A Prayer & Some Thoughts - October

[bluidkiti]

October 1

Smile Prayer

God,

As I stumble through this life, help me to create more laughter than tears, dispense more cheer than gloom, spread more cheer than despair.
Never let me become so indifferent, that I will fail to see the wonders in the eyes of a child, or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged.
Never let me forget that my total effort is to cheer people up, make them happy, and forget momentarily, all the unpleasantness in their lives.
And in my final moment, may I hear You whisper: “When you made My people smile, you made Me smile.”
Amen

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Just a Thought

Exaggerating the negative element in our lives is familiar behavior for all too many of us.

We learn to trust by giving over our dilemmas to God for solutions. With patience, we will see the right outcomes, and we will more easily turn to God the next time. Serenity is the gift promised when we let God handle our lives. No crisis need worry us. The solution is only a prayer away.

So ............

I will take action against every crisis confronting me - I will turn to God. Each crisis is an invitation to serenity.

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Just a Contemplation

Letting Go

There are times when we think we see perfectly what others ought to be doing. It pains and disturbs us when loved ones..... our children, perhaps... do not heed our advice. In planning for others, we can easily fall into the trap of enabling. An enabler is a person who supports others in an unhealthy addiction or dependency.

We must not plan the lives of others, no matter how dear they are to us or how attached we become to them. They must have the freedom to live without obligation or the belief that they could not have succeeded without our help. Freedom of choice is a precious right that includes the freedom to make mistakes.

I'll release any tendency I have to plan for others. At all times, my responsibility is to keep on the right track and let others be free.

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Serenity

That word "serenity" looked like an impossible goal when we first saw the prayer. In fact, if serenity meant apathy, bitter resignation, or stolid endurance, then we didn't even want to aim at it.
But we found that serenity meant no such thing. . .
Serenity is like a gyroscope that lets us keep our balance no matter what turbulence swirls around us.
And that is a state of mind worth aiming for.

Living Sober Page 19

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Just a Quote

"I can repeat the past, or I can create new and better experiences." ~ Shelley

[bluidkiti]

October 2


Pride Prayer

Lord, it’s hard to admit, but I need to be right. I just know if I explain my way one more time with one more example, the other person will see my side. But the more I push my view, the more my words and actions destroy my relationships.

Remind me that relationships are more important than who’s right and who’s wrong. Tell me to back off when I can’t seem to pull the plug on my pride. Cover my frustration with patience. I need to put putting things into perspective and understand what doesn’t really matter. Please help me to regain my prospective.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We share a common illness and a common cure.

Abstinence is possible as we share it with each other. The program works as we work it together. Each of us is an individual, but we function best with the support of the group. If we neglect to go to meetings and make phone calls, we cut ourselves off from the strength and inspiration we need.
Our Higher Power works through each of us as we share what we have been given.

So ............

Did we achieve and maintain abstinence by ourselves?

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Just a Contemplation

Limitations

God has created this world with variety and we all have different gifts. Some people make music, others write stories and many are practical at home or in industry. We need to understand what gifts and skills we have and develop them.

It is both fruitless and negative to spend our time complaining that we are not like other people --- or are without their talents. Such an attitude stops us from discovering our own creative talents. We are so busy comparing ourselves with others that we miss our own uniqueness.

Today I enjoy discovering more about me and the abundant gifts that God has freely given to me. What about you?

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A Kinship of Common Suffering

Newcomers are approaching A.A. at the rate of tens of thousands yearly. They represent almost every belief and attitude imaginable. We have atheists and agnostics. We have people of nearly every race, culture and religion. In A.A. we are supposed to be bound together in the kinship of a common suffering. Consequently, the full individual liberty to practice any creed or principle or therapy whatever should be a first consideration for us all. Let us not, therefore, pressure anyone with our individual or even our collective views. Let us instead accord each other the respect and love that is due to every human being as he tries to make his way toward the light. Let us always try to be inclusive rather than exclusive; let us remember that each alcoholic among us is a member of A.A., so long as he or she so declares.

~~ Bill W. (A.A. Grapevine, July 1965)

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Just a Quote

"If you see anything in yourself which may make you proud, look a little further, and you will find enough to make you humble." ~ Wellins Calcott

[bluidkiti]

October 3


Irritation Prayer

Lord,
I confess my irritation with those who bully their way with words,
who fail to take responsibility for their actions,
who think no one sees what they do in the shadows,
and who live in a world of denial.
I’m angry and scared and tired of doing the right thing.
Strengthen my heart so that I do not lose hope.
Let me not become one of those that cause irritation.
Amen

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Just a Thought

We must turn to a Higher Power for help, because we are helpless ourselves.

When we put our drink problem in God's hands and leave it there, we have made the most important decision of our lives. From then on, we trust God for the strength to keep sober. This takes us off the center of the universe and allows us to transfer our problems to a Power outside ourselves. By prayer and meditation, we seek to improve our conscious contact with God. We try to live each day the way we believe God wants us to live.

So ............

Am I trusting God for the strength to stay sober?

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Just a Contemplation

Hurrying Up to Wait

We often urge ourselves to hurry up when there's no good reason for it. At such times, all we really do is create needless tension and anxiety.

It's not hurrying, but steady effort that finally brings achievement. We've had entirely too much hurry and impatience. What we really need is confident, persistent effort in the right direction. We see anxious, impatient people speeding through traffic only to be forced to wait at traffic lights, risking life and limb to save a few seconds. A good steady pace is what we need, and it will win the game.

I’ll try to be active, but not overactive. I'll look for rhythm and efficiency in everything I do.

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Benign Anarchy and Democracy

When we come into A.A. we find a greater personal freedom than any other society knows. We cannot be compelled to do anything. In that sense our Society is a benign anarchy. The word "anarchy" has a bad meaning to most of us. But I think that the idealist who first advocated the concept felt that if only men were granted absolute liberty, and were compelled to obey no one, they would then voluntarily associate themselves in the common interest. A.A. is an association of the benign sort he envisioned.

But when we had to go into action--to function as groups--we discovered that we also had to become a democracy. As our oldtimers retired, we therefore began to elect our trusted servants by majority vote. Each group in this sense became a town meeting. All plans for group action had to be approved by the majority. This meant that no single individual could appoint himself to act for his group or for A.A. as a whole. Neither dictatorship nor paternalism was for us.

A.A. Comes Of Age Pages 224-225

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Just a Quote

"Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it." -- Ralph Ellison

[bluidkiti]

October 4


Temptations Prayer

Lord ,
I pray that you will give me a renewed sense of strength and peace when I wake up each morning.
I pray that I will be more aware of your guidance and more aware of the direction you want me to go each day.
I pray that I will be more aware of the POWER you have given me today to overcome obstacles and temptations.
And I pray that you will give me the understanding of how to access that POWER more fully than I have been able to do previously.

Lord, I ask that you give me a feeling of joy and a feeling of freshness as I awaken to a new day.
Show me the opportunities you are putting before me.
Warn me of the traps that I will encounter along my path.
I will be more thankful today for little blessings than I have been previously.
And I will yield myself today and follow you more closely than I have previously.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Who are you to say there is no God?

This challenge comes to all of us. Are we capable of denying that there is a design and purpose in all of life as we know it? Or are we willing to admit that faith in some kind of Divine Principle is a part of our make-up, just as much as the feeling we have for a friend? We find a great Reality deep down within us, if we face ourselves as we really are. In the last analysis, it is only there that God may be found. When we find this Reality within us, we are restored to our right minds.

So ............

Have I found the great Reality?

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Just a Contemplation

Acceptance

Alcoholics usually have trouble accepting ordinary setbacks and limitations that other people live with all the time. Sometimes it seems much easier to just get drunk than to accept boredom and frustration.

The irony of such behavior is that we then have to accept much more failure as a result of problems created by drinking. Our drinking brings far more pain than it removes.

Learning acceptance in sobriety is part of the growing-up process. Along with learning to accept things we cannot change, however, we learn there are some things we don't have to accept. Living sober gives us the power and confidence to make such changes.

I'll repeat the Serenity Prayer today if I begin to feel disturbed or threatened. I will face life realistically while knowing I have many opportunities for growth and change.

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The First Drink

The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.

The almost certain consequences that follow taking even a glass of beer do not crowd into the mind to deter us. If these thoughts occur, they are hazy and readily supplanted with the old threadbare idea that this time we shall handle ourselves like other people. There is a complete failure of the kind of defense that keeps one from putting his hand on a hot stove.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 24

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Just a Quote

“We do not want to believe that we cannot control alcohol and that alcohol is, in truth, controlling and dictating our lives. When you free yourself of a dictator, like alcohol, the freedom that you experience is totally amazing and so empowering. You get your life back.” ~ Liz Hemingway

[bluidkiti]

October 5


Prayer For Strength

Lord, please strengthen our hearts, and remind us to encourage one another when the troubles of life start to overwhelm us.
Please guard our hearts from depression. Give us the strength to rise up each day and fight against the struggles which seek to weigh us down.
Amen.

-- John Barnett

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Just a Thought

In taking a personal inventory of ourselves, we have to face facts as we really are.

We have to stop running away. We must face reality. We must see ourselves as we really are. We must admit our faults openly and try to correct them. We must try to see where we have been dishonest, impure, selfish, and unloving. We do not do this once and forget it. We do it every day of our lives, as long as we live. We are never done with checking up on ourselves.

So ............

Am I taking a daily inventory of myself ?

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Just a Contemplation

Letting Go of Urgency

One thing at a time. That's all we have to do. Not two things at once, but one thing done in peace.
One task at a time. One feeling at a time. One day at a time. One problem at a time. One step at a time. One pleasure at a time.

Relax. Let go of urgency. Begin calmly now. Take one thing at a time. See how everything works out?

I will peacefully approach one thing at a time. When in doubt, I will take first things first.

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Guard Against A Slip

Suppose we fall short of our chosen ideals and stumble? Does this mean we are going to get drunk? Some people tell us so. But this is only a half-truth.

It depends on us and on our motives. If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, and our conduct continues to harm others, we are quite sure to drink. These are facts out of our experience.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 70

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Just a Quote

“Recovery is something that you have to work on every single day and it’s something that doesn’t get a day off.” ~ Demi Lovato

[bluidkiti]

October 6

Prayer for Generosity


Lord, teach me to be generous:
to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek to rest;
to labour and to ask for no reward
save that of knowing I do your will.
Amen.


~ Jacques Sevin, SJ (1887-1951)


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Just a Thought

When we came into A.A., we came to believe in a Power greater than ourselves.

We came to believe in that Divine Principle in the universe which we call God, and to whom we could turn for help. Each morning we have a quiet time. We ask God for the power to stay sober for the next twenty-four hours. And each night we thank Him for helping us to keep sober for that day.

So ............

Do I believe that each man or woman I see in A.A. is a demonstration of the power of God to change a human being from a drunkard to a sober person?

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Just a Contemplation

Releasing the Past

Today the world faces seemingly insurmountable problems with solid and liquid waste. Communities struggle to find solutions as waste accumulates and space for disposal sites grows scarce.

As recovering people, we have a similar problem with waste residues from our past. We don't seem to be able to bury bad memories; like the physical waste in the environment, they come back to poison us. The best answer is to use waste, not throw it away. Instead of trying to bury the past, let's keep it in view but let it be purified by the sunlight of honesty and humility. By admitting past wrongs and forgiving everyone involved.... including ourselves..... We turn waste into useful experience. Nature can do this with much physical waste, over time. We can also let our spiritual nature do that with the emotional and mental waste of our past.

I'll realize that every past mistake and experience can be properly utilized today for something good and uplifting.

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The 12 Steps Will


When the 12 Steps are applied – and practiced, they will:


a. Remove the mental obsession with alcohol.
b. Eliminate the emotional compulsion to drink
c. Produce a personality change – necessary for recovery
d. Produce a new attitude and outlook on life
e. Assist me to maintain emotional balance
f. Assist me to achieve emotional security – a life without fear
g. Help me to gain and grow in emotional maturity
h. Assist me to lead a useful life with purpose
i. Help me clean up the wreckage of the past
j. Assist me to have and maintain healthy positive relationships in my life
k. Produce peace and serenity in my life
l. Provide a way for me to be happy and sober
m. Be a Daily Design For Living, so that I can stay happy and sober
n. And, much, much more.


From: Step12.com


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Just a Quote


"You are human, you will make mistakes, and it's one of the most beautiful things about being human, but you must learn from your mistakes, otherwise your life will have a lot of unnecessary pain." ~ Rhonda Byrne

[bluidkiti]

October 7


Offering the Day


Lord,
We come to you before we begin our day's work:
We ask you to bless this day.
May we find whatever is good in the tasks we are set
and the time that we share.
Help us when we find some things too hard to understand;
Teach us to be fair and generous with one another;
So may we thank you for a day well spent.
Amen


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Just a Thought

We use words to bring peace to others.


We can use words to tell God and others how much we care. Or we can use words to hurt others. We can curse them and scare them away. We often did when we used alcohol and other drugs.
In recovery, we learn to use words in a kind, wise way. We treat words as a gift from God. We use words to build our relationships.

So ............
.
Do I always use words in a kind way? Do I treat words as a powerful gift from God? Do my words make the world better or worse for those who hear me speak?

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Just a Contemplation

Building Self-esteem

Many of us sold ourselves short while we were drinking. We wanted approval and acceptance, but often felt unworthy of it, even accepting the unfavorable opinions others had toward us. We resented such opinions, but secretly feared that our critics were right.

In the Twelve Step program, however, we discover a higher and better self that hadn't found expression during active drinking. We no longer have to impress anybody, we no longer need applause, and we no longer crave the false camaraderie that passes for friendship among problem drinkers. We can, in many ways, become new people.

When we experience such change and growth, we may come to wonder how we ever could have been so deluded by the sick self of our drinking years. We feel relief when we realize that we no longer have to live and think that way.... if we continue in the program and make sobriety our highest priority. We will realize too that the self we find in sobriety is the real self.... a person who was there all along but was crowded out and suppressed by the demands of our sick nature. This real self is what we were created to be, and sobriety brought its discovery.

I'll go about my affairs today knowing that my real self is what God wants me to be. Being sober, I can now find answers and opportunities that were beyond my reach when I was still drinking.

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Self-Respect Through Sacrifice

At the beginning we sacrificed alcohol. We had to, or it would have killed us. But we couldn't get rid of alcohol unless we made other sacrifices. We had to toss the self-justification, self-pity, and anger right out the window. We had to quit the crazy contest for personal prestige and big bank balances. We had to take personal responsibility for our sorry state and quit blaming others for it.

Were these sacrifices? Yes, they were. To gain enough humility and self-respect to stay alive at all, we had to give up what had really been our dearest possessions--our ambitions and our illegitimate pride.

As Bill Sees It Page 97

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Just a Quote

"Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life." ~ Rick Warren

[bluidkiti]

October 8


Prayer to Enjoy Life

Lord,
We move so fast that sometimes we see so little in our daily travels.
Slow us down. Create in us a desire to pause. Help us to pursue moments of contemplation. Help us to see in a deeper way, to become more aware of what speaks to us in beauty and truth.

Teach us how to enjoy being. Encourage us to be present to the gifts that are ours. May we be more fully aware of what we see, taste, touch, hear, and smell. May this awareness of our senses sharpen our perception of our everyday treasures and lead us to greater joy and gratitude.

Grant us the courage to be our true selves. Help us to let go of being overly concerned about what others think of us or of how successful we are. May our inner freedom be strengthened and our delight in life be activated.

Life is meant to be celebrated, enjoyed, delighted in, and embraced in all its mystery. Guide us to our inner child. Draw us to your playground of creation, so that we will live more fully.
Amen.

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Just a Thought


We should be free from alcohol for good.

It's out of our hands and in the hands of God, so we don't need to worry about it or even think about it any more. But if we haven't done this honestly and fully, the chances are that it will become our problem again. Since we don't trust God to take care of our problem for us, we reach out and take the problem back to ourselves. Then it's our problem again and we're in the same old mess we were in before.

So ............

Do I trust God to take care of the problem for me?

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Just a Contemplation

Gossip

It is so easy for me to focus on the failings of others and miss my own. My attraction to gossip is that it is usually about other people and that keeps the attention away from me. Sometimes I am made to "feel good" by exposing the weaknesses of others.

This attitude needs to be changed if I am ever to fully enjoy the fruits of sobriety. I do not need to be drinking to behave like a drunk; gossip and character assassination are reminiscent of my past addictive behavior. I do not need the side of me that seeks to destroy the character of others. With my spiritual program, I am trying to change.

May I grow in my forgiveness and acceptance of others.

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Conviction and Compromise

One qualification for a useful life is give-and-take, the ability to compromise cheerfully. Compromise comes hard to us "all or nothing" drunks. Nevertheless, we must never lose sight of the fact that progress is nearly always characterized by a series of improving compromises.

Of course, we cannot always compromise. There are circumstances in which it is necessary to stick flat-footed to one's convictions until the issue is resolved. Deciding when to compromise and when not to compromise always calls for the most careful discrimination.

As Bill Sees It Page 59

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Just a Quote

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” ~ Steve Jobs

[bluidkiti]

October 9


Prayer for Temptations

Lord ,
I pray that you will give me a renewed sense of strength and peace when I wake up each morning.
I pray that I will be more aware of your guidance and more aware of the direction you want me to go each day.
I pray that I will be more aware of the POWER you have given me today to overcome obstacles and temptations.
And I pray that you will give me the understanding of how to access that POWER more fully than I have been able to do previously.

Lord, I ask that you give me a feeling of joy and a feeling of freshness as I awaken to a new day.
Show me the opportunities you are putting before me.
Warn me of the traps that I will encounter along my path.
I will be more thankful today for little blessings than I have been previously.
And I will yield myself today and follow you more closely than I have previously.
Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

Who are you to say there is no God?

This challenge comes to all of us. Are we capable of denying that there is a design and purpose in all of life as we know it? Or are we willing to admit that faith in some kind of Divine Principle is a part of our make-up, just as much as the feeling we have for a friend? We find a great Reality deep down within us, if we face ourselves as we really are. In the last analysis, it is only there that God may be found. When we find this Reality within us, we are restored to our right minds.

So ............

Have I found the great Reality?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Contemplation

Guidance

It would be nearly impossible to do an accounting of the results of prayer. Sometimes there seems to be no answer , and at other times, an answer seems to be the result of coincidence. It's too easy to dismiss these results as things that would have happened even if we hadn't prayed.

Yet those of us who believe in prayer feel that it is indeed a way of communicating with our Higher Power. It takes many forms. Even thinking about God is a type of prayer.

The best answers to prayer come in the new ways we begin to feel about ourselves and others. If prayer brings us to a realization of being in tune with our Higher Power, we are working in the right way. The proper changes will come into our lives as needed. We should not try to measure results, because this tends to bring doubt into the process. Our only responsibility is to pray, then let God's work take place in our lives. No Prayer Goes Unanswered

I will pray regularly today, thinking often about God and asserting to myself and others that this Higher Power is in charge.

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The First Drink

The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.

The almost certain consequences that follow taking even a glass of beer do not crowd into the mind to deter us. If these thoughts occur, they are hazy and readily supplanted with the old threadbare idea that this time we shall handle ourselves like other people. There is a complete failure of the kind of defense that keeps one from putting his hand on a hot stove.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 24

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Just a Quote

"A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes another's." ~ Johann Paul Richter

[bluidkiti]

October 10


Prayer For Inner Strength

Lord,
I’m upset and disturbed, and I pray that You will grant me the grace of inner Peace.
Give me the patience I need to cope with the burdens and anxieties of my life.
Grant me the strength to better deal with my problems, and the understanding to be more tolerant and kind to others.
Teach me to seek after Your will.
Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a Thought

Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as extensive work with other alcoholics.

Carry the message to other alcoholics. You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail. Life will take on new meaning for you. To watch people recover, to see them help others in turn, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow about you, to have a host of friends, is an experience you must not miss.

So ............

Am I always ready and willing to help other alcoholics?

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Just a Contemplation

Listening

Part of my addiction was never listening to what people were saying. This was part arrogance, part denial, part fear, part control, part ego --- the bottom line was that I did not listen. I was bored and unhappy with my life because I was a prisoner of my own thoughts.

My spiritual awakening --- which I consider a process rather than an event, a process that is still going on in my life on a daily basis --- was in allowing some new information into my life that led to admittance and acceptance. The day that I was able to admit that I was an alcoholic was the day I took a step towards acceptance.

Today I receive immense help and comfort from other people, especially recovering alcoholics. Two people experiencing an honest conversation are part of God's promised love for His world.

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A Healthy Respect

Fear may have originally pushed some of us toward looking into the possibility that we may have a drinking problem.
And over a short period, fear alone may help some of us stay away from a drink.
But a fearful state is not a very happy or relaxed one to maintain for very long.
So we try to develop a healthy respect for the power of alcohol, instead of a fear of it, just as people have a healthy respect for cyanide, iodine, or any other poison.

Living Sober Pages 13-14

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Just a Quote

"Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others." ~ Danny Thomas

[bluidkiti]

October 11

Tolerance Prayer

Lord, give me tolerance towards those whose thoughts and ways, conflict with mine. For though I would, I cannot always know what constitutes the Absolute Truth. The other person may be right, while I may be all wrong, yet unaware.
Lord, make my motives right, for only this can ease my conscience when I sometimes err.
Lord, give me tolerance, for who am I to stand in judgment on another person's mistakes? No one knows better than my inward self how many little blunders I have and can make.
Life is full of stones that somehow trip us, and meaning not, we stumble now and then.
Lord, give me tolerance, for only you are rightly fit to judge my fellow travelers.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Call on new prospects while they are still jittery.

They may be more receptive when depressed. See them alone if possible. Tell them enough about your drinking habits and experiences to encourage them to speak of themselves. If they wish to talk, let them do so. If they are not communicative, talk about the troubles liquor has caused you, being careful not to moralize or lecture. When they see you know all about the drinking game, commence to describe yourself as an alcoholic and tell them how you learned you were sick.

So ............

Am I ready to talk about myself to new prospects?

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Just a Contemplation

Action

AA tells us that we must be honest about our problems if we hope to overcome them. Some people seem quite willing to do this. But an honest admission alone does not solve our problems. We have to go beyond honesty by taking needed action to correct what's wrong in our lives.

For example, we would not believe that any- thing had been corrected simply because a doctor diagnosed a physical problem. We know that such diagnosis is only a preliminary step that must lead to treatment to be effective. In the same way, an honest admission of our alcoholism does not lead to sobriety unless we take further action to ad- dress the problem.

We should also be careful about becoming prideful in announcing our shortcomings. If we are recovering from alcoholism but excuse a bad temper as one of our "alcoholic defects," are we attempting to correct our behavior? The more prideful we are about any fault, the more difficult it will be to change it.

Having become honest about my shortcomings, I'll look for opportunities today to make needed corrections in my behavior. If I find myself using my "alcoholic nature" as an excuse for unacceptable behavior, I'll take action to do something about it.

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Never Again

Most people feel more secure on the twenty-four-hour basis than they do in the resolution that they will never drink again. Most of them have broken too many resolutions. It’s really a matter of personal choice; every A.A. has the privilege of interpreting the program as he likes.

Personally, I take the attitude that I intend never to drink again. This is somewhat different from saying, ‘I will never drink again.’ The latter attitude sometimes gets people in trouble because it is undertaking on a personal basis to do what we alcoholics never could do. It is too much an act of will and leaves too little room for the idea that God will release us from the drink obsession provided we follow the A.A. program.

"As Bill Sees It" Page 16

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Just a Quote

“You cannot build a reputation on things you are going to do.” ~~ Mabel Newcomber

[bluidkiti]

October 12


Prayer For The Overwhelmed

Lord,
I do not see a way out of the burden I feel, but I put all my faith and trust in You for a path to open up, that new opportunities and new relationships will grace my life.
Give me strength, to overcome these negative feelings and to get all the tasks that I have to do, completed efficiently, effectively, and on time!
Calm my mind, give me peace, as I recollect all the tasks I need to complete.
Give me patience to be still and remember that You will make all things work together for my good.
Everything that happens to me happens for a reason – to make me stronger.
Amen

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Just a Thought


Be careful not to brand new prospects as alcoholics.

Let them draw their own conclusion. But talk to them about the hopelessness of alcoholism. Tell them exactly what happened to you and how you recovered. Stress the spiritual feature freely. If they are agnostics or atheists, make it emphatic that they do not have to agree with your concept of God. They can choose any concept they like, provided it makes sense to them. The main thing is that they are willing to believe in a power greater than themselves and that they live by spiritual principles.

So ............

Do I hold back too much in speaking of the spiritual principles of the program?

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Just a Contemplation

Optimism

Today I am an optimist. I believe in life, and more importantly, I believe in me. I know that God cares and this brings me hope.

But when I was drinking, I had a negative and destructive attitude in all areas of life; nothing pleased me, people were not to be trusted, everybody had a price, God seemed to be "out for lunch" and life had lost its meaning. I was a sad man. I was a lonely man. I was an angry man.

When I was told to put down the drink and follow some new directions, I halfheartedly agreed. I met people who laughed, shared their pain and lived in the realistic "now". I began to listen. Slowly I changed. Peace was within my grasp.

Today I wonder at my halfhearted risk that started it all -- and thank God.

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Toward Maturity

Many oldsters who have put our A.A. 'booze cure' to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. To attain this, we must develop real maturity and balance (which is to say, humility) in our relations with ourselves, with our fellows, and with God. Let A.A. never be a closed corporation; let us never deny our experience, for whatever it may be worth, to the world around us. Let our individual members heed the call to every field of human endeavor. Let them carry the experience and spirit of A.A. into all these affairs, for whatever good they may accomplish. For not only has God saved us from alcoholism; the world has received us back into its citizenship.

As Bill Sees It Page 244

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Just a Quote

“The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” ~ Albert Einstein

[bluidkiti]

October 13


Frustrated & Overwhelmed Prayer
Lord,
Life can be so overwhelming at times; frustration has gotten the better of me today. I feel as though I am weary but there is yet so much to do and there seems to be so little time. My workload seems to be growing; the demands on me from everyone are just simply too much for me today, it’s too overwhelming. My energy is drained and I feel as though I am losing hope, that this life would not get any easier.

Give me strength, Lord, to overcome these negative feelings and to get all the tasks that I have to do. That they be completed, efficiently and effectively, and on time!
Amen

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Just a Thought

Outline the program of action to new prospects.

Explaining how you made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your past, and why you are now endeavoring to help them. It is important for them to realize that your attempt to pass this on to them plays a vital part in your recovery. The more hopeless they feel, the better. They will be more likely to follow your suggestions. Tell them about the fellowship of A.A. and if they show interest, lend them a copy of the Big Book.

So ............

Can I tell the A.A. story to another alcoholic?

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Just a Contemplation

Self-Honesty

Our lies to ourselves kept us so fully in the dark. We sometimes told "sincere" lies because we honestly did not distinguish the truth within ourselves. For so long we had preferred dishonest rationalizations, and we had come to believe them.

We slowly cleanse ourselves of the lies that we told ourselves. With this kind of honesty comes an inner peace with ourselves, and we can say, "I know myself."

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Why Worry?

There are many short phrases and expressions in AA which make sound sense.
'First Things First': solving our immediate problems before we try to solve all the others . . .
'Easy Does it.' Relax a little. Try for inner contentment. No one individual can carry all the burdens of the world. Everyone has problems. Getting drunk won't solve them.
'Twenty-four hours a day.' Today is the day. Doing our best, living each day to the fullest is the art of living. Yesterday is gone, and we don't know whether we will be here tomorrow. If we do a good job of living today, and if tomorrow comes for us, then the chances are we will do a good job when it arrives - so why worry about it?

Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Page 382

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Just a Quote

“When life gets hectic and you feel overwhelmed, take a moment to focus on the people and things you are most grateful for. When you have an attitude of gratitude, frustrating troubles will fall by the wayside.” ~ Dana Arcuri

[bluidkiti]

October 14


Prayer to Clear My Mind

Clear my mind of doubt, fear, worry, sadness, despair, lust, temptation, envy, jealousy, malice, pride
and anything that stops me from becoming a better person daily.
Give me the strength and clarity of mind to find my purpose.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Today, I see that physical sobriety might not be enough for me.

I need to remember the hopelessness I felt before I found sobriety, and how I was willing to go to any lengths for it. Physical sobriety is not enough for those around me, however, since I must see that God's gift is used to build a new life for my family and loved ones. Just as importantly, I must be available to help others who want the A.A. way of life.

So ............

I ask God to help me share the gift of sobriety so that its benefits may be shown to those I know and love.

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Just a Contemplation

Change

When facing change, it's not unusual to feel both apprehension and expectancy. We are apprehensive because we know that change includes risk. We feel expectancy, however, because we know that improvement can come only through some kind of change.

The way to handle change is to see it as part of the higher plan working in our lives. If we believe that our lives are in the care and keeping of our Higher Power, we have to know that everything is in good hands. As change occurs, it is simply part of a plan that is unfolding in order to bring more good into our lives.

We should not expect change without temporary disruptions or even surprises that appear to be setbacks. All that's necessary is to know that change is good if we maintain the right attitude toward it.

It's also helpful to review the past changes that have been so important in our lives. Once change has occurred, we come to accept it as normal, forgetting that it involved a lot of anxiety at one time. So it is with any change that is unfolding now. It's part of a wonderful plan that cannot fail.
I accept change without fear or superstition. Change is built into the nature of things, and will always be part of our lives. I accept it as readily as I accept the change of the seasons.

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Surrender

On the face of it, surrendering certainly does not seem like winning. But it is in AA

Only after we have come to the end of our rope, hit a stone wall in some aspect of our lives beyond which we can go no further; only when we hit "bottom" in despair and surrender, can we accomplish sobriety which we could never accomplish before.
We must, and we do, surrender in order to win.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 2nd Edition, pp. 341-2

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Just a Quote

“When someone tries to trigger you by insulting you or by doing or saying something that irritates you, take a deep breath and switch off your ego. Remember that if you are easily offended, you are easily manipulated.” ~~ Mitra Phukan

[bluidkiti]

October 15


Prayer When Lonely

Lord, there is so much swirling all around me begging for my attention – people, places, things, tasks. Still, in the midst of it all, I feel so alone—as if I stand in this swirling vortex by myself. For whatever reason, though people surround me, I’m unable to connect with them. It seems that when I try to open up, I am rejected and this rejection insulates me from ever trying again. For now I feel so alone.

Lord, right now I need this feeling of loneliness to diminish. Help me to reach out to those around me, help me to do so with boldness.
Amen

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Just a Thought

Spiritual experience:


With few exceptions, our members find that they have tapped an unsuspected inner resource, which they presently identify with their own conception of a Power greater than themselves. Most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves is the essence of spiritual experience. Some of us call it God consciousness. In any case, willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of recovery.

So ............

Have I tapped that inner resource which can change my life?

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Just a Contemplation

Honest Admission

Out of honest admission of our weakness comes strength. We are able to see ourselves realistically and with clarity. When we are humble enough to admit our wrongs, we get rid of the false front we had tried to maintain. This frees us to be who we are, without pretense.

When we admit our faults, we are cleansed. We no longer have to try to hide and cover up our weaknesses and mistakes. Instead of pretending to be perfect, we can be human and satisfied with our progress.

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Irrational

I well remember the shock I received when a prominent doctor in Chicago told me of cases where pressure of the spinal fluid actually ruptured the brain. No wonder an alcoholic is strangely irrational. Who wouldn't be, with such a fevered brain? Normal drinkers are not so affected, nor can they understand the aberrations of the alcoholic.

Alcoholics Anonymous Page 140

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Just a Quote

"I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone." ~ Robin Williams