Daily Recovery Readings
January 3, 2023
Daily Reflection
POWERLESS
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 21
It is no coincidence that the very first Step mentions powerlessness: An admission of personal powerlessness over alcohol is a cornerstone of
the foundation of recovery. I’ve learned that I do not have the power and control I once thought I had. I am powerless over what people
think about me. I am powerless over having just missed the bus. I am powerless over how other people work (or don’t work) the Steps. But
I’ve also learned I am not powerless over some things. I am not powerless over my attitudes. I am not powerless over negativity. I am not powerless over assuming responsibility for my own recovery. I have the power to exert a positive influence on myself, my loved ones, and the world in which I live.
Big Book Quote
If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no middle-of-the-road solution. We were in a position where life was becoming impossible, and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives: One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept spiritual help. This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were willing to make the effort.
– Pg. 25-26 – There Is A Solution
24 Hours a Day – The Little Black Book
A.A. Thought For The Day
When I came into A.A., I learned what an alcoholic was and then I applied this knowledge to myself to see if I was an alcoholic. When I was convinced that I was an alcoholic, I admitted it openly. Since then, have I been learning to live accordingly? Have I read the book Alcoholics Anonymous? Have I applied the knowledge gained to
myself? Have I admitted openly that I am an alcoholic? Am I ready to admit it at any time when I can be of help?
Meditation For The Day
I will be renewed. I will be remade. In this, I need God’s help. His spirit shall flow through me and, in flowing through me, it shall sweep away all the bitter past. I will take heart. The way will open for me. Each day will unfold something good, as long as I am trying to live the way I believe God wants me to live.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may be taught, just as a child would be taught. I pray that I may never question God’s plans, but accept them gladly.
The Language of Letting Go – Codependency
Nurturing Self Care
.. .there isn’t a guidebook for setting boundaries. Each of us has our own guide inside ourselves. If we continue to work
at recovery, our boundaries will develop. They will get healthy and sensitive. Our selves will tell us what we need to
know,’ and we’ll love ourselves enough to listen.
–Beyond Codependency
What do we need to do to take care of ourselves?
Listen to that voice inside. What makes you angry? What have you had enough of? What don’t you trust? What
doesn’t feel right? What can’t you stand? What makes you uncomfortable? What do you want? Need? What don’t you
want and need? What do you like? What would feel good?
In recovery, we learn that self care leads us on the path to God’s will and plan for our life. Self-care never leads away
from our highest good; it leads toward it.
Learn to nurture that voice inside. We can trust ourselves. We can take care of ourselves. We are wiser than we think.
Our guide is within, ever present. Listen to, trust, and nurture that guide.
Today, I will affirm that lama gift to the Universe and myself. I will remember that nurturing self care delivers that gift in
its highest form.
Today my body guides me to refocus and God heals me deep within as I again become strong and free. –Ruth Fishel
Touchstone – Men’s Meditation
Love doesn’t just sit there like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new. – Ursula K. Le Guin
Our relationships are alive. We don’t control them and neither do the other people involved. We certainly influence our
relationships – and if we are aware, we see they also have their own yeast. Whether we are talking of a love
relationship with our spouse, lover, children, friends, or parents, it is a very fluid and dynamic affair. If we are actively
involved with the other person and give time and nourishment to the relationship, it will grow. But if we are passive and
only waiting, the relationship will grow stale.
God speaks to us through other people. Our relationship with our Higher Power influences our relationships with all the
people in our lives. Today we can nurture our relationships with time, tolerance, and honesty. In turn, we will be
nourished.
May this day be one in which I give attention to those I love.
Elder’s Meditation
“We don’t have to say or think what we don’t wish to. We have a choice in those things, and we have to realize that and practice using that choice.”
–Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE
Having choices makes us fully accountable. No one can make us think anything we don’t want to think. No one can determine our behavior and how we act. It’s not what’s going on but how we look at what’s going on. If someone does something and we get upset, we can change how we look at it any time we want. We can tell ourselves in the morning that the day is going to be beautiful and that we have expectations that great things will happen. Doing this daily sets our mind to look for the joy and the excitement of each day.
Great Spirit, help me to choose my thoughts with Your wisdom.
Daily Horoscope – Cancer
Your behind-the-scenes work may be recognized at this time. Even if working in the background is your preferred mode of operation, it’s still nice to be appreciated for the effort that you’ve been putting into a project, your family, or your career. Others might not always see the effect of your work, simply taking it for granted, but fortunately, your determination should currently be quite clear. Don’t shy away from the compliments! Let others see and show their thanks for the way you contribute.
The Wandering Enigma 