New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/30/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Boundaries Fences are built to keep valuable things safe--to keep children and pets from escaping or running headlong into danger. Roadways have painted lines to keep cars in their own lane, and homes have signs to keep interlopers away. Boundaries keep things in place, keep things just so. Keep problems from popping up. Keep things under control. Boundaries are a necessity. Boundaries don't need to be wrapped in barbed wire or topped with shards of glass or constructed of three-foot-thick blocks of concrete. Boundaries don't need to be hostile. Or harsh. Boundaries can also be neatly trimmed hedges or flower gardens or silken lengths of rope. Boundaries can be passive. Quiet. They don't have to push and shove--sometimes, they're just there. A definition of space. A reminder not to cross. Boundaries are what I make of them. They are what I need them to be. To protect myself and others. Boundaries are a necessity. Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries. Don't leave home without them. Jeff Brown You are reading from the book: Tending Dandelions by Sandra Swenson Tending Dandelions © 2017 by Sandra Swenson. 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.   Are you or a loved one struggling with alcohol or other drugs? Help starts here. Call us at: 1-866-755-3221               Managing your email subscriptions Have 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 Foundtion, 15251 Pleaant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW3, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 1-866-755-3221 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/29/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is: At Oran, as elsewhere, for lack of time and thinking, people have to love one another without knowing much about it. --Albert Camus What is time for? How often we say, "I don't have the time for ______" (meaning our marriages, our friends, our children, our hobbies, our parents, ourselves). Just what is important anyway? Some people seem to do everything in the margins of their lives, without thinking or knowing much about it. They go to school, get married, have children, get divorced, experience losses, get jobs, all rather offhandedly. Their attention always seems to be somewhere else. All of us are preoccupied sometimes. And sometimes, in the middle of our lives, the preoccupation clears. "I woke up this morning and took a long look at my life. What have I gotten myself into!" Suddenly, somehow, our full attention is turned on the matter at hand. Suddenly, we have time to think. What's revealed then is the pattern of our lives. Did we make choices at random, irresponsibly? Now that we can see, are there parts we can do over? I'll endeavor to write my life story in the center of the page, not in the margins. You are reading from the book: The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey & Martha Vanceburg. © 1983, 1991 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.   Are you or a loved one struggling with alcohol or other drugs? Help starts here. Call us at: 1-866-755-3221               Managing your email subscriptions Have 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 Foundtion, 15251 Pleaant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW3, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 1-866-755-3221 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/28/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Look, the wind vane fluttering in the autumn breezeTakes hold of certain things that cannot be held.--Feng ChihWhen we think we are losing our grip, we have good reason to look up. Consider the moon suspended in the sky, how it continues to come and go, follows its natural law, and never really loses face. Consider the sun, the stars, the seasons, how they refuse to abandon us, to let go of their hold on our lives. And, come closer to home, we can marvel at the magic of small efficient things - the toaster and stove, the light in the room, the words in a good book that are permanent, faithful, and clear. We can consider how music, without saying a word, still speaks to us, and how a few friends, maybe miles away, continue to hang on to the strength of our small and faithful words.We can keep in mind that we are part of a complex and loving system, and our grip can never be lost. You are reading from the book: Today's Gift by Anonymous Today's Gift © 1985, 1991 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.   Are you or a loved one struggling with alcohol or other drugs? Help starts here. Call us at: 1-866-755-3221               Managing your email subscriptions Have 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 Foundtion, 15251 Pleaant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW3, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 1-866-755-3221 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/27/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Praise God!We did not create this program on our own, and we did not achieve abstinence by ourselves. Our recovery is a gift, just as life is a gift. Light, the natural world, our nourishment, talents, love, and fellowship - all come from our Higher Power. Our role is to receive, use wisely, share, and enjoy the blessings God has showered upon us. When we get over the idea that we can do everything by ourselves, we become receptive to the moving force that creates and sustains us. As we stop looking at life from our own egotistical point of view, we begin to see God's glory. No longer a slave to our desires for material things, we are able to rejoice in our Higher Power and to share our joy with those around us. Our recovery makes us examples of God's power to heal and renew. In You, there is great joy. You are reading from the book: Food for Thought by Elisabeth L. Food for Thought by Elisabeth L. © 1980, 1992 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.   Are you or a loved one struggling with alcohol or other drugs? Help starts here. Call us at: 1-866-755-3221               Managing your email subscriptions Have 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 Foundtion, 15251 Pleaant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW3, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 1-866-755-3221 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/26/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is: Zip It Not every thought needs to become a spoken word. Not every feeling needs to become an action. Sometimes I need to just keep quiet. If my words will seem harsh—if they will ridicule, judge, or critique—I won't say them. If they will be unkind, I will be kind and leave them unsaid. If I have an opinion (or advice) that hasn’t been asked for, I will keep it to myself. If it's not an objective fact, I won't present it; if it's not a truth, I won't spread it; if it's not mine to discuss, I won't discuss it. If I don't want to know or don't need to know—and if I cannot or should not do anything about it—then I will not ask about it. If I'm mad, I don't need to yell it; if I'm resentful, I don't need to prove it; if I'm hurting, I don't need to hurt someone back. I need to think before I speak or act. Mostly, I just need to zip it. A closed mouth gathers no foot. Anonymous   You are reading from the book: Tending Dandelions by Sandra Swenson Tending Dandelions © 2017 by Sandra Swenson. 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.   Are you or a loved one struggling with alcohol or other drugs? Help starts here. Call us at: 1-866-755-3221               Managing your email subscriptions Have 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 Foundtion, 15251 Pleaant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW3, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 1-866-755-3221 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/25/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Today I Will TrustToday, I will stop straining to know what I don't know. To see what I can't see. To understand what I don't yet understand. I will trust that being is sufficient, And I will let go of my need to figure things out. You are reading from the book: The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie The Language of Letting Go © 1990 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.   Are you or a loved one struggling with alcohol or other drugs? Help starts here. Call us at: 1-866-755-3221               Managing your email subscriptions Have 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 Foundtion, 15251 Pleaant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW3, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 1-866-755-3221 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.    

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New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 9/24/2017

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Sharing our experiences heightens our joy and lessens out pain.Not letting other people know what's troubling us causes the problem to trouble us even more. "Secrets keep us stuck," say the wise ones on our journey. Sharing what's on our mind with a friend or sponsor gives that person an opportunity to help us develop a better perspective. On the other hand, staying isolated with our worries exaggerates them. Staying isolated with our joys isn't helpful either. It minimizes them, thus cheating us out of feeling their full thrill. We deserve joy in our lives – lots of it – because we will have our full measure of pain. Perhaps we fear others will criticize us for being braggarts if we sing forth our joy. But our real friends will sing right along with us. Our joys are deserved; they offset our trials. Telling others about both will let all our experiences count for something.I will remain open to my friends today, sharing both my worries and my joys. You are reading from the book: A Life of My Own by Karen Casey A Life of My Own by Karen Casey. © 1993 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.   Are you or a loved one struggling with alcohol or other drugs? Help starts here. Call us at: 1-866-755-3221               Managing your email subscriptions Have 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 Foundtion, 15251 Pleaant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW3, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 1-866-755-3221 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.    

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