Daily Recovery Readings
July 5, 2017

Daily Reflection

A NEW DIRECTION

Our human resources, as marshaled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly. . . . Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all our activities.

— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 45, 85

I hear talk of the “weak-willed” alcoholic, but I am one of the strongest-willed people on earth! I now know that my incredible strength of will is not enough to save my life. My problem is not one of “weakness,” but rather of direction. When I, without falsely diminishing myself, accept my honest limitations and turn to God’s guidance, my worst faults become my greatest assets. My strong will, rightly directed, keeps me working until the promises of the program become my daily reality.

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

Big Book Quote

“It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual
condition.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85~

Keep It Simple

If at first, you don’t succeed, you’re running about average.—Ovid

Our program speaks of spiritual progress, not perfection. We can take all the time we need. Our bottom line is steady progress. We can ask ourselves, “Am I a little more spiritual than I was a year ago? A month ago?” If the answer is yes, we’re doing great. If the answer is no, we should look at why.

Our illness pushes us to be perfect. In recovery, we learn that we are free to be what we are—human. Even the world’s fastest runners are average in most other areas of their lives. This is okay. Remember, “spiritual progress, not perfection.”

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, I’ll not be ashamed of how average I am. I’ll remember I’m average—and that’s good.

Action for the Day:
I’ll list what is average about me. I’ll share this with a friend. Than I’ll ask my friend what is special about me.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You can tell there are big changes coming, even if everything seems copacetic today. It feels like a big storm is brewing and you’re not buying into the sunny weather forecast. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to stay calm as pockets of political and emotional turbulence approach. Fortunately, addressing your fears helps to alleviate your concerned anticipation. Engaging in a heart-to-heart conversation with a trusted friend softens your worries now and offers the support you need. Think globally; act locally.

Daily Recovery Readings
July 3, 2017

Daily Reflection

EXPERIENCE: THE BEST TEACHER

Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times.

— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87

Some say that experience is the best teacher, but I believe that experience is the only teacher. I have been able to learn of God’s love for me only by the experience of my dependence on that love. At first I could not be sure of His direction in my life, but now I see that if I am to be bold enough to ask for His guidance, I must act as if He has provided it. I frequently ask God to help me remember that He has a path for me.

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

Big Book Quote

“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.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 89~

Keep It Simple

We are only as sick as the secrets we keep.— Anonymous

It is dangerous for us to keep secrets. Shame builds, and we’ll want relief. We may turn to alcohol or other drugs. True relief comes by talking about our secrets, by sharing who we really are with others. Our program helps us live a life based on honesty. Our program helps us battle shame. We don’t keep secrets anymore. We start our meetings and share what we tried to keep secret before.

” Hi, my name is____________, and I’m am alcoholic.” ” Hi my name is_____________, and I’m a drug addict.” We keep telling our secret, and the shame gets less and less.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, I pray to live an honest life.

Action for the Day:
I’ll list any secrets I’ve been keeping. I’ll talk with my sponsor about them.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Although sharing your fantasies takes courage, it also requires a methodical approach today. Your feelings are running deeper now, so just blurting your truth at the first opportunity might seem out of context to others. Don’t just jump directly to the punchline; tell your story from the beginning so everyone can follow along. Often, the fastest route isn’t the best one when it comes to delivering your message. Consider your audience before opening your mouth.

Daily Recovery Readings
July 2, 2017

Daily Reflection

THE HEART OF TRUE SOBRIETY

We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the program. Willingness, honesty and open-mindedness are the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable.

— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 568

Am I honest enough to accept myself as I am and let this be the “me” that I let others see? Do I have the willingness to go to any length, to do whatever is necessary to stay sober? Do I have the open-mindedness to hear what I have to hear, to think what I have to think, and to feel what I have to feel?

If my answer to these questions is “Yes,” I know enough about the spirituality of the program to stay sober. As I continue to work the Twelve Steps, I move on to the heart of true sobriety: serenity with myself, with others, and with God as I understand Him.

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

Big Book Quote

“Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all of our activities.  How can I best serve Thee—, Thy will (not mine) be done.” These are thoughts which  just go with us constantly.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85~

Keep It Simple

I never think of the future. It comes soon enough. — Albert Einstein

None of us know anything for sure about the future. We don’t know if we’ll be sober tomorrow.

But we can be sure of this moment. We get sober by moments. Our sober moments then stretch into hours, day, and years.

Our program tell us to live in the present moment. This is because we can control this moment

We can’t control the past or the future. We need to have a sense of control in our life. In our illness, we were out of control. This was because we wouldn’t live from moment to moment.

Each moment is filled with as much life as we can handle. Each moment is filled with enough to keep us alive, interested, and growing.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me find You in each moment.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll stop and focus on the present moment. I will work to see how much control I can have if I stay with the moment at hand.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You could lose your temper if someone says they will do something today, and then turns around and does the complete opposite. Your tendency is to hide your disappointment because you don’t trust how people will respond to your strong feelings. Unfortunately, withholding your emotions still sends mixed messages that further complicate your existence. Recognize the impermanence of a temporary situation. As Beatles George Harrison wrote, “All things must pass. All things must fade away.”

Daily Recovery Readings
July 1, 2017

Daily Reflection

THE BEST FOR TODAY

The principles we have set down are guides to progress.

— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 60

Just as a sculptor will use different tools to achieve desired effects in creating a work of art, in Alcoholics Anonymous the Twelve Steps are used to bring about results in my own life. I do not overwhelm myself with life’s problems, and how much more work needs to be done. I let myself be comforted in knowing that my life is now in the hands of my Higher Power, a master craftsman who is shaping each part of my life into a unique work of art. By working my program I can be satisfied, knowing that “in doing the best that we can for today, we are doing all that God asks of us.”

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

Big Book Quote

“Opinions vary considerably as to why the alcoholic reacts differently from normal people. We are not sure why, once a certain point is reached, little can be done for him. We cannot answer the riddle.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 22~

Keep It Simple

Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.—Step Seven

In Step Six, we got ready to give up our shortcomings. In Step Seven, we ask God to remove them. There is one catch. We humbly as God to remove them.

Being humble means we remember who we are: human beings who need God’s help. Being humble means not pretending we’re God. We admit we need God’s help. Being humble means seeing ourselves as we are. We’re a small but important part of God’s plan. We can change much, but only God can change some things about us. This is why we ask. Being humble is not a weakness, but a true strength.

Prayer for the Day:
God, please remove my shortcomings.

Action for the Day:
Throughout the day, I’ll pray to God to remove my shortcomings.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

It seems as if people disagree with you today no matter what you say, leaving you to consider a strategy based on non-communication. You’re not in the mood to share your feelings with anyone because you don’t want to waste time and energy defending your motives. However, keeping your plans to yourself enables everyone else to make assumptions without basing them on reality. Reveal personal information on a need-to-know basis. Although words have consequences, so does silence.

Daily Recovery Readings

June 29, 2017

Daily Reflection

A RIPPLING EFFECT

Having learned to live so happily, we’d show everyone else how. . . . Yes, we of A.A. did dream those dreams. How natural that was, since most alcoholics are bankrupt idealists. . . . So why shouldn’t we share our way of life with everyone?

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 156

The great discovery of sobriety led me to feel the need to spread the “good news” to the world around me. The grandiose thoughts of my drinking days returned. Later, I learned that concentrating on my own recovery was a full-time process. As I became a sober citizen in this world, I observed a rippling effect which, without any conscious effort on my part, reached any “related facility or outside enterprise,” without diverting me from my primary purpose of staying sober and helping other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

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

Big Book Quote

“We began to see that the world and its people really dominated us. In that state, the wrong-doing of others, fancied or real, had power to actually kill. How could we escape? We saw that these resentments must be mastered, but how? We could not wish them away any more than alcohol.”

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

Keep It Simple

I don’t believe in the life afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear.
—Woody Allen

Most of us have many questions about a Higher Power. Sometimes we have more questions than answers. No matter how much we believe about God, there are always questions. Why do bad things happen if God is good? Does God punish people?

Is God called Jesus, Buddha, the Great Spirit? Perhaps we’ve chosen a name for our Higher Power, or maybe we haven’t. Yet, we know there is some Power great than ourselves that’s helping us in recovery.

We know what we need to know about God for today. We know how to ask for help, and how to accept help.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me to know You more clearly. There’s much I’m not sure about. For now, I will act as if the help I get comes from You.

Action for the Day:
I’ll think of three ways my Higher Power has done just the right thing for me.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You don’t appreciate it when people take advantage of your loving nature. Unfortunately, someone might be pressuring you to support their cause as domineering Pluto opposes Mercury in your reclusive sign. However, the more you are pushed, the more you resist any effort to manipulate your behavior. Your first inclination is to walk away from conflict, but it’s smarter to get everything out into the open today. Break through your resistance because nothing will be said if you wait for others to stand up for you. You are the only person who can change your life.

Daily Recovery Readings

June 28, 2017

Daily Reflection

THE DETERMINATION OF OUR FOUNDERS

A year and six months later these three had succeeded with seven more.
— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 159

If it had not been for the fierce determination of our founders, A.A. would have quickly faded like so many other so-called good causes. I look at the hundreds of meetings weekly in the city where I live and I know A.A. is available twenty-four hours a day. If I had had to hang on with nothing but hope and a desire not to drink, experiencing rejection wherever I went, I would have sought the easier, softer way and returned to my previous way of life.

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

Big Book Quote

“When we drew near to Him He disclosed Himself to us!”
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 57~

Keep It Simple

The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form.
–Stanley J. Randall

Trying to be perfect get us into trouble. Trying to be perfect means we’re trying to control things.We may be trying to cover up something. Maybe we aren’t facing our pain. Maybe we’ve hurt someone and we need to make amends.

We need to practice being human. Humans aren’t perfect. In Steps Six and Seven, we face our human limits and our shortcomings. We then start the lifelong job of letting them go. To accept our human limits leads us to our Higher Power. We see how we need a guide in life. Our Higher Power makes a perfect guide.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me accept that I can’t be perfect. Help me be a good human being.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll list my shortcoming. I’ll talk with a friend about them. I’ll ask my friend to tell me what my good qualities are.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

You can be so angry with someone you love today that you can’t even say a word. Your thoughts are running all around and there’s no place to jump in and start talking. If asked how you are doing, you might reply that you are well, without giving a hint of your internal turmoil. Ironically, this difference between your inner and outer world may be quite familiar. The longer left untended, the greater the problem. Start untangling your feelings now by asking someone you respect to listen without interfering in your process. You don’t need to be right; you only need to be heard.

Daily Recovery Readings
June 27, 2017

Daily Reflection

CONFORMING TO THE A.A. WAY

We obey A.A.’s Steps and Traditions because we really want them for ourselves. It is no longer a question of good or evil; we conform because we genuinely want to conform. Such is our process of growth in unity and function. Such is the evidence of God’s grace and love among us.

— A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 106

It is fun to watch myself grow in A.A. I fought conformity to A.A. principles from the moment I entered, but I learned from the pain of my belligerence that, in choosing to live the A.A. way of life, I opened myself to God’s grace and love. Then I began to know the full meaning of being a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

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

Big Book Quote

“In spite of the great increase in the size and the span of this Fellowship, at its core it remains simple and personal. Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Foreword To Third Edition, pg. xxii~

Keep It Simple

Hell is not to love anymore.—Geogre Bernanos

Someone in an AA group said, “From the first day I started this program, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.” This person had walked into a room full of love. In recovery, we are spiritual people because we believe in love. We have faith in love.

Love is respect. Love is truth with kindness. Love is being willing to forgive and help others.

Love is thinking about how our Higher Power wants us to act. Love is what we do best. We have turned our will and our life over to love.

Prayer for the Day:
I pray that I may love all parts of life. Higher Power, help me seek out love, not material things.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll think about what I love about recovery. I will share this with a couple of friends and my Higher Power.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Complex emotions can bottle up inside you until you find a way to express them. Thankfully, this challenge won’t slow you down now that loquacious Mercury is active in your sign. Although you’re not one to share your feelings unless you’re with someone you explicitly trust, you might experience a sense of urgency to speak your mind. Don’t fall victim to an impulsive reaction; a cautious and methodical telling of your story is ultimately more productive than an unpremeditated outburst. Author Jean Houston said, “No matter the situation, never let your emotions overpower your intelligence.”

Daily Recovery Readings
June 26, 2017

Daily Reflection

A GIFT THAT GROWS WITH TIME

For most normal folks, drinking means conviviality, companionship and colorful imagination. It means release from care, boredom and worry. It is joyous intimacy with friends and a feeling that life is good.

— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 151

The longer I chased these elusive feelings with alcohol, the more out of reach they were. However, by applying this passage to my sobriety, I found that it described the magnificent new life made available to me by the A.A. program. “It” truly does “get better” one day at a time. The warmth, the love and the joy so simply expressed in these words grow in breadth and depth each time I read it. Sobriety is a gift that grows with time.

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

Big Book Quote

“Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn’t we laugh? We have recovered, and have been given the power to help others.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132~

Keep It Simple

But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads.—Albert Camus

Sometimes we sat we’re getting out lives together. Together with what? With our selves. The Twelve Steps help us clean up the mess we’ve made. We’re fixing our mistakes. We’re looking at ourselves closely—at what we believe, what we feel, what we like to do, who we are. We’re asking our High Power to help us to be our best.

No wonder over lives are coming together! No wonder we feel more peace, harmony, and happiness!

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me remember the best harmony comes when I sing from Your songbook.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll make choices that are in line with who I am.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Your emotional reactions continue to be strong, but something in your heart shifts now. You might be afraid of sharing your desires because you’re concerned about being judged. Nevertheless, yesterday’s worries become today’s acceptance. Don’t go silent, pretending that everything is fine. Take a chance and let a close friend know exactly what is bothering you, but be careful to maintain a blameless attitude. Bryant McGill wrote, “There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.”

Daily Recovery Readings
June 25, 2017

Daily Reflection

A TWO-WAY STREET

If we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions. But in no case does He render us white as snow and keep us that way without our cooperation.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 65

When I prayed, I used to omit a lot of things for which I needed to be forgiven. I thought that if I didn’t mention these things to God, He would never know about them. I did not know that if I had just forgiven myself for some of my past deeds, God would forgive me also. I was always taught to prepare for the journey through life, never realizing until I came to A.A. – when I honestly became willing to be taught forgiveness and forgiving – that life itself is the journey. The journey of life is a very happy one, as long as I am willing to accept change and responsibility.

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

Big Book Quote

“Henry Ford once made a wise remark to the effect that experience is the thing of supreme value in life. That is true only if one is willing to turn the past to good account. We grow by our willingness to face and rectify errors and convert them into assets. The alcoholic’s past thus becomes the principal asset of the family and frequently it is almost the only one!”

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 124

Keep It Simple

When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that three of his fingers are pointing at himself.—Louis Nizer

It’s so easy to blame others. Others are always making mistakes we can hide behind. That’s what blame is—hiding. When we blame others for our mistakes, we’re trying to hide our character defects.

It’s nobody else’s fault that we act the way we do. It’s our fault. We’re responsible for our actions.

And with the help of our Higher Power, we can change. We can turn over our character defects. Over time, we’re not afraid to learn about ourselves—even the parts we don’t like—because we want to know ourselves better.

Prayer for the Day:
I pray for help in facing my character defects.

Action for the Day:
I’ll think about the past week. I’ll list times I’ve used blame to hide from reality.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Your fears have receded into invisible crevasses of your subconscious, motivating you to untangle complex emotional issues that resurrect memories from the past. You might try to keep everything light and breezy today, but intense feelings could suddenly pull you off balance. Rather than making a hasty retreat to a safe harbor, stand your ground. Although you may project your insecurities onto those around you, this is your fight to finish. Mooji said, “Face your fears and stop allowing the mind to hold you captive.”

Daily Recovery Readings
June 24, 2017

Daily Reflection

A SPIRITUAL KINDERGARTEN

We are only operating a spiritual kindergarten in which people are enabled to get over drinking and find the grace to go on living to better effect.

— AS BILL SEES IT, p. 95

When I came to A.A., I was run down by the bottle and wanted to lose the obsession to drink, but I didn’t really know how to do that. I decided to stick around long enough to find out from the ones who went before me. All of a sudden I was thinking about God! I was told to get a Higher Power and I had no idea what one looked like. I found out there are many Higher Powers. I was told to find God, as I understand Him, that there was no doctrine of the Godhead in A.A. I found what worked for me and then asked that Power to restore me to sanity. The obsession to drink was removed and – one day at a time – my life went on, and I learned how to live sober.

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

Big Book Quote

“To be vital, faith must be accompanied by self sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 93

Keep It Simple

Beauty is gift of God.—Aristotle

In our addiction, we often went after what was ugly in life. Maybe we hung out in bad places.

Maybe we saw people’s defects instead of their beauty. Addiction is ugly, painful disease. The worst part of addiction is how it doesn’t let us see beauty in the world.

There is much beauty in each of us. Recovery is beautiful. Our stories are beautiful. The way we help each other is beautiful. The way we become loving family members is beautiful. But sometimes, we may still see the world as ugly. At these times, we need to turn to our program.

Maybe we need to help someone by working Step Twelve. Maybe we need ask to give the Step at our meeting. Maybe we just need to read the Big Book. Whatever we do, one thing is sure— if we turn to our program, we’ll see how beautiful the world is.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me see beautiful today. Help me be beautiful today.

Action for the Day:
Today I’ll let myself feel beautiful. I’ll see recovery as beautiful.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

A close friend or lover may initiate an unpleasant conversation today. Fortunately, you can manage the intensity of another person’s fears now, because you recently fought a battle with your own demons and won. Although you don’t have solutions to someone else’s dilemma, you are fully capable of holding space for their process without overreacting. This profound emotional work is not to be taken lightly. However, your efforts are appreciated and your continuing support is nurturing for all involved. Gloria Steinem said, “Empathy is the most radical of human emotions.”