Just for Today - January 1
January 1Vigilance
"We keep what we have only with vigilance..."
Basic Text, p. 57
How do we remain vigilant about our recovery? First, by realizing that we have a disease we will always have. No matter how long we've been clean, no matter how much better our lives have become, no matter what the extent of our spiritual healing, we are still addicts. Our disease waits patiently, ready to spring the trap if we give it the opportunity.
Vigilance is a daily accomplishment. We strive to be constantly alert and ready to deal with signs of trouble. Not that we should live in irrational fear that something horrible will possess us if we drop our guard for an instant; we just take normal precautions. Daily prayer, regular meeting attendance, and choosing not to compromise spiritual principles for the easier way are acts of vigilance. We take inventory as necessary, share with others whenever we are asked, and carefully nurture our recovery. Above all, we stay aware.
We have a daily reprieve from our addiction as long as we remain vigilant. Each day, we carry the principles of recovery into all we do, and each night, we thank our Higher Power for another day clean.
Just for today: I will be vigilant, doing everything necessary to guard my recovery.
pg. 1
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Milkman's Reflections - Dec 31 - A Reason
Milkman's Reflections - Dec 31 - A Reason
A Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime
People come into your life for a reason, a season, ora lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, youwill know what to do for each person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It isusually to meet a need you have expressed. They havecome to assist you through a difficulty, to provide youwith guidance and support, to aid you physically,emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like agodsend, and they are! They are there for the reasonyou need them to be.
Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at aninconvenient time, this person will say or do somethingto bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die.Sometimes they walk away.Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, ourdesire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer yousent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.
When people come into your life for a SEASON . . .Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.They may teach you something you have never done.They usually give you an unbelievable amountof joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; thingsyou must build upon in order to have a solid emotionalfoundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love theperson, and put what you have learned to use in allother relationships and areas of your life. It is saidthat love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Author Unknown
A Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime
People come into your life for a reason, a season, ora lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, youwill know what to do for each person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It isusually to meet a need you have expressed. They havecome to assist you through a difficulty, to provide youwith guidance and support, to aid you physically,emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like agodsend, and they are! They are there for the reasonyou need them to be.
Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at aninconvenient time, this person will say or do somethingto bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die.Sometimes they walk away.Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, ourdesire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer yousent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.
When people come into your life for a SEASON . . .Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.They may teach you something you have never done.They usually give you an unbelievable amountof joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; thingsyou must build upon in order to have a solid emotionalfoundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love theperson, and put what you have learned to use in allother relationships and areas of your life. It is saidthat love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Author Unknown
daily reflections- December 31-DAILY RESOLUTIONS
daily reflections- December 31-DAILY RESOLUTIONS
daily reflections- December 31-DAILY RESOLUTIONS
Daily Resolutions
The idea of "twenty-four-hour living" applies primarily to the emotional life of the individual. Emotionally speaking, we must not live in yesterday, nor in tomorrow. As Bill Sees It,p.284
A New Year: 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 mintues-- a time to consider directions, goals, and actions. I must make some plans to live a normal life, but also I must live emotionally within a twenty-four-hour frame, for if I do, I don't have to make New Years resolutions! I can make every day a New Years day! I can decide, "Today I will do this... Today I will do that." Each day I can measure my life by trying to do a little better by deciding to follow God's will and by making an effort to put the principles of our A.A. program into action.
daily reflections- December 31-DAILY RESOLUTIONS
Daily Resolutions
The idea of "twenty-four-hour living" applies primarily to the emotional life of the individual. Emotionally speaking, we must not live in yesterday, nor in tomorrow. As Bill Sees It,p.284
A New Year: 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 mintues-- a time to consider directions, goals, and actions. I must make some plans to live a normal life, but also I must live emotionally within a twenty-four-hour frame, for if I do, I don't have to make New Years resolutions! I can make every day a New Years day! I can decide, "Today I will do this... Today I will do that." Each day I can measure my life by trying to do a little better by deciding to follow God's will and by making an effort to put the principles of our A.A. program into action.
Just for Today - December 31
Just for Today - December 31
December 31Being Of Service
"Working with others is only the beginning of service work."
Basic Text, pg 56
We're in recovery now. Through living the program, we've attained some stability in our lives. Our faith in a Higher Power has grown. Our individual spiritual awakening is progressing comfortably. So now what? Do we simply sit still and enjoy? Of course not. We find a way to be of service.
We tend to think of service only in terms of committee service or holding a position at some level, but service goes far beyond this understanding. In fact, we can find opportunities to be of service in nearly every area of our lives. Our jobs are a form of service to our communities, no matter what our occupation. The work we do in our homes serves our families. Perhaps we do volunteer work in our communities.
What a difference our service efforts make! If we doubt this, we can just imagine what the world would be like if no one bothered to be of service to others. Our work serves humanity. The message we carry goes beyond the rooms of recovery, affecting everything we do.
Just for today: I will look for opportunities to be of service in everything I do.
pg. 381
December 31Being Of Service
"Working with others is only the beginning of service work."
Basic Text, pg 56
We're in recovery now. Through living the program, we've attained some stability in our lives. Our faith in a Higher Power has grown. Our individual spiritual awakening is progressing comfortably. So now what? Do we simply sit still and enjoy? Of course not. We find a way to be of service.
We tend to think of service only in terms of committee service or holding a position at some level, but service goes far beyond this understanding. In fact, we can find opportunities to be of service in nearly every area of our lives. Our jobs are a form of service to our communities, no matter what our occupation. The work we do in our homes serves our families. Perhaps we do volunteer work in our communities.
What a difference our service efforts make! If we doubt this, we can just imagine what the world would be like if no one bothered to be of service to others. Our work serves humanity. The message we carry goes beyond the rooms of recovery, affecting everything we do.
Just for today: I will look for opportunities to be of service in everything I do.
pg. 381
Friday, December 30, 2011
Milkman's Reflections - Dec 30 - The Complainer
Milkman's Reflections - Dec 30 - The Complainer
The Complainer
The first three times you came with the same story (they) would listen and try to help. But if you showed up a fourth time and it was the same old tired things, the others in the circle would just get up and move....it was time you did something about it. Anne Cameron
Many of us go to meeting after meeting, talking about the same problem. What are we looking for, what are we asking for? We aren't asking for help, because we are usually given good suggestions that we reject. We aren't looking to make changes, because we keep holding on to the same problem. We may also have been in the opposite position- listening to one who keeps talking about the same problem. After hearing those people for a while, it's easy to want to tune them out. But we can change. We can ask whether we use meetings to air the same grievances. If so, we need to stop complaining and do something. If we hear another doing the same thing,we can learn from the person's unwillingness to change. We can learn the difference between stagnation and growth. I can listen and learn. If I ask for help, let me also be willing to accept it. From Night Light
The Complainer
The first three times you came with the same story (they) would listen and try to help. But if you showed up a fourth time and it was the same old tired things, the others in the circle would just get up and move....it was time you did something about it. Anne Cameron
Many of us go to meeting after meeting, talking about the same problem. What are we looking for, what are we asking for? We aren't asking for help, because we are usually given good suggestions that we reject. We aren't looking to make changes, because we keep holding on to the same problem. We may also have been in the opposite position- listening to one who keeps talking about the same problem. After hearing those people for a while, it's easy to want to tune them out. But we can change. We can ask whether we use meetings to air the same grievances. If so, we need to stop complaining and do something. If we hear another doing the same thing,we can learn from the person's unwillingness to change. We can learn the difference between stagnation and growth. I can listen and learn. If I ask for help, let me also be willing to accept it. From Night Light
daily reflections- December 30-ANONYMITY
daily reflections- December 30-ANONYMITY
Anonymity
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities. Alcoholics Anonymous,p.562
Tradition Twelve became important early in my sobriety and, along with the Twelve Steps, it continues to be a must in my recovery. I became aware after I joined the Fellowship that I had personality problems, so that when I first heard it, the Tradition's message was very clear: there exists an immediate way for me to face, with others, my alcoholism and attendant anger, defensiveness, offensiveness. I saw Tradition Twelve as being a great ego deflator; it relieved my anger and gave me a chance to utilize the principles of the program. All of the Steps, and this particular Tradition, have guided me over decades of continuous sobriety. I am grateful to those who were here when I needed them.
Anonymity
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities. Alcoholics Anonymous,p.562
Tradition Twelve became important early in my sobriety and, along with the Twelve Steps, it continues to be a must in my recovery. I became aware after I joined the Fellowship that I had personality problems, so that when I first heard it, the Tradition's message was very clear: there exists an immediate way for me to face, with others, my alcoholism and attendant anger, defensiveness, offensiveness. I saw Tradition Twelve as being a great ego deflator; it relieved my anger and gave me a chance to utilize the principles of the program. All of the Steps, and this particular Tradition, have guided me over decades of continuous sobriety. I am grateful to those who were here when I needed them.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Just for Today - December 29
Just for Today - December 29
Through Others' Eyes
"When someone points out a shortcoming, our first reaction may be defensive....[But] if we truly want to be free, we will take a good look at input from fellow addicts."
Basic Text pg. 35
At some point in our recovery, we come to the awkward realization that the way we see ourselves is not necessarily the way others do. We are probably neither as bad, as good, as beautiful, or as ugly as we think we are - but we are too close to ourselves to really tell for sure. That's where our friends in the program come in, caring enough to share with us what they see when they look in our direction. They tell us the good things about ourselves we might not know - and they tell us the hard things, too, that we might not be able to see.
We may react defensively to such "help" and, in some cases, justly so. However, even malicious remarks about our supposed shortcomings can shed light on aspects of our recovery that we cannot see ourselves. Wherever a useful insight comes from, for whatever reason it is offered, we cannot afford to discount it.
We don't need to wait for others to spontaneously offer their insight. When we spend time with our sponsor or other NA members we trust, we can make the first move and ask them to tell us what they see about particular areas of our lives to which we are blind. We want a broader vision of our life than just our own; we can have that vision by seeing ourselves through the eyes of others.
Just for today: I seek to see myself as I truly am. I will listen to what others say about me, and see myself through their eyes.
pg. 379
Through Others' Eyes
"When someone points out a shortcoming, our first reaction may be defensive....[But] if we truly want to be free, we will take a good look at input from fellow addicts."
Basic Text pg. 35
At some point in our recovery, we come to the awkward realization that the way we see ourselves is not necessarily the way others do. We are probably neither as bad, as good, as beautiful, or as ugly as we think we are - but we are too close to ourselves to really tell for sure. That's where our friends in the program come in, caring enough to share with us what they see when they look in our direction. They tell us the good things about ourselves we might not know - and they tell us the hard things, too, that we might not be able to see.
We may react defensively to such "help" and, in some cases, justly so. However, even malicious remarks about our supposed shortcomings can shed light on aspects of our recovery that we cannot see ourselves. Wherever a useful insight comes from, for whatever reason it is offered, we cannot afford to discount it.
We don't need to wait for others to spontaneously offer their insight. When we spend time with our sponsor or other NA members we trust, we can make the first move and ask them to tell us what they see about particular areas of our lives to which we are blind. We want a broader vision of our life than just our own; we can have that vision by seeing ourselves through the eyes of others.
Just for today: I seek to see myself as I truly am. I will listen to what others say about me, and see myself through their eyes.
pg. 379
daily reflections- December 29-THE JOY OF LIVING
daily reflections- December 29-THE JOY OF LIVING
The Joy Of Living
... therefore the joy of good living is the theme of A.A.'s Twelfth Step. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.125
A.A. is a joyful program! Even so, I occasionally balk at taking the necessary steps to move ahead, and find myself resisting the very actions that could bring about the joy I want. I would not resist if those actions did not touch some vulnerable area of my life, an area that needs hope and fulfillment. Repeated exposure to joyfulness has a way of softening the hard, outer edges of my ego. Therein lies the power of joyfulness to help all members of A.A.
The Joy Of Living
... therefore the joy of good living is the theme of A.A.'s Twelfth Step. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.125
A.A. is a joyful program! Even so, I occasionally balk at taking the necessary steps to move ahead, and find myself resisting the very actions that could bring about the joy I want. I would not resist if those actions did not touch some vulnerable area of my life, an area that needs hope and fulfillment. Repeated exposure to joyfulness has a way of softening the hard, outer edges of my ego. Therein lies the power of joyfulness to help all members of A.A.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
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