"Today's Hope" part 2

Old 11-26-2016, 09:08 AM
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"Today's Hope" part 2

This is part 2 of the thread "Today's Hope" which got too big for the server.

Part 1 can be found here:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...days-hope.html

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Old 11-27-2016, 06:12 AM
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November 27

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
To live or just exist - the choice is yours.
- Heard in a meeting

DAILY REFLECTION

Relax enough to face reality when life twists and turns.

Sometimes in life, no matter how deeply we intend to make the best decisions possible for ourselves, things happen. Marriages end, jobs turn sour, friends wane. For reasons outside our control or understanding, the situation twists and turns into something other than what we bargained for.

Have you been waiting for a situation to revert to what it originally was, or what you hoped it would be when you got in? Are you telling yourself that there's something wrong with you when the reality is that the situation has changed into something other than what you thought it was? Things often don't go as smoothly as we planned. Sometimes we need to endure and get through the rough spots. But I'm talking about those grindingly difficult moments when life suddenly twists on us.

These are the times we need to quit torturing ourselves. Let go of what you thought would happen. If life has twisted on you, don't turn on yourself. Don't try to make things be the way they were. Come up to speed. Return to now. Let yourself accept the new situation at hand.

The road isn't always a straight course. Sometimes even a path with heart unexpectedly twists and turns.

God, help me relax and trust myself enough to deal with reality, not my fantasy of what I hoped it would be.

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Old 11-28-2016, 12:52 PM
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November 28

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
When I react to someone, that person becomes my Higher Power.
​ - Heard in a meeting

DAILY REFLECTION
At the center of your being, you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.
- Lao Tzu

Today I set a very important boundary with a loved one, though I was afraid. I am extremely grateful to my HP for getting me through that situation. Now that I have set that boundary, I am still afraid because I know that that boundary will be poked, prodded, pushed, and tested, and reinforcing it will be difficult and cause me pain.

I find myself at a spiritual crossroads; I can listen to my fear which at the moment is trying really hard to masquerade as truth, or I can listen to my soul which is my connection to my Higher Power. The fear tells me to take down the boundary, apologize immediately, and not rock the boat. That would certainly be the easier way. However, in order to do that, I will have to tell myself that what my soul needs does not matter as much as what my loved one’s ego wants.

That would have been an easy thing to tell myself before I came to recovery and worked the Steps. But now I value my connection with my Higher Power above all things and all people. So I know that I cannot anymore tell myself that my soul does not matter. So instead, I will take the more difficult road and continue to set the boundary because I know that boundary is my way of respecting and loving myself. And that is what my Higher Power wants for me. And I trust that my Higher Power will not lead me where my Higher Power will not protect me. I am never alone.

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Old 11-29-2016, 12:31 PM
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November 29

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
In true friendship, one can express anything and everything without feeling ashamed or afraid of being rejected.
- Aparna Chatterjee

DAILY REFLECTION
Being Kind

This morning I walked down to the lake to look at the ice, which was breaking into large sheets and floating past. As I watched, I noticed a small group of wild ducks who seemed to be hoping that I had brought them some bread. I trudged back through the snow, grabbed a bag of bread from the kitchen, and went back down to feed them.

By the time I returned, they had swum away. Just then a little five-year-old girl, all dressed in pink, came walking up to me shyly across the snowy bank. "Would you like to feed the ducks with me?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. Her smile was radiant.

We both stood on the shore, calling out to the ducks, until first the seagulls arrived, and then a few of the brave mallards and finally, the whole motley crew of birds swam over and surrounded us. There were little soft birds up close to my new friend's feet as she reached down and gently gave them bits of bread.

Her father was taking photos, so proud of his little girl when he suddenly stopped, embarrassed, and said, "I'm so sorry. We should have brought our own bread."

"Don't be silly," I told him. "There's more than enough bread for all of us."

He smiled and laughed as we emptied the bag of bread, talking about life, children, the beautiful day and the ducks, before I finally waved goodbye and headed back to write.

Today I am reminded of the chain reaction of kindness and how one small thoughtful act can create a ripple that reaches out to touch the far shore.

Dear God, thank you for bringing me moments of happiness and joy. Help me to always hold kindness in my heart and to share my goodwill with all around me.

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Old 11-30-2016, 12:42 PM
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November 30

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
If you have some respect for people as they are, you can be more effective in helping them to become better than they are.
- John W. Gardner

DAILY REFLECTION
So live that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.
- Will Rogers

It is a challenge to live in the present, but Step Ten gives us a way to do just that. It is a maintenance step, a way to stay true to ourselves. As we continue to take inventory of our attitudes and behavior, we find ourselves growing in self-acceptance and self-love. In the past, the last thing we wanted to do was be honest. Now, possessing serenity and faith, we can see that our shortcomings are only that: shortcomings. They are part of who we are, and every part of ourselves is important.

Taking a personal inventory is not a way to sit in judgment of ourselves. Rather, it enables us to examine our behavior with honesty and gentleness. It is an affirmation that growth is a process; we do it throughout our lives. Taking time for a personal inventory is a way to say that our needs are important, our good points are important, and our character defects are important. We are whole people, lovable just as we are.

I will take time for an inventory today. I will admit my wrongs, give myself credit for my accomplishments, and give the day to God with gratitude.

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Old 12-01-2016, 12:40 PM
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December 1

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
What we call human nature in actuality is human habit.
- Jewel

DAILY REFLECTION
Fortunate are the people whose roots are deep.
- Agnes Meyer

Deep roots offer strength and stability to an organism. They nourish it plentifully. They anchor it when the fierce winds blow. We each are offered the gifts of roots when we give ourselves fully to the program.

We are never going to face alone any difficult situation after discovering recovery. Never again need we make any decision in isolation. Help is constant. Guidance through companionship with others and our contacts with God will always be as close as our requests. The program anchors us; every prayer we make, every step we take, nourishes the roots we are developing.

Becoming rooted in the program, with daily attention to the nourishment we need, offers us sanity and hope. We discover that all things can be handled; no situation is too much for us. Strength, confidence, freedom from fear are the benefits of our deepening roots. We will be anchored if we do what needs to be done by us. The program's gifts are ours, only if we work the program.

I won't neglect my roots today. I will nourish them so they in turn can fill me up with confidence when my need is there.

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Old 12-02-2016, 12:14 PM
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December 2

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
When I go to extremes, I'm sure to find misery close behind.
- Heard in a meeting

DAILY REFLECTION
Live and Let Live

Live and let live is good advice. The more comfortable we are with the knowledge that each of us has a unique journey to make, a specific purpose to fulfill, the easier it is to let other people live their own lives. When family members are in trouble with alcohol or other drugs, it's terribly difficult to let them have their own journey. Because we love them, we feel compelled to help them get clean and sober. In reality, all we can do is pray for their safety and well-being. Their recovery is up to them and their Higher Power.

For some of us it's a leap of faith to believe there really is a Divine plan of which we are all a part. And perhaps it's not even necessary to believe. But we'll find the hours of every day gentler if we accept that a Higher Power is watching over all of us.

Being able to let others live and learn their own lessons is one of our lessons. The more we master it, the more peaceful we'll be.

I have enough to do just living my life today. I can let others do what they must.

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Old 12-03-2016, 06:25 AM
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December 3

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
When I turned myself over to God, I took my life out of the hands of an idiot.
​ - Heard in a meeting

DAILY REFLECTION
Slow Down and Let Go

On a road trip up the California coast a while back, I tried to call home only to find that the battery in my cell phone had died. I worried. What if someone needed to get in touch with me? What if there was a problem with the house? What if my family couldn't find me and got worried?

I passed the exit to the beach that I had always wanted to see. I obsessed some more.

I stopped for breakfast at a restaurant overlooking the Pacific ocean. I asked if they had a pay phone. They didn't. I barely noticed the stunning view, the smell or the sound of the surf, and I can't remember eating my eggs and toast.

I put off seeing things until another trip and took the freeway to get home early.

When I got home, there were no messages. No one had needed me; no one had even been aware that I was gone. But I had missed out on the treasures of the trip. I had spent so much time obsessing that I could barely remember where I'd been.

God, help me enjoy where I am right now.

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Old 12-03-2016, 06:27 AM
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OK, I have to share this w/you:

The actual page where I get this reading every day says this for the Daily Slogan/Saying portion:

When I turned myself over to God, I took my life out of the nads of an idiot.

I laughed. I laughed pretty hard.
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Old 12-03-2016, 07:10 AM
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That is funny. I wonder if it was intentional?

Your thought for today? I have a short thing I say to myself when I catch myself obsessing or ruminating. It brings me back to this moment and keeps me present.

"Be where your feet are."
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Old 12-03-2016, 07:35 AM
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Originally Posted by honeypig View Post
OK, I have to share this w/you:

The actual page where I get this reading every day says this for the Daily Slogan/Saying portion:

When I turned myself over to God, I took my life out of the nads of an idiot.

I laughed. I laughed pretty hard.
OMG, now that's a freudian slip if ever I saw one! Thanks for sharing!
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Old 12-04-2016, 10:41 AM
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December 4

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
Hate is like fire; it burns those who hold it.
- Alden Loveshade

DAILY REFLECTION

How we treat other people comes back to us – always. Offering others understanding and compassion changes how we perceive the world around us on a daily basis. Our acts of love inspire love from others. What we send out to the people who share our path changes, ever so subtly, the complexion of each life we touch. In fact, the whole world is changed by even the tiniest of acts.

The simple truth is, our own attitudes often determine what kind of experiences we'll have. Anger and resentment won't bring us peace. Suspicion and accusation will backfire. Most of us have tried to control all the people and all the experiences in our lives. And we have failed. Now we are realizing that the love that comes back to us is the love that we express.

I will feel love today from at least one person if I offer it to many.

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Old 12-05-2016, 12:13 PM
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December 5

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
- Marcel Proust

DAILY REFLECTION
Beginning

New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.
- Lao Tzu

Most often when I mourn an end, it is intricately wrapped up with fear of the future. Recovery has allowed me to realize that when something or someone leaves my life, it is because my Higher Power is leading me to the next part of my spiritual journey which can only help me grow and improve in life and love. In the past, it was difficult for me the trust that everything would work out because I had nothing in particular to trust. Now I can trust my loving Higher Power.

This, I used to think, meant that I couldn’t ever feel upset if I truly trusted and loved my Higher Power. Now, I’ve come to realize that I am not in a place where I can do that. For me, my spiritual journey has meant that I can honor the fact that I am in pain at times without basing my decisions solely on this emotion.

Now, when I leave a situation or a person, it is still with a heavy heart. I honor my feelings, but I have an open mind and open arms in trusting my my Higher Power with my future.

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Old 12-05-2016, 12:14 PM
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I always pay extra attention to readings about endings/beginnings. I have a tough, tough time w/endings and letting go of things that have run their course and served their purpose. *I've always loved sunrises but never cared much about sunsets. Spring is my favorite season--fall, not so much. To me, the new beginning, the possibilities, are what it's all about.

I hope that by paying attention to endings and what they have to teach me, I can learn to "honor my feelings" while letting go of what is worn out, used up, done. I want to learn to say goodbye w/grace...
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Old 12-06-2016, 11:31 AM
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December 6

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
Please God first, yourself second, and everyone else third.
- Heard in a meeting

DAILY REFLECTION
Reacting

Sometimes I allow my temper to get the better of me, and when I do, I jump to react. But the problem with reacting during a moment of intense emotion is that I often say things or do things I later regret. When I let my emotions take over, I act from a place that is not in line with my spiritual path.

Reacting without stepping back to calm my mind leads me to make assumptions--assumptions that often prove to be inaccurate.

Today, I try my best to walk away from a heated moment and give myself time to process the situation and use logic to clearly think on the problem. Then, when I feel that I can approach the situation again with a bit of compassion and a bit of maturity, I do so, sure in my behavior.

Dear God, help me to be rational. Help me to choose to react as a loving and kind adult in all situations that may try my spiritual growth.

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Old 12-06-2016, 11:53 AM
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Originally Posted by honeypig View Post
OK, I have to share this w/you:

The actual page where I get this reading every day says this for the Daily Slogan/Saying portion:

When I turned myself over to God, I took my life out of the nads of an idiot.

I laughed. I laughed pretty hard.


I think, this applies to us men
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Old 12-07-2016, 10:38 AM
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December 7

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
When you finally accept that it's OK not to have answers and it's OK not to be perfect, you realize that feeling confused is a normal part of what it is to be a human being.
- Winona Ryder

DAILY REFLECTION
I've shut the door on yesterday and thrown the key away. Tomorrow holds no fears for me since I have found today.
- Vivian Yeiser Laramore

Feeling guilty or ashamed about the past - about what we did or did not do, about what happened to us, about who we were - can be our undoing. We must work long and hard in our recovery to work through these feelings, not to forget the past, for it informs all that we value in ourselves today, but to put the past into perspective.

After we've taken an inventory and grieved our losses we must forgive ourselves. In forgiving ourselves, we can let go of the past and live in today. With our program of recovery, looking back is not as frightening as it once was. And today we do not have to bear what we find alone.

A new year, a new life, can be ours. Love and friendship, support and spiritual growth are waiting for us today. Our yesterdays are over, and we can look to the future with joy and anticipation.

Today help me forgive myself for what's past and learn to have faith in Your plan for me.

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Old 12-08-2016, 12:17 PM
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December 8

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
It helps to learn the difference between being responsible to others and being responsible for others.
- Heard in a meeting


DAILY REFLECTION
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.
- Rainer Maria Rilke

We carry problems and discrepancies within us, quandaries that are not easily answered, and we have bigger questions about life and the world. Why did I act as I did in my younger years? Can my life partnership be happy again? How should I handle a secret that I carry? What is this thing we call Higher Power and God?

We are on a journey, and in some ways, this journey is a quest for answers. The questions give energy and direction to our seeking. We cannot expect to get quick or easy answers. And some questions will always remain just that: questions. But we can learn to be patient with ourselves, tolerant of our incompleteness, and always curious about how it will all turn out.

Today I will practice patience with myself and embrace my unsolved questions as crucial elements in my quest.

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Old 12-08-2016, 12:20 PM
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December 8

This is posted from the "Today's Hope" site of Alanon.

DAILY SLOGAN/SAYING
It helps to learn the difference between being responsible to others and being responsible for others.
- Heard in a meeting

DAILY REFLECTION
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.
- Rainer Maria Rilke

We carry problems and discrepancies within us, quandaries that are not easily answered, and we have bigger questions about life and the world. Why did I act as I did in my younger years? Can my life partnership be happy again? How should I handle a secret that I carry? What is this thing we call Higher Power and God?

We are on a journey, and in some ways, this journey is a quest for answers. The questions give energy and direction to our seeking. We cannot expect to get quick or easy answers. And some questions will always remain just that: questions. But we can learn to be patient with ourselves, tolerant of our incompleteness, and always curious about how it will all turn out.

Today I will practice patience with myself and embrace my unsolved questions as crucial elements in my quest.

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Old 12-08-2016, 12:21 PM
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Uncle Walt^^ is one of my favorite guys. He also said this:

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