DAILY PONDERABLES Together WE Trudge The Road OF Happy Destiny

Daily Reflections A FELLOWSHIP OF FREEDOM . . . if only men were granted absolute liberty, and were compelled to obey no one, they would voluntarily associate themselves in the common interest. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 50 When I no longer live under the dictates of another or alcohol, I live in a new freedom. When I release the past and all the excess baggage I have carried for so very long, I come to know freedom. I have been introduced into a life and a fellowship of freedom. The Steps are a "recommended" way of finding a new life, there are no commands or dictates in A.A. I am free to serve from desire rather than decree. There is the understanding that I will benefit from the growth of other members and I take what I learn and bring it back to the group. The "common welfare" finds room to grow in the society of personal freedom. From the book Daily Reflections © Copyright 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Twenty-Four Hours A Day A.A. Thought For The Day The A.A. way of living is not an easy one. But it's an adventure in living that is really worthwhile. And it's so much better than our old drunken way of living that there's no comparison. Our lives without A.A. would be worth nothing. With A.A., we have a chance to live reasonably good lives. It's worth the battle, no matter how tough the going is from day to day. Isn't it worth the battle? Meditation For The Day The spiritual life has two parts. One is the life apart, the life of prayer and quiet communion with God. You spend this part of your life apart with God. Every day your mind can be set in the right direction so that your thoughts will be of the right kind. The other is the life impart--imparting from others what you have learned from your own meditative experience. The victories you have won over yourself through the help of God can be shared with others. You can help them by imparting to them some of the victory and security that you have gained in your life apart. Prayer For The Day I pray that I may grow strong from my times apart with God. I pray that I may pass on some of this strength to others. From the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day © Copyright 1975 by Hazelden Foundation

NA - Just for Today Indirect amends Page 176 "Indirect amends may be necessary where direct ones would be unsafe or endanger other people." Basic Text, p. 41 When we used, we allowed nothing to stand in the way of that next high. As a result, many of us didn't always know precisely whom we had injured, either financially or emotionally. When it came time to make amends through our Ninth Step, we found that there were so many people we had victimized that we might never remember them all. With the help of our sponsor and other recovering members of NA, we found a solution to this obstacle. We vowed to complete these nameless amends by making restitution to our communities. We focused our service efforts on helping the still-suffering addict. In this manner, we found a way to give back to society. Today, with the love and guidance of members in NA, we are giving back to the world around us rather than taking. We are making our communities better places to live by carrying the message of recovery to those we encounter in our daily lives. Just for Today: I will make indirect amends by reaching out to an addict who may need help. I will strive in some small way to make my community a better place in which to live. From the book Just for Today © Copyright 1991-2013 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Thought for Today "Live every moment as if it were the most miraculous thing you could ever imagine, because it is." "If nothing goes right ... try going left!"  Bugs Bunny (thanks Rabbi Jenny) Schadenfreude   In German there’s a word that helps defines a certain feeling That word is schadenfreude and it rises when you’re dealing With things that agitate you, when your patience’s running thin It’s happening most often when others get under your skin   Most alcoholics have a tendency to react differently Then normal people do, ignore the possibility That there may be a reason why folks act the way they do Their actions, in reality, are not aimed at me or you   Schadenfreude means enjoying other folk’s misfortune Take pleasure when their way of life has met with some distortion These types of though may feel good for a moment, maybe two It’s then we need to realize we should take a different view   You’re driving on a highway when you see this other car Weaving in and out of traffic, it’s behavior quite bazar He beeps you to move over, your frustration is increased Until a few miles later he’s been stopped by the police   He got what he deserved; you start to revel in his pain Then suddenly a new thought makes its way into your brain There might have been a reason that he drove in such a way Perhaps to reach a friend in need before he went astray   We hear it in our meetings and we read it in our text About the thing we can control, it’s really not complex When others say or act in ways that go against our grain We need to pause ‘fore we react, our instincts to restrain   The Universe will challenge us through people and events That make us feel uncomfortable, at times they’re quite intense But staying mad can lead to self-inflicted discontentment Which paves the way for us to start to harbor a resentment   Resentments are a killer, they destroy serenity And have the chance to take along our frail sobriety Wanting to get even for injustices we perceived Will only add to our malaise, it’s part of our disease   There are some times when Schadenfreude really does no harm Like when the bad guy in a movie’s made to buy the farm We know he had it coming for the awful things he’d done We’re glad he got his just deserts, but this was just for fun   But in real life it’s difficult, at times, to not feel nice To see someone that we dislike is forced to pay the price For actions that got us upset or made us wish him ill Resentment’s at the root of it, a most disturbing pill   So, when you find yourself engulfed in this type of behavior It’s time to take another look and do yourself a favor Think back on lessons you have learned, and you might get a clue What make you act of feel this way begins and ends with you Larry R.

Buddha/Zen Thoughts If you want to know the past, to know what has caused you, look at yourself in the present, for that is the past’s effect. If you want to know your future, then look at yourself in the present, for that is the cause of the future. -Majjhima Nikaya It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. ~ Confucius

Native American "I am particularly found of the little groves of oak trees. I love to look at them, because they endure the wintry storm and the summer's heat, and, not unlike ourselves, seem to flourish by them." --Sitting Bull, SIOUX Every season, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, has gifts that it gives to all creatures. The animals will develop thicker furs just before Winter and will shed this fur in the Spring. Squirrels will store their food in the Fall; other animals build up fat so they can hibernate during the Winter. We can watch all forms of nature and see all creatures work in harmony with the seasons. The secret for us is to learn by observing nature. Watch the trees. Learn from them. We human beings need to learn the gifts and blessings of the seasons. Grandfather, Grandmother, teach me to live in harmony with the seasons.

Keep It Simple Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.    --- Rodin When we first start our recovery, it hurts a lot to look at our past. We feel sad. It feels like our life was a waste. But it wasn't a waste. The program promises that if we practice the Steps, we'll not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. Hard to believe? Just look at all the happy old-timers in AA. Their lives were just as messed up as ours. Because of our addiction, we're learning a new way to live. We are getting to know ourselves, our Higher Power, and other people. Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thanks for helping me into recovery. Help me learn from my addiction. Action for the Day: I'll list three important things I've learned about life because of my addiction. I'll talk to my sponsor about them.

Big Book Chapter 7     Working With Others(pg 102 & 103) Why sit with a long face in places where there is drinking, sighing about the good old days. If it is a happy occasion, try to increase the pleasure of those there; if a business occasion, go and attend to your business enthusiastically. If you are with a person who wants to eat in a bar, by all means go along. Let your friends know they are not to change their habits on your account. At a proper time and place explain to all your friends why alcohol disagrees with you. If you do this thoroughly, few people will ask you to drink. While you were drinking, you were withdrawing from life little by little. Now you are getting back into the social life of this world. Don’t start to withdraw again just because your friends drink liquor. Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of maximum helpfulness to others, so never hesitate to go anywhere if you can be helpful. You should not hesitate to visit the most sordid spot on earth on such an errand. Keep on the firing line of life with these motives and God will keep you unharmed. Many of us keep liquor in our homes. We often need it to carry green recruits through a severe hangover. Some of us still serve it to our friends provided they are not alcoholic. But some of us think we should not serve liquor to anyone. We never argue this question. We feel that each family, in the light of their own circumstances, ought to decide for themselves. We are careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as an institution. Experience shows that such an attitude is not helpful to anyone. Every new alcoholic looks for this spirit among us and is immensely relieved when he finds we are not witchburners. A spirit of intolerance might repel alcoholics whose lives could have been saved, had it not been for such stupidity. We would not even do the cause of temperate drinking any good, for not one drinker in a thousand likes to be told anything about alcohol by one who hates it. Some day we hope that Alcoholics Anonymous will help the public to a better realization of the gravity of the alcoholic problem, but we shall be of little use if our attitude is one of bitterness or hostility. Drinkers will not stand for it. After all, our problems were of our own making. Bottles were only a symbol. Besides, we have stopped fighting anybody or anything. We have to!