Daily Recovery Readings
June 12, 2022
Daily Reflection
FORMING TRUE PARTNERSHIPS
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, p. 53
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.
From the book Daily Reflections
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Big Book Quote
“Cessation of drinking is but the first step away from a highly strained, abnormal condition.”
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 122~
24 Hours a Day – The Little Black Book
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 queer birds 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 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.
The Language of Letting Go – Codependency
Spontaneity and Fun
Practice being spontaneous. Practice having fun.
The joy of recovery is that we finally get to experiment. We get to learn new behaviors, and we don’t have to do them perfectly. We only need to find a way that works for us. We even have fun experimenting, learning what we like, and how to do what we like.
Many of us have gotten into a rut with rigidity, martyrdom, and deprivation. One of the “normal” experiences many of us have been deprived of is having fun. Another one is being spontaneous. We may not have the foggiest notion what we would like to do for fun. And we may hold ourselves in check so tightly that we wouldn’t allow ourselves to try something fun anyway.
We can let ourselves go a little now and then. We can loosen up a bit. We don’t have to be so stiff and rigid, so frightened about being who we are. Take some risks. Try some new activities. What would we like to do? What might we enjoy doing? Then, take another risk. Pick out a movie we’d like to see; call a friend, and invite him or her to go along. If that person says no, try someone else, or try again another time.
Decide to try something, and then go through with it. Go once. Go twice. Practice having fun until fun becomes fun.
Today, I will do something just for fun. I will practice having fun until I actually enjoy it.
Touchstone – Men’s Meditation
Originality is unexplored territory. You get there by carrying a canoe – you can’t take a taxi.
—Alan Alda
We are on an adventure trip in this program. Each of us is a wilderness that is only partly explored and mapped. We can’t know exactly what we will find along the way, but we can expect to find some great and moving beauty, some spectacular experiences, as well as awesome and frightening ones, and some soft, pleasant rest spots. Any day will have a mixture of various feelings.
This program is not a map of the uncharted territory. It is a guide for survival in the wilderness. It tells us how to orient ourselves when there are no familiar landmarks and how to learn and grow from the experience. The more time we spend in this wilderness, exploring the mystery of living, the more comfortable we become with it and the greater appreciation we have for its unique beauty.
Today, I pray for the courage to explore the original person I was created to be.
Elder’s Meditation
“The faces of our future generations are looking up to us from the earth and we step with great care not to disturb our grandchildren.”
–Traditional Circle of Elders
The leaves, when they are finished with their life on the trees, will return to the Earth. The leaves that return to the Earth are the future trees. So inside the Mother Earth are the future forests. The human, when finished with its life on the Earth, will return to the Earth. So in the Earth are our future grandchildren. Knowing this, we should be respectful of the place where our future generations live. Only take from the Earth what you need. Every time you pick a plant or Medicine, leave an offering and leave a prayer. Be respectful and walk in a sacred way.
Great Spirit, teach me to respect the place of future generations.
Daily Horoscope – Cancer
There could be conflicting vibes between you and the people you normally surround yourself with, but conflict doesn’t have to automatically turn into something negative. The Moon is in your 5th House of Self-Expression and Creativity, keeping your attention focused on your desires and passion projects. You’ll need to find a balance, however, when she opposes Mercury in your social sector, reminding you that not everyone may want to follow your program. Compromise is essential to keeping everyone satisfied, so be willing to listen.
The Wandering Enigma 