But it is from our twisted relations with family, friends, and society at large that many of us have suffered the most. We have been especially stupid and stubborn about them. The primary fact that we fail to recognize is our total inability to form a true partnership with another human being.
Twelve Steps And Twelve Traditions
Can these words apply to me, am I still unable to form a true partnership with another human being? What a terrible handicap that would be for me to carry into my sober life! In my sobriety I will meditate and pray to discover how I may be a trusted friend and companion.
Twenty –Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
When we came into A.A., we made a tremendous discovery. We found that we were sick persons rather than moral lepers. We were not such odd ducks as we thought we were. We found other people who had the same illness that we had, who had been through the same experiences that we had been through. They had recovered. if they could do it, we could do it. Was hope born in me the day I walked into A.A.?
Meditation For The Day
“He that heareth these sayings and doeth them is like unto a man who built his house upon a rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the wind blew and beat upon that house and it fell not for it was founded upon a rock.” When your life is built upon obedience to God and upon doing His will as you understand it, you will be steadfast and unmovable even in the midst of storms. The serene, steadfast, unmovable life – the rock home – is laid stone by stone – foundation, walls, and roof – by acts of obedience to the heavenly vision. The daily following of God’s guidance and the daily doing of His will shall build your house upon a rock.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that my life may be founded upon the rock of faith. I pray that I may be obedient to the heavenly vision.
As Bill Sees It
Who can render an account of all the miseries that once were ours, and who can estimate the release and joy that later years have brought to us? Who can possibly tell the vast consequences of what God’s work through A.A. has already set in motion? And who can penetrate the deeper mystery of our wholesale deliverance from slavery, a bondage to a most hopeless and fatal obsession which for centuries possessed the minds and bodies of men and women like ourselves?
We think cheerfulness and laughter make for usefulness. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn’t we laugh? We have recovered, and have helped others to recover. What greater cause could there be for rejoicing than this?
- A.A. Comes Of Age
- Alcoholics Anonymous
Being right or wrong-Honesty
Step Ten advises us to promptly admit it when we’re wrong. Perhaps there should be another Step warning us not to be too confident when we’re sure we’re right. It’s true that there are many times when we are right. It’s also possible, however, that we might be only 99 percent right, and that tiny fractions of error could mean our downfall. Something is also wrong when we find ourselves vigorously asserting that we’re right. We don’t have to “Admit it” when we’re right because being right speaks for itself. In the long run, truth and right action don’t really have to be defended. Part of being right is the willingness to believe that we may be wrong, however hard that is to accept. If I’m wrong today, I’ll admit it. If I’m right, I’ll refrain from announcing it with too much assurance.
Keep It Simple
The lust for power is not rooted in strength, but to weakness. We believed Alcohol or other drugs could help us control our happiness. But now we’re learning to rely on faith for our happiness. Faith is about leaving things to our Higher Power’s control. Instead of wanting the control ourselves, we trust our Higher Power will help us handle things that come along. In recovery, we work at having more faith. Faith in a Higher Power. Faith in the Steps. Faith in our groups. Faith that our lives will get better, if we don’t use chemicals and we work an honest recovery program. Faith makes life a lot easier.
It is not enough to love those who are near and dear to us. We must show them that we do so.–Lord Eric Avebury Never say more than is necessary.–Richard Brinsley Sheridan
“The power behind me is greater than the problem in front of me.”–unknown
The surest sign of wisdom is constant cheerfulness.–Montaigne
Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, but only saps today of its strength.–A. J. Cronin
“… when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present–love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure–the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”–Sarah Ban Brethnach
Father Leo’s Daily Meditation
Potential
“There is no meaning to life except the meaning man gives his life by the unfolding of his powers.”–Eric Fromm My life was powerless when I was drinking. The drug alcohol stopped me from reaching my full potential – I was depressed, tired, angry, lonely and confused. Incredible as it may sound, I was the enemy to my life. By drinking alcohol, I fed the disease and made my life unmanageable. Then I had a “Moment” when I saw what I was doing to my life. The pain caused by drinking outweighed any advantages. I had hit my bottom. I began to change my life by refusing the first drink, and I began to experience a new vitality and potential. A new and creative life dawned. Friendships and relationships were possible again. God became understandable in His world. My power as a human being was unleashed in my sobriety. Master, may I discover my potential in the loving decisions I undertake.
Daily Inspiration
The more generous and kind we are, the more thoughtful and forgiving, the closer we come to awareness of God’s powerful love. Lord, let Your love take over in me and lead and guide me to goodness. You cannot ask too much if you use your blessings ceaselessly. Lord, help me to reflect on and live in Your spirit.
Contributed By: Shreerang Karkare
