Daily Recovery Readings for December 3, 2017:

Daily Reflection

IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

. . . we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 106

I find that carrying the message of recovery to other alcoholics is easy because it helps me to stay sober and it provides me with a sense of well-being about my own recovery. The hard part is practicing these principles in all my affairs. It is important that I share the benefits I receive from A.A., especially at home. Doesn’t my family deserve the same patience, tolerance and understanding I so readily give to the alcoholic? When reviewing my day I try to ask, “Did I have a chance to be a friend today and miss it?” “Did I have a chance to rise above a nasty situation and avoid it?” “Did I have a chance to say ‘I’m sorry,’ and refuse to?”

Just as I ask God for help with my alcoholism each day, I ask for help in extending my recovery to include all situations and all people!

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

Big Book Quote

“…the main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind, rather than in his body.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, Page 23~

Keep It Simple

And to practice these principles in all our affairs. – Third part of Step Twelve.

This is a statement about us. We are now people of values. These values reflect our spiritual growth. We know how to help others. We know how to admit our wrongs.

We know how to look at ourselves and change our defects. We know how to live an honest life.

Step Twelve tells us. “Go use these tools for better living. Go be all you can be. Enjoy life and live a life you can be proud of.” Step Twelve also tells us about how to have loving relationships. By the time we complete Step Twelve, we make or regain many relationships. The most important one is with our Higher Power. As we grow in the program, we realize all our relationships are spiritual gifts.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, I now have one face instead of many masks. Help me be a person who will stand before You with pride, not shame.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll talk with a friend and talk about my new values. I will talk about how much my life has changed.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Daydreams about slipping out of your current situation and into a new life can hijack your day. Although the restless Gemini Full Moon rattles your 12th House of Escapism, your delusions of morphing into a superhero are not connected with reality. Nevertheless, metamorphosis is unavoidable, and today’s fantasies play a significant role in determining your future. However, change takes time and if you expect to accomplish your goals right away, your frustration could impede your progress. If you become discouraged, remember that transformation is a process, not an event.

Daily Recovery Readings for December 2, 2017:

Daily Reflection

SERENITY

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, . . .

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 106

As I continued to go to meetings and work the Steps, something began to happen to me. I felt confused because I wasn’t sure what it was that I was feeling, and then I realized I was experiencing serenity. It was a good feeling, but where had it come from? Then I realized it had come “. . .as the result of these steps.” The program may not always be easy to practice, but I had to acknowledge that my serenity had come to me after working the Steps. As I work the Steps in everything I do, practicing these principles in all my affairs, now I find that I am awake to God, to others, and to myself. The spiritual awakening I have enjoyed as the result of working the Steps is the awareness that I am no longer alone.

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

Big Book Quote

” When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God. Our ideas did not work. But the God idea did.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, Page 52~

Keep It Simple

…we tried to carry this message to alcoholics…–Second part of Step 12.

In this part of Step 12, we carry the message of hope. But it’s not up to us if anyone accepts the message or not. This keeps us from playing God. We just gently deliver the message. We don’t force the program down people’s throats. In general, Step Twelve tells us, “Be helpful to those we can help.” When a neighbor is sick, mow her lawn. When a friend is in the hospital, visit him. Step Twelve reminds us that we make a difference. We have hope to give the world. And hope is what we stand for to the addict who still suffers. Hope is what we stand for to the addict’s family. How beautiful to stand for hope! Remember when our lives stood for despair?? What a change!

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me shine brightly as a symbol of Your hope.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll help someone in need. It may be an alcoholic or other drug addict, or just someone in need. I’ll help make the world a better place.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You may be facing a list of chores a mile long today but you’re confident you will be able to finish them all. However, your progress might slow down throughout the day, until you start to wonder if you’re making any headway at all. But you don’t really have the time to map out all the scheduling options, analyze the data, and develop a creative strategy to complete everything in a timely manner. The most important thing you can do now is to remain open to life as an adventure, wherever it takes you. Zig Ziglar wrote, “Doing your best is more important than being your best.”

Daily Recovery Readings for December 1, 2017:

Daily Reflection

“SUGGESTED” STEPS

Our Twelfth Step also says that as a result of practicing all the Steps, we have each found something called a spiritual awakening. . . . A.A.’s manner of making ready to receive this gift lies in the practice of the Twelve Steps in our program.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 106-07

I remember my sponsor’s answer when I told him that the Steps were “suggested.” He replied that they are “suggested” in the same way that, if you were to jump out of an airplane with a parachute, it is “suggested” that you pull the ripcord to save your life. He pointed out that it was “suggested” I practice the Twelve Steps, if I wanted to save my life. So I try to remember daily that I have a whole program of recovery based on all Twelve of the “suggested” Steps.

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

Big Book Quote

“There is action and more action. ‘Faith without works is dead.’”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 88~

Keep It Simple

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps—First part of Step Twelve.

We are awake! Our spirits are alive. We are part of the world. Our addiction no longer clouds our vision. How? Step

Twelve answers this.

The beauty of Step Twelve is that if we feel our spirits starting to go dead, we know how to awaken them. It’s simple. Turn to the Steps. After all, working the Steps has awakened our spirits. The hope and serenity we feel are gifts given to us through the Steps of our program. And the more we turn to the Steps for help, the more life we’ll feel. The Steps are what feed and heal our souls.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, thank you for the Steps. If I start to believe it is I who keeps me sober, remind me of my life before the Twelve Steps.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll read the Twelve Steps. I’ll think of how each Step helped awaken my spirit.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You can’t help but worry about the future, especially when unexpected events at work make you unsure of your ability to cope with change. Although there may be many variables up in the air today, you can amaze yourself with your own resilience while the unflappable Taurus Moon is stabilizing your 11th House of Long-Term Goals. Instead of letting the uncertainty pull you off center, put it to good use by expressing your dreams through a creative project. Your passion for your art will make a profound statement to others who are still trying to figure out what to do next. Ram Dass wrote, “Be here now.”

Daily Recovery Readings for November 30, 2017:

Daily Reflection

PROTECTION FOR ALL

At the personal level, anonymity provides protection for all members from identification as alcoholics, a safeguard often of special importance to newcomers. At the level of press, radio, TV, and films, anonymity stresses the equality in the Fellowship of all members by putting the brake on those who might otherwise exploit their A.A. affiliation to achieve recognition, power, or personal gain.

— “UNDERSTANDING ANONYMITY,” p. 5

Attraction is the main force in the Fellowship of A.A. The miracle of continuous sobriety of alcoholics within A.A. confirms this fact every day. It would be harmful if the Fellowship promoted itself by publicizing, through the media of radio and TV, the sobriety of well-known public personalities who became members of A.A. If these personalities happened to have slips, outsiders would think our movement is not strong and they might question the veracity of the miracle of the century. Alcoholics Anonymous is not anonymous, but its members should be.

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

Big Book Quote

A body badly burned by alcohol does not often recover overnight nor do twisted thinking and depression vanish in a twinkling. We are convinced that a spiritual mode of living is a most powerful health restorative.

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, Page 133~

Keep It Simple

The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.-–Bernard Malamud

Sobriety is freedom. With this freedom, we have a responsibility to help other addicts who still suffer. The program tells us this in Step Twelve. We do this by telling our stories and offering hope.
We must be ready to care, to give ourselves. This is what spirituality is about. When we help others, we prepare the road for those who enter the program after us.

Tradition Five of the Twelve Traditions says, “Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.” It means we get better by helping others.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me create more freedom. Bring me to where I’m needed. Help me carry the message well.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll think of ways I can help the addict who still suffers. Then I’ll chose one way I can be of help. I’ll talk with my sponsor about it, and I’ll follow through with my plan.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

When circumstances seem to grow out of control, your tendency is to retreat in order to protect your sense of security. However, once you see the handwriting on the wall, you can quickly shift gears and become proactive to maximize your position. Running into external resistance now is not the problem; the cosmos is encouraging you to step up to the plate and be the creative agent of change in your life that you dream about. Hafiz wrote, “An awake heart is like a sky that pours light.”

Daily Recovery Readings for November 29, 2017:

Daily Reflection

ACTIVE GUARDIANS

To us, however, it represents far more than a sound public relations policy. It is more than a denial of self-seeking. This Tradition is a constant and practical reminder that personal ambition has no place in A.A. In it, each member becomes an active guardian of our Fellowship.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 183

The basic concept of humility is expressed in the Eleventh Tradition: it allows me to participate completely in the program in such a simple, yet profound, manner; it fulfills my need to be an integral part of a significant whole. Humility brings me closer to the actual spirit of togetherness and oneness, without which I could not stay sober. In remembering that every member is an example of sobriety, each one living the Eleventh Tradition, I am able to experience freedom because each one of us is anonymous.

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

Big Book Quote

To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book.

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Foreword To First Edition, pg. xiii~

Keep It Simple

One is happy as the result of one’s own efforts.-— George Sand

Happiness is not an accident. It comes from following the spiritual voice found in each of us.

This isn’t always easy. Sometimes, the voice tells us to do things we’re afraid of. For Example, if we’re lonely and the voice tells us to call someone on our phone list, we may make excuses to not do it. Again, the voice may say, “Just make the call. It will be okay.” If we follow the voice, we will find happiness. The spiritual voice inside us speaks of care and love. It will never tell us to hurt others or ourselves. It’s our Higher Power’s voice . It’s what Step Eleven calls “conscious contact.” If we follow this guiding voice, it will lead us to happiness.

Prayer for the Day:
I pray that I’ll come to know my Higher Power by listening to the spiritual voice in me.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll meditate and listen to my higher power gentle voice within.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

It doesn’t necessarily feel comfortable, but you’re ready to step outside of your emotional safety zone today in order to get what you want. You might think that your willingness to put your feelings on the line will immediately bring you the respect and rewards you seek. But it appears as if an adversary is present every step of your way. Fortunately, the situation is not as dire as it seems and your concern only makes matters worse. Continue on your path, undeterred by the judgment of others. Confidence is contagious.

Daily Recovery Readings for November 28, 2017:

Daily Reflection

ATTRACTION, NOT PROMOTION

Through many painful experiences, we think we have arrived at what that policy ought to be. It is the opposite in many ways of usual promotional practice. We found that we had to rely upon the principle of attraction rather than of promotion.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 180-81

While I was drinking I reacted with anger, self-pity and defiance against anyone who wanted to change me. All I wanted then was to be accepted by another human simply as I was and, curiously, that is what I found in A.A. I became the custodian of this concept of attraction, which is the principle of our Fellowship’s public relations. It is by attraction that I can best reach the alcoholic who still suffers.

I thank God for having given me the attraction of a well-planned and established program of Steps and Traditions. Through humility and the support of my fellow sober members, I have been able to practice the A.A. way of life through attraction, not promotion.

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

Big Book Quote

We avoid retaliation or argument. We wouldn’t treat sick people that way. If we do, we destroy our chance of being helpful.

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 67~

Keep It Simple

The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.—Bernard Malamud

Sobriety is freedom. With this freedom, we have a responsibility to help other addicts who still suffer. The program tells us this in Step Twelve. We do this by telling our stories and offering hope.

We must be ready to care, to give ourselves. This is what spirituality is about. When we help others, we prepare the road for those who enter the program after us.

Tradition Five of the Twelve Traditions says, “Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.” It means we get better by helping others.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me create more freedom. Bring me to where I’m needed. Help me carry the message well.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll think of ways I can help the addict who still suffers. Then I’ll chose one way I can be of help. I’ll talk with my sponsor about it, and I’ll follow through with my plan.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Your emotional connection with the past is highlighted by a minor crisis today. You may be called out because your production is running behind, or you could run into a roadblock that reveals a problem with your current schedule. You can’t afford to let bad news send you into a tailspin now. In fact, this snafu could be the best thing that ever happened if it compels you to improve your habits and polish your work. Better an oops than a what if.

Daily Recovery Readings for November 27, 2017:

Daily Reflection

THE PERILS OF THE LIMELIGHT

In the beginning, the press could not understand ourrefusal of all personal publicity. They were genuinely baffled by our insistence upon anonymity. Then they got the point. Here was something rare in the world — a society which said it wished to publicize its principles and its work, but not its individual members. The press was delighted with this attitude. Ever since, these friends have reported A.A. with an enthusiasm which the most ardent members would find hard to match.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 182

It is essential for my personal survival and that of the Fellowship that I not use A.A. to put myself in the limelight. Anonymity is a way for me to work on my humility. Since pride is one of my most dangerous shortcomings, practicing humility is one of the best ways to overcome it. The Fellowship of A.A. gains worldwide recognition by its various methods of publicizing its principles and its work, not by its individual members advertising themselves. The attraction created by my changing attitudes and my altruism contributes much more to the welfare of A.A. than self-promotion.

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

Big Book Quote

..we have ceased fighting anything or anyone— even alcohol.

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84~

Keep It Simple

Life is not lost by dying; life is lost by minute, day by day, in all the thousands, small, uncaring ways.— Stephen V. Benet

Our Twelve Step program promises us a new way of life. But most of us won’t just wake up one day with a new attitude. We only gain this new way of life if we get involved.

The Twelve Step are tools to build a new life. The more we use a tool, the easier it is to use. The same goes for the Twelve Steps, just as carpenters depend on their tools. If we only wait for the new way of life, it’ll never come. The quicker we get involved, the quicker we’ll get fixed.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me get involved. Help me build a new way of life.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll look for ways to use the Twelve Steps. If I have a problem, I’ll first stop and think of how the Twelve Steps can help me solve it.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You may surprise everyone by breaking out of your mold at work but it doesn’t matter what issue you use to catalyze the change. What is important now is that you stand tall in your convictions without being swayed by people with an agenda that differs from yours. There’s no reason to keep track of who supports you and who does not. The only thing that matters in the long run is how you feel. Align your words and actions with your heart for the best results.

Daily Recovery Readings for November 26, 2017:

Daily Reflection

THE HAZARDS OF PUBLICITY

People who symbolize causes and ideas fill a deep human need. We of A.A. do not question that. But we do have to soberly face the fact that being in the public eye is hazardous, especially for us.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 181

As a recovered alcoholic I must make an effort to put into practice the principles of the A.A. program, which are founded on honesty, truth and humility. While I was drinking I was constantly trying to be in the limelight. Now that I am conscious of my mistakes and of my former lack of integrity, it would not be honest to seek prestige, even for the justifiable purpose of promoting the A.A. message of recovery. Is the publicity that centers around the A.A. Fellowship and the miracles it produces not worth much more? Why not let the people around us appreciate by themselves the changes that A.A. has brought in us, for that will be a far better recommendation for the Fellowship than any I could make.

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

Big Book Quote

Though we work out our solution on the spiritual as well as an altruistic plane, we favor hospitalization for the alcoholic who is very jittery or befogged. More often than not, it is imperative that a man’s brain be cleared before he is approached, as he has then a better chance of understanding and accepting what we have to offer.

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Doctor’s Opinion, pg. xxvi~

Keep It Simple

Love is the reward of love.—Johann von Schiller

When we used alcohol and other drugs, we shared little as possible. There was little love in our hearts.
We had become selfish. This caused us to be lonely.

Then something happened to change all of that. Remember the first time you walked into a meeting? You were met by people who shared. Maybe they shared a smile, their story, or just a cup of coffee with you. The sharing that goes on in a Twelve Step program is great. We learn that the more we give, the more we get. We get well by giving to others. Helping others is a great way to hold on to sobriety. Love is the reward of love.

Prayer for the Day:
I pray that I will be there when others need me. I pray that service will become a big part of my program.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll think of friends who could use my help. I’ll talk to them and offer to be there for them.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You are in danger of letting your compassion spin out of control today. It’s one thing to empathize with someone who is in pain, but don’t allow their suffering to overwhelm your heart. You can do the most good by carefully managing your boundaries now. Maintaining a clear sense of self is necessary for your wellbeing or you could drown in the process of healing others. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Relax and put your needs first for a change.

Daily Recovery Readings for November 25, 2017:

Daily Reflection

A POWERFUL TRADITION

In the years before the publication of the book, “Alcoholics Anonymous,” we had no name. . . . By a narrow majority the verdict was for naming our book “The Way Out.” . . . One of our early lone members . . . found exactly twelve books already titled “The Way Out.”. . . So “Alcoholics Anonymous” became first choice. That’s how we got a name for our book of experience, a name for our movement and, as we are now beginning to see, a tradition of the greatest spiritual import.

— “A.A. TRADITION: HOW IT DEVELOPED,” pp. 35-36

Beginning with Bill’s momentous decision in Akron to make a telephone call rather than a visit to the hotel bar, how often has a Higher Power made itself felt at crucial moments in our history! The eventual importance that the principle of anonymity would acquire was but dimly perceived, if at all, in those early days. There seems to have been an element of chance even in the choice of a name for our Fellowship.

God is no stranger to anonymity and often appears in human affairs in the guises of “luck,” “chance,” or “coincidence.” If anonymity, somewhat fortuitously, became the spiritual basis for all of our Traditions, perhaps God was acting anonymously on our behalf.

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

Big Book Quote

At a certain point in the drinking of every alcoholic, he passes into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of absolutely no avail. This tragic situation has already arrived in practically every case long before it is suspected.

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 24~

Keep It Simple

Love is the reward of love.-–Johann von Schiller

When we used alcohol and other drugs, we shared little as possible. There was little love in our hearts. We had become selfish. This caused us to be lonely.

Then something happened to change all of that. Remember the first time you walked into a meeting? You were met by people who shared. Maybe they shared a smile, their story, or just a cup of coffee with you. The sharing that goes on in a Twelve Step program is great. We learn that the more we give, the more we get. We get well by giving to others. Helping others is a great way to hold on to sobriety. Love is the reward of love.

Prayer for the Day:
I pray that I will be there when others need me. I pray that service will become a big part of my program.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll think of friends who could use my help. I’ll talk to them and offer to be there for them.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You believe your logic is sound today, but you can’t be sure because you feel totally out of your element. Naturally, you prefer to lean on the facts, but there are missing parts of the story and you can’t make the larger pieces all fit into place now. Thankfully, you possess enough confidence to trust that everything will make sense over time — and it will. In the meantime, enjoy the unsolved puzzle without trying to force resolution. Lao Tzu wrote, “Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy.”

Daily Recovery Readings for November 24, 2017:

Daily Reflection

A UNIVERSAL SEARCH

Be quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer.

~ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87

I do not claim to have all the answers in spiritual matters, any more than I claim to have all the answers about alcoholism. There are others who are also engaged in a spiritual search. If I keep an open mind about what others have to say, I have much to gain. My sobriety is greatly enriched, and my practice of the Eleventh Step more fruitful, when I use both the literature and practices of my Judeo-Christian tradition, and the resources of other religions. Thus, I receive support from many sources in staying away from the first drink.

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

Big Book Quote

Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going to believe they are in that class. By every form of self-deception and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to the rule, therefore nonalcoholic. If anyone who is showing inability to control his drinking can do the right-about-face and drink like a gentleman, our hats are off to him. Heaven knows, we have tried hard enough and long enough to drink like other people!

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 31~

Keep It Simple

Freedom is not enough.—Lyndon B. Johnson

We are free of alcohol and other drugs. We’ve been given a second chance or third chance.

For that, we thank our Higher Power. We’ve started a new life. But to keep this life, we need to change. We need new friends. We need to let a Higher Power guide our hearts, minds, and bodies. We need new friends. We need to let a Higher Power guide our hearts, and bodies. We need to learn new values and how to stand up for them. We need to learn how to give and receive.

Freedom from dependence is not enough. We also want to be happy, and to do something with our lives. So each day we keep learning, we keep growing. Each day without alcohol or other drugs is a gift, a gift from God.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, You set me free. Now teach me to stay free. Guide me, for keeping my freedom is a big task

Action for the Day:
I will meditate on my freedom. I will take time to list all the ways I am now free.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You’re raring to get outside so you can stretch your legs and breathe some fresh air. The exuberant Sagittarius Sun’s presence in your 6th House of Health encourages you to include more outdoor activities in your daily routine. However, someone close to you may have an alternative plan that doesn’t jive with yours. Although you like the idea of sharing the experience, don’t let anyone else’s agenda spoil yours. Take your much-needed walk by yourself and reconnect afterward to enjoy each other’s company. Your happiness begins with you.