. . . as awareness increases, the need for personal secrecy almost proportionately decreases. —Charlotte Painter— We hang onto secrets when we’re unsure of ourselves and the role we’re asked to play—secrets about our inner thoughts, our dreams and aspirations, our feared inadequacies. Because we strive for perfection, assume it’s achievable, and settle for no less in all our activities, we are haunted by our secret fears of not measuring up. The more committed we become to this program, the greater is our understanding of the fallacy of this way of thinking. And as our awareness increases, the more accepting we become of our human frailty, and the less need we have to cover it up. Our mental health is measurable by the openness we offer to the world. Secrets belie good health and heighten the barriers to it. The program’s Fourth and Fifth Steps are the antidotes to being stuck in an unhealthy state of mind. They push us to let go of our secrets, freeing us from the power they wield. Practicing the principles of the program offers the remedy we need for the happiness we deserve. I will share a secret today and be free of its power over my life.
Our Folded Hands
Women helping Women. Reaching out to the Sister who still suffers. Helping each other through the Good times and the Difficult times. To get to the SOBER way of life, One Day at a Time.
Daily Readings And Meditations
New Beginnings
Reflections
A CLASSIC PRAYER Lord, make me a channel for thy peace – that where there is hatred, I may bring love – that where there is wrong. I may bring the spirit of forgiveness – that where there is discord, I may bring harmony – that where there is error, I may bring truth – that where there is doubt, I may bring faith – that where there is despair, I may bring hope – that where there are shadows, I may bring light – that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted – to understand, than to be understood – to love, than to be loved. For it is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life. Amen. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 99 No matter where I am in my spiritual growth, the St. Francis prayer helps me improve my conscious contact with the God of my understanding. I think that one of the great advantages of my faith in God is that I do not understand Him, or Her, or It. It may be that my relationship with my Higher Power is so fruitful that I do not have to understand. All that I am certain of is that if I work the Eleventh Step regularly, as best I can, I will continue to improve my conscious contact, I will know His will for me, and I will have the power to carry it out.
Promise
Life is a battle in which we fall from wounds we receive in running away. —William L. Sullivan— Our experience in this life is a composite of many lessons—lessons which will ease our personal growth and offer us the opportunities necessary to encourage our unique contributions. Clearly, not all lessons are easy or pleasurable when we first encounter them, but their rewards are great if we choose to learn from them, and we can be certain that no lesson is without its reward. Those things we need to experience, to learn, to understand, will present themselves again and again until we have attended to them. We may choose to close our minds one time, and even close them again, but the lesson will not be put off for long. Another experience will surround us, offering once again the opportunity necessary for the personal growth we’re destined to realize. We must trust that our lives are unfolding in ways that will evoke our full potential, and that no challenge comes that earlier lessons haven’t prepared us for. Tackling my lessons head-on is a decision I can make today.
Keep It Simple
To love others, we must first learn to love ourselves. —-Anonymous— Sometimes we think our life would be fine if that dream person showed up. But loving someone isn’t easy. Our bad habits cause problems. We have to change. Sometimes we aren’t ready to have a special person. We have to have a group of people—our recovery group—to love and help us get healthy. We must learn to trust, to be honest, to give help, and to love others. The truth is, no one person can make our life wonderful—except us. We hold happiness inside of us. It’s in our spirit. Look no further. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me love myself Action for the Day: I’ll list five ways I will love myself today.
Thought For The Day
I no longer waste money, but try to put it to good use. Like all of us, when I was drunk, I threw money around “like a drunken sailor.” It gave me a feeling of importance–a millionaire for a day. But the morning after, with an empty wallet and perhaps some undecipherable checks to boot, was a sad awakening. One of the hardest things to face is the fact of wasted money. How could I have been such a fool? How will I ever make it up? Thoughts like these get you down. When we are sober, we spend our hard earned money as it should be spent. Although some of us could be more generous in our A.A. giving, at least we do not throw it away. Am I making good use of my money? Meditation For The Day You were meant to be at home and comfortable in the world. Yet some people live a life of quiet desperation. This is the opposite of being at home and at peace with the world. Let your peace of mind be evident to those around you. Men should see that you are comfortable, and seeing it, know that it springs from your trust in a higher power. The dull, hard way of resignation is not God’s way. Faith takes the sting out of the winds of adversity and brings peace even in the midst of struggle. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may be more comfortable in my way of living. I pray that I may feel more at home and at peace with myself.
My Thoughts For The Day
🌞 Good Morning Sunshine and Welcome to Our Day❗…💃💪🌅…We have so many possibilities today❗ …But will we choose to see them…😍💖…The choice is up to us. We can open our EYES and really SEE our OPPORTUNITIES to help others. to get outside ourselves and to stop the negative self-talk that plays up in our minds. The majority of what we tell ourselves WE WOULD NEVER SAY TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING…😱🤬👹…SO WHY DO WE TORTURE AND BEAT OURSELVES UP WITH THESE EMOTIONAL HEAD GAMES…😜🙄…Let us be more GENTLE and POSITIVE with OURSELVES…🦋…So We can Get back to Serenity and PEACE of MIND as quickly as We can… 🌹🕊…For when We are Centered in our HIGHER POWER, We tend to walk with less Noise in my our heads …🐯👼 and this is when We get a Break From the constant CHATTER of the COMMITTEE that seems to gather in our heads frequently …👥🗣🧠…and this often gives us the chance we need to MAKE THAT NEEDED PHONE CALL, PAUSE and PRAY, TALK TO OUR SPONSOR’S…🗣🤳 👩👵 …to take that much needed breath that tells me,”ALL IS WELL❗”…☕🍩YOU ARE FABULOUS AND AMAZING MY SISTERS❗…🤗👭👀💪😇✌💐😊👌🦉🌟🌞☕💋💋💋💄 I LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH…🙋👩❤️👩 AND YOU ARE NOT ALONE…✨💐…YOU ARE ENOUGH TODAY… 😉