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I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne'er a word said she;
But, Oh, the things I learned from her
When Sorrow walked with me!
-- Robert Browning Hamilton
We may think that forgetting the past is essential for growth and peace of mind. It's a tempting idea: we'll start over again, we think, fresh and new. But if we lose that old pain, we'll also lose all that we learned. We may repeat our mistakes, or make even worse ones next time. Dwelling on the past is equally dangerous. We began recovery to build a better life.
To find and maintain our balance, each area of our lives needs attention. A healthy mind in a healthy body is free to find God. And, with God's help, we can learn to recognize and forgive our past mistakes, while we keep the remarkable lessons we learned from life.
With our remembering, with our inventory, we can truly experience the repentance that frees us from regret and remorse. When we acknowledge our mistakes, we can learn from them and come to forgive ourselves.
Today help me use my memories to learn and change. Help me to forgive my past. |
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Sat Jun 02, 2007 5:29 pm |
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| Nicol
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
In the beginning, you want to overcome your malady, but you're helpless, and so you turn to a Power greater than yourself. By trusting in that Higher Power, you get the strength to arrest the affliction. From then on you want to keep control, and that's a matter of re-educating your mind. After a while you come to really enjoy simple, healthy, normal living. You get a kick out of life without the warps of distress. All you have to do is look around all the members of the group, and you will see how their outlook has changed. Is my outlook on life changing?
MEDITATION FOR THE DAY
I will never forget to say, "Thank you," to God, even on the grayest days. My attitude will be one of humility and gratitude. Saying, "Thank you," to God is a daily practice that is absolutely necessary. If a day is not one of thankfulness, the practice has to be repeated until it becomes so. Gratitude is a necessity for those who seek to live a better life.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
I pray that gratitude will bring humility. I pray that humility will bring me to a better life. |
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Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:51 pm |
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| Nicol
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~ SUFFERING ~
"The desire to stop suffering is not the
same thing as the desire to stop the
behavior we are doing which causes us to
suffer."
Dr. James Golden
Our disease of addiction causes
tremendous suffering to ourselves and to
those around us. It consumes our lives
and often leads to painful losses. No
matter how profoundly we long to be rid
of our disease, recovery is not
something that falls into our laps just
because we want it. We don't magically
stop being compulsive eaters just
because that's our desire. It would be
great if recovery happened magically and
all we'd have to do is say, "I don't
want this disease any more, I don't want
to suffer any longer." If it were that
easy, we'd immediately find ourselves in
a place of complete and total
recovery. Unfortunately, it does'nt work
that way.
In the depths of my disease I cried out
to the God of my understanding to help
me achieve abstinence and an alleviation
of my suffering. What was the answer to
my prayers? This wonderful Twelve Step
program.
One of the first things I learned was
that I could wish and hope and pray, but
until I put feet to my prayers and
actually started working the Steps, I
would'nt recover from my disease. God
will only do for us what He can do
through us. If I'm not willing to do
even a little bit of the work, I
should'nt expect recovery. If I wont
take the first step on this journey, I
can't expect to reach my final
destination. I can do some things for
myself, like putting the Steps into
practice, but what about the things I
can't do for myself? I'll let God handle
those.
ONE DAY AT A TIME . . .
I'll remember that it's not enough
to want to stop suffering from my disease;
I also need to do some footwork to make it happen. |
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Sat Jul 07, 2007 5:36 pm |
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~ HONESTY ~
"Our lives improve only when we take
chances ~ and the first and most
difficult risk we can take is to be
honest with ourselves."---Walter Anderson
After the initial shock and realization
that I am a compulsive overeater, it
transpired that in order to recover, I
had to get honest. This was -- and still
is -- a painful process for me, yet it
is an essential step towards my
recovery.
First I had to admit that I wasn't in
control of my life and that recovery
couldn't be achieved unaided. As with
most revelations, this was an
uncomfortable truth to behold. I was
also prompted through honesty to stop
blaming everyone else for my
unwillingness to help myself. I had to
find conviction in my actions and not
just emptiness in my words.
I conceded that I am not as perfect as I
would like to think. I make mistakes and
sometimes slip from the path of
recovery, but with honesty comes
acceptance that I am only human. This
disease would deceive me into thinking
that I am a failure when in fact it's my
actions that have failed me. Like a
magician who performs illusions for the
crowd, this disease would have me think
I have committed unforgivable
sins. Honesty is the key to my recovery;
it unlocks the chains that have
imprisoned me for so long. It allows me
to recognize my weaknesses and turn them
into strengths. It turns simple
existence into life ~ and
inner-conflicts into outward serenity.
ONE DAY AT A TIME . . .
I will be honest with myself. |
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Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:49 pm |
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| Nicol
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HUMILITY IS THE FIRM FOUNDATION upon which our spiritual life is built. Humility is not underestimating our worth or allowing ourselves to be defined by another. … Humility invites us to say “no thank you” to being the center of our own universe. Humility is recognizing that we are God’s creation and allowing ourselves to be grounded in that truth.
- Kathleen R. Flood, OP
Alive Now |
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Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:55 pm |
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