Daily Recovery Readings
October 28, 2018

Daily Reflection

AN UNBROKEN TRADITION

We conceive the survival and spread of Alcoholics Anonymous to be something of far
greater importance than the weight we could collectively throw back of any other cause.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 177

How much it means to me that an unbroken tradition of more than half a century is a
thread that connects me to Bill W. and Dr. Bob. How much more grounded I feel to be in
a Fellowship whose aims are constant and unflagging. I am grateful that the energies of
A.A. have never been scattered, but focused instead on our members and on individual
sobriety. My beliefs are what make me human; I am free to hold any opinion, but A.A.’s
purpose — so clearly stated fifty years ago — is for me to keep sober. That purpose has
promoted round-the-clock meeting schedules, and the thousands of intergroup and central
service offices, with their thousands of volunteers. Like the sun focused through a
magnifying glass, A.A.’s single vision has lit a fire of faith in sobriety in millions of hearts, including mine.

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

Big Book Quote

“Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family back. This just isn’t so. In some cases the wife will never come back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his  recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came back too soon.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 99~

Keep It Simple

I wish you the courage to be warm when the world would prefer you to be cool.
~Robert A. Ward

Our program and the Steps have warmed us from the inside out. Just as a bonfire warms those who stand around it, the Steps take away the chill we have felt for so long.

At Times, we’ll be tempted to move away from the Steps. At times, we’ll get tired of looking at our behavior and attitudes. We are by nature, controlling people. We’ll want to “prove our point” about something when our program tells us to let it go. We need to stay close to the Steps and the warmth they hold. Remember the chill of our disease.

Prayer for the Day:
I need to member that the Steps and the fellowship of the program keep me sober, not me alone.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll thank about what the Steps have done for me. I will think of how they have kept me warm.

Today’s Gift – Hazelden

Reflection for the Day

Since I came to The Program, I’ve become increasingly aware of the Serenity Prayer. I see it on literature covers, the walls of meeting rooms, and in the homes of new-found friends. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Do I understand the Serenity Prayer? Do I believe in its power and repeat it often? Is it becoming easier for me to accept the things I cannot change?

Today I Pray

God grant that the words of the Serenity Prayer never become mechanical for me or lose their meaning in the lulling rhythms of repetition. I pray that these words will continue to take on new depths of significance as I fit life’s realities to them. I trust that I may find the solutions I need in this prayer, which, in its simplicity, encompasses all of life’s situations.

Today I Will Remember

Share the prayer.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Your psychic radio station is disrupted by too much static in the atmosphere today. Vivid dream symbols or random impressions that come to you spontaneously feel like they hold special significance. Yet it might be nearly impossible to figure out their message. Have patience with the fuzzy images in your extrasensory world. Such perception has a unique way of coming into focus according to its own schedule. It can’t be forced or rushed. Understanding will arrive when the time is right.

Daily Recovery Readings
October 27, 2018

Daily Reflection

GLOBAL SHARING

The only thing that matters is that he is an alcoholic who has found a key to sobriety. These legacies of suffering and of recovery are easily passed among alcoholics, one to the other. This is our gift from God, and its bestowal upon others like us is the one aim that today animates A.A.’s all around the globe.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 151

The strength of Alcoholics Anonymous lies in the desire of each member and of each group around the world to share with other alcoholics their suffering and the steps taken to gain, and maintain, recovery. By keeping a conscious contact with my Higher Power, I make sure that I always nurture my desire to help other alcoholics, thus insuring the continuity of the wonderful fraternity of Alcoholics Anonymous.

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

Big Book Quote

“In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships,(including sex) were hurt or threatened.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

Keep It Simple

An excuse is worst and more terrible than a lie.—Alexander Pope

Excuses. They’re lies. We use excuses to hide from ourselves. Maybe we don’t want to be honest about our anger. So we say someone else made us angry. Maybe we don’t want to admit how mean we can be. So we pretend we have no part in what happens.

Excuses keep us from ourselves. They keep us from our High Power. A lot of our program is about looking at ourselves. Steps Four, Five, and Ten tell us to be honest about our excuses. We can be honest because we are good people. We are loved.

Prayer for the day:
Today, I’ll say the serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Action for the Day:
I’ll list my five most often excuses. Then, I’ll share them with my friends, family, and sponsor. I’ll ask them to tell me when I make excuses.

Today’s Gift – Hazelden

What a man thinks of himself, that is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate.
–Henry David Thoreau

Let us think of ourselves as made of dust, and allow us to be as proud of it as if it were true. For dust is everywhere. We see it in solemn rooms streaked by sun, dancing like fine angels in a cathedral light. It is the stuff of life. And it drifts down on fancy tables where the richest people eat. It cannot be denied a place. And it returns time and time again like the seasons. It is one of the wonders of the world. And when no one sees or cares, it finds a secret corner in which to keep a solitary peace. It intends no harm. We find it at home on old leather books, the ones that preserve our noblest thoughts. And from where we stand, it seems that even the stars are made of it.

When we feel low, unworthy, or useless, let’s remember that these feelings are only a small but important part of us, that even great things are made of small parts and that we, as whole beings, are always greater than the sum of these parts.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Take a step back from an emotional attachment that’s holding your consciousness in a too-tight grip. By putting a little breathing room between yourself and a compulsive over-reaction, your feelings and thoughts can work together in a healthy balance. Release any negativity that might have incidentally collected around angst, worry, or passion. Fill your mind with inspirational affirmations and cultivate peace in your heart. Create the serenity you wish to see in the world.

Daily Recovery Readings
October 26, 2018

Daily Reflection

ONE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY

For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 132

When I am chosen to carry some small responsibility for my fellows, I ask that God grant me the patience, open-mindedness, and willingness to listen to those I would lead. I must remind myself that I am the trusted servant of others, not their “governor,” “teacher,” or “instructor.” God guides my words and my actions, and my responsibility is to heed His suggestions. Trust is my watchword, I trust others who lead. In the Fellowship of A.A., I entrust God with the ultimate authority of “running the show.”

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

Big Book Quote

If we skip this vital step (5th Step), we may not overcome drinking. Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves certain facts about their lives. Trying to avoid this humbling experience, they have turned to easier methods. Almost invariably they got drunk. Having persevered with the rest of the program, they wondered why they fell. We think the reason is that they never completed their housecleaning. They took inventory all right, but hung on to some of the worst items in stock. They only thought they had lost their egoism and fear; they only thought they had humbled themselves. But they had not learned enough of humility, fearlessness and honesty, in the sense we find it necessary, until they told someone else all their life story.

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 72~

Keep It Simple

Nobody give you freedom.    ~Malcolm X

We were not free. We were prisoners of our illness. What our illness wanted, we give itour dignity, our self-respect, even our families. Our prison walls were made of denial, false pride, and self-will run riot. Now we know that brick walls don’t have to stop us. We don’t have to bang our heads on them.

Slowly, we’re learning about freedom. We’re learning that freedom. We’re learning that freedom comes from within. It comes when we think clearly and make our own choices.

It comes when we follow a better way of life. It comes when we take care of ourselves. It comes when we take responsibility. The key to freedom is in loving our Higher Power.

Do you choose freedom?

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, show me how to walk away from a wall or go around it. But teach me to stop and think when I get to a wall. Maybe it’s there for my safety.

Today’s Action:
Today I’ll think about all the freedom I have given myself by living a sober way of life.

Today’s Gift – Hazelden

Accepting Every Task

Dear God,

Help me find the strength to be effective and accept responsibility. I am asking you for the strength I need each day. You have proven in countless lives that for every day I live, You will give me that necessary power.

I must face every challenge that comes to me during the day sure that You will give me the strength to face it. I pray that I may accept every task as a challenge. I know I cannot wholly fail if You are with me.

Adapted from Twenty-Four Hours a Day, September 29

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Romantic affairs are a mixed bag of the delightfully playful and the totally serious today. Your mind is determined to enjoy flirtatious encounters, without reading too much into them or weaving a web of complicated expectations. But your heart automatically races in the direction of hopeful fantasies and exaggerated dreams. Take a deep breath and find a place of realistic balance within. There is no reason to rush to conclusions when you can simply rejoice in the present moment.

Daily Recovery Readings
October 25, 2018

Daily Reflection

A.A.’s HEARTBEAT

Without unity, the heart of A.A. would cease to beat; . . .

— AS BILL SEES IT, p. 125

Without unity I would be unable to recover in A.A. on a daily basis. By practicing unity within my group, with other A.A. members and at all levels of this great Fellowship, I receive a pronounced feeling of knowing that I am a part of a miracle that was divinely inspired. The ability of Bill W. and Dr. Bob, working together and passing it on to other members, tells me that to give it away is to keep it. Unity is oneness and yet the whole Fellowship is for all of us.

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

Big Book Quote

“These men had found something brand new in life. Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary. It was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves for others.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 159~

Keep It Simple

Love thy neighbor as thyself, but choose your neighbor.—Louise Beal

In our program, we learn a lot about loving ourselves. Then we start to see how this helps us love our neighbors. We learn to love ourselves honestly, seeing our strengths and our weaknesses. We learn to see others honestly . We learn how much to trust ourselves and when to get extra help. We learn how much to trust others too. We learn to love ourselves with a love that’s honest and challenging. We learn to love others this way too. We learn to care about others without losing our common sense. We learn to protect our spirits from harm.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me see others clearly. Help me love them. But help me choose carefully who I trust.

Action for the Day:
Today, I’ll list three people I trust the most, and I’ll write down why.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

Participating in a round-table discussion means that instead of finding a way to cooperate with one or two individuals, you need to tactfully communicate with a larger group. A pecking order naturally evolves, even if others seem unaware of this unspoken dynamic. If you’re comfortable with the role you are assigned, you’re likely to be okay with whatever group decisions are made. Everything’s less stressful when you’re not married to any strict outcome. In flexibility you will find peace of mind.

Daily Recovery Readings
October 24, 2018

Daily Reflection

“BY FAITH AND BY WORKS”

On anvils of experience, the structure of our Society was hammered out. . . . Thus has it been with A.A. By faith and by works we have been able to build upon the lessons of an incredible experience. They live today in the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, which — God willing — shall sustain us in unity for so long as He may need us.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 131

God has allowed me the right to be wrong in order for our Fellowship to exist as it does today. If I place God’s will first in my life, it is very likely that A.A. as I know it today will remain as it is.

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

Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle that fits them all.—Oliver Wendell Homes

Lying, above anything else, brings us close to getting crazy again. Lying is what addicts do.

In our addiction, our whole life was a lie.

Lying creates danger because it creates secrets. Secrets keep us from others. To stay sober, we need to stay close to people. We can’t make it on our own.

Lying creates danger because it creates shame. A lie, like a drink, may make us feel good for the moment. But in the long run, it creates shame.

Do we still lie to deal with the world? Lies are like drinks—one leads to another.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me to live today free of lies.

Action for the Day:
For the next twenty-four hours, I will tell no lies. If I do I’ll go back and do Step Ten. I will remember that lies can lead to relapse.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

If a once-exciting project has lately become energy sapping, it’s time to adopt a different approach. The right tactics should build enthusiasm, rather than drain it. The bottom line is you might be trying to do something solo that’s ideally a job for two or more. The Full Moon in your 11th House of Group Participation amplifies the urge to join up with others who are aiming for the same goal. A clever collaboration allows you to do more than you can on your own. Michael Jordan said, “Talent wins games. But teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

Daily Recovery Readings
October 23, 2018

Daily Reflection

WHAT WE KNOW BEST

“Shoemaker, stick to thy last!” . . . better do one thing supremely well than many badly. That is the central theme of this Tradition [Five]. Around it our Society gathers in unity. The very life of our Fellowship requires the preservation of this principle.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 150

The survival of A.A. depends upon unity. What would happen if a group decided to become an employment agency, a treatment center or a social service agency? Too much specialization leads to no specialization, to frittering of efforts and, finally, to decline. I have the qualifications to share my sufferings and my way of recovery with the newcomer. Conformity to A.A.’s primary purpose ensures the safety of the wonderful gift of sobriety, so my responsibility is enormous. The life of millions of alcoholics is closely tied to my competence in “carrying the message to the still-suffering alcoholic.”
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 must go with us
constantly.”

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

Keep It Simple

It’s not dying faith that’s so hard, it’s living up to it.   ~~William Makepeace Thackeray

We may ask, “Do I have to do an Eighth or Ninth Step?” “Do I really need a sponsor?” “Hmm…can I get by without going to so many meetings?” Having faith means putting our questions aside. So…what do we do? We work the program. We accept that those who’ve gone before us were right. We accept the idea that we need others. Faith is knowing that others love and care for us. Faith is also about action. The main way we know that we have faith is by looking at our behavior. Ask yourself this: “Are my actions those of a person with faith?”

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me remove the questions that get in my way. Help me act like a person with faith.

Action for the Day:
I’ll list four parts of my program that I have faith in, such as, “I believe honesty is important to my sobriety.”

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

It’s so much more relaxing to channel passion through art than anything else today. Debate tends to get heated and romance is all kinds of unsettled. The rat race is a pressure-cooker. Given those considerations, it’s no giant surprise that you feel safe and cozy when engrossed in a creative world where you have all the control. Pour your heart and soul into making something beautiful, whether it’s with music, color, food, yarn, or words. Virtually any self-expressive activity suits you to a tee.

Daily Recovery Readings
October 21, 2018

Daily Reflection

TRUE TOLERANCE

Finally, we begin to see that all people, including ourselves, are to some extent emotionally ill as well as frequently wrong, and then we approach true tolerance and see what real love for our fellows actually means.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 92

The thought occurred to me that all people are emotionally ill to some extent. How could we not be? Who among us is spiritually perfect? Who among us is physically perfect? How could any of us be emotionally perfect? Therefore, what else are we to do but bear with one another and treat each other as we would be treated in similar circumstances? That is what love really is.

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

Life is what happens to us while we’re making other plans.  —Thomas LaMance

What happened to our years of drinking and using other drugs? They seemed to pass so quickly with so little to show for them. We had plans, but we didn’t get where we wanted to go. There was always “tomorrow.”

What a difference today! Now we work a program that helps us really live each day. We’re not losing time out of our lives anymore. Now every day is full of life: sights, sounds, people, feelings—those things we used to miss out on. We have the help of a Higher Power who makes every day important.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me do Your will for me today. I place this day in Your care.

Action for the Day:
Be on the lookout today for signs of life!

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

There are no guarantees that every life experience will ultimately make sense. No matter the angle of observation, some things just don’t logically fit together in any context, and yet there they are like two peas in a pod. The events and relationships that stand out like a sore thumb for all the wrong reasons tend to gobble up more than their fair share of mental and emotional energy. The truth is some mysteries stubbornly insist upon remaining mysterious.

Daily Recovery Readings
October 21, 2018

Daily Reflection

NOTHING GROWS IN THE DARK

We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of us, to flower and to grow.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 10

With the self-discipline and insight gained from practicing Step Ten, I begin to know the
gratifications of sobriety — not as mere abstinence from alcohol, but as recovery in every
department of my life.

I renew hope, regenerate faith, and regain the dignity of self-respect. I discover the word
“and” in the phrase “and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.”
Reassured that I am no longer always wrong, I learn to accept myself as I am, with a new
sense of the miracles of sobriety and serenity.

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

Big Book Quote

“To get over drinking will require a transformation of thought and attitude. We all had to place recovery above everything, for without recovery we would have lost both home and business.”

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 143~

Keep It Simple

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.—Anonymous

Nobody’s always wrong. Nobody’s all bad. And that includes us.

Sometimes, we really get down on ourselves. When we do Step Four, we sometimes see only our faults. When we make our Step Ten checkup, we see only our mistakes. We can’t afford to do this. We need to see our strengths too. But even our faults have a good side. Are you stubborn? Good—be stubborn, you know how to hang on to feelings. So, hang on to the good feelings instead of the bad ones.

Each of us is good and wise. What’s good about us got twisted by our disease. But now we can get the kinks out. We are sober, and we have a program to help us.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, help me to see the good in myself and others.

Action for the Day:
I’ll take another look at my faults today. How can I use them in good ways?

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

An unlikely encounter may trigger a craving for more excitement in your world. This fascinating interaction inspires you to reconsider your priorities now. Ironically, you might search for an objective outsider for advice and end up face to face with someone you know very well. Or it could play out with genuine surprise when scrolling through social media or conversing online, you discover a friend shares one of your interests. Either way, it’s delightful to realize you may have found a perfect companion for an amazing adventure. Anticipation gives you a good reason to smile inside.

Daily Recovery Readings
October 20, 2018

Daily Reflection

SOLACE FOR CONFUSION

Obviously, the dilemma of the wanderer from faith is that of profound confusion. He thinks himself lost to the comfort of any conviction at all. He cannot attain in even a small degree the assurance of the believer, the agnostic, or the atheist. He is the bewildered one.

— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 28

The concept of God was one that I struggled with during my early years of sobriety. The images that came to me, conjured from my past, were heavy with fear, rejection and condemnation. Then I heard my friend Ed’s image of a Higher Power: As a boy he had been allowed a litter of puppies, provided that he assume responsibility for their care. Each morning he would find the unavoidable “byproducts”of the puppies on the kitchen floor. Despite frustration, Ed said he couldn’t get angry because “that’s the nature of puppies.” Ed felt that God viewed our defects and shortcomings with a similar understanding and warmth. I’ve often found solace from my personal confusion in Ed’s calming concept of God.

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

We lie loudest when we lie to ourselves.—Eric Hoffer

When we’re not honest with others, we’re not being honest with ourselves. In recovery, we’re taught how to heal our hearts. We admit we’re wrong, and we do it quickly. We let our spirit have the loudest voice. This way, lies lose power over us. We find a way to be true to our spirit.

Prayer for the Day:
Higher Power, You have a soft, quiet voice inside me. Help me, through meditation, to hear You better. Yours is the voice to follow.

Action for the Day:
I’ll listen to my Higher Power. I’ll list any lies I’ve been telling myself and others lately. Then I’ll find someone I trust and tell that person what I’ve lied about.

Daily Horoscope – Cancer

It’s said that great minds think alike, but your brilliance is unique today. Others cannot fail to be dazzled by the originality expressed through your decorating choices, party planning, fashion sense, or other standout talents. And if not, that’s okay with you, so long as you impress yourself. Work with tradition like it’s putty in your creative hands, bringing it to a place that’s ahead of its time. Something new is ready to take flight. Dare to be a trendsetter and care not who follows.