Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Thought for the week: Learn a new skillIt's an esteemable act to have the courage to learn something new.Affirmations for the week:I am willing to learn a new skill. This week, I will do something I'm not yet good at.Esteemable actions for the weekHave you ever avoided doing something because it was too hard or too scary? Have you ever not learned a new skill because you were afraid you'd make a mistake or just look silly? If you're like most of us, you've been there - done that. And like many people, you've missed out on a great deal of fun and opportunity because you were afraid to learn something new.Think of things you're good at. Now remember the first time you did that activity. I bet you weren't very good. Actually, if you're like me, you had to try, try, and try again before you got into the swing of things. Am I right? Yet it was the conscious, consistent practice of that new skill that ultimately made you proficient and confident that you could do it. Think about how good you felt when you finally got it right.No question about it, learning a new skill is hard, it's scary, and at times it's embarrassing. In the past, each time I tried something new and didn't get it the first time, I wanted to give up. It felt like the end of my world. But I didn't give up. There are even days when I know what I'm doing and still feel like I'm off the beam. And on those days, I just don't give up.Today I know whatever I'm experiencing is part of my learning process, whether it's using my computer or speaking in front of an audience. My job is to remain teachable. You are reading from the book: 52 Weeks of Esteemable Acts by Francine Ward 52 Weeks of Esteemable Acts © 2005 by Francine Ward. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org. Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org? Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address. Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge. They're our daily gift to you.
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Friday, November 4, 2016
Thursday, November 3, 2016
New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Peace of Mind ^*^*^ November 4
~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\ ~~ /)( \(AA)/ )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Peace of Mind"AA has taught me that I will have peace of mind in exact proportion to the peace of mind I bring into the lives of other people, and it has taught me the true meaning of the admonition 'happy are ye who know these things and do them.' For the only problems I have now are those I create when I break out in a rash of self-will."c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 551Thought to Consider . . . I never imagined that the greatest achievement of my life would be peace of mind.*~*AACRONYMS*~*P E A C E = Providing Experienced Attitude Changes Every day. *~*^Just For Today!^*~*Turning Point Step Seven: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. We saw we needn't always be bludgeoned and beaten into humility. It could come quite as much from our voluntary reaching for it as it could from unremitting suffering. A great turning point in our lives came when we sought for humility as something we really wanted, rather than as something we must have. It marked the time when we could commence to see the full implication of Step Seven: "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.1981 AAWS Inc.Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 75 *^Daily Reflections^*A DAILY DISCIPLINE . . . when they [self-examination, meditation and prayer] are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98 The last three Steps of the program invoke God's loving discipline upon my willful nature. If I devote just a few moments every night to a review of the highlights of my day, along with an acknowledgment of those aspects that didn't please me so much, I gain a personal history of myself, one that is essential to my journey into self-discovery. I was able to note my growth, or lack of it, and to ask in prayerful meditation to be relieved of those continuing shortcomings that cause me pain. Meditation and prayer also teach me the art of focusing and listening. I find that the turmoil of the day gets tuned out as I pray for His will and guidance. The practice of asking Him to help me in my strivings for perfection puts a new slant on the tedium of any day, because I know there is honor in any job done well. The daily discipline of prayer and meditation will keep me in fit spiritual condition, able to face whatever the day brings - without the thought of a drink.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*A Way Out of Depression"During acute depression, avoid trying to set your whole life in order all at once. If you take on assignments so heavy that you are sure to fail in them at the moment, then you are allowing yourself to be tricked by your unconscious. Thus you will continue to make sure of your failure, and when it comes you will have another alibi for still more retreat into depression. "In short, the 'all or nothing' attitude is a most destructive one. It is best to begin with whatever the irreducible minimums of activity are. Then work for an enlargement of these day by day. Don't be disconcerted by setbacks - just start over."LETTER, 1960*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society, from life itself. As we became subjects of King Alcohol, shivering denizens of his mad realm, the chilling vapor that is loneliness settled down. It thickened, ever becoming blacker. Some of us sought out sordid places, hoping to find understanding companionship and approval. Momentarily we did - then would come oblivion and the awful awakening to face the hideous Four Horsemen - Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionA Vision For You, pg. 151 *^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayI can do things that I never did before. Liquor took away my initiative and my ambition. I couldn't get up the steam to start anything. I let things slide. When I was drunk, I was too inert to even comb my hair. Now I can sit down and do something. I can write letters that need to be written. I can make telephone calls that should be made. I can work in my garden. I can pursue my hobbies. I have the urge to create something, that creative urge that was completely stifled by alcohol. I am free to achieve again. Have I recovered my initiative?Meditation for the Day"In Thy presence is fullness of joy: At Thy right hand are pleasures forever." We cannot find true happiness by looking for it. Seeking pleasure does not bring happiness in the long run, only disillusionment. Do not seek to have this fullness of joy by seeking pleasure. It cannot be done that way: Happiness is a byproduct of living the right kind of life. True happiness comes as a result of living in all respects the way you believe God wants you to live, with regard to yourself and to other people.Prayer for the DayI pray that I may not always seek pleasure as a goal. I pray that I may be content with the happiness that comes when I do the right thing.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You can now receiveTransitions Daily 3 ways: 1. Sign up at http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt - To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com wit 3. Follow Transitions Daily on Twitter https://twitter.com/transdaily Devotions are posted Daily via Email, Facebook and Twitter! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt. The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry. Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!
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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/3/2016
Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Getting angry can sometimes be like leaping into a wonderfully responsive sports car, gunning the motor, taking off at high speed and then discovering the brakes are out of order.--Maggie ScarfAnger can multiply our difficulties in many situations. All of us can look back and remember times when we only made our problems worse because we stepped on the gas and lost all ability to use the brakes. Now we are growing into more adulthood. We are learning to manage our feelings and use them well. This doesn't happen overnight. We would do well to recall how energized we have felt when we let our anger fly and how much we loved that energy at the moment. Only later did we face the damage we caused. Saying we are sorry isn't enough: we must also be willing to take on the harder task of changing our behavior. When we accept that we love the power and the energy of our anger and aggression, we can begin to rein it in and take charge of it rather than be ruled by it.Today I will not indulge in the pleasure of anger allowed to run wild. You are reading from the book: Wisdom to Know by Anonymous Wisdom to Know © 2005 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org. Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org? Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address. Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge. They're our daily gift to you.
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Wednesday, November 2, 2016
New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Recovery ^*^*^ November 3
~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\ ~~ /)( \(AA)/ )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Recovery"Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problems in the light of our experience can recover, provided he does not close his mind to spiritual concepts. He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial. We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the program. Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable"c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 570Thought to Consider . . .The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.*~*AACRONYMS*~*W H O = Willingness, Honesty, Openmindedness *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Undertaker or the Asylum From: "Bill's Story" It relieved me somewhat to learn that in alcoholics the will is amazingly weakened when it comes to combating liquor, though it often remains strong in other respects. My incredible behavior in the face of a desperate desire to stop was explained. Understanding myself now, I fared forth in high hope. For three or four months the goose hung high. I went to town regularly and even made a little money. Surely this was the answer - self-knowledge. But it was not, for the frightful day came when I drank once more. The curve of my declining moral and bodily health fell off like a ski-jump. After a time I returned to the hospital. This was the finish, the curtain, it seemed to me. My weary and despairing wife was informed that it would all end with heart failure during delirium tremens, or I would develop a wet brain, perhaps within a year. She would soon have to give me over to the undertaker or the asylum.2001 AAWS Inc.Alcoholics Anonymous, page 7 *^Daily Reflections^*FOCUSING AND LISTENINGThere is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98 If I do my self-examination first, then surely, I'll have enough humility to pray and meditate -- because I'll see and feel my need for them. Some wish to begin and end with prayer, leaving the self-examination and meditation to take place in between, whereas others start with meditation, listening for advice from God about their still hidden or unacknowledged defects. Still others engage in written and verbal work on their defects, ending with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. These three
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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/2/2016
Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:. . . love grows by service.--Charlotte Perkins GilmanWhen we shower someone special with much needed attention, or maybe flowers, or run an errand for a friend, or volunteer to do a favor for an unnamed person, we benefit in many ways. We're appreciated; we feel good about our own behavior, and we've tightened the connection to another person that fosters personal human development.Most of us long for more signs of love from one another. Yet we fail to understand that our own expression of love to that special someone will release the love we long to feel.Love multiplies with frequency of expression, whether stranger-to-stranger, friend-to-friend, lover-to-lover, parent-to-child; and everyone is the beneficiary.Love's expression spontaneously generates more of itself, thus promising each of us what we long for. You are reading from the book: Worthy of Love by Karen Casey Worthy of Love by Karen Casey. © 1985 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org. Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org? Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address. Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge. They're our daily gift to you.
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Tuesday, November 1, 2016
New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Oldtimers ^*^*^ November 2
~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\ ~~ /)( \(AA)/ )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Oldtimers "Many oldsters who have put our AA 'booze cure' to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. To attain this, we must develop real maturity and balance (which is to say humility) in our relations with ourselves, with our fellows, and with God."Bill W., AA Grapevine, January 1958c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 244Thought to Consider . . . Newcomers are the lifeblood of the program, but our oldtimers are the arteries. *~*AACRONYMS*~*C H A N G E = Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Every day*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Spirituality From "In His Own Individual Right": "Spirituality is an awakening or is it all the loose ends woven together into a mellow fabric? It's understanding or is it all the knowledge one need ever know? It's freedom if you consider fear slavery. It's confidence or is it the belief that a higher power will see you through any storm or gale? It's adhering to the dictates of your conscience or is it a deep, genuine, living concern for the people and the planet? It's peace of mind in the face of adversity. It's a keen and sharpened desire for survival. " New York, New York, USA" 1973 AAWS Inc.Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 5 *^Daily Reflections^*KEEPING OPTIMISM AFLOATThe other Steps can keep most of us sober and somehow functioning. But Step Eleven can keep us growing, . . . THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 240 A sober alcoholic finds it much easier to be optimistic about life. Optimism is the natural result of my finding myself gradually able to make the best, rather than the worst, of each situation. As my physical sobriety continues, I come out of the fog, gain a clearer perspective and am better able to determine what courses of action to take. As vital as physical sobriety is, I can achieve a greater potential for myself by developing an ever-increasing willingness to avail myself of the guidance and direction of a Higher Power. My ability to do so comes from my learning -- and practicing -- the principles of the A.A. program. The melding of my physical and spiritual sobriety produces the substance of a more positive life.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Is Happiness the Goal?"I don't think happiness or unhappiness is the point. How do we meet the problems we face? How do we best learn from them and transmit what we have learned to others, if they would receive the knowledge? "In my view, we of this world are pupils in a great school of life. It is intended that we try to grow, and that we try to help our fellow travelers to grow in the kind of love that makes no demands. In short, we try to move toward the image and likeness of God as we understand Him. "When pain comes, we are expected to learn from it willingly, and help others to learn. When happiness comes, we accept it as a gift, and thank God for it."LETTER, 1950 *~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that. It is a fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous. There you will find release from care, boredom and worry. Your imagination will be fired. Life will mean something at last. The most satisfactory years of your existence lie ahead."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionA Vision For You, pg. 152 *^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayI have faith. That thing that makes the world seem right. That thing that makes sense at last. That awareness of the Divine Principle in the universe which holds it all together and gives it unity and purpose and goodness and meaning. Life is no longer ashes in my mouth or bitter to the taste. it is all one glorious whole, because God is holding it together. Faith - that leap into the unknown, the venture into what lies beyond our ken, that which brings untold rewards of peace and serenity. Have I faith? Meditation for the DayKeep yourself like an empty vessel for God to fill. Keep pouring yourself out to help others so that God can keep filling you up with His spirit. The more you give, the more you will have for yourself. God will see that you are kept filled as long as you are giving to others. But if you selfishly try to keep all for yourself, you are soon blocked off from God, your source of supply, and you will become stagnant. To be clear, a lake must have an inflow and an outflow. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may keep pouring out what I receive. I pray that I may keep the stream clear and flowing.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You can now receiveTransitions Daily 3 ways: 1. Sign up at http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt - To subscribe now send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com wit 3. Follow Transitions Daily on Twitter https://twitter.com/transdaily Devotions are posted Daily via Email, Facebook and Twitter! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt. The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry. Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!
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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/1/2016
Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Honesty is not enoughAA tells us that we must be honest about our problems if we hope to overcome them. Some people seem quite willing to do this. But an honest admission alone does not solve our problems. We have to go beyond honesty by taking needed action to correct what's wrong in our lives.For example, we would not believe that anything had been corrected simply because a doctor diagnosed a physical problem. We know that such diagnosis is only a preliminary step that must lead to treatment to be effective. In the same way, an honest admission of our alcoholism does not lead to sobriety unless we take further action to address the problem.We should also be careful about becoming prideful in announcing our shortcomings. If we are recovering from alcoholism but excuse a bad temper as one of our "alcoholic defects," are we attempting to correct our behavior? The more prideful we are about any fault, the more difficult it will be to change it.Having become honest about my shortcomings, I'll look for opportunities today to make needed corrections in my behavior. If I find myself using my "alcoholic nature" as an excuse for unacceptable behavior, I'll take action to do something about it. You are reading from the book: Walk in Dry Places by Mel B. Walk in Dry Places by Mel B. © 1996 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org. Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org? Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address. Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge. They're our daily gift to you.
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