 7, 2023

Remember those days when we were SMART; when we knew our way around; when nobody could tell us what to do; when we actually felt sorry for the dumb SOB’s who labored every day and took their paycheck home to Mama?

In those days, the world had chosen up sides; we were on one side and everybody else was on the other. We would work them for all we could; they, in turn, kicked us around at every opportunity.

Frankly, fellows, who was actually smart and who dumb?

Hazelden Foundation

June 28, 2023 - Readings in Recovery: The Eye Opener

 

The Eye Opener

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Exactly what is AA worth to you? Have you ever figured that out? Make a written list sometime of the benefits you have derived from your sobriety. Try hard to make an honest evaluation of what it would be worth to you in dollars and cents. How much have you benefited mentally, spiritually, physically, financially, socially?

Then make another list — how much has AA benefited by your membership? Are you trying to give as much as you have received? If not, you are getting something for nothing and that isn’t honest. You can never square the debt, but you can probably give it a little better try than you have been doing.

Hazelden Foundation

May 21, 2023 - Readings in Recovery: A Day at a Time

 

A Day at a Time
Sunday, May 21, 2023

Reflection for the Day
“The language of friendship is not words, but meanings,“ wrote Thoreau. Life indeed takes on new meanings, as well as new meaning in The Program. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends — this is an experience not to be missed.

Can I recall my initial reactions when I came to The program? Do I believe that I’ve finally come home?

Today I Pray
As The Program has given life new meanings for me, may I pass along to others that same chance to re-evaluate their lives in the light of sobriety, common purpose, friendships and spiritual expansion. Praise God for my new vision of human life. Praise Him for restoring for me the value and purpose of living.

Today I Will Remember
I value my life.

Hazelden Foundation

Feb. 21, 2023 - Readings in Recovery: The Eye Opener

 

The Eye Opener

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023

The effectiveness of AA is largely built upon understanding and human sympathy. These characteristics were not acquired from a book but learned the hard way as we, too, traveled the long dark alley of despair in search of a helping hand and an understanding heart.

Creeds and ideologies are for preachers and students to debate and reason, but our doctrine of love and understanding has nothing to do with reason; frequently it is contrary to reason, as it comes from the heart and not the head.

Hazelden Foundation

Dec. 11, 2022 - Readings in Recovery: Twenty-Four Hours a Day

 

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022

AA Thought for the Day

Doctors think of the AA fellowship as group therapy. This is a very narrow conception of the depth of the AA fellowship. Looking at it purely as a means of acquiring and holding sobriety, it is right as far as it goes. But it doesn’t go far enough. Group therapy is directed toward the help that the individual receives from it. It is essentially selfish. It is using the companionship of other alcoholics only in order to stay sober ourselves. But this is only the beginning of real AA fellowship.

Do I deeply feel the true AA fellowship?

Meditation for the Day

Most of us have had to live through the dark part of our lives, the time of failure, the nighttime of our lives, when we were full of struggle and care, worry and remorse, when we felt deeply the tragedy of life. But with our daily surrender to a Higher Power, come a peace and joy that makes all things new. We can now take each day as a joyous sunrise-gift from God to use for Him and for other people. The night of the past is gone, this day is ours.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may take this day as a gift from God. I pray that I may thank God for this day and be glad in it.

Hazelden Foundation

Nov. 22, 2022 - Readings in Recovery: The Eye Opener

 

The Eye Opener

Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022

Moderation is not an alcoholic’s strong point. Few improve much after joining AA; they simply direct their energies to other activities but with the same amount of intemperance.

“Easy Does It” is a nice-sounding slogan, but seldom do we see any great display of it among the members. They usually jump into their jobs with increased enthusiasm or they find an outlet for their energies in AA work. It is probably for the best, however, for excessive activities are not as prone to make a man return to the bottle as too much inactivity.

Hazelden Foundation

June 30, 2022 - Readings in Recovery: A Day at a Time

 

A Day at a Time
Thursday, June 30, 2022

Reflection for the Day
I've learned in The Program that the trick, for me, is not stopping drinking but staying stopped and learning how not to start again. It was always relatively easy to stop, if only by sheer incapacity alone; God knows, I stopped literally thousands of times. To stay stopped, I've had to develop a positive program of action. I've had to learn to live sober, cultivating new habit patterns, new interests and new attitudes.

Am I remaining flexible in my new life? Am I exercising my freedom to abandon limited objectives?

Today I Pray
I pray that my new life will be filled with new patterns, new friends, new activities, new ways of looking at things. I need God's help to overhaul my lifestyle to include all the newness it must hold. I also need a few ideas of my own. May my independence from chemicals or compulsive behavior help me make my choices with an open mind and a clear, appraising eye.

Today I Will Remember
Stopping is starting.

Hazelden Foundation

May 3, 2022 - Readings in Recovery; Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

 

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Today’s Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Fortunate are the people whose roots are deep. — Agnes Meyer

A tree’s roots seek water and minerals. Though the roots can’t be easily seen, they are there. The life of the tree depends on them. The stronger a tree’s roots, the higher a tree can grow.

We need to set deep roots into the soil of recovery. The soil of recovery is made up of the Twelve Steps, fellowship, and service to others. We’ll have to get through storms and high winds in our return to health. In so doing, we’ll become beautiful, strong, and spiritual. We’ll be able to live with both the gentle breezes and the heavy winds of life.

Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me believe in what I can’t see. Just as I believe that the roots of a tree are there because I can see the leaves, I believe in a Higher Power because I can see the results.

Action for the Day

I will ask myself, “Which Step do I need to work on the most right now?” I will volunteer to give a meeting on that Step.

Hazelden Foundation