TODAY'S GIFT - DECEMBER 2014

[majestyjo]

Saturday, December 27, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


In this sad world of ours, sorrow comes to all, and it often comes with bitter agony. Perfect relief is not possible except with time.
—Abraham Lincoln

Time may or may not heal all wounds. It depends on how we use the time. If we deny our sorrow, or runaway from it, or hope it will just go away by itself, we will be miserable. But if we turn and face it, and express our sadness in healthy ways, somehow we are transformed by the sorrow itself. While the loss is still there, it begins not to hurt so much.

We can express our sadness in many ways. Crying is probably the healthiest means of expressing grief. It's good to cry, even for men, because it releases tension and stress, and we find a little peace afterwards. It is true that tears are healing.

Getting angry and expressing our anger in appropriate, healthy ways also helps to heal wounds of loss, strange as it may seem. Yes, in time and with the courage to express our feelings, our wounds are indeed healed.

What is a healthy way to express my anger at a loss?

The best thing I can do in today, is to come to some kind of acceptance, knowing that I don't have to like it. I know that I have to express it and not internalize it like I did in the past. I still don't do tears well, even though I have over 20 years in recovery, but they do come. Sometimes after a meditation, I will sit and the tears just come down my face and they are unshed tears from my past.

I found that many things in today have hooks in past events that were not grieved properly at the time, so I have to get to the root cause and allow myself to heal thoroughly from the inside out, not just cover over the surface hurt. Scars are not just on the surface, they have many layers. The body has memories. I found it good not to give them any more, heal as I go.

[majestyjo]

Sunday, December 28, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


I'll walk where my own nature would be leading - It vexes me to choose another guide.
—Emily Bronte

We journey across many intersections in our lives. Some may point in two directions, while others lead off in several. Our choice of direction can be difficult, especially when our friends choose a road we know to be dangerous. When this happens, we can choose to go our own way without them. If they begin to tease and taunt us about our decisions, may we remember that they are as scared as we were about their friends' reaction. We are not, after all, living for someone else. If we would be leaders, we can be assured that true leadership comes from following our own directions with confidence that it's right for us, not from fear of losing others' company.

We can let others live their own lives without us, if their direction is not for us. We can walk away with pride, satisfied in the knowledge that we refused to allow other people's fears change our decisions.

How have I gone my own way recently?

Well as it said in the Language of Letting Go, I don't panic, I know that if I apply Step Three to my life, my life is in my God's Care. There have been several people who have been put in my path and over the years we have parted ways for one reason or another. I think of my favourite piece of prose, "A Reason, a Season, a Life Time. Sometimes they are in our life to teach us what not to do, just as much as they are they are put in our life to show us a new life experience.

[majestyjo]

Monday, December 29, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


The price of dishonesty is self-destruction.
—Rita Mae Brown

There once was a woman who told her husband what she thought he wanted to hear. She told him she was happy when she wasn't. She told him she liked his friends when she didn't. She tried to figure out what he wanted so she could do it for him. She felt hurt when he didn't do the same for her. She felt he should also try to read her mind and do what she wanted without her having to express it. She was scared to tell him how she really felt.

However, her pain and resentment grew so much she couldn't stand it any longer, so she told him her true feelings. He was so used to hearing her lies that he called her a liar when she told the truth. Now she knew how much she had hurt herself by trying to please him at the cost of her own honesty and needs.

Honesty is necessary for a good relationship with anyone. When we lie to ourselves, we cannot tell the truth to others. By being honest, we open our doors to others, we trust them with our true feelings, and they love us for who we really are.

Who can I tell how I really feel today?

Spend some time with ourselves. Learn to recognize what is our 'stuff' and what is that of our loved ones and what we tend to take on what is not ours. Many times I have done a meditation with my cards and I have drawn cards that have no meaning to me and I realize that someone has projected their stuff onto me and needs help or I am thinking of someone and taking on their stuff and focusing on them, instead of detaching and setting boundaries. It is one thing to be aware, but then we need to let go and let God.

[majestyjo]

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


Telling the truth is a pretty hard thing.
—Thomas Wolfe

Lying can be like sailing choppy waters. The more we lie, the higher the waves get, and the harder the sailing. When we lie, we feel we've failed ourselves and others. We have to work hard to cover up our lies, and the fear of someone finding out is always with us.

If we ask God for courage to tell the truth, we can be like the sailboat on a clear and calm day. We can enjoy the small waves and the light warm breeze we've given ourselves. Honesty is a good habit, and is easy. With a little faith in our own worth, we can choose the calm waters' honesty and apply our creativity to new, growth-oriented activities instead of covering up old mistakes.

How can I smooth my waters right now?

By not throwing stones, muddying the waters, and making waves. I think it is called minding my own business. My son mentioned detox today and made it known it was in his time, but the thought is there. All I can do is pray.

[majestyjo]

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift


Finish each day and be done with it. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Two of the most useless phrases in the English language are "what if" and "if only." We waste so much time and energy thinking about what we might have done and wishing we had acted or reacted differently. We imagine how things might have turned out "if only . . ."

All of us make mistakes. To go back and wonder and wish about our yesterdays prevents us from living fully today. Each day is a fresh chance; a new beginning. We can only squeeze what we can out of the moment and let the drops fall where they may. Some will evaporate and some will form rainbows.

Can I forget about yesterday and start a fresh new day?

That is why I like the slogan, "Each day is a new beginning." All I can do is try.

[majestyjo]

Readings for December 2017