Readings

For Today:

"What is actual is actual only for one time
And only for one place." T.S. Eliot

"Do I think there is a certain way to be with people - the set smile, the too firm handshake - playing a part, well-practiced and for a specific return. Why, then, is there a feeling of loneliness after a day with people? Because that is not a satisfying way to live. The alternative is Trust. Trust in my Higher Power to help me speak honestly. Trust in the unselfish impulse, the spontaneous greeting, the invitation given or accepted. A wish for a guarantee plays no part in trust. Sometimes I need to forget the past and trust my perception of the moment, take the risk and act on it.

For today: In the same way I trust in my Higher Power to keep my abstinent, I let go preconceived notions and trust the moment for what it is. I avoid the tendency to control a situation, so that thoughts and ideas may flow freely.

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Voices of Recovery:

"Real humility about our character defects carries with it acceptance." OA 12 & 12 p. 61

"I think of my personality characteristics as being something similar to a sound system. When the characteristics are moderate, the volume control is in the center. When the characteristics are way out of proportion, they become character defects. Take self-esteem, for example. If the volume is too high, I am practicing false pride. If the volume is too low, I am suffering from self-esteem problems.
I have to acknowledge, if I am humble, that my character defects may never be removed, but they an be tempered. They can be moderated by my Higher Power as long as I take my hands off the volume control. humility means I know these things are going to keep showing up, and I get to keep asking God to put me back in balance.

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In This Moment:

"In This Moment, gratitude works.

A few years ago, I read a book that said the best prayer is a gratitude prayer. Since that day, my prayers always start with, 'Thank you, God.' It works! When I lost my job, I started a daily prayer thanking God for the new jo I knew would come. Despite my being unemployed, I had serenity because I was confident in my Higher Power's will for me. Today, I have the best job i ever had. Thank you, God."

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The Language of Letting Go

"Being Right

Recovery is not about being right; it's about allowing ourselves to be who we are and accepting others as they are.
That concept can be difficult for many of us if we have lived in systems that functioned on the 'right-wrong' justice scale. The person who was right was okay; the person who was wrong was shamed. All value and worth may have depended on being right; to be wrong meant annihilation of self and self-esteem.
In recovery, we are learning how to strive for love in our relationships, not superiority. yes, we may need to make decisions about people's behavior from time to time. If someone is hurting us, we need to stand up for ourselves. We have a responsibility to set boundaries and take care of ourselves. But we do not need to justify taking care of ourselves by condemning someone else. We can avoid the trap of focusing on others instead of ourselves.
In recovery, we are learning that what we do needs to be RIGHT only for us. What others do is their business and needs to be right only for them. It's tempting to rest in the superiority of being right and in analyzing other people's motives and actions, but it's more rewarding to look deeper.
Today, I will remember that I don't have to hide behind being right. I don't have to justify what I want and need with saying something is 'right' or 'wrong.' I can let myself be who I am.

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