Daily Recovery Readings
January 29, 2017

Daily Reflection

THE JOY OF SHARING

Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends—this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.
— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 89

To know that each newcomer with whom I share has the opportunity to experience the relief that I have found in this Fellowship fills me with joy and gratitude. I feel that all the things described in A.A. will come to pass for them, as they have for me, if they seize the opportunity and embrace the program fully.

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

Big Book Quote

“More than most people, the alcoholic leads a double life. He is very much the actor. To the outer world he presents his stage character. This is the one he likes his fellows to see. He wants to enjoy a certain reputation, but knows in his heart he doesn’t deserve it.”
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 73~

Keep It Simple

An alcoholic spends his life committing suicide on the installment plan.–Laurence Peter

None of us woke up one morning and found we had suddenly turned into an addict. We got to be one by practice. And we practiced often. We ignored our families–we left work early–and went drinking and drugging. Daily, we chose chemicals over anything else. Likewise, getting sober is no accident. We work the program. At meetings, we’re reminded to help others. We all get sober on the installment plan. A day at a time. We got sick one day at a time; we recover one day at a time.

Prayer for the Day:
Today, with my Higher Power’s help, I’ll be happier, more honest, more sober. Sobriety is like a good savings account. Higher Power, help me to put in more than I take out.

Action for the Day:
I’ll go over my Step One to remind myself it’s no accident I’m an addict.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

The curtain is pulled back today, uncovering a cold harsh truth about a close relationship. Everyone has secrets they feel they must hide from even their most intimate companions. Nevertheless, if you’ve been keeping too much sealed away for fear of rejection, it will likely be reflected by someone near and dear to you now. Reality can be hard to face and you may wish that you could pretend that you imagined the whole thing. However, it’s time to engage in heavy conversations even if you feel like running away. Fear only has the power you give it.

Daily Recovery Readings
January 28, 2017

Daily Reflection

THE TREASURE OF THE PAST

Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now. Cling to the thought that, in God’s hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have—the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them.
— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 124

What a gift it is for me to realize that all those seemingly useless years were not wasted. The most degrading and humiliating experiences turn out to be the most powerful tools in helping others to recover. In knowing the depths of shame and despair, I can reach out with a loving and compassionate hand, and know that the grace of God is available to me.

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

Big Book Quote

3rd Step Prayer:

“God, I offer myself to Thee— to build with me and to do with
me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better
do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may
bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy
Way of life. May I do Thy will always!”
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 63~
Keep It Simple

We’re part of the fellowship we call “the program.” Let’s also remember that we’re part of a larger fellowship called ” the human race.” We all hurt the same. We all love the same. We all need understanding and care. Yet, in other ways, we are not all the same. Let’s remember to understand differences among people. If not, we’ll be afraid of anyone who’s not like us. And this isn’t God’s way.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me to love all people. Help me be open to others who are different from me. Help me love my neighbor.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Whether you’ve been wanting to start your own business or rise in the ranks at your current occupation, today brings a wave of ambition that is sure to propel you in the right direction. You’re emboldened by Mars’ move into enterprising Aries, emphasizing your 10th House of Career and igniting your desire to excel. Hesitation is replaced with tenacity as your conviction takes the driver’s seat. If you can dream it, you can do it.

Daily Recovery Readings
January 27, 2017

Daily Reflection

FREEDOM FROM GUILT

Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word “blame” from our speech and thought.
— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 47

When I become willing to accept my own powerlessness, I begin to realize that blaming myself for all the trouble in my life can be an ego trip back into hopelessness. Asking for help and listening deeply to the messages inherent in the Steps and Traditions of the program make it possible to change those attitudes which delay my recovery. Before joining A.A., I had such a desire for approval from people in powerful positions that I was willing to sacrifice myself, and others, to gain a foothold in the world. I invariably came to grief. In the program I find true friends who love, understand, and care to help me learn the truth about myself. With the help of the Twelve Steps, I am able to build a better life, free of guilt and the need for self-justification.

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

Big Book Quote

“We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth
dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed.”
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 25~

Keep It Simple

They is no they, only us .–Bumper sticker

For most of us, addiction was full of doubt. We stopped believing in ourselves. Our thoughts had turned to “stinking thinking.” We didn’t believe in much of anything. We didn’t take risk. We always looked for the easier, softer way. In recovery, we start to believe again. We believe in the program. We believe in a Higher Power. We believe in people. And, over time, we believe in ourselves again. We become better at taking risk. We are able to stay sober because we we take risk. As we stay sober, we can face almost anything—with the help of others.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, I have learned to believe in You. Help me believe in myself. I have something to give to this world. Help me give it freely.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

A dissonant chord is struck between your head and your heart today, and you’re not sure how to make your next move. It often seems like the closer you hold something the safer it is, or the better you can make sense of it. However, the dispassionate Aquarius New Moon occurring in your 8th House of Transformation invites you to step back from what you cling to so tightly to gain a more unbiased perspective. While this detachment could seem harsh at first, it’s really just providing you with space to breathe. Objectivity is your friend.

Daily Recovery Readings
January 25, 2017

Daily Reflection

WHAT WE NEED-EACH OTHER

. . . A.A. is really saying to every serious drinker, “You are an A.A. member if you say so . . . nobody can keep you out.”
— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 139

For years, whenever I reflected on Tradition Three (“The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking”), I thought it valuable only to newcomers. It was their guarantee that no one could bar them from A.A. Today I feel enduring gratitude for the spiritual development the Tradition has brought me. I don’t seek out people obviously different from myself. Tradition Three, concentrating on the one way I am similar to others, brought me to know and help every kind of alcoholic, just as they have helped me. Charlotte, the atheist, showed me higher standards of ethics and honor; Clay, of another race, taught me patience; Winslow, who is gay, led me by example into true compassion; Young Megan says that seeing me at meetings, sober thirty years, keeps her coming back. Tradition Three insured that we would get what we need — each other.

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

Big Book Quote

“Resentment is the “number one” offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else.” 
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

Keep It Simple

The best way to find a helping hand is at the end of your arm.—-Swedish proverb
During our illness, we hurt others. We hurt ourselves. We messed up a lot.
So, a lot of us come to recovery not trusting ourselves very much. The truth is, as addicts, we couldn’t be trusted.

But in recovery, we can be trusted again. We can again live and love ourselves. We do this by finding our spiritual center. This is the place inside of us where our Higher Power lives. We turn our will and our lives over to this spiritual center. We do as our spiritual center tells us. And from our spiritual center, we’ll find our values. We’ll live better lives. We’ll come to trust ourselves again.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, thank-you for helping me believe in myself again. I’ll treat myself with love and kindness. I know You want me to.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll list four ways I couldn’t be trusted during my addiction. I’ll also list four ways I can now be trusted.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Your melancholy is hidden under the surface of the tough exterior shell you created to keep it inside. However, the people who know you best are likely to notice that something is bothering you anyway. You may be stuck remembering a time when your biggest dream fell flat, and it’s difficult to stop your heart from replaying the painful feelings of disappointment. However, with a little bit of conscious effort you can see this bygone experience in a new light. It is but one thread in a tapestry whose beauty is amplified by the contrast of light and dark.

Daily Recovery Readings
January 24, 2017

Daily Reflection

GETTING INVOLVED

There is action and more action. “Faith without works is dead.” . . . To be helpful is our only aim.
— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 88-89

I understand that service is a vital part of recovery but I often wonder, “What can I do?” Simply start with what I have today! I look around to see where there is a need. Are the ashtrays full? Do I have hands and feet to empty them? Suddenly I’m involved! The best speaker may make the worst coffee; the member who’s best with newcomers may be unable to read; the one willing to clean up may make a mess of the bank account—yet every one of these people and jobs is essential to an active group. The miracle of service is this: when I use what I have, I find there is more available to me than I realized before.

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

Few people can be happy unless they hate some other person, nation, or creed.
~Bertand Russell

In recovery learn to give up hate. We must stand for justice, not for hate. We must learn to respect people. They, in turn, will respect us in most cases. We begin to see how important it is to give up hate–if we want others to care for us. Hate is often our secret. Hate is found deep in our hearts and minds. It eats at our souls. It hurts our spiritual growth. Sometimes people are public about their hate. There are even dangerous groups based on hate. But, the most dangerous hate is the private and unspoken. Do I have public hates? Do I have secret hates?

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, search my hearts and show me any hates I have. Help me rid myself of them.

Action for the Day:
I’ll list any people, nations, to creeds I hate. I’ll pray to have this hate removed. I’ll pray for these people, nations, or creeds.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You might grow annoyed if you encounter a glitch in your day, especially if there’s someone or something you can blame. But even if the cause of your trouble is obvious, you’re likely to hold your anger close to your chest today. You may reason that nothing positive will come from an open conflict. Nevertheless, you’re not interested in just letting the matter pass. Instead of getting mad, you decide to get even. As Frank Sinatra said, “The best revenge is massive success.”

Daily Recovery Readings
January 22, 2017

Daily Reflection

HAVING FUN YET?

. . . we aren’t a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn’t want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life. We try not to indulge in cynicism over the state of the nations, nor do we carry the world’s troubles on our shoulders.
— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 132

When my own house is in order, I find the different parts of my life are more manageable. Stripped from the guilt and remorse that cloaked my drinking years, I am free to assume my proper role in the universe, but this condition requires maintenance. I should stop and ask myself, Am I having fun yet? If I find answering that question difficult or painful, perhaps I’m taking myself too seriously—and finding it difficult to admit that I’ve strayed from my practice of working the program to keep my house in order. I think the pain I experience is one way my Higher Power has to get my attention, coaxing me to take stock of my performance. The slight time and effort it takes to work the program—a spot-check inventory, for example, or the making of amends, whatever is appropriate — are well worth the effort.

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

Big Book Quote

“Those of us who have spent much time in the world of spiritual make-believe have eventually seen the childishness of it. This dream world has been replaced by a great sense of purpose, accompanied by a growing consciousness of the power of God in our lives. We have come to believe He would like us to keep our heads in the clouds with Him, but that our feet ought to be firmly planted on earth. That is where our fellow travelers are, and that is where our work must be done. These are the realities for us. We have found nothing incompatible between a powerful spiritual experience and a life of sane and happy usefulness.”
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 130~
Keep It Simple

Sex, like all else between human beings, is never prefect. — Theodore Isaac Rubin

Addiction made our sex lives a mess. Maybe we wanted prefect sex or we wanted no sex.
We were afraid. Maybe we wanted a high from sex we just couldn’t seem to get it. Some of us had lots of sex partners; some of us had none. What now?

We’re doing what we need to do by being in recovery. We’re getting to know ourselves. We’re living by our real values. We’re being honest with ourselves and others. We’re learning to love and care about others. It’s open, honest caring we express with our bodies. Thus, sex can be trusting and safe.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, I turn over my sex life and my will to You—Just for today. I know You want me to be happy.

Action for the Day:
What do I believe about sex? How does it match with what’s said in the third paragraph above?

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Your analysis of a current strategy may lead you through some tricky territory today. Your grasp of the big picture is quite sound, but you could run into trouble when you try to turn your conceptual framework into a concrete plan. Although the Sagittarius Moon enables you to see the world through a wide-angle lens, her visit to your 6th House of Details demands specifics. Rather than choosing one approach over the other now, keep going back and forth between the basic facts and your colorful imagination. Walking with one foot in each world allows you to produce creative and sustainable ideas.

Daily Recovery Readings
January 21, 2017

Daily Reflection

“LET’S KEEP IT SIMPLE”

A few hours later I took my leave of Dr. Bob. . . . The wonderful, old, broad smile was on his face as he said almost jokingly, “Remember, Bill, let’s not louse this thing up. Let’s keep it simple!” I turned away, unable to say a word. That was the last time I ever saw him.
— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS COMES OF AGE, p. 214

After years of sobriety I occasionally ask myself: “Can it be this simple?” Then, at meetings, I see former cynics and skeptics who have walked the A.A. path out of hell by packaging their lives, without alcohol, into twenty-four hour segments, during which they practice a few principles to the best of their individual abilities. And then I know again that, while it isn’t always easy, if I keep it simple, it works.

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

Big Book Quote

“In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don’t struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.”
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 86

Keep It Simple

Go often to the house of your friend: for weeds soon choke up the unused path.
—-Scandinavian proverb.

Our program has two parts: the Steps, and the fellowship. Both keep us sober. We can’t stay sober if we go it alone. We need to work the Steps. We also need people–the help of our friends daily

Recovery is about relationships. We get new friends. We get involved. We give. We get. In times of need, we may not want to ask our new friends for help. Maybe we don’t want to “burden them.”

“Maybe we’re afraid to ask for help.” Well, go ahead. Make that call. Ask your new friend to spend time with you. You deserve and need it. They deserve it; they need it.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me to get help from my friends as if my life depends on it.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll see or call two program friends and let them know how I’m doing.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

It’s self-empowering to believe that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to today. However, you might grow frustrated when everything takes longer than you planned. Thankfully, preventing problems in your schedule is much easier than it is to fix them after the fact. Allow extra time for each task now; managing your calendar wisely saves you from unnecessary headaches later in the day. Proactive measures produce the best results.