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April 26, 2014 - Today's Gift from Hazelden

Saturday, April 26, 2014
Today's thought from Hazelden is:

A man without ambition is dead. A man with ambition but no love is dead. A man with ambition and love for his blessings here on earth is ever so alive.
 -- Pearl Bailey

Is our glass half full or half empty? We may see ourselves as positive people, but when we take the time to examine our thoughts closely, we may be surprised. We may have a lot to complain about, but so what? We can choose misery or happiness. It's all in how we see that glass.

Instead of griping about bills, we become thankful for the money that is coming in. Instead of thinking about what activities we're missing in our lives, we're grateful for the solitude. Instead of being hurt by what friends and family aren't doing, we feel blessed we have them in our lives in the first place.

Today I will humble myself by counting my blessings, knowing that without them I would truly be lost.
From the book:
Letting Go of Debt © 2000 by Hazelden Foundation

April 26, 2014 - Step by Step

Step by Step
Saturday, April 26, 2014
 
Today, grant me the wisdom and prudence to appreciate the power of the spoken word, the one spewed in anger, fear, frustration or sarcasm and which can inflict more damage than any destructive act of my drinking days. Let me understand that a single wrong word can do hurt and injury that might not be healed by any amend I might make. And even if my amend or apology is accepted, the injury and hurt may cut so deeply in the person against whom the wrong word is spoken, something can still be lost permanently. I pray for guidance in the 12th Step that I practice all the Program's principles in all my affairs, including not caving into the impulsiveness or anger of unleashing a word that is intended to impose hurt. Today, I must think before I speak, especially if I am angry, frustrated or afraid, because I cannot unspeak it - and atonement may not be enough to repair the damage. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2014

April 26, 2014 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Saturday, April 26, 2014 
 
AA Thought for the Day 
The AA program is one of submission, release and action. When we're drinking, we're submitting to a power greater than ourselves - liquor. Our own wills are no use against the power of liquor. One drink and we're sunk. In AA, we stop submitting to the power of liquor. Instead, we submit to a Power, also greater than ourselves, which we call God.

Have I submitted myself to that Higher Power?
Meditation for the Day 
Ceaseless activity is not God's plan for your life. Times of withdrawal for renewed strength are always necessary. Wait for the faintest tremor of fear and stop all work, everything, and rest before God until you are strong again. Deal in the same way with all tired feelings. Then you need rest of body and renewal of spirit-force. St. Paul said: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." This does not mean that you are to do all things and then rely on God to find strength. It means that you are to do the things you believe God wants you to do and only then can you rely on His supply of power.


Prayer for the Day 
I pray that God's spirit may be my master always. I pray that I may learn how to rest and listen, as well as how to work. 
 
Hazelden Foundation

April 26, 2014 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Saturday, April 26, 2014
 
Reflection for the Day
When I first came to The Program, I was stunned by the constant sound of laughter. I realized today that cheerfulness and merriment make for usefulness. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into laughter over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn't we laugh? We have recovered, and have helped others to recover. What greater cause could there be for rejoicing than this?

Have I begun to regain my sense of humor?

Today I Pray
May God restore my sense of humor. May I appreciate the honest laughter that is the background music of our mutual rejoicing in our sobriety. May I laugh a lot, not the defensive ego-laugh which mocks another's weakness, not the wry laugh of the self-putdown, but the healthy laugh that keeps situations in perspective. May I never regard this kind of laughter as irreverent. I have learned, instead, that it is irreverent to take myself too seriously.

Today I Will Remember
A sense of humor is a sign of health.

Hazelden Foundation

April 26, 2014 - The Eye Opener

The Eye Opener
Saturday, April 26, 2014
 
Many of us came into AA either in middle life or beyond and feel that with our reasonable life expectancy, it is practically impossible to atone for our previous wrong actions. The thief at the Crucifixion probably thought the same thing but, by one single act, he brought the promise that "this day, thou shalt be with me in Paradise."

Hazelden Foundation

Oct. 12, 2024 - Readings in Recovery: Step by Step

  Step by Step Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 ” …(T)he best thing of all for me is to remember that my serenity is inversely proportional to my exp...