Even then, as we hew away, peace and joy will still elude us. That's the place so many of us A.A. oldsters have come to. And it's a hell of a spot, literally. How shall our unconscious--from which so many of our fears, compulsions and phony aspirations still stream--be brought into line with what we actually believe, know and want! How to convince our dumb, raging and hidden "Mr. Hyde" becomes our main task. THE BEST OF BILL, pp. 42-43
Regular attendance at meetings, service and helping others is the recipe that many have tried and found to be successful. Whenever I stray from these basic principles, my old habits resurface and my old self also comes back with all its fears and defects. The ultimate goal of each A.A. member is permanent sobriety, achieved One Day at a Time.
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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Feeling good about ourselves is a choice. So is feeling guilty. When guilt is legitimate, it acts as a warning light, signaling that we're off course. Then its purpose is finished.
Wallowing in guilt allows others to control us. It makes us feel not good enough. It prevents us from setting boundaries and taking other healthy action to care for ourselves.
We may have learned to habitually feel guilty as an instinctive reaction to life. Now we know that we don't have to feel guilty. Even if we've done something that violates a value, extended guilt does not solve the problem; it prolongs the problem. So make an amend. Change a behavior. Then let guilt go.
Today, God, help me to become entirely ready to let go of guilt. Please take it from me, and replace it with self-love.
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"LOVE" devoid of self-gratification, is in essence, the will, to the greatest good...of another.
When the morning sun comes up on a nice bright day & we jump out of bed, we're thankful to God that we feel well & happy instead of sick & disgusted. Serenity & happiness have become much more imporatant to us than the excitement of drinking, which lifts us up for a short while, but lets us way down in the end. Of course, all of us alcoholics had a lot of fun with drinking, we may as well admit it. We can look back on a lot of good times, before we became alcoholics. But the time comes when drinking ceases to be fun & becomes trouble. Have I learned that drinking can never be anything but trouble for me?
Meditation for the Day ~
I must rely on God. I must trust Him to the limit. I must depend on the Divine Power in all human relationsips. I will wait & trust & hope, until God shows me the way. I will wait for guidance on each important decision. I will meet the test of waiting until a thing seems right before I do it. Every work for God must meet this test of time. The guidance will come, if I wait for it.
Prayer for the Day ~
I pray that I may meet the test of waiting for God's guidance. I pray that I will not go off on my own.
(Let it be a God or Higher Power of our own understanding) Danielle x
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Progress not perfection.. & Practice makes Progress!