GOOD TH0UGHTS FOR THE DAY

[caressa]

DAILY OM

Sending Yourself Sunshine
Good Thoughts For The Day

When things go wrong, it is easy to get into a bad mood, and that bad mood has a way of spiraling out and affecting our life for days to come. In the same way, when we feel badly about ourselves, we tend to act in ways that have repercussions, again creating a negative vibe that can negatively influence the next several days. While it is important that we allow ourselves to feel what we feel, and to be genuine, we do not have to completely surrender to a dark mood or feelings of self-doubt. In fact, the more we simply allow and accept our darkness as one part of the picture, the more easily we can also allow and accept our light. In this vein, we can temper our grey moods with an injection of sunshine in the form of sending good wishes to ourselves for the next 24 hours.

If you feel a bad mood coming on or find yourself plagued with negative feelings, take a moment to acknowledge that. At the same time, recognize that things can and will change, and that you can still have a good day, or a good week, especially if you take the time to visualize that for yourself. This is a great way to support yourself when you are working through tough times and hard feelings. When you visualize good things for yourself, you are sending yourself love and warmth, as well as encouraging yourself to keep going.

Before you even get out of bed in the morning, you can take the time to send good wishes to yourself all the way through to the next morning. As you picture your day, take the time to fill in the details—where you are going, who you will see, what you will do—and send love and good wishes ahead to yourself, as well as everyone you encounter. It will be like arriving in a new place and finding that an old friend has sent a bouquet of flowers from back home to welcome you and remind you that you are loved.

What do you think?

[caressa]

Sounds like a good plan to me. I started the day off with going to my chiropractor and got my body aligned, after I aligned myself with my HP. The day has gone well, have also been to the market, the library and Denningers and it isn't 10:30 a.m. yet. I have a doctor's appointment at 2 p.m. today, if things go this well, I might make bridge tonight. I haven't been able to play for a month.

[caressa]

Went to bridge today. Had a good game and came in second with a partner that I have only played with once before. For me if I get 50% I have been competitive and today we had 56%. I hadn't played for a month so was play poor, good thing he played most of the hands. What bothered me was that I didn't listen to myself. A couple of times I had the thought, but passed instead of making a bid and missed out on slam.

[majestyjo]

Went to an AA today. Went to see my friend, but she wasn't there. She is always there, the corner stone of the group. Ended up she had eye surgery. We had been playing phone tag, and I don't remember her telling me, but she might have, my memory is very short term these days.

The good things was the fact that I got to the meeting. The really good thing was the fact that I picked up the phone when I got home and we had a meeting over the phone. One alcoholic sharing with another alcoholic.

[majestyjo]

Nature is the Art of God.
--Sir Thomas Browne

My relationship with nature and plants is almost like religion with me.
--Monty Cralley

Trying to pray is praying.
--Anonymous

"Nothing is good or bad but by comparison."

-- Thomas Fuller

[majestyjo]

"I've been told to shake hands and have started doing so, even though it feels awkward ... I know one thing and one thing only: Today I'm sober and loved by members of my home group, even though I might not love myself yet."

Waukesha, Wisconsin, March 2006
"Head Full of AA and a Belly Full of Beer,"
AA Grapevine

I was told that I was only half a hand shake. I had to reach out to others to complete the whole.

[majestyjo]

One Day at a Time . . .
I will seek to feel and face the pain on this journey, knowing that understanding and healing will follow through my Higher Power's hand.
~ Ohitika

[majestyjo]

Laughter
... important tasks that make good Twelfth Step work possible, perhaps arranging for the coffee and cake after the meetings, where so many skeptical, suspicious newcomers have found confidence and comfort in the laughter and talk.
- 12 Steps & 12 Traditions, p 110

Thought to Ponder . . .
Laughter is the sound of recovery.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
B E S T = Been Enjoying Sobriety Today?

Especially like "Laughter being the sound of recovery." It was one of the things that attracted me, along with the fact that people had been staying sober, doing what I had tried to do for 8 years on my own. I didn't know about AA. It was such a glorious gift when I found it.

[majestyjo]

Peace is one of our greatest needs because it provides for the strength we need in times of turmoil. Lord, I turn to You because You are my source of peace.



Stand tall and smile often and it will be very difficult to be unhappy. Lord, may my disposition reflect the joy and peace that is Your Will.

[majestyjo]

There is no end to what the Lord wants to do for you
1 Samuel 22:3b '....until I know what God is going to do for me.'

- There is no end to what the Lord wants to do for you.
- Sometimes we go through seasons where we are not sure what His plan is.
- At these times we need to wait until He speaks or makes His plan clear.
- When He speaks or guides us, we need to respond in obedience.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You that You never just leave me. You are always involved in my life and You promise to be the lamp to my feet and the light to my path. Amen.

Kind Regards
Pastor Andrew & Vanessa Roebert

[majestyjo]

Without you, there is no me. You show me what to do, what not to do, do my research for me, mirror my inner soul, and when you share, you remind me that I am no longer alone.

Just sending a hug your way. Always good to reread something old that becomes new again in today.

[majestyjo]

~ UNCONDITIONAL LOVE ~

The ultimate lesson all of us have to learn is unconditional love,
which includes not only others but ourselves as well.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book

The only person you can ever be better than is the person you were yesterday.

[majestyjo]

Walk in Dry Places

Fixing needs____ Inventory.
AA pioneers once thought of their work as "fixing" drunks. That was dropped in AA, but "getting a fix" survives in the drug culture
The truth is, we can't fix anybody, nor can we fix any problem with a destructive, mood altering drug. What we're really seeking … what every compulsive person really seeks…. Is to fix the conflicting needs that tear us apart at the seams.

We can fix many of those needs over time if we practice Twelve step principles. "That searching and fearless moral inventory", humbling though it may be, will expose the fierce drives that are consuming us. Sharing the truth about ourselves with others helps us understand both what is right and what is wrong in our lives. The power to change ourselves, when we desire it, comes from a Higher Power… God as we understand Him.

Somebody has summed this process up this way: "Need a fix? Fix the need!" We can use that idea to fix our needs today by following the Twelve step program. At times, we may not even by completely aware of our real needs. This too will be revealed to us as we continue in this program.

I'll start my day by affirming that there's no need that can cause me to do anything destructive. As any problem arises, I learn how to fix my needs in healthy ways.

[majestyjo]

Wisdom Of The Rooms

Quote of the Week

“Life is as bad as I want to make it.”

I used to make my life really hard. I’d wake up with a bad attitude and immediately begin searching for all the things that were wrong or that could go wrong. I hated my job but felt stuck in it. If I was in a relationship, I couldn’t wait to get out, and if I was single I was sure I always would be. When people tried to point out possibilities and options, I always found the negative. My life was pretty bad, and apparently I was determined to keep it that way.

When I hit bottom and had to enter the program, I was sure my life had descended to a new low. At first all I focused on were people talking about their problems. As I worked the Steps, though, I began to change. Soon I started listening for and finding solutions, and I began applying them in my life. Over time my life began to improve but what made the most dramatic difference was my attitude got better. Hope returned and possibilities appeared, and soon my life got kind of good. In fact, I even began imagining a brighter future.
​​​​​​​
Before I got sober, I used to think there were a lot of bad days. I heard in a meeting once that there are no bad days – just bad attitudes about a day. Someone said that on any given day somebody was going to a Beverly Hills dealer to pick up her new Bentley. It was a wonderful day for her, and they said that I lived in that same day. What made the difference was attitude. Today I have the tools to adjust my attitude and know how to be grateful for all I have and all that can be. I know that today my life can be as good as I want to make it.

A long-timer use to say, "I don't have bad days any more, just bad moments in a day. Thanks to the program, I have tools to deal with them and I don't have to carry them around all day."

[majestyjo]

April 26

A weed is but an unloved flower.
--Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Through actively loving one another we nurture the richness of everyone's fuller expression. With no more than a nod of attention we can elicit a smile or perhaps a commitment to attempt again a challenge that defeated us earlier. None of us shines as brightly, moves as swiftly, or succeeds as easily as when someone special is rooting in our corner.

We each need someone special, and let's not forget that we are someone special to another who is walking our path. The loneliness of a day is diminished when we feel the love of someone near or far. The dread of any task is lessened when we bask in the knowledge that we are special to someone. Like roses, we bloom while under the gaze of loving eyes.

Let's remember to nurture the rose within the friends and strangers who are walking our way today.

You are reading from the book:

Worthy of Love by Karen Casey

[majestyjo]

April 27

God's Will

How do we know what God's will is, especially when we're running around with a severe case of self-will run riot? How can we make sure the choices we're making are God's will when our options seem confusing and we're not sure what to do? What about when we do something we think is God's will and it doesn't work out? Do we blame ourselves? Or do we count our mistakes as lessons we needed to learn along the way?

Sometimes when I recover from a particularly exhausting bout of self-will, I think that my mistakes were just a waste of my time. But then something happens, and I see that my worst mistakes are recyclable. What I learn from mistakes translates into something else that works out for the good.

We do have choices, and they have consequences. Most philosophers agree that free will is the greatest gift given to human beings. And we're responsible for what we choose or don't choose. But most of us, who have some practice with God's will, agree that there's a little extra something taking place.

Getting a publishing contract to write my book Codependent No More was a passion and a dream I'd had for years. But when I went down into my basement to write it, I hit the wall. I didn't know what to say.

It finally turned into one of those surrender deals. What am I thinking of? I said to myself. If it's God's will, the book will get done. And if its not part of God's plan for my life, then it doesn't matter whether it gets done or not. There's something else I'm meant to do. I could see how futile and ridiculous it was to worry about whether anything would - or wouldn't work out.

No matter what happened or didn't, God's will was more than enough.

With all my ups and downs, I still believe with all my heart that God's will is the best thing around.

There's a peace, a harmony, a rhythm to God's will. It's a solid undercurrent, a path that takes us through, over, or around whatever we face, including the Unknown. We don't always know when we've gotten out of or away from it, but we can sure feel it when we get back on track.

You are reading from the book:

52 Weeks of Conscious Contact by Melody Beattie

[majestyjo]

Just Blue Sky

Sometimes we get stuck in our limitations. If you want to get unstuck, let your awareness become like the sky, stretched from horizon to horizon, vast and unlimited, just potential and blue sky!

Feel your potential and you'll work through your limitations and everything else in the best way you can.

[majestyjo]

April 29

Your Mood, Your Choice

Do you let someone or something dictate your mood? You do know, you don't have to. To be in a good mood or a bad mood, is your choice. So, if someone's a bit moody today or if something is just not right, remember to choose your mood.

[majestyjo]

April 29

I wish I hadn't lost track of the guys I was stationed with. I kick myself for that.
--Tom Harding

We all have regrets, don't we? Some of us left jobs or spouses or neighborhoods only to wish we hadn't. Perhaps we closed the door on our family of origin and then felt grief when parents or siblings died. More commonly we regret the instances when our mean spirited behavior or attitude hurt someone else. We weren't always honest and forthright; we didn't always try to help a friend or co-worker who needed our advice. We simply didn't put our best self forward when the opportunities for doing so presented themselves.

Dwelling on the "shoulds" of past years is fruitless. We did the best we knew how to do at the time. The past is gone. Let's quit digging up the bones of old regrettable experiences. All they do is cloud our minds when we're trying to respond to today's opportunities.

I won't have anything to regret tomorrow if I respond to today with my best self.

You are reading from the book:

Keepers of the Wisdom by Karen Casey

[majestyjo]

April 30

The best outcome is just and equitable.

Principle over Personality - Looking ahead to this day, I may face a possible conflict with another person over a certain issue. How should I respond to this?

If I'm to follow my principles, I should hold to the idea of seeking the best outcome for everybody concerned. It may be very harmful to look at these conflicts as a case of winning or losing. If I seem to win when I'm wrong, I will lose in the long run. If I seem to lose even when I'm right, I can know that there's a just resolution of everything in time. I will always win, however, if I keep my thinking straight and take care to avoid resentment and bitterness.

It's not surprising that the world is beset by conflicts. Millions of people have conditioned themselves to selfish ways of thinking and behaving that are bound to cause such conflicts. Much harm is done by people who are absolutely sure they are right at all times.

As human beings, we cannot expect to be excluded from these conflicts simply because we have a Twelve Step program. We do, however, have a means of dealing with such conflicts effectively when we respond according to principle. This makes us privileged people, in a way, but it is good to know that any person can have the same privileges by following the right principles.

Unpleasant as any conflict may seem, it does give me an opportunity to learn and to grow. I will seek to benefit from any such conflict today.

You are reading from the book:

Walk in Dry Places by Mel B.