Daily Recovery Readings
April 18, 2018

Daily Reflection

SELF-HONESTY

The deception of others is nearly always rooted in the deception of ourselves. . . . When we are honest with another person, it confirms that we have been honest with ourselves and with God.

— AS BILL SEES IT, p. 17

When I was drinking, I deceived myself about reality, rewriting it to what I wanted it to be. Deceiving others is a character defect—even if it is just stretching the truth a bit or cleaning up my motives so others would think well of me. My Higher Power can remove this character defect, but first I have to help myself become willing to receive that help by not practicing deception. I need to remember each day that deceiving myself about myself is setting myself up for failure or disappointment in life and in Alcoholics Anonymous. A close, honest relationship with a Higher Power is the only solid foundation I’ve found for honesty with self and with others.

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

Big Book Quote

“Simple, but not easy, a price had to be paid. It meant destruction of self centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill’s Story, pg. 14~

Keep It Simple

Patience is needed with everyone, but first of all with ourselves. —St. Francis de Sales

How do you treat yourself? Do you talk to yourself in a kind and loving voice? We can’t be kind and loving to others until we learn to be kind and loving with ourselves. To live this way, we must give ourselves the gift of patience.

Let’s practice patience with ourselves daily. Practice talking to yourself in a kind, loving voice.
Your voice will be that of a loving parent who helps a child with a new task. Your Higher Power
Is willing to be patient with you. Give yourself the same gift.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, I pray that I’ll treat myself and others with the same loving patience You’ve shown me.

Action for the Day:
I will listen to how I talk to myself. I will practice talking to myself with a kind, loving, and patient voice.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You are strongly tempted to rebel against existing authority and to avoid your obligations at work. Your patience may be at an all-time low as you catch glimpses of a more exciting future just out of reach. Thankfully, setting new goals is easy because nothing needs to occur in the outer world now. Nevertheless, significant changes require more time than you think and more work than you ever imagined. Author Germaine de Staël wrote, “The greatest happiness is to transform one’s feelings into action.”