Today's Thought - February

[bluidkiti]

February 16

Our purpose is not to get people sober.

Twelve Step recovery initially appealed to us because we wanted someone close to get sober. We thought that if we could do our part right, the other person would get sober. And we are learning our part: We have made concrete changes in how we think and what we do. However, the drinker may still be drinking. Recovery can change only us, not them.

Living according to Twelve Step principles gives us a fresh perspective on life. Very few situations baffle us now. We have learned how to get quiet so we can hear our inner guide. We have learned to trust sponsors whose programs we admire. We have learned that it’s not up to us to take charge of anyone else’s life. Best of all, we have learned that all is well. No longer do we feel overwhelming hopelessness. Having hope for our lives makes each day full of promise.

I can be certain that every moment of this day will bless me in some way. Twelve Step principles will help me gain a fresh perspective.

Today's reading is from the book A Life of My Own

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February 17

The word discipline has its origins in two Latin terms, whose literal translation means to learn and comprehend what is good for one by taking it apart. Self-discipline has as its foundation the concept of teaching. It is not built upon a flimsy platform of have to, ought to, or should.

Rather, it evolves from consistently doing what we have come to know is good for us, on every level, including the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It is an incredibly powerful ally on our path to discovering and manifesting our best self. Many conceive of it as some form of self-deprivation, as in eating less ice cream, spending less time on enjoyable video gaming, or even in not succumbing to the allure of a pleasurable drug.

Self-discipline is actually less about what we have to do without and is more focused on specific, empowering qualities we are enhancing. It takes self-discipline to get the most out of working out, eating nutritiously, processing our emotions, and taming our negative mindtalk. It is grounded in a big yes, rather than a no, allowing us to move our big visions forward and enhance our daily lives in a multitude of positive ways.

Self-discipline reminds me to keep being my best.

Today's reading is from the book Cornerstones

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February 18

I have something important to share with you.

~Cliff G.

A man at a meeting asked the group if he could share a major victory in his life. When he was encouraged to do so, he cleared his throat and said quietly, “Something special happened today. The telephone book came out. And for the first time in my life, I have my name and a number listed. I’m very proud of that.”

The group was silent for a moment, not knowing how to respond. Then the young man went on to explain that he was the only child of a military family—an alcoholic military family. One of his adult responses to these powerful early influences was to keep moving—physically, emotionally, and in his career. By refusing to stay put, he hoped to escape the quiet, obedient, desperate little boy inside who never knew why he couldn’t make the grade.

But no more. At least not as much. No matter how much his demons pulled on his coat—he was staying put. He now has a phone, a phone number, and a listing in the book! Recovery comes from such heroic feats.

Today, I thank my friends in the fellowship for sharing their victories as well as their defeats. Their joy is my joy.

Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy

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February 19

We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

~Joseph Campbell

Over and over we tried to drink or use in ways that wouldn’t hurt us or those we loved. The harder we tried, the more out of control we became.

Recovery asks us to surrender and accept. We surrender to the reality that we were powerless over our addiction and that our lives were unmanageable. In order to step into our new life, we have to let go of the life we had wanted and the life we had planned. We step into a life our Higher Power has waiting for us. We must accept that there is nothing back there for us. We must look forward with anticipation.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me live the life you want for me. Help me to surrender my will and life over to your care.
Today's Action

I will spend some time today reflecting on what type of life my Higher Power wants for me. I will then ask myself, “Am I working with my Higher Power or against my Higher Power’s plan for me?”

Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me

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February 20

Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.

~Napoleon Bonaparte

Courage never operates in a vacuum; we are always courageous about something. And we need to believe that there will be some consequence to our acts of bravery. We are looking at the long term for some kind of salvation for ourselves and for others.

Love, too, needs a sense of future, time to develop and flower. Only passion lives for the moment, and passion, like the flame-red rose, often doesn’t last out the year.

So love and courage are similar and often work together for our own good and the good of others. In our program we prize love and courage as we gain more wisdom and serenity. We come to believe in the long term and in things that endure. We know we can’t change in a day, but with love and courage, and the hope on which they depend, we can do wonders.

I believe in my courage to change day by day.

Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart

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February 21

The First Promise

We will know a new freedom and happiness.

~Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

A new freedom and happiness for us is an almost unbelievable promise. Before recovery, we had little choice and less freedom. Everything we did had to be set up to meet the demands of our compulsion. Try as hard as we possibly could, we could never prevent the consuming urge of our addiction. A powerful compulsion took over all our waking hours.

Our lives were controlled by our desires. There was a constant need to bow to the demands of our addiction. It made all our decisions for us. There was no freedom and only a small bit of happiness at the very best. We always had to “pay the piper,” and we knew it. We were slaves, like it or not. When freedom came with abstinence, so came joy, gratitude, and love for others and ourselves.

I once believed that I could control my addiction. When I found it wasn’t possible, I felt deep depression, guilt, shame, and remorse. I felt I no longer had freedom. Recovery finally gave me a choice. Promises do come true.

Today's reading is from the book Easy Does It

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February 22

Inspirations never go in for long engagements; they demand immediate marriage to action.

~Brendan Francis

God speaks to us in many ways at many times. If we are spiritually alert, we will know it when it happens. A stray thought occurs; we overhear a bit of conversation; a passage in something we are reading suddenly stands out—and we know we have connected. A feeling of assurance and peace comes over us.

The trouble is that we might acknowledge this contact only briefly, and then it slips away. The time to act passes. The favor we could have done; the advice or support we could have offered; the help we could have given or received—all are missed opportunities.

When God speaks, we must do more than listen.

Today I will act when inspired.

Today's reading is from the book In God's Care

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February 23

Journal writing is a voyage to the interior.

~Christina Baldwin

Many men use daily notes in a private journal as a method of meditation. It is a means to learn about themselves as they reflect with pen in hand and put uncensored thoughts down on paper. It can take many forms. Some days, a person might just make a list. It might be a prayer list: all the people he loves and all the people he is concerned about. It might be a list of the day’s tasks, with notations on the spirit with which to approach them. Some guys draw pictures in their journals and say it helps them quiet their minds and deepen their understanding of a situation. Some simply record the events of the day and then reflect on how they feel about them and what they mean.

Every man in spiritual development needs a daily pattern of meditation and reflection. It should be a gentle means to respect himself, be honest with himself, and hold himself responsible for his life.

Today, I will make notes on paper and use my notes to interact with my thoughts.

Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones

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February 24

AA Thought for the Day

I have more peace and contentment. Life has fallen into place. The pieces of the jigsaw puzzle have found their correct position. Life is whole, all of one piece. I am not cast hither and yon on every wind of circumstance or fancy. I am no longer a dry leaf cast up and away by the breeze. I have found my place of rest, my place where I belong. I am content. I do not vainly wish for things I cannot have. I have “the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” Have I found contentment in AA?
Meditation for the Day

In all of us there is an inner consciousness that tells of God, an inner voice that speaks to our hearts. It is a voice that speaks to us intimately, personally, in a time of quiet meditation. It is like a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We can reach out into the darkness and figuratively touch the hand of God. As the Big Book puts it: “Deep down in every man, woman, and child is the fundamental idea of God. We can find the Great Reality deep down within us. And when we find it, it changes our whole attitude toward life.”
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may follow the leading of the inner voice. I pray that I may not turn a deaf ear to the urging of my conscience.

Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day

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February 25

To enjoy freedom we have to control ourselves.

~Virginia Woolf

Freedom is a funny thing. In a way, it makes life harder. We are free to do what we want, but every choice makes a difference in our lives. Some choices make us happy, and some bring trouble.

We can make good choices. We can control our actions. We can start by having control in little ways: follow the law, pay the rent, make the bed every day. These choices put order in our lives. Eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep. These choices make us strong enough to live each day to the fullest. These kinds of choices set us free.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, when I was drinking and drugging, I couldn’t enjoy my freedom. I had no control over the little things in my life. Help me stay sober today.
Action for the Day

Today I’ll be grateful for having some control. I will list five ways I am more free because I can control my actions.

Today's reading is from the book Keep it Simple

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February 26

Giving and Receiving

They say it’s better to give than to receive. And that’s true, to a point. But I think what they really mean is that it’s better to give than to take, which is a more grabby sort of action. A completely different sort.

It feels wonderful to be the one who does the giving, the one to hand out gifts of help. But receiving is a gift too. For everyone involved. When I gracefully accept what someone else has to offer—be it help or a gift of any kind—they get to feel the wonderfulness of giving. The goal is for all the giving and receiving to flow freely and to naturally balance out.

Asking for—or accepting—help is not a sign of weakness—just as not asking for help isn’t a badge-worthy sign of pride. Asking for—or accepting—help is a sign of empathy and trust, which is what a loving community is all about.

“I need your help.”

Most people will leap into action upon hearing those words—moved from the bottom of their hearts.

She was always available to help others. Now it was time for her to discover how to let others help her. It was a gift that went both ways.

Today's reading is from the book Tending Dandelions

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February 27

Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it.

~Malcolm X

It does little good to complain about our spouse, lover, or parents. We only accentuate our role as victims when we say, “I would be happier if she were different,” or “If he would just get off my back, I would act better.” At times, we may have a knee-jerk loyalty to the victim within. Some of us take comfort in acting helpless and being taken care of; some of us relish the power of being catered to; some of us wallow in self-pity. These patterns of thought hinder our recovery and put a drag on our relationships. When we decide that we aren’t willing to live this way any longer, we are ready to assert our independence.

Real emancipation can’t come at someone else’s initiative or as a gift. It can only begin from within, by saying, “I will take my independence.” Then we begin to be responsible men because we own it on the inside.

Today, I will not wait for others to set me free. I will do what is within my own power to be a free man.

Today's reading is from the book Touchstones

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February 28

Awakening spiritually

Many of us have had spiritual experiences and spiritual awakenings as a result of this program. Some people had them before they arrived, some when they first arrived, some years after. But before we come to realize a power greater than ourselves or our addiction, we don’t need to hear voices or see visions.

The spiritual experience most of us have is a quiet realization that we are alive, here on Earth. What greater experience can we ask for?

Have I had a spiritual awakening?

Higher Power, help me remain grateful for the gift of my life.

I will practice my spiritual aliveness today by…

Today's reading is from the book Day by Day

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February 29

Reflection for the Day

When I first read the Serenity Prayer, the word serenity itself seemed like an impossibility. At the time, the word conjured up images of lethargy, apathy, resignation, or grim-faced endurance; it hardly seemed a desirable goal. But I’ve since found that serenity means none of those things. Serenity for me today is simply a clear-eyed and realistic way of seeing the world, accompanied by inner peace and strength. My favorite definition is “Serenity is like a gyroscope that lets us keep our balance no matter what turbulence swirls around us.” Is that a state of mind worth aiming for?
Today I Pray

May I notice that serenity comes first, ahead of courage and wisdom, in the sequence of the Serenity Prayer. May I believe that serenity must also come first in my life. I must have the balance, realistic outlook, and acceptance that is part of this blessing of serenity before I can go on to the kind of action and decision-making that will bring order to my existence.
Today I Will Remember

Serenity comes first.

Today's reading is from the book A Day at a Time