Category Archives: Addiction Recovery

Addiction recovery

Daily Reading from Recovery Days April 24th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – review expectations

Openness

If you try to explain Shakespeare’s Hamlet to a group of African tribesmen, as an anthropologist did some years ago, you will get a different interpretation of its twisted plot from that of an Oxbridge graduate. Perhaps Hamlet really was bewitched by his uncle and perhaps Laertes killed his sister Ophelia to sell her body, as the tribesmen insisted – who really knows what Shakespeare was thinking? The point is that we must keep an open mind and embrace new ideas because in truth, our own ideas and attitudes have not served us very well in the past. Am I prepared to keep an open mind and embrace new ideas rather than being dogmatic and judgemental?

Open-mindedness leads us to admit the possibility of error on our part and allows us to think that even long held beliefs might be incorrect. It gives us the courage to change our minds and accept our own fallibility. Intellectual and spiritual progress depends on the discussion and adaptation of ideas without rancour, blame or shame. The alternative is stagnation. Today I ask God for openness of mind so that I can enjoy new ideas.

Today I Will

Daily Reading from Recovery Days April 23rd by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment

Spiritual growth

The joy of living is a sometimes-unexpected bonus for many recovering addicted people. Feeling physically well is only a part of that. We realise that there is more pleasure in giving than in getting, that caring about other people is fulfilling, that friends are dependable, that Higher Power is real, that honesty brings peace of mind, that living a day at a time is manageable. When we look at the wreckage of our past and compare it to the calm simplicity of our life today, there is so much to be happy about and so much to be grateful for. Am I truly grateful for the way that my life has changed so much for the better?

I accept the good that surrounds me instead of searching for it, and I truly understand the meaning of spiritual growth. That is how my sobriety will turn into a happy recovery. I know that by surrendering my life to my Higher Power, I will find peace and contentment. Thus, my life will have true meaning and happiness. For that I am grateful. Today I ask God for spiritual growth that will continue for the rest of my life.

Today I Will………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Daily Reading from Recovery Days April 22nd by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Progress, not perfection

Active addiction leads to a form of soul sickness. People become a poor imitation of the person they once were. But on sobering up, they come to themselves, as they come to their senses. The addicted self is not the real self. To some extent we are dual personalities who need to become whole again. That means to regain our integrity. It will require courage, honesty and realism but with the help of our Higher Power, it can be done. Carl Jung said in his letter to Bill W: Alcoholism is a spiritual disease the basis of which is man’s yearning for wholeness. Am I ready to regain my true integrity?

Many of us sought for completeness and wholeness in our addiction, but no addictive behaviour can provide such a thing. We can only find meaning and purpose in life through a belief in a Higher Power and the knowledge that we are doing what is right. Perfection is not required, only steady progress. Today I ask that I will do my best in everything I attempt and that every choice that I make today will be the best for the recovery of others and of myself.

Today I Will……………………………………………………………………………..

Daily Reading from Recovery Days April 21st by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – send positive thoughts

Respect for others

Ordinary people don’t make a fuss about life – kids, work, school, stress, relationships, tiredness, kindness. The humdrum realities of life’s daily struggle require a special kind of dedication and commitment. Without belittling the amazing deeds of say, soldiers in combat, the single person raising a family on benefit while perhaps recovering from addiction will never receive a medal or a long service pension. Perhaps they will never be thanked or remembered except by the few whose lives they touched and made better, with an unsolicited act of kindness. Do I respect my fellow men and women and help them whenever I can?

Selfishness and a rampant ego make it extremely hard to perform unsolicited acts of kindness. They probably make it extremely hard as well, to really love someone. But if we cannot give love, how can we expect to receive it? Christianity teaches that to love is to suffer because the sublime feeling of love is inevitably going to make us unhappy, if only one day, by its absence. When a loved one suffers, we suffer too. And when a loved one recovers, we rejoice in that recovery. But to suffer in silence can be to offend a loved one. Love and suffering are connected. That is no bad thing. Today I will remember that love and suffering are connected.

Today I Will………………………………………………………………………………………….

Daily Reading from Recovery Days April 20th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment

Step Four

This is me and what I have done. Step Four can be described in this way. It is also known as the Step of courage. Addicts are subject to the same emotional upheavals as everyone else – we just haven’t handled them too well in the past. Chapter Ten of the Big Book talks about this: The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy, anger, and fear. Courage comes in facing this fact, asking for help, deciding to take action and dealing with life’s daily challenges in a new, open and direct manner. Step Four starts the process, where we reveal how it is that we are the problem, nobody else is to blame. Do I accept that I am the problem and nobody else?

A person who has had much experience of hardships and pain is likely to be able to meet challenges better than a person for whom life has always been easy. Sometimes our past suffering can be our greatest strength. But we must not minimise it. In recovery, I must never forget the pain and suffering I caused because I never want to repeat the experience. Today I ask God to help me always to remember the bad times in my life so that I never repeat them.

Today I Will……………………………………………………………………..

Daily Reading from Recovery Days April 19th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – review expectations

Power of example

The story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible is a story of courage, compassion, and hope. It takes courage to recognise injustice, to take a different view from others and most of all, to act when others do not. What motivated this brave person? It can’t have been a selfish desire for fame, although he is famous

– we do not even know his name. All his actions were of giving. This totally unselfish and anonymous act of kindness has affected more people over the centuries than other gifts in history though some involved great generosity too. The power of example could not be better demonstrated. Do I understand the power of example, so that I can be an example to others?

The great Christian theologian St Augustine said: Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are. Righteous anger is a strong motivator if properly controlled. Courage to stand out and behave differently from the crowd is a special kind of courage. When the crowd is against you, they show a very negative power of example that requires a special kind of help to overcome – Higher Power. Today I ask God for courage when I need to take a stand for what is right.

Today I Will

Daily Reading from Recovery Days April 18th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – relax your whole body gradually

Self-improvement

When we think about self-improvement, it’s difficult not to recall Lisa Simpson saying: It’s a long, arduous journey of personal and spiritual discovery. Very few of us are fine the way we are and some of us know it. The paradox is that we have to first accept ourselves the way we are before we can make any changes. Self- improvement is a very legitimate goal for most of us. The Twelve Steps are all about it. If you think that you can achieve happy sobriety without doing any work on yourself, perhaps by taking some ‘miracle pill’, then by all means try. But for those of us who struggle with dishonesty, selfishness, self-pity, and other character defects, it may not work. Do I have a realistic view of myself?

I must try not to take myself too seriously. Addiction is a life-or-death disease, but it can be successfully managed. Normal life is not all about doom and gloom. We use comedy to get perspective and sometimes to help us accept difficult truths. I must keep an open mind always and remind myself that often laughter is the best medicine. Today I ask God to preserve my sense of humour so that I may improve my insight into life’s problems.

Today I Will……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Daily Reading from Recovery Days April 17th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – Breathe calmly

Helping others

Richmond W, author of the inspirational AA meditation book Twenty-four Hours A Day, also wrote poetry. His lines on helping others from his poem Not Enough run as follows:

To hear is not enough…

…I must give wherever need appears And learn to live unselfishly.   R.Walker

Richmond was as good as his words and is said to have helped hundreds of struggling addicted people during his years of sobriety. A man of true integrity and a shining example to us all. Am I ready to help others in need, without hesitation?

If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.

Chinese proverb.

Altruism is pleasurable, it builds connections that benefit both giver and receiver. When we look beyond ourselves, we see that we are not alone, and we realise the limitations of staying within our selfish comfort zone. If I help others, I help myself. Today I ask for the courage and insight to be proactive in helping people in need.

Today I Will…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Daily Reading from Recovery Days April 16th by Chris B

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On this day in 1879, St Bernadette of Lourdes died, aged 35

Courage

Courage is found in unlikely places. St Bernadette of Lourdes suffered pain from tuberculosis for most of her short life. She also endured harsh treatment as a child brought up in poverty. Her miraculous visions at Lourdes were not believed at first, but she was steadfast and brave when people ridiculed her. She said that great suffering and great love are connected and give meaning to life. She never ceased to be grateful and humble and spent her last years as a nun helping others. She displayed all the qualities that recovering addicted people need. Do I recognise the need for love, courage, gratitude, humility and helping others?

If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again. That’s the beauty of being alive. We can always start all over again and enjoy God’s amazing opportunities bestowed on us. Have faith in him always.

St Bernadette.

Today I ask God that I may live according to the example of St Bernadette.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days April 15th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Unity

For a Twelve Step group to be successful, there are said to be six essentials:

  • Fellowship
  • Faith in a Higher Power
  • Service
  • Welcome
  • Humility
  • Gratitude.

Where a group’s members can regularly demonstrate all these things, the group is likely to thrive and the outcome for newcomers will be good. Am I ready to make every effort to ensure the success of my group?

Learning to live unselfishly takes practice. The need to keep my addiction active turned me into a highly selfish person. Only a conscious effort to do things differently, on a daily basis, will enable me to change. I need help from my Higher Power. Reading some of the stories of unselfishness and helping others, either in the lives of the founding fathers of AA and NA or in the lives of the Saints, gives me daily inspiration. Today I ask to be freed from the bondage of my selfishness.

Today I Will………………………………………………………………………………….