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The Daily Ponderables guy, Stephen Todd shares his story of recovery and hope. Stephen is a regular meeting attender that carries the message everywhere he goes. This Tennessee attorney tells it like it is, yet has a beautiful humility that shines through. To subscribe to the Daily Ponderables click here! (https://bit.ly/3TfrZLg) Maybe we think that if a spouse or lover leaves us, we will have to get high. If we lose our job, surely, we think, we will use. Or maybe it’s the death of a loved one that we expect to be unbearable. In any case, the reservations we harbor give us permission to use when they come true — as they often do. We can prepare ourselves for ...Admitting to God first paved the way for admission to myself and to another person. As the taking of the Step is described, a feeling of being at one with God and my fellow man …The rewards we find through the simple action of writing are many. Clarity of thought, keys to locked places inside of us, and the voice of conscience are but a few. Writing helps us be more honest with ourselves. We sit down, quiet our thoughts, and listen to our hearts. What we hear in the stillness are the truths that we put down on paper.

Courage to Change: When I first came to Al-Anon, I was leery about all the hugs I saw exchanged. I would scurry out the door after a meeting to avoid them. I couldn’t imagine why all those seemingly respectable people were behaving this way. There had been no such displays of affection in my childhood, and none in my adult home, either. Addicts often feel terminally unique. We’re sure that no one used drugs like we did or had to do the things that we did to get them. Feeling that no one really understands us can keep us from recovery for many years. But once we come to the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous, we begin to lose that feeling of being “the worst” or “the craziestOne Day at a Time in Al-Anon: Perhaps the first thing we expect to learn in Al-Anon is how to get the alcoholic to stop drinking. This is a difficult idea to pry ourselves loose from, but our “making it” in Al-Anon depends entirely on realizing that our spouse’s sobriety is not our business, however much it may seem to affect our lives ...

We once knew exactly what to expect, and now everything suddenly seems different. The homebody is never home; the life of the party is always sleeping; communication, intimacy, sex, responsibilities, and decision-making all change. At the same time, problems that we always attributed to drinking may persist even though the drinking has stopped. Addicts often feel terminally unique. We’re sure that no one used drugs like we did or had to do the things that we did to get them. Feeling that no one really understands us can keep us from recovery for many years. But once we come to the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous, we begin to lose that feeling of being “the worst” or “the craziest

Learning about the disease of alcoholism can help me become more realistic about a loved one’s illness—and thus to make better choices for myself. “I have learned techniques for dealing with the alcoholic, so that I can develop a relationship with the person behind the disease.”. – Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism. From the book “Courage to ... Courage to Change: I tried so hard to learn detachment. Living with active alcoholism was confusing, and the idea of detachment seemed vague. The alcoholic in my life was a restless sleeper who fell out of bed almost every night. Feeling it my duty, I would always help him back into bed. One night, after attending Al-Anon meetings for a while ... Courage to Change: I am so grateful to belong to a fellowship where everyone speaks for himself or herself. Al-Anon has no spokesperson, no authority who tells what “our” experience has been.Courage to Change: It is not necessary for me to map out a master plan for my recovery — my Higher Power has already done that. It is only necessary to humbly ask for God’s guidance and for the willingness to follow that guidance today. I know that I am not alone: I will receive all the help I need along the way.

Admitting to God first paved the way for admission to myself and to another person. As the taking of the Step is described, a feeling of being at one with God and my fellow man …

Oct 5, 2023 · Things are going good, and each year in recovery brings more material and spiritual gifts. We may have a little money in the bank, a new car, or a committed relationship. We have a little self-confidence, and our faith in a Higher Power is growing. Then, something happens. Someone breaks into our new car and steals the stereo, or the person we ...

One Day at a Time in Al-Anon: “Our group,” explains a member, “concentrates on the Twelve Steps. We rarely discuss the Traditions, because we feel that personal guidance for individuals is more helpful to us than pointers relating to the functioning of the group.”. This is warped thinking, for the fact is that the Traditions are ...Meditation for the Day: The Kingdom of Heaven is within you. God sees, as no one can see, what is within you. He sees you growing more and more like Himself. That is your reason for existence, to grow more and more like God, to develop more and more the spirit of God within you. You can often see in others those qualities and aspirations that ...Love and addiction. “Some of us first saw the effects of addiction on the people closest to us. We were very dependent on them to carry us through life. We felt angry, disappointed, and hurt when they found other interests, friends, and loved ones.”. – Basic Text, p. 7. Addiction affected every area of our lives.Self-pity or recovery—it’s our choice. “Self-pity is one of the most destructive of defects; it will drain us of all positive energy.”. – Basic Text, p. 80. In active addiction, many of us used self-pity as a survival mechanism. We didn’t believe there was an alternative to living in our disease — or perhaps we didn’t want to ...The restoration of self-esteem is one of Al-Anon’s prime functions. It doesn’t encourage a big-ego view of ourselves, but in helping us to see ourselves as we really are, we learn to sort out our good qualities, and on that foundation to build stronger, better personalities. “I am grateful for what Al-Anon is doing for me.

AA Thought for the Day: Have I got over most of my sensitiveness, my feelings that are too easily hurt, and my just plain laziness and self-satisfaction? Am I …Meditation for the Day: In silence comes God’s meaning to the heart. I cannot judge when it enters the heart. I can only judge by results. God’s word is spoken to the secret places of my heart, and in some hour of temptation, I find that word and realize its value for the first time.Meditation for the Day: I will learn to overcome myself, because every blow to selfishness is used to shape the real, eternal, unperishable me.Love and addiction. “Some of us first saw the effects of addiction on the people closest to us. We were very dependent on them to carry us through life. We felt angry, disappointed, and hurt when they found other interests, friends, and loved ones.”. – Basic Text, p. 7. Addiction affected every area of our lives.Courage to Change: After working Al-Anon’s Twelve Steps zealously for over a year, I was despondent over my continuing lapses into self-pity and resentment over the alcoholic’s inability to give me the emotional support I wanted. One evening during a meditation on the Sixth and Seventh Steps, three words seemed to flash in my mind: We …

One Day at a Time in Al-Anon: When an Al-Anon wife describes her grievances at a meeting, and explains “what she did because of what he did,” it is very possible that we can see through her motivations more clearly than she can. We see the bitterness, the self-pity and self-deception that have built a wall between her and reality. The ...

AA Thought for the Day: If we allow an alcoholic thought to lodge in our minds for any length of time, we are in danger of having a slip. Therefore we must dispel such thoughts at once, by refusing their admittance and by immediately putting constructive thoughts in their place.Today’s Reminder: As a result of hard work in Al-Anon and a willingness to change, I am moving in a positive direction. I will celebrate my progress today. I know that the process of recovery will continue to help me grow toward a better way of living. “Keep adding little by little and you will soon have a big hoard.”. From the book ...The restoration of self-esteem is one of Al-Anon’s prime functions. It doesn’t encourage a big-ego view of ourselves, but in helping us to see ourselves as we really are, we learn to sort out our good qualities, and on that foundation to build stronger, better personalities. “I am grateful for what Al-Anon is doing for me.Meditation for the Day: Avoid fear as you would a plague. Even the smallest fear hacks at the cords of faith that bind you to God. However small the fraying, in time those cords will wear thin, and then one disappointment or shock will make them snap.Courage to Change: How often have I had a dream I longed to pursue, but quit before I started because it seemed too enormous a task to attempt? Going back to school, moving, taking a trip, changing jobs, all these and many other goals can seem overwhelming at first. Al-Anon reminds me to “Keep It Simple.”. Instead of approaching the task as ...Courage to Change: Today I seek to become a little more accepting of myself, a little more comfortable in my own skin. Although it is important to recognize and admit my limitations and flaws, only my Higher Power can remove them. Condemning my imperfections has never enhanced my appreciation of life or helped me to love myself more.Meditation for the Day: I believe that life is a school in which I must learn spiritual things. I must trust in God and He will teach me. I must listen to God and He will speak through my mind. I must commune with Him in spite of all opposition and every obstacle. There will be days when I will hear no voice in my mind and when there will come ...Courage to Change: I suspect that if I reclaimed all the minutes, hours, and days I’ve sacrificed to worry and fear, I’d add years to my life. When I succumb to worry, I open a Pandora’s box of terrifying pictures, paranoid voices, and relentless self-criticism. The more attention I pay to this mental static, the more I lose my foothold ...

We once knew exactly what to expect, and now everything suddenly seems different. The homebody is never home; the life of the party is always sleeping; communication, intimacy, sex, responsibilities, and decision-making all change. At the same time, problems that we always attributed to drinking may persist even though the drinking has stopped.

Before coming to Narcotics Anonymous, many of us lived lives of utter hopelessness. We believed we were destined to die from our disease. Many members speak of being on a “pink cloud” their first months in the program. We’ve stopped using, made some friends, and life looks promising. Things are going great.

Ever ponder how long that email should be? He's a guide to help you decide the best word count bang for your buck! Written by Alex Sobal @asobal_weidert Whenever your teacher assig...Today’s Reminder: I am only a small cog in the machinery of the universe; my trying to run things my own way is doomed to failure. A bright and serene success is at hand once I learn to let go. Then I’ll have time to count my blessings, work on my own shortcomings, and enjoy each minute of every day. “What hurt could it do thee if thou ...On his desk, Dr. Bob had a plaque defining humility: “Perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised,AA Thought for the Day: In AA we often hear the slogan “Easy does it.” Alcoholics always do everything to excess. They drink too much. They worry too much.Maybe we think that if a spouse or lover leaves us, we will have to get high. If we lose our job, surely, we think, we will use. Or maybe it’s the death of a loved one that we expect to be unbearable. In any case, the reservations we harbor give us permission to use when they come true — as they often do. We can prepare ourselves for ...Talk about uncomfortable! While friendship almost always involves pondering at least one friend’s sanity or ethics, some friends take it to an unacceptable extreme. Some of these p...Addicts often feel terminally unique. We’re sure that no one used drugs like we did or had to do the things that we did to get them. Feeling that no one really understands us can keep us from recovery for many years. But once we come to the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous, we begin to lose that feeling of being “the worst” or “the craziest4 days ago · AA Thought for the Day: We can depend on those members of any AA group who have gone all out for the program. They come to meetings. They work with other alcoholics. We don’t have to worry about their slipping. They’re loyal members of the group. I’m trying to be a loyal member of the group. When I’m tempted to take a drink, I tell ... Courage to Change: I am so grateful to belong to a fellowship where everyone speaks for himself or herself. Al-Anon has no spokesperson, no authority who tells what “our” experience has been.Courage to Change: Thanks to Al-Anon’s Traditions, I am able to have a Sponsor whose politics are abhorrent to me. Although we totally disagree on other issues, this person has helped me learn valuable lessons about serenity, courage, and wisdom. If I had insisted on a Sponsor with political views exactly like my own, I would have missed out ...Daily Ponderables is your source for encouragement & inspiration 365 days a year. Subscribe!Courage to Change: Turning to an alcoholic for affection and support can be like going to a hardware store for bread. Perhaps we expect a “good” parent to nurture and support our feelings, or a “loving” spouse to comfort and hold us when we are afraid, or a “caring” child to want to pitch in when we are ill or overwhelmed. While ...

For centuries, Zen masters have used stories and koans, or paradoxical riddles, to help students realize their true nature. These stories are often puzzling and may seem nonsensica...Meditation for the Day: It is in the union of a soul with God that strength, new life, and spiritual power come. Bread sustains the body, but we cannot live by bread alone.May 6, 2024 · Thankfully, our newcomers are usually met by a group of friendly, smiling folks who are obviously fairly content with the lives they’ve found in Narcotics Anonymous. What an enormous amount of hope this provides! A newcomer, whose life has been deadly serious, is strongly attracted by an atmosphere of laughter and relaxation. Money makes the world go round, as the saying goes. But how and where we spend it are still very much up for grabs. One person who has been pondering that question and providing an...Instagram:https://instagram. gerardy photographyprepare2passhouse with breezeway to garagereptile expo denver Courage to Change: Turning to an alcoholic for affection and support can be like going to a hardware store for bread. Perhaps we expect a “good” parent to nurture and support our feelings, or a “loving” spouse to comfort and hold us when we are afraid, or a “caring” child to want to pitch in when we are ill or overwhelmed. While ...It’s the small things, the constant day-to-day challenges of living life without the use of drugs, that seem to affect most addicts most strongly in recovery. When the little things get to us, the Serenity Prayer can help us regain our perspective. We can all remember that “turning over” these small matters to the care of our Higher Power ... habaneros broken arrowsuper king weekly ad anaheim Oct 18, 2023 · Meditation for the Day: Not until you have failed can you learn true humility. Humility arises from a deep sense of gratitude to God for giving you the strength to rise above past failures. Humility is not inconsistent with self-respect. The true person has self-respect and the respect of others and yet is humble. AA Thought for the Day: The way of AA is the way of sobriety, fellowship, service, and faith. Let us take up each one of these things and see if our feet are truly on the way. The first and greatest to us is sobriety. The others are built on sobriety as a foundation. daily kos outage Going Beyond Step Five “We may think that we have done enough by writing about our past. We cannot afford this mistake.” – Basic Text, p. 32A sense of humor “We find that when we lose self-obsession, we are able to understand what it means to be happy, joyous, and free.” – Basic Text, p.