Today's Thought - August

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August 1

Saving the World

Today may my prayers help me realize
I cannot control everything.
To put the world in order,
We must first put the nation in order;
To put the nation in order,
We must first put the family in order;
To put the family in order,
We must first set our hearts right.

-- Confucius

You are reading from the book:

The 12 Step Prayer Book Volume 2 by Bill P. and Lisa D.

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August 2

Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use.
--Ruth Gordon

All of us fear the unfamiliar at times; and it's nothing to be ashamed of to occasionally feel frightened by everyday events. We can still forget that God is always with us and, thus, allow fear to take over.

We're learning in recovery, though, that we can empower ourselves through the magic of belief. Acting as If we feel that extra bit of courage and that we sense God's presence protecting us can dissipate our fears and bring us new confidence. In doing this, we will gradually come to know the inner resources God has given us. The more we acknowledge our courage, the more it becomes a working part of our life.

We often unnecessarily complicate matters by thinking we have to face things by ourselves. We forget that our spiritual program offers us ready relief from the terror of feeling alone. God offers us the strength and courage to meet each challenge. We only have to accept.

I will remember God's presence today and discover the courage to face my fears.

You are reading from the book:

In God's Care by Karen Casey

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August 3

The Four Absolutes
by the Oxford Group, used by early AAs before the Twelve Steps were written

Absolute Honesty
Both with ourselves and with others, in word, deed, and thought.

Absolute Unselfishness
To be willing, wherever possible, to help others who need our help.

Absolute Love
You shall love the Lord with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. And. . . you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Absolute Purity
Purity of mind, of body, and of purpose.

You are reading from the book:

The 12 Step Prayer Book Volume 2 by Bill P. and Lisa D.

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August 4

All music is what awakes from you when you are reminded by the instruments.
--Walt Whitman

A small group of friends sat in a room around a record player. It was a heavy old thing, with parts that had to be operated by hand and only one speaker - nothing like a modern stereo at all, but more like an antique phonograph. The record - a recording of their favorite music - was old, too, and scratched, its grooves worn smooth as a stone in some places. The tone arm skipped and scratched, and the sound was tinny, hard on the ears.

Most of the friends squirmed in their seats as they listened, and several grumbled that it was impossible to hear the music with such inferior equipment.

But one of the group sat listening, her eyes closed, swaying to the music and humming softly to herself.

"How can you enjoy this?" the others asked.

"Ah," she said with a mysterious smile. "I am listening beyond the recording to the music I know is there!"

You are reading from the book:

Today's Gift by Anonymous

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August 5

Having loosened our grip on the past, we are free to reach for the future.
--Ann D. Clark

Everyday of our lives we think of some situation we wish we had handled differently. Perhaps we left a job we now miss, disciplined a child needlessly, or responded rudely to a friend. Our Fourth Step inventory abundantly details our many regrets, but the past is gone. We can't take back the job or the punishment or the rude responses. However, we can make certain the Tenth Step we do every night is not filled with similar regrets.

Recovery has given us a second chance. Let's not waste this gift by hanging on to what can't be changed. We all know what we don't like about our behavior in the past. That's all we need to remember when we decide how to behave in the present. We won't be ashamed in the future, if we take charge of our present.

Today is a new beginning. Whatever happened in my past need not control what I do with today. Today is mine to be proud of.

You are reading from the book:

A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey

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August 6

"Stomp, Scram, Spit, Cry," a friend said. "Just don't go numb again. Maybe what you're really angry about is that you've been dead longer than Abe Lincoln, and now you're finally coming back to life."

There's a price to pay for passion. We need to feel our emotions.

Action:

Pay attention to how you feel: what you love, dislike, hate, enjoy. Pay attention to what grabs your heart, what interests you. Discover who you are, not who you think you should be.

You are reading from the book:

52 Weeks of Conscious Contact by Melody Beattie

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August 7

Aloneness and Quality Time

There are many ways to be good to ourselves. Here are just a few:

At the beginning of each day, we can think about what we'd like to accomplish. This can be a routine household chore, a professional objective, or a living principle we'd like to work on.

As our day unfolds, we can engage in an enjoyable diversion or work on a pet project. Often, these activities clear our minds and free us to think more calmly about matters which trouble us.

In the evening, we may want to review the day's events, and our reactions to them, with a friend. Or, we may simply want to sit quietly and allow our thoughts to wander as they will. Keeping a journal at these times is a helpful tool for self-discovery. By recording our reactions and thoughts as they arise, we often get a better perspective on ourselves as well as our experiences.

TODAY I will be good to myself. I will find something I enjoy doing, and I will do it. I will also take time to get to know myself - either by sharing with a trusted friend or by writing my thoughts in a journal.

You are reading from the book:

The Reflecting Pond by Liane Cordes

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August 8

When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become real.
--Margery Wilson

Intimacy with another is a necessary risk if we're to know love. This means loving enough to let someone in on our most hidden parts, daring to share the awful truths about ourselves. When we hold a dreaded memory within, or fail to disclose our darkest secret, we're haunted by the fear that another's love is both conditional and long gone if the truth about us is revealed.

Though seldom remembered, one of the greatest tributes we can give one another is full expression of who we were, who we are, and who we hope to become. During any single moment, we are a composite of feelings, memories, and projections. Our reality is many faceted, and being intimate requires that we enrich each other's lives with the full expression of ourselves.

Being real is courageous; it takes a decision and practice, and it is demanded if we're to know love.

You are reading from the book:

Worthy of Love by Karen Casey

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August 9

The crow that mimics a cormorant gets drowned.
--Japanese proverb

When we are young we are vulnerable to the images of success that surround us - in sports, in politics, and in our social life. We watch our heroines and heroes perform, and we strive to emulate them. When the cormorant dives from a hundred feet, we'd love to follow.

As we get older, many of us don't manage to find out who we really are because we've been too busy trying to imitate others - in our dress, our way of talking, our business deals, our preferences, and our tastes. We often aped those who were considered "with it" at the time.

It's healthy to have role models, but they should reflect our true, emerging selves, and not be at the other end of the spectrum. As crows, we'd look silly diving from a hundred feet. Our challenge in recovery is to find out who we are and who we can be and go after that with all our energy. There's nothing wrong with being a crow.

I want to strive with all my heart to be myself.

You are reading from the book:

Answers in the Heart by Anonymous

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August 10

It is a long baptism into the seas of humankind, my daughter. Better immersion than to live untouched.
--Tillie Olsen

We have each had days when we preferred hiding under the covers, avoiding life at all costs. And in times gone by, we did just that, sometimes too frequently. What we didn't always know, and what we still forget on occasion, is that we have a ready and willing Partner who will join us in every pursuit.

The more fully we commit ourselves to one another and to all our experiences, the closer we will come to the very serenity we long for. Serenity accompanies our increasing understanding of life's many mysteries. It's easy to cheat ourselves out of the prizes any day offers us. Fear fosters inertia, leaving us separate, alone, even more afraid. But we have an appointment with life. And our appointment will bring us to the place of full understanding, the place where we'll be certain, forever after, that all is well. And that life is good.

Today's appointments are part of the bigger plan for my life. I will face them, enjoy them, and reap their rewards.



You are reading from the book:

Each Day a New Beginning by Karen Casey

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August 11

God give[s] us a mind that can or can't believe, but not even God can make us believe.... You have to believe first before you can pray.
--Harriet Arnow

Sometimes it's difficult to focus on our Higher Power after a hard day at work, after an argument with a loved one, after the frustrating experience of a flat tire, long bank line, or after any of the other nuisances that are part of each and every day. "Why me?" we may cry out in frustration. On a day like this, it may be easier to believe that a Power greater than ourselves is out to get us.

But God does not choose sides. We have not been singled out for punishment. God is on our side, if we only choose to open our hearts and believe that.

As we reflect back on the events of the day, we need to remember the times we asked God for help and the times we didn't. And we need to believe first - before we pray tonight - that God is there to help us every minute of every day.

Did I ask my Higher Power for help today, or did I decide to "go it alone"? Which do I choose to do?

You are reading from the book:

Night Light by Amy E. Dean

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August 12

Accepting the past

Noted psychiatrist Carl Jung once said, "If one can accept one's sin, one can live with it. If one cannot accept it, one has to suffer the inevitable consequences." We must come to accept our past acts before they will stop causing us pain.

All the Steps help us do this, but in particular, Steps Four and Five (the inventory Steps) and Steps Eight and Nine (the amends Steps) help. If we attend to these Steps properly, we will no longer regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.

Am I coming to accept myself?

Higher Power, help me accept the ways I've behaved in the past - and the ways I behave in the present - that cause me pain, so that in your time I may be freed.

You are reading from the book:

Day by Day - Second Edition by Anonymous

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August 13

The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong. That block of granite is often nothing more than a decision.
--Thomas Carlyle

Trails through national parks and forests are often clearly marked and well-maintained. But sometimes a heavy snowmelt or downpour can turn a trickling stream into a tricky obstacle that needs to be navigated in order to continue following the trail.

When this happens, hikers can turn around and postpone their hike until another day. They can attempt to create their own trail by rambling through – and possibly destroying – delicate forest undergrowth. They can slog through the water, soaking their footgear and creating discomfort for the rest of the hike. Or they can utilize the resources available to them, such as by positioning large rocks as stepping-stones to cross the stream.

How you navigate the trails of your recovery can be seen in similar terms. You must choose how to navigate these trails, both in times when the footling is good and when it is not. Be like the hiker who thinks first about how to handle the challenges, so you can continue safely along your journey.

Today I will make choices that will keep me on the path of recovery.

You are reading from the book:

52 Weeks of Conscious Contact by Melody Beattie

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August 14


Reflection for the Day

It was far easier for me to accept my powerlessness over my addiction than it was for me to accept the notion that some sort of Higher Power could accomplish that which I had been unable to accomplish myself. Simply by seeking help and accepting the fellowship of others similarly afflicted, the craving left me. And I realized that if I was doing what I was powerless alone to do, then surely I was doing so by some Power outside my own and obviously greater. Have I surrendered my life into the hands of God?

Today I Pray

May God erase in me the arrogant pride which keeps me from listening. May my unhealthy dependence on chemicals and my clinging dependence on those near by be transformed into reliance on God. Only in this kind of dependence - reliance - on a Higher Power will I find my own transformation.

Today I Will Remember

I am God-dependent.

You are reading from the book:

A Day at a Time (Softcover) by Anonymous

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August 15

Friendship and Love

Friendships or marriages based on "dire need" or physical security are doomed to fail if each person in the relationship does not grow beyond his or her limited ways of thinking and reacting.

The ideal relationship is one in which each partner strives to grow. It is an ever-expanding commitment, mutually supportive of healthy interdependence. A healthy relationship encourages the seeking of wider mental and spiritual horizons; it is never threatened permanently by them.

TODAY Do I give my loved ones enough room to grow? Do I encourage my friends or mate to do things without me? Am I threatened by change or do I welcome it? Do I have the courage to do things on my own, even if my loved ones do not give me support? Do I have the courage and consideration to share my changes with those I love?

Let the purpose of all marriages and friendships alike be the deepening of the spirit and the enrichment of the soul.

You are reading from the book:

The Reflecting Pond by Liane Cordes