Tag Archives: Daily inspiration

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 28th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – relax your whole body gradually

Individuality


Influences and pressures are constantly with us
today and hard to ignore. Of course, we can choose
to block some, such as social media, but its power,
often negative, is very strong. Understanding that we
are being manipulated by clever market techniques
may make us think twice. We are encouraged
into envy, jealousy or just plain wanting things.
The packaging is so glamorous that we don’t
see possible consequences – debt, pride
and disappointment, for example. People are
often led into gambling, shopping, pornography
and other behavioural addictions by clever
marketing techniques. Do I consider negative
consequences from social media and other
influences?

If I am watching a small screen intermittently,
for hours each day, how much time do I have for my
own thoughts? And how much am I worrying about
the opinions of others? I am not here on earth to
meet other people’s expectations. I am here to do
what is right for me and ultimately right for
the world. Perhaps I need to review my
responses. I ask God today for the strength to
assert my individuality.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 27th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment

Tolerance

The wider our experience, the deeper our tolerance.
At fellowship meetings we sometimes hear stories
that would make great newspaper headlines if we
were not bound to silence and anonymity. Yet, we
listen with understanding and our response: ‘There
but for the grace of God go I’, is heartfelt and
entirely genuine. Tolerance should not be taken as a
sign of minimising but as one of empathy and
compassion. We have all done things we regret and
talking about them openly is the best form of
therapy. Am I ready to listen when another shares
their experiences, with tolerance rather than
judgement?

I used to judge people negatively because it made
me feel better about myself. My self-esteem was low
and I was envious of ordinary people and couldn’t
see how I could ever be like them. But now I have a
sense of purpose and am trying to do things right. I
find that I think more positively about myself and
have no need to try to bring others down to my level.
I no longer need to judge others and make
unfavourable comparisons, for the sake of my low
self-esteem and I give thanks for that today.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 26th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – feel your body from top to toes

Action and contemplation

What we plant in the soil of contemplation,
we shall reap in the harvest of action.
Meister Eckhart.
The fourteenth-century mystic is saying here what
others have said since: that both contemplation and
action are needed. It is not a case of either one or
the other, but both together. As Pope Gregory the
Great wrote, hundreds of years before Eckhart,
activity and thought are like two eyes that work
together to produce eyesight. The debate on
whether to be or to do, continues today – whether to
be Mary or Martha. Do I understand the benefits of
both action and contemplation?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul and all your mind and love
your neighbour as yourself. St Luke.
In loving God, I engage in contemplation and in
loving my neighbour, I engage in positive action.
Both are a form of connection, fundamental when
dealing with the disease of addiction, which is
basically, an attachment disorder. I ask for the
wisdom to take positive action, when I need to.

Daily Reading from Recovery July 25th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – send positive thoughts


Nicotine

It’s not so very long ago that the majority of people
smoked tobacco wherever and whenever they
wanted. Successful government campaigns
changed attitudes and behaviours. Smoking is an
addiction with health consequences that are as
serious as many other drugs. It is not wise for
anyone to develop a dependence on any addictive
behaviour and cross addiction means that one
addiction can lead to another. Smoking tobacco can
easily lead to smoking other substances such as
marijuana. A lot of people find that smoking
tobacco and alcohol goes well together. Am I aware
of the dangers of cross-addiction?

Any kind of dependence can limit my ability to
grow and mature as an adult person. Dependence
makes me selfish, fearful and avoidant of
responsibility. I used to think that I was an
independent person when in fact I was the opposite.
It was only when I faced reality and asked for help
that I started to become truly mature and
independent. Today I give thanks to the fellowships

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 23rd by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Compassion, not judgement

If I did not know about God and sin, would
I go to hell? No, said the missionary, not if
you did not know. Then why, asked the
tribesman earnestly, did you tell me?
Anon.
This familiar story illustrates the idea that
‘ignorance is bliss.’. People in denial from addiction
sometimes react like this when they find themselves
in rehab. They realise they have lost their innocent
attitude towards addiction and will henceforward
always feel guilty. Basically, they are not yet ready to
quit. Everyone deals with their problems in their
own way and in their own time. We should not judge
people for not acting in the way we would like. Am I
able to show compassion rather than judgment?

Shame and guilt are big issues. But in recovery, they
will hold me back. Of course, I feel ashamed of my
past, and even my belief that I am a good but sick
person who has done regrettable things, does not lift
the burden. However, Steps Eight and Nine provide
a way of dealing with this. I must act to complete
these steps thoroughly and over time, as I work
through my list of amends, I will feel the burden
lighten. Today I ask for insight into past actions.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 22nd by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly
No compromises


Contrary to popular belief, crocodiles do not make
good pets. Internet.

You do not compromise with a crocodile, and you do
not welcome it, or any potential killer, into your
home. The same is true of addiction. Alcohol and
drug-related deaths run into thousands each year.
Recovery from addiction is not a process of
negotiation, there are no grey areas, no wiggle room,
the only approach is zero tolerance. Do I understand
there is no compromise with addiction of any kind?

The world seems to expect compromises in almost
every area including truth, kindness, gratitude and
integrity. But, I can be different. I do not have to go
along with the crowd. Instead, I will follow my
conscience, when I have difficult choices to make.
Integrity is about doing what you believe is right:
If you can keep your head when all about you are
losing theirs and blaming you. Rudyard Kipling.
I ask God for the strength not to compromise on
matters concerning my addiction.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 21st by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly


Balance

Balance in life is everything. The all-or-nothing
attitude that we had while our addiction was on the
rampage does not serve us well in recovery. We do
not have to be perfectly balanced in our new
approach but there is a danger if we focus too much
on just one aspect – say meditation – and ignore the
others. Honesty, openness and willingness to
change can be useful reference points in checking
our recovery progress. It can help to follow
someone who you see handling their recovery in a
purposeful and balanced way as a role model. Am I
growing my recovery in a balanced way?

If I feel overwhelmed in any aspect of my life –
work, home or relationships, then perhaps I have
not been giving attention to self-care. Looking at my
anxiety levels honestly will tell me. The solution may
be simply learning to say ‘no’ or to manage
expectations and reduce the pressure I put on
myself. I must get real. Recovery is about peace of
mind and enjoying life, not about putting myself in
difficult situations or testing myself. I ask for
insight to view myself honestly, to give life balance

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 20th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Balance

Balance in life is everything. The all-or-nothing
attitude that we had while our addiction was on the
rampage does not serve us well in recovery. We do
not have to be perfectly balanced in our new
approach but there is a danger if we focus too much
on just one aspect – say meditation – and ignore the
others. Honesty, openness and willingness to
change can be useful reference points in checking
our recovery progress. It can help to follow
someone who you see handling their recovery in a
purposeful and balanced way as a role model. Am I
growing my recovery in a balanced way?

If I feel overwhelmed in any aspect of my life –
work, home or relationships, then perhaps I have
not been giving attention to self-care. Looking at my
anxiety levels honestly will tell me. The solution may
be simply learning to say ‘no’ or to manage
expectations and reduce the pressure I put on
myself. I must get real. Recovery is about peace of
mind and enjoying life, not about putting myself in
difficult situations or testing myself. I ask for
insight to view myself honestly, to give life balance.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 19th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – relax your whole body gradually


Power of addiction


Chronicles relate that in 1066 the English passed the
night before the battle of Hastings in drinking. The
Normans spent the time confessing their sins. The
English had a reputation as heavy drinkers even
then, although drunkenness was considered a double
sin under the two headings of gluttony and self-destruction
(thou shalt not kill). Seeing alcohol
abuse as a slow form of suicide has not deterred
many drinkers. Intellectual arguments are seldom a
deterrent. It is only when the pain of addiction
becomes greater than the pain of stopping that we
seek help. Do I recognise the power of addiction?

Sometimes it all seems too much. We try everything
we can think of to stop our addictive behaviour, and
we still fail, but we keep on trying. We will succeed
eventually. With our Higher Power, we will prevail
because we now have something greater than
addiction. We have discovered that there are better
choices than addiction – ones with more power to
help us. I ask today that I will never give in to the
power of addiction.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 18th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly


Dreams and reality


It’s the possibility of having a dream come
true that makes life so interesting.
Paolo Coelho.
Not all dreams are worth working for. Are yours
valid? Imagine all your life pursuing a dream only to
find at the moment you have it, that it’s not up to
scratch. Sometimes a finite goal is better than a
dream. When you achieve your dream – perhaps to
be a millionaire – it can be a huge disappointment.
Perhaps it’s true what they say: the pleasure is in the
journey, not the arrival. Be careful what you wish
for. Will I be glad when my dreams come true?


Are my dreams actually just desires, a mirage of
endless pleasure that will turn to dross? A dream
worth pursuing has to be for a valid purpose.
Setting ourselves up to follow a dream like that is
fine but we should not become obsessed:
If you can dream and not make dreams
your master. Rudyard Kipling.
Whatever we achieve, there will still be things to do
after that. I ask to balance my dreams with reality.