The Language of Letting Go, Part 1
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October 24
You are reading from the book "The Language of Letting Go."
Opening Ourselves to Love
Open ourselves to the love that is available to us.
We do not have to limit our sources of love. Higher Power and the Universe have an unlimited supply of what we need, including love.
When we are open to receiving love, we will begin to receive it. It may come from the most surprising places, including from within us.
We will be open to and aware of the love that is and has been there for us all along. We will feel and appreciate the love from friends. We will notice and enjoy the love that comes to us from family.
We will be ready to receive love in our special love relationships too. We do not have to accept love from unsafe people - people who will exploit us or with whom we don't want to have relationships.
But there is plenty of good love available - love that heals our heart, meets our needs, and makes our spirit sing.
We have denied ourselves too long. We have been martyrs too long. We have given so much and allowed ourselves to receive too little. We have paid our dues. It is time to continue the chain of giving and receiving by allowing ourselves to receive.
Today I will open myself to the love that is coming to me from the Universe. I will accept it and enjoy it when it comes.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved
Opening Ourselves to Love
Open ourselves to the love that is available to us.
We do not have to limit our sources of love. Higher Power and the Universe have an unlimited supply of what we need, including love.
When we are open to receiving love, we will begin to receive it. It may come from the most surprising places, including from within us.
We will be open to and aware of the love that is and has been there for us all along. We will feel and appreciate the love from friends. We will notice and enjoy the love that comes to us from family.
We will be ready to receive love in our special love relationships too. We do not have to accept love from unsafe people - people who will exploit us or with whom we don't want to have relationships.
But there is plenty of good love available - love that heals our heart, meets our needs, and makes our spirit sing.
We have denied ourselves too long. We have been martyrs too long. We have given so much and allowed ourselves to receive too little. We have paid our dues. It is time to continue the chain of giving and receiving by allowing ourselves to receive.
Today I will open myself to the love that is coming to me from the Universe. I will accept it and enjoy it when it comes.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved
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Oh I love this one.
I went fishing on Saturday, just me and my dog. I was the only one on that stretch of river. The air was cool but the sun was bright and warm enough that i could wear just my t shirt for a while while I hiked around. I sat for a while and listened to it all with my eyes closed and the sun on my face and felt immense love. Like the sun was shining right there, just for me and my dog...and not a fish caught all day....maybe God was loving on the fish that day too
It really is all around us, isn't it?!
I went fishing on Saturday, just me and my dog. I was the only one on that stretch of river. The air was cool but the sun was bright and warm enough that i could wear just my t shirt for a while while I hiked around. I sat for a while and listened to it all with my eyes closed and the sun on my face and felt immense love. Like the sun was shining right there, just for me and my dog...and not a fish caught all day....maybe God was loving on the fish that day too
It really is all around us, isn't it?!
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It really is all around us, isn't it?!
I had a long day at work and was tired and cranky but decided to go for a walk anyway, and I'm so glad I did.
It sure is everywhere.
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October 25
You are reading from the book "The Language of Letting Go."
Letting Go of the Past
... in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me when as yet there was none of them.
--Ps. 139:16
Some people believe that each of our days were planned, Divinely Ordered, before we were born. Higher Power knew, they say, and planned exactly what was to transpire.
Others suggest we chose, we participated in planning our life - the events, the people, the circumstances that were to take place, in order to work through our issues and learn the lessons we needed to master.
Whatever our philosophy, our interpretation can be similar: Our past is neither an accident nor a mistake. We have been where we needed to be, with the necessary people. We can embrace our history, with its pain, its imperfections, and its mistakes, even its tragedies. It is uniquely ours; it was intended just for us.
Today we are right where we need to be. Our present circumstances are exactly as they need to be for now.
Today I will let go of my guilt and fear about my past and present circumstances. I will trust that where I have been and where I am now are right for me.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
Letting Go of the Past
... in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me when as yet there was none of them.
--Ps. 139:16
Some people believe that each of our days were planned, Divinely Ordered, before we were born. Higher Power knew, they say, and planned exactly what was to transpire.
Others suggest we chose, we participated in planning our life - the events, the people, the circumstances that were to take place, in order to work through our issues and learn the lessons we needed to master.
Whatever our philosophy, our interpretation can be similar: Our past is neither an accident nor a mistake. We have been where we needed to be, with the necessary people. We can embrace our history, with its pain, its imperfections, and its mistakes, even its tragedies. It is uniquely ours; it was intended just for us.
Today we are right where we need to be. Our present circumstances are exactly as they need to be for now.
Today I will let go of my guilt and fear about my past and present circumstances. I will trust that where I have been and where I am now are right for me.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
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October 26
You are reading from the book "The Language of Letting Go."
Clarity
I know better than to not trust Higher Power, but sometimes I forget that.
When we are in the midst of an experience, it is easy to forget that there is a Plan. Sometimes all we can see is today.
If we were to watch only two minutes of the middle of a television program, it would make little sense. It would be a disconnected event.
If we were to watch a weaver sewing a tapestry for only a few moments and focused on only a small piece of the work, it would not look beautiful. It would look like a few peculiar threads randomly placed.
How often we use that same, limited perspective to look at our life, especially when we are going through a difficult time.
We can learn to have perspective when we are going through those confusing, difficult learning times. When we are being pelted by events that make us feel, think, and question, we are in the midst of learning something important.
We can trust that something valuable is being worked out in us, even when things are difficult, even when we cannot get our bearings. Insight and clarity do not come until we have mastered our lesson.
Faith is like a muscle. It must be exercised to grow strong. Repeated experiences of having to trust what we can't see and repeated experiences of learning to trust that things will work out are what makes our faith muscles grow strong.
Today I will trust that the events in my life are not random. My experiences are not a mistake. The Universe, my Higher Power, and life are not picking on me. I am going through what I need to go through to learn something valuable, something that will prepare me for the joy and love I am seeking.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
Clarity
I know better than to not trust Higher Power, but sometimes I forget that.
When we are in the midst of an experience, it is easy to forget that there is a Plan. Sometimes all we can see is today.
If we were to watch only two minutes of the middle of a television program, it would make little sense. It would be a disconnected event.
If we were to watch a weaver sewing a tapestry for only a few moments and focused on only a small piece of the work, it would not look beautiful. It would look like a few peculiar threads randomly placed.
How often we use that same, limited perspective to look at our life, especially when we are going through a difficult time.
We can learn to have perspective when we are going through those confusing, difficult learning times. When we are being pelted by events that make us feel, think, and question, we are in the midst of learning something important.
We can trust that something valuable is being worked out in us, even when things are difficult, even when we cannot get our bearings. Insight and clarity do not come until we have mastered our lesson.
Faith is like a muscle. It must be exercised to grow strong. Repeated experiences of having to trust what we can't see and repeated experiences of learning to trust that things will work out are what makes our faith muscles grow strong.
Today I will trust that the events in my life are not random. My experiences are not a mistake. The Universe, my Higher Power, and life are not picking on me. I am going through what I need to go through to learn something valuable, something that will prepare me for the joy and love I am seeking.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
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October 27
You are reading from the book "The Language of Letting Go."
Step Eleven
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with Higher Power, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
--Step Eleven of Al Anon
"... praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out" means that we ask on a daily basis to be shown the plan for that day. We also ask our Source for the power we need to carry that through. We will get a yes to both requests.
We do not ask other people to show their will for us. We ask Higher Power. Then we trust that we'll be empowered to carry Higher Power's will through.
Higher Power never, never asks us to do anything that He would not equip us to do. He never asks us to do anything we can't do. If we are to do it, we will be empowered. That's the easy part of this program. We never have to do more than we can, or anything we can't. If we want to worry and fuss we can, but we don't need to. That is our choice.
I have learned, through difficult and good times that this Step will carry me through. When I don't know what to do next, Higher Power does. Working this Step, one day at a time, will take us to places we could never have traveled on our own. Simple acts, done daily in accordance to Higher Power's will for us, lead to a Grand Plan for our life.
Today I will focus on asking Higher Power to show me what He wants me to do. I will ask Higher Power for the power to do that; then I will go ahead and get the job done. Higher Power, help me let go of my fears about living life one day at a time. Help me trust that when life is lived simply and in trust, a beautiful mosaic called "my life" will be woven. I am being divinely led, guided, and cared for.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
Step Eleven
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with Higher Power, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
--Step Eleven of Al Anon
"... praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out" means that we ask on a daily basis to be shown the plan for that day. We also ask our Source for the power we need to carry that through. We will get a yes to both requests.
We do not ask other people to show their will for us. We ask Higher Power. Then we trust that we'll be empowered to carry Higher Power's will through.
Higher Power never, never asks us to do anything that He would not equip us to do. He never asks us to do anything we can't do. If we are to do it, we will be empowered. That's the easy part of this program. We never have to do more than we can, or anything we can't. If we want to worry and fuss we can, but we don't need to. That is our choice.
I have learned, through difficult and good times that this Step will carry me through. When I don't know what to do next, Higher Power does. Working this Step, one day at a time, will take us to places we could never have traveled on our own. Simple acts, done daily in accordance to Higher Power's will for us, lead to a Grand Plan for our life.
Today I will focus on asking Higher Power to show me what He wants me to do. I will ask Higher Power for the power to do that; then I will go ahead and get the job done. Higher Power, help me let go of my fears about living life one day at a time. Help me trust that when life is lived simply and in trust, a beautiful mosaic called "my life" will be woven. I am being divinely led, guided, and cared for.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
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October 28
You are reading from the book "The Language of Letting Go."
Meditation and Prayer
The Eleventh Step asks us to meditate as a route to improving our conscious contact with Higher Power.
Meditation is different than obsessing or worrying. Obsession and worrying are fear connections. Meditation means opening our mind and our spiritual energy to the Higher Power connection.
To connect with Higher Power, we need to relax as best we can and open our conscious and subconscious mind to a Higher Consciousness, one that is available to each of us.
In the busyness of our day and life, it may seem like a waste of time to slow down, to stop what we're doing and take this kind of break. It is no more a waste of time than stopping to put gas in our car when the tank is almost empty. It is necessary, it is beneficial, and it saves time. In fact, meditation can create more time and energy than the moments we take to do it.
Meditation and prayer are powerful recovery behaviors that work. We need to be patient. It is not reasonable to expect immediate answers, insight, or inspiration.
But solutions are coming. They are already on the way, if we have done our part - meditate and pray - and then let the rest go.
Whether we pray and meditate first thing in the morning, during a coffee break, or in the evening is our choice.
When our conscious contact with Higher Power improves, our subconscious contact will too. We will find ourselves increasingly tuned in to Higher Power's harmony and will for us. We will find and maintain that soul connection, the Higher Power connection.
Today I will take a moment for meditation and prayer. I will decide when and how long to do it. I am a child and creation of Higher Power, a Higher Power who loves to listen and talk to me. Higher Power, help me let go of my fears about whether or not You hear and care. Help me know that You are there and that I am able to tap into the spiritual consciousness.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
Meditation and Prayer
The Eleventh Step asks us to meditate as a route to improving our conscious contact with Higher Power.
Meditation is different than obsessing or worrying. Obsession and worrying are fear connections. Meditation means opening our mind and our spiritual energy to the Higher Power connection.
To connect with Higher Power, we need to relax as best we can and open our conscious and subconscious mind to a Higher Consciousness, one that is available to each of us.
In the busyness of our day and life, it may seem like a waste of time to slow down, to stop what we're doing and take this kind of break. It is no more a waste of time than stopping to put gas in our car when the tank is almost empty. It is necessary, it is beneficial, and it saves time. In fact, meditation can create more time and energy than the moments we take to do it.
Meditation and prayer are powerful recovery behaviors that work. We need to be patient. It is not reasonable to expect immediate answers, insight, or inspiration.
But solutions are coming. They are already on the way, if we have done our part - meditate and pray - and then let the rest go.
Whether we pray and meditate first thing in the morning, during a coffee break, or in the evening is our choice.
When our conscious contact with Higher Power improves, our subconscious contact will too. We will find ourselves increasingly tuned in to Higher Power's harmony and will for us. We will find and maintain that soul connection, the Higher Power connection.
Today I will take a moment for meditation and prayer. I will decide when and how long to do it. I am a child and creation of Higher Power, a Higher Power who loves to listen and talk to me. Higher Power, help me let go of my fears about whether or not You hear and care. Help me know that You are there and that I am able to tap into the spiritual consciousness.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
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October 29
You are reading from the book "The Language of Letting Go."
Acceptance
A magical potion is available to us today. That potion is called acceptance.
We are asked to accept many things - ourselves as we are and our feelings, needs, desires, choices, and current status of being. Other people as they are. The status of our relationships with them. Problems. Blessings. Financial status. Where we live. Our work, our tasks, our level of performance at these tasks.
Resistance will not move us forward, nor will it eliminate the undesirable. But even our resistance may need to be accepted. Even resistance yields to and is changed by acceptance.
Acceptance is the magic that makes change possible. It is not forever; it is for the present moment.
Acceptance is the magic that makes our present circumstances good. It brings peace and contentment and opens the door to growth, change, and moving forward.
It shines the light of positive energy on all that we have and are. Within the framework of acceptance, we figure out what we need to do to take care of ourselves.
Acceptance empowers the positive and tells Higher Power we have surrendered to the Plan. We have mastered today's lesson, and are ready to move on.
Today I will accept. I will relinquish my need to be in resistance to my environment and myself. I will surrender. I will cultivate contentment and gratitude. I will move forward in joy by accepting where I am today.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
Acceptance
A magical potion is available to us today. That potion is called acceptance.
We are asked to accept many things - ourselves as we are and our feelings, needs, desires, choices, and current status of being. Other people as they are. The status of our relationships with them. Problems. Blessings. Financial status. Where we live. Our work, our tasks, our level of performance at these tasks.
Resistance will not move us forward, nor will it eliminate the undesirable. But even our resistance may need to be accepted. Even resistance yields to and is changed by acceptance.
Acceptance is the magic that makes change possible. It is not forever; it is for the present moment.
Acceptance is the magic that makes our present circumstances good. It brings peace and contentment and opens the door to growth, change, and moving forward.
It shines the light of positive energy on all that we have and are. Within the framework of acceptance, we figure out what we need to do to take care of ourselves.
Acceptance empowers the positive and tells Higher Power we have surrendered to the Plan. We have mastered today's lesson, and are ready to move on.
Today I will accept. I will relinquish my need to be in resistance to my environment and myself. I will surrender. I will cultivate contentment and gratitude. I will move forward in joy by accepting where I am today.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
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October 30
You are reading from the book "The Language of Letting Go."
Self Value
We have a real life of our own. Yes, we do.
That empty feeling, that senses that everyone except us has a life - an important life, a valuable life, a better life - is a remnant from the past. It is also a self-defeating belief that is inaccurate.
We are real. So is our life. Jump into it, and we'll see.
Today I will live my life and treasure it as mine.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
Self Value
We have a real life of our own. Yes, we do.
That empty feeling, that senses that everyone except us has a life - an important life, a valuable life, a better life - is a remnant from the past. It is also a self-defeating belief that is inaccurate.
We are real. So is our life. Jump into it, and we'll see.
Today I will live my life and treasure it as mine.
©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.
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