Daily Recovery Readings
April 10, 2018

Daily Reflection

GROWING UP

The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 115

Sometimes when I’ve become willing to do what I should have been doing all along, I want praise and recognition. I don’t realize that the more I’m willing to act differently, the more exciting my life is. The more I am willing to help others, the more rewards I receive. That’s what practicing the principles means to me. Fun and benefits for me are in the willingness to do the actions, not to get immediate results. Being a little kinder, a little slower to anger, a little more loving makes my life better–day by day.

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

You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you can prevent their making their nest in your head.-–Chinese proverb

Life is full of feelings. We can be happy, sad, mad, scared. These feelings can come and go quickly. Or we may hang on to them. As recovering addicts, we used to hang on to feelings that made us feel bad. We let them make”nest” in our hair. We used our feelings as excuse to drink or use other drugs. Now we’re learning to hang on to our good feelings. We can let go of anger, hurt, and fear. We can shoo away the birds of sadness and welcome the birds of happiness.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me become a “bird watcher.” Help me learn from my feelings. And help me let go of the bad one so I can be happy.

Action For the Day:
If I need to get rid of the sadness or anger that I’m hanging on to, I’ll get help from my sponsor, a counselor, or a clergy person.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You have thought long and hard about stepping from the sidelines onto center stage. Although you’re ready to assume authority, someone may catch you off guard when they try to steal your thunder today. At first, it appears there can be only one captain who is giving the orders, and you believe it should be you. However, sharing power might be a smarter strategy now. Rather than engaging the other person as an adversary, try approaching them as an ally. Casting director Jane Ripley said, “Sometimes the best way to get other people to give up their egos is for you to give up yours first.”

Daily Recovery Readings
April 9, 2018

Daily Reflection

FREEDOM FROM “KING ALCOHOL”

. . . let us not suppose even for an instant that we are not under constraint. . . . Our former tyrant, King Alcohol, always stands ready again to clutch us to him. Therefore, freedom from alcohol is the great “must” that has to be achieved, else we go mad or die.

— AS BILL SEES IT, p. 134

When drinking, I lived in spiritual, emotional, and sometimes, physical confinement. I had constructed my prison with bars of self-will and self-indulgence, from which I could not escape. Occasional dry spells that seemed to promise freedom would turn out to be little more than hopes of a reprieve. True escape required a willingness to follow whatever right actions were needed to turn the lock. With that willingness and action, both the lock and the bars themselves opened for me. Continued willingness and action keep me free—in a kind of extended daily probation—that need never end.

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

Big Book Quote

“Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves. Obviously. But where and how were we to find this Power?

Well, that’s exactly what this book is about.”

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 45

Keep It Simple

The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day a time. –Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln did great things for the United States. He took life One Day at a time.. He broke the future into manageable pieces. We can do the same. We can live in the present and focus on the task at hand.

Spirituality comes when we focus this way. When we stay in the present we find choice. And we worry less about the future. Still, we must have goals.

We must plan for the future.

Goals and plans help us give more credit to the present than to the future. And when we feel good about the present, we feel good about the future.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me focus. Help me keep my energy in the present. Have me live life One Day at a Time.

Action for the Day:
When I find myself drifting into the future, I’ll work at bring myself back to the present.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

The cosmos blesses you with a rare opportunity to explore the deep feelings shared by you and someone special. What makes this moment so unique is that you can confidently move into emotionally vulnerable spaces without worrying about the outcome. Thankfully, your current ability to remain detached enables you to reveal parts of your own psyche you might otherwise keep private. Just remember that taking a relationship to the next level is not limited to romantic interactions. All interpersonal activity holds great promise if you’re willing to open your heart.

Daily Recovery Readings
April 8, 2018

Daily Reflection

AN INSIDE LOOK

We want to find exactly how, when, and where our natural desires have warped us. We wish to look squarely at the unhappiness this has caused others and ourselves. By discovering what our emotional deformities are, we can move toward their correction.

~TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.43

Today I am no longer a slave to alcohol, yet in so many ways enslavement still threatens–my self, my desires, even my dreams. Yet without dreams I cannot exist; without dreams there is nothing to keep me moving forward. I must look inside myself, to free myself. I must call upon God’s power to face the person I’ve feared the most, the true me, the person God created me to be. Unless I can or until I do, I will always be running, and never be truly free. I ask God daily to show me such a freedom!

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

Big Book Quote

“Neither could we reduce our self centerdness much by wishing or0 trying on our own power. We had to have God’s help.”

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62

Keep It Simple

It’s a simple formula: Do your best and somebody might like it.—Dorothy Baker

Our program is a selfish program. It tells us to let go of what others think. We’re staying sober for ourselves, not for anyone else. Our body and our spirit are at stack. And we know what we need to do to stay sober. If we fell shaky about going to a party, we don’t go—no matter who gets upset.

If our job makes it hard to stay sober, we get a different one—no mater who it upsets. It’s simple we must take good care of ourselves before we can be good to others. In doing this, we learn how to be a friend, a good parent, a good spouse. we have to care for ourselves to have good relationships. Do I believe it okay to be selfish when it comes to my program?

Prayer for the Day :
Higher Power, help me do what is best for my recovery, no matter what others think.

Action for the Day:
I will remind myself that staying sober is simple. I don’t use chemicals. And I work the program.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You might need to reevaluate your objectives for the day, especially if they conflict with the needs of those closest to you. Although you wish you could spontaneously make plans today, others are depending on you to show up and may be very vocal about their expectations. Don’t mislead anyone by remaining silent about your preferences. The sooner everyone knows what you want, the easier it will be to find a common solution to your differences. A willingness to compromise saves the day.

Daily Recovery Readings
April 7, 2018

Daily Reflection

A WIDE ARC OF GRATITUDE

And, speaking for Dr. Bob and myself, I gratefully declare that had it not been for our wives, Anne and Lois, neither of us could have lived to see A.A.’s beginning.

— THE A.A. WAY OF LIFE, p. 67

Am I capable of such generous tribute and gratitude to my wife, parents and friends, without whose support I might never have survived to reach A.A.’s doors? I will work on this and try to see the plan my Higher Power is showing me which links our lives together.

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

Big Book Quote

“Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience.”

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 75

Keep It Simple

To make the world a friendly place One must show it a friendly face.-–James Whitcomb Riley

We are beginning to learn that we get what we expect. Why? If we believe that people are out to get us, we’ll not treat them well. We will think it’s okay to “get them” before they “get us.” Then, they’ll be angry and want to get even. And on it goes. It’s great when we can meet the world with a balance. We are honest people. We can expect others to be fair with us. We get the faith, strength, and courage to do this because of our trust in our Higher Power.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, I put my life in Your care. Use me to spread Your love to others.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll spread friendliness. I will greet people with a smile.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You are tenacious in love and loyal in every variety of relationship. If you give your word, you will follow through and keep your promise. Ironically, the tables are turned today while you are the object of someone else’s allegiance. Don’t waste time questioning the motives of others; just accept their sincerity at face value and lean on them for support as needed. Sometimes it really does take a village. Walt Disney said, “Whatever we accomplish belongs to our entire group, a tribute to our combined effort.”

Daily Recovery Readings
April 6, 2018

Daily Reflection

A LIFETIME PROCESS

We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn’t control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn’t make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, we couldn’t seem to be of real help to other people. . . .

— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 52

These words remind me that I have more problems than alcohol, that alcohol is only a symptom of a more pervasive disease. When I stopped drinking I began a lifetime process of recovery from unruly emotions, painful relationships, and unmanageable situations. This process is too much for most of us without help from a Higher Power and our friends in the Fellowship. When I began working the Steps of the A.A. program, many of these tangled threads unraveled but, little by little, the most broken places of my life straightened out. One day at a time, almost imperceptibly, I healed. Like a thermostat being turned down, my fears diminished. I began to experience moments of contentment. My emotions became less volatile. I am now once again a part of the human family.

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

Big Book Quote

“…with us, to drink is to die.”

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

Keep It Simple

To know the road ahead, ask those coming back. —Chinese proverb

We’re going down a new-road—in our recovery and in our lives. We don’t know the road. We only know we’re on the right one, because our Higher Power led us here. We ask for help from those who already know the road. We ask our sponsor, “How far is it until I get done feeling guilty?”

“How far to self-love?” “How bumpy is the road when I’m at Step Four?” We need people who have been in the program. They tell us where to slow down because this part of the trip is beautiful.

Someday, maybe today, we too will be called on to guide others.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, You’ve put me on this road. You’ve also put others on this road. Let them be my guide. Let my guides become my friends.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll find someone who has been in the program two or more years longer than me. I’ll ask that person what the road ahead is like.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You could misread someone’s energy by thinking they are encouraging you to take a risk today. However, you eventually realize that the opposite is true. You’re the one that wants to break free of your regular routine, and innocently assume that everyone will support you in your endeavor. Recognizing the truth may be a rude awakening that forces you to reconsider your earlier plans. Ralph Nader wrote, “Your best teacher is your last mistake.”

Daily Recovery Readings
April 5, 2018

Daily Reflection

TRUE BROTHERHOOD

We have not once sought to be one in a family, to be a friend among friends, to be a worker among workers, to be a useful member of society. Always we tried to struggle to the top of the heap, or to hide underneath it. This self-centered behavior blocked a partnership relation with any one of those about us. Of true brotherhood we had small comprehension.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 53

This message contained in Step Four was the first one I heard loud and clear; I hadn’t seen myself in print before! Prior to my coming into A.A., I knew of no place that could teach me how to become a person among persons. From my very first meeting, I saw people doing just that and I wanted what they had. One of the reasons that I’m a happy, sober alcoholic today is that I’m learning this most important lesson.

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

Big Book Quote

“When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 64~

Keep It Simple

Go outside, to the fields, enjoy nature and the sunshine, go out and try to recapture happiness in yourself and in God.—Anne Frank

Many of us look at the joy and beauty of the program with caution. It was different from our addictive joy. Was it to be trusted? When we started working the Steps, we found inner joy and beauty. As we let go and gave in to the program, we found more happiness. We found joy in ourselves, our friends, our Higher Power, and those around us. Our self-pity changed to self-respect. We were truly out in the sunshine. We were no longer lost in misery. We know how to walk through misery to find joy.

Prayer for the Day: May I become better friends with myself. Higher Power, let me see the world through Your innocent, yet wise and loving eyes

Action for the Day: Today I’ll work to make my life and the lives of others more joyful. I’ll greet myself and others with much joy.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You might have to explain your behavior to someone who appears to be resisting your efforts today. Unfortunately, they seem unable to comprehend your intentions no matter how many times you cover the same material. Your observations and conclusions are so straightforward that you may think others are just playing dumb because they don’t want to understand your position. Although people can use words to maintain a state of denial, the result of your actions cannot be dismissed as easily. Claim your power and stand your ground.

Daily Recovery Readings
April 4, 2018

Daily Reflection

CRYING FOR THE MOON

“This very real feeling of inferiority is magnified by his childish sensitivity and it is this state of affairs which generates in him that insatiable, abnormal craving for self-approval and success in the eyes of the world. Still a child, he cries for the moon. And the moon, it seems, won’t have him!”

— THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 102

While drinking I seemed to vacillate between feeling totally invisible and believing I was the center of the universe. Searching for that elusive balance between the two has become a major part of my recovery. The moon I constantly cried for is, in sobriety, rarely full; it shows me instead its many other phases, and there are lessons in them all. True learning has often followed an eclipse, a time of darkness, but with each cycle of my recovery, the light grows stronger and my vision is clearer.

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

Big Book Quote

“If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, Page 83~

Keep It Simple

Pray without resentment in your heart. —The Little Red Book

Resentment is anger that we don’t want to turn over to our Higher Power.

Sometimes we want to keep our anger. Maybe we want to “get even.” it’s hard to be spiritual and full of anger at the same time. When we hold on to anger, it turns into self-will. We get angry from time to time. This is normal. But we now have a program to help us let go of anger. We also know that stored-up anger can drive us back to alcohol and other drugs. Instead of trying to “get even,” let’s work at keeping anger out of our hearts.

Prayer for the Day:
I pray without anger in my heart. Higher Power, I give You my anger. Have me work for justice, instead of acting like a judge.

Action For the Day:
I’ll list any resentments I now have. I’ll talk about them at my next meeting. This is the best way to turn resentments over to my Higher Power.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You may resist the urge to push through your fears, but confrontation doesn’t need to be a negative experience. If someone gives you a headache now, you can either accept the pain or remove the source of it. However, it’s often not as simple as just walking away because the discomfort might follow you. Luckily, messenger Mercury gives you a friendly cosmic nudge today, and suddenly starting a difficult conversation is easier than you think. Meryl Streep said, “Put blinders on to those things that conspire to hold you back, especially the ones in your own head.”

Daily Recovery Readings
April 3, 2018

Daily Reflection

ACCEPTING OUR HUMANNESS

We finally saw that the inventory should be ours, not the other man’s. So we admitted our wrongs honestly and became willing to set these matters straight.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 222

Why is it that the alcoholic is so unwilling to accept responsibility? I used to drink because of the things that other people did to me. Once I came to A.A. I was told to look at where I had been wrong. What did I have to do with all these different matters? When I simply accepted that I had a part in them, I was able to put it on paper and see it for what it was – humanness. I am not expected to be perfect! I have made errors before and I will make them again. To be honest about them
allows me to accept them – and myself – and those with whom I had the differences; from there, recovery is just a short distance ahead.

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

Big Book Quote

“We feel we are on the Broad Highway, walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, Page 75~

Keep It Simple

Rest is the guardian of health.—Melba Colgrave

Now that we are sober, we’re feeling better than we have in years. We’re busy too. We attend meetings and visit friends. We have work, school, families, and homes to keep up with.

It’s easy to forget to rest. We forgot that our bodies and minds need time off. We need plenty of sleep each night. And we need a lazy weekend now and than to let our bodies recover from to go,
go, go of daily life.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me listen to my body. Remind me to slow down and rest now and then.

Action for the Day:
How much have I rested lately? Have I gotten enough sleep each night? What can I do in the next two days to rest my body, mind, and spirit?

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Your confidence is a mixed blessing today, because it can easily lead you into trouble if you’re unclear about your intentions. However, it might feel as if reality is testing your resolve every step you take. At first, you’re eager to demonstrate your competence by overcoming each hurdle as it appears in your path. But after jumping over a few, you begin to wonder if there is an easier method. Nevertheless, you can’t change horses midstream. Obstacles are put in your way to see if what you want is really worth fighting for now.

Daily Recovery Readings
April 2, 2018

Daily Reflection

CHARACTER BUILDING

Demands made upon other people for too much attention, protection, and love can only invite domination or revulsion. . . .

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 44

When I uncovered my need for approval in the Fourth Step, I didn’t think it should rank as a character defect. I wanted to think of it more as an asset (that is, the desire to please people). It was quickly pointed out to me that this “need” can be very crippling. Today I still enjoy getting the approval of others, but I am not willing to pay the price I used to pay to get it. I will not bend myself into a pretzel to get others to like me. If I get your approval, that’s fine; but if I don’t, I will survive without it. I am responsible for speaking what I perceive to be the truth, not what I think others may want to hear.

Similarly, my false pride always kept me overly concerned about my reputation. Since being enlightened in the A.A. program, my aim is to improve my character.

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

Big Book Quote

“We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, Page 46~

Keep It Simple

To know all things is not permitted.— Horace

In recovery, we give up trying to be perfect. We give up trying to know
everything. We work at coming to know and accept our short-comings. In
Step Four and Five, we look at our good points and our bad points. In Step
Six, we become ready to have our Higher Power remove our “defects of
character.” Then in Step Seven we ask our Higher Power to remove our
“shortcomings.”

Recovery is about coming to accept that we’re not prefect. We admit that
trying to be perfect got in the way of being useful to ourselves, our
Higher Power, and those around us. Pretending to be prefect doesn’t allow
us to be real. It’s also boring and no fun—you never get to mess up.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, You will let me know what I need to know. Allow me to claim my mistakes and shortcomings.

Action for the Day:
I will work at being okay today. Not prefect, just okay.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

A close friend or associate may be a thorn in your side today, openly blocking your progress. Although you might push harder, you could avoid confrontation by pulling back into your shell. But a logistical retreat isn’t effective in the long run because you will likely face the same resistance tomorrow and in the weeks ahead if you choose to circumvent the real problem. Christopher Parker wrote, “Procrastination is like a credit card: It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.”

Daily Recovery Readings
April 1, 2018

Daily Reflection

LOOKING WITHIN

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 42

Step Four is the vigorous and painstaking effort to discover what the liabilities in each of us have been, and are. I want to find exactly how, when, and where my natural desires have warped me. I wish to look squarely at the unhappiness this has caused others and myself. By discovering what my emotional deformities are, I can move toward their correction. Without a willing and persistent effort to do this, there can be little sobriety or contentment for me.

To resolve ambivalent feelings, I need to feel a strong and helpful sense of myself. Such an awareness doesn’t happen overnight, and no one’s selfawareness is permanent. Everyone has the capacity for growth, and for self-awareness, through an honest encounter with reality. When I don’t avoid issues but meet them directly, always trying to re-solve them, they become fewer and fewer.

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

Big Book Quote

“How dark it is before the dawn! In reality that was the beginning of my last debauch. I was soon to be catapulted into what I like to call the fourth dimension of existence. I was to know happiness, peace, and usefulness, in a way of life that is incredibly more wonderful as time passes.”

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill’s Story, pg. 8

Keep It Simple

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.  — Step Four of Alcoholics Anonymous.

We avoid the Fourth Step. We put it off. We’re scared of what we will find inside of us. We may find out we’re mean, angry, selfish, afraid. We might see how badly we’ve acted to others, to ourselves. We have all these things inside us. We also have love, trust, faith, and hope. We love art, music, nature, or sports. We have power to heal, and we have used it too. The Fourth Step helps us to know our inner power. As we learn about our own power, we can use it carefully, on purpose, to do good.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me use my power to do Your will. Let your power work through me too.

Action for the Day:
Today Ill watch my own actions and words. I’ll see how my power affects others. I’ll talk about this with my sponsor.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Although rest and relaxation with loved ones may be high on your list of priorities today, your mind is preoccupied with larger issues. Instead of remaining in the present moment, your thoughts are on your future as you reconsider your current career path. There’s no need to finalize any decisions now. Explore every option you can possibly visualize in the safety of your imagination. Give yourself a couple of weeks to deepen this process of reevaluation before putting a new plan into motion. Doe Zantamata wrote, “Your intuition is the most honest friend you will ever have.”