Daily Recovery Readings
May 8, 2017

Daily Reflection

A RESTING PLACE

All of A.A.’s Twelve Steps ask us to go contrary to our natural desires . . . they all deflate our egos. When it comes to ego deflation, few Steps are harder to take than Five. But scarcely any Step is more necessary to longtime sobriety and peace of mind than this one.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 55

After writing down my character defects, I was unwilling to talk about them, and decided it was time to stop carrying this burden alone. I needed to confess those defects to someone else. I had read – and been told – I could not stay sober unless I did. Step Five provided me with a feeling of belonging, with humility and serenity when I practiced it in my daily living. It was important to admit my defects of character in the order presented in Step Five: “to God, to ourselves and to another human being.” Admitting to God first paved the way for admission to myself and to another person. As the taking of the Step is described, a feeling of being at one with God and my fellow man brought me to a resting place where I could prepare myself for the remaining Steps toward a full and meaningful sobriety.

From the book Daily Reflections
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Big Book Quote

“It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. To the precise extent that we permit these, do we squander the hours that might have been worth while.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~

Keep It Simple

The only way to speak truth is to speak lovingly.—Thoreau

Recovery teaches us to tell the truth. We must be honest if we want to save our lives. We must learn to speak with care—care for ourselves and for others. To be honest means to speak in a fair and truthful way. To be honest and loving means learning when to speak, and how to speak, in a caring way. We can help others by honestly telling them what we think and feel and see—but only when we do this with love. We must be careful when we speak. Speaking the truth is like using a sharp knife—it can be used for good, or it can be used to hurt others. We should never handle it carelessly of use it to hurt someone.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me know the truth. Help me speak the truth to others with love.

Action for the Day:
I’ll make a list of three times I’ve hurt someone be being honest, but not with love. I’ll also list three times I’ve helped someone by being truthful, with love.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Your objective approach to solving problems is refreshing, prompting your coworkers to bring their challenging situations to you for advice. Luckily, you’re an excellent listener and your sensitivity enables people to open up even more. Although you may have a strong and sympathetic shoulder to lean on, you don’t have quick answers to everyone’s complex questions. Nevertheless, your compassion means more to others than if you actually fixed their problems. Author John Maxwell wrote, “Nurturing has the ability to transform people’s lives.”