AA

by

The Human Experience

“It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness… For when harboring such feelings we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit.” AA

It matters not whether the resentment is big or small, anger, frustration or disappointment over anything takes away from my ability to bask in the sunshine of happiness prevents me from celebrating this amazing opportunity to partake in the human experience – being me, James, for one more day. Though this may sound corny, it’s true. I’m so grateful that ILML!

– James Q

by

A Channel of Love

“… the more we give what we want to receive, the more we increase the chances we’ll get what we want.” Attitudes of Gratitude in Love

Today, I’ll surrender all expectations that others will give me what I want. Instead, I’ll look for opportunities to be patient, tolerant and kind to others, especially those that seem unable to do that for me or themselves. And when I’ll find them, I’ll do what I can to be a channel of love. In this way I’ll invite more joy into my, and everyone else’s, day. ILML!

– James Q

by

Quiet Mind, Open Heart

“I’ve heard some people condense the activities of spiritual life into these words: quiet the mind; open the heart… I think of anything that quiets the mind as meditation and anything that opens the heart as prayer.” Hope for Today

What a wonderful reading today. Breathing deeply quiets my mind. Pulling weeds quiets my mind. Getting on my knees after waking or before retiring quiets my mind. Smiling and laughing opens my heart. Playing guitar opens my heart. Being of service in recovery opens my heart. Without even realizing it I’ve discovered that I meditate and pray all the time. How awesome! ILML

– James Q

by

Success and Serenity

“Without a HP I found in the fellowship, my life would be meaningless. I am full of gratitude to be a member of good standing in this Program.”
– Daily Reflections

In early sobriety I would’ve found this statement hard to swallow. But today I know that all of my success and serenity has come from working the program and seeking a connection to a HP. Everything I have comes from this. My connection to a HP through working the steps is the solution to my restlessness, irritability, and discontent. There is no problem too big for the steps. I am grateful to have found the solution. ILML!

– Jason W

by

Believe and Connect

“He may call it the human spirit, he may call it the soul or he may call it god. The particular name is not so very important. The point is that he acknowledges this spiritual dimension. He would be a fool to ignore it, so powerful is it’s effect on his life, so joyous, so mysterious, so frightening.”
– A Common Prayer

I love this so much. Quite often I like to get caught up in irrelevant details that hold zero importance in my life. What I choose to CALL a “Power greater than myself” means infinitely less than if I BELIEVE and CONNECT with that Power. Today, I’m connected. Period. No names necessary. It’s very personal and ultimately my definition or understanding means little if anything to anyone else. The results I receive through my belief and application seems to be what is noticed. So my focus is the doing and not the defining. iLmL

– RichieB

by

What I Do Have

“Storing up grievances is not only a waste of time, but a waste of life that could be lived to greater satisfaction. If I keep a ledger of “oppressions and indignities,” I’m only restoring them to painful reality.”
– A Day at a Time 3/27

I believe this means that what we focus on grows larger and becomes our reality. So, today I’m going to focus on what I do have, as opposed to what I don’t have, what I like about a person opposed to what I don’t like, how successful I am opposed to what I have not a achieved yet, etc. Positive thinking changes my perception. ILML!

– Jason W

by

Loving and Loveable

“Accepting myself means not having to be rich, famous, powerful, or even “good.” It means not having to impress others. It means living authentically. It means being comfortable saying, “I don’t know.”” – Day by Day

At first read, this all seems obvious. But after disecting it a bit further, I realize that I base much, if not all, of my worth on other’s acceptance of me AND my actions. I am “good” because I am good and because I’m alive. I am one of God’s kids and deserve all the best in life for no other reason than that. I am loving and loveable and today I am going to accept myself as I am and those around me as they are. iLmL

– Richie B

by

Stay out of Dis-Ease

“… when you nail someone on their “stuff”, they’re going to get angry… wounded, they are going to attack you… all of your stuff is going to come up!” – Until Today

This ping pong of blame, self-pity and victimization can keep us in a perpetual state of hopelessness. It doesn’t matter if it starts with me blaming them, or them blaming me, all of it invokes needless suffering.

If I spot their defects and it’s not directly hurting me, I’m better off pausing & not giving my opinion. If it hurts, I’m best to simply say “that made me feel _____”, and then detach, moving onto activities that connect me with gratitude and love.

If they really love me, they’ll acknowledge my hurt (eventually), and if they don’t, I may need to assess, with my sponsor, whether it’s heathy to continue being around that person.

The program tools provide me with the opportunity to stay out dis-ease. And when I practice them, ILML!

– JamesQ

by

Live Abundantly

“For us, material well-being always followed spiritual progress; it never proceeded. (p127 BB). I suddenly understood that this promise was a guarantee. I saw that it put priorities in the correct order, that spiritual progress would diminish that terrible fear of being destitute, just as it diminished many other fears. My life’s purpose is much clearer when I just work to help, not to possess.”
– Daily reflections

If I can stay humble, work a program one day at a time, and look for what I can add to the situation opposed to what I can take from it, then I live abundantly. With this change of perception I am in a place to be more successful. ILML!

– JasonW

by

The Secret Sauce

“Today I choose to be gentle with myself and to love unconditionally while detaching from the past”.
– Hope For Today

Resentment, frustration and disappointment blocks my ability to love my life. 100% of mine comes from the past, whether from my childhood or just 5 minutes ago. And 100% of my fear, which is another impingement on happiness, is centered in the future.

So the secret sauce to life loving for me is letting go of past hurts and staying out of future fear. It’s only when I do this that I am able to see the beauty in a flower, feel the magical restorative power of the sun on my face, or smile at the sound of a child’s laugh.

This moment called now is where loving life exists in all its splendor and I, for one, insist on basking in it! ILML!

– JamesQ