Today's Thought - December

[bluidkiti]

December 16

Where there is fear, we lose the way of our spirit.

~Mahatma Gandhi

We don't like to admit that we are afraid. But when we won't admit the feeling, we can't deal with it. By denying our fears, we don't get stronger, we weaken ourselves. Denying fear doesn't get rid of problems, it only reinforces them. In the end, if we don't handle fear well, it rules us.

Fear is a universal human emotion, and we cannot eradicate it. We must learn how to handle the hot coals of fear. When we learn how, they don't have to be destructive. Handling fear begins with self-knowledge. We first learn that the unsettling feeling we have may be fear. Our desire to run away, or the tight knot in our gut, may be fear. That admission to ourselves can be followed by talking about it to a friend or a sponsor. Sometimes just speaking the fear out loud to someone we trust is enough to put it back in perspective. We have handled it.

Today, I will notice my feelings and respond to feelings of fear in constructive ways.

Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones: More Daily Meditations for Men*

[bluidkiti]

December 17

If you play with a thing long enough, you will surely break it.

~Anonymous

Some things shouldn't be played with. Our recovery program is one of these things. When we play with our program, we're taking a risk. We play with the program by missing meetings, or by not calling our sponsors, or by skipping the Steps we think are too hard. When we do these things, we risk our lives.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me know that I must work this program with care and respect.
Action for the Day

Today I'll make two lists. On one list, I’ll write ways I work on my program. On the other list, I'll write ways I play with my program. I'll focus on putting my energy into working the program.

Today's reading is from the book Keep it Simple: Daily Meditations for Twelve Step Beginnings and Renewal*

[bluidkiti]

December 18

Successful, healthy relationships allow for both people to form a bond which lets them not only grow together but also grow independently as people.

~Mara Opperman

If we expect our romantic partner to meet all our needs, we're bound to be disappointed. No matter how rewarding that relationship might be, we need other people in our lives, too: friends, relatives, and others who share particular interests with us. No one person can speak to all the aspects of our lives. Still, we might wish we could lose ourselves in a romantic closeness, as we once lost ourselves in addiction and codependency. Then we get hurt and angry when the impossible doesn't happen. Or we fail to understand that our partner's perspectives and reactions are different from our own.

An intimate relationship will always be a mixture of fascination, mystery, frustration, and new understandings. When we realize we cannot merge with our partner, we will be better able to meet as separate, individual people, and our relationships will become vastly more peaceful.

Thanks to God for the differences among us. Let me learn more about them and accept them.

Today's reading is from the book Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men*