Tag Archives: Daily inspiration

Daily Reading from Recovery Days January 5th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – review expectations


Surrender


Acceptance involves surrender. This does not mean
allowing others to take advantage of you, it simply
means being realistic.
Surrender may be the necessary foundation for
recovery but sometimes we fight it. Most of us look
back after some clean time and wonder why on earth
we fought so hard to deny our powerlessness when
surrender is what saved our lives. Just For Today,
Narcotics Anonymous.
Have I truly surrendered?

The paradox of surrender is that it turns out to be
where recovery begins. Something in our ego
makes it seem shameful and weak to
surrender, the ultimate defeat in our constant yet
pointless inner struggle. But the perceived
surrender where it is true and comprehensive, is in
fact victory, over our self-indulgence, pride and yes,
our ego itself. Today I ask God for the grace to
surrender my ego and fully accept the things I
cannot change.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days January 3rd by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – relax your body


Step One


Acceptance is an attitude of mind and without it, we
cannot find true serenity. Reinhold Niebuhr’s
Serenity Prayer has helped many people find inner
peace. Life can seem at times unbearably stressful
and unmanageable. Acceptance of Step One –
taking things exactly as they are – can be the key
that unlocks the door to lasting change and
contentment. Do I fully admit that my life has
become unmanageable?

Life is difficult, it always will be. How we deal with
life’s problems defines us. In the case of addiction,
the problem lies within us, not in the bottle or the
pill. It is a tragic fact that many addicted people go
to an early grave because they have not faced the
problem of themselves. They are stuck in denial and
unable to be honest with themselves. Acceptance
and honesty must go together, otherwise the
foundations of recovery will crumble. We are
dealing with a disease that brooks no compromises
and acceptance is where we must begin. May I fully
embrace the process of acceptance because it is the
key to a way of seeing that will bring me a new
freedom.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days January 2nd by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – sit comfortably


Letting down defences


When we fully accept ourselves and life on life’s
terms, we will no longer feel vulnerable because we
have nothing more to hide. By letting down our
defences, we feel a sense of relief. The important
thing is how we have responded. By showing to the
world how we deal with our faults and defects, we
become a power for good. Demonstrating how we
manage our imperfections is a far more effective
example to others than trying to portray ourselves as
faultless. Have I fully let down my defences?

One of the paradoxes of recovery is that when we let
down our defences and become vulnerable, we also
open ourselves to change. We must be completely
willing to change.
When you really want something, the whole
universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
Paolo Coelho.
The idea of change may seem daunting, but we only
need to take small steps because recovery is a
journey, not a destination. May I release myself from
the self-inflicted pain of my resistance to reality;
may I learn to see and accept life as it really is.

Daily Reading from recovery Days December 31st by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Mindfulness

Another year awaits us. How do we feel? Take a few
moments to reflect on the past year and focus on the
good that has come from it. Ignore the bad – be
grateful for the good. Where would we be today if we
were not in the programme? Recovery shows us a
different path, where we recognise the peace that
comes from doing our best and the contentment
that comes from a sense of belonging and
appreciating small things around us. Am I grateful
to be alive, clean and sober, just for today?

Take a moment of mindfulness, at the cusp of this
new year to be thankful for your life and reflect on
the beauty of your surroundings this present
moment, as the great American poet William
Stafford did:
Starting here, what do you want to remember?
How sunlight creeps along a shining floor?
What scent of old wood hovers, what softened
Sound from outside fills the air?
…What can anyone give you greater than now,
Starting here, right in this room,
When you turn around? William Stafford.
Today I thank my Higher Power for helping me to
appreciate all the beauty and wisdom in the world

Daily Reading from Recovery Days December 30th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – Feel your muscles from top to toes

Procrastination


Procrastination is often said to be the thief of time,
but it can also be the slayer of opportunity.
Underneath this attitude is often fear of negative
consequences. It is a form of denial that some of us
will recognise in addictive behaviour and like most
denial, it merely postpones the inevitable. We
damage relationships with others, and we often
damage our own mental and spiritual health when
we procrastinate. At first it may seem the softer,
easier option but it can lead to far worse situations.
Am I resolved to banish procrastination?

Not only am I prone to procrastination, I am also a
very impatient person. This kind of paradoxical
character is normally found in very small children,
and they usually grow out of it quite easily. Now
that I am in recovery I must grow up and put away
childish things. Opportunities appear and I must
grasp them. I am blessed that I have a second
chance at life, but few other opportunities are
offered on a repeat basis. From now on my motto is
carpe diem (seize the day). I live life to the fullest.
Today I ask for wisdom to make maximum use of
my second chance at life.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days December 28th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly


A quick fix is the goal of the immature person. A lot
of people are able to stop addictive behaviour while
outside pressures are not great, but when things get
difficult, they do not have the resources or the
maturity to handle the situation and the quick fix of
their drug or behaviour of choice seems to be the
only solution. That is why recovery from addiction
requires mental and spiritual adjustments as well as
physical ones. Just as crash dieting and hastily
cramming our heads with knowledge don’t usually
provide lasting solutions, so addiction recovery is
best when not rushed. Have I learned that the quick
fix is never an answer to my problems?

In recovery, I am establishing a new relationship
with myself – the most important relationship that I
have. I must proceed with care and insight. I must
learn to love myself because unless I do, I will not be
able to love others. I must be comfortable with my
own company so that I can travel alone with myself,
in perfect contentment. I ask my Higher Power to
guide me to be comfortable inside my skin.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days December 27th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – sit comfortably


New ideas


Breaking old thought patterns, making new
connections and getting fresh perspectives all
sound exciting. There are so many new things that
we can try. The idea of spiritual growth can seem
strang – it may test our willingness to change. But
there is nothing to fear and the potential benefit is
huge – a whole new approach to life. Let’s face it,
our old way wasn’t so good. Am I ready to explore
new ways of living, through spiritual growth?


The feeding of the five thousand is one of the most
famous stories in the New Testament. It tells how
Christ miraculously fed a huge crowd of followers
with just five loaves and two fishes. It illustrates an
important point: normally when you share material
things such as food, the more recipients there are
the less each gets, including the person sharing. If,
however, you share truths and ideas (such as
Christianity or spirituality) there is no such
limitation – everyone gets as much as they need.
Perhaps Christ wanted to illustrate this point.
Exploring spirituality opens minds so that we want
to pass on ideas we like. Doing so costs us nothing.
For this, I give thanks.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days December 25th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Gratitude


Special days like this give us pause for thought –
gratitude that we can now enjoy them clean and
sober, compassion for those still struggling,
commitment that we will never go back to where we
once were and understanding that recovery is not a
destination but an ongoing process. It is not just the
big events that matter to me today. Contentment
comes from appreciating the small everyday things
like the smell of coffee, a smile from a neighbour, a
good night’s sleep. Sometimes I take such things for
granted but not so very long ago, life was so chaotic
and unpredictable that they seldom happened. Am
I grateful today for the small blessings in my life?
If I am grateful, should I not be generous too?


Gratitude comes when we have received a blessing
of some kind, for which we are thankful. Yet, if we
are not to be selfish, it behoves us to share our
blessings with the less fortunate. Today I give
thanks and will share my blessings with others.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days December 24th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly

Peace


The Christmas carol Silent Night was first
performed in the parish church of Oberndorf, near
Salzburg, in 1816. Its simple message of peace and
hope was appreciated by the little community that
had been ravaged by the recently ended Napoleonic
wars and dreadful weather conditions. The
popularity of the song spread across the world.
Many people thought at first it had been composed
by Mozart or Beethoven, but its origin was much
more humble. A Catholic priest named Joseph Mohr
wrote the words and asked his friend, a primary
school teacher named Franz Gruber, to write the
music. Like most great works of art, it has the
power to calm and renew. Am I grateful for the
simple things in life?


It is sad that there is so much strife in the world
when there are so many people who just want peace
and kindness. But that does not mean that we
should give up trying. The power for good is greater
than evil and when things seem bad, I must not give
up:
It’s coming yet, for a’that,
That man to Man, the world o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’that. Robert Burns.
Today I give thanks for my unconquerable soul.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days December 23rd by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – sit comfortably


But for the grace of God


When we see a person struggling with addiction, we
should offer help. We should also remind ourselves
that, but for the grace of God, we could be in exactly
the same state ourselves. This is not just a pious
thought; reminding ourselves of our past with all its
horrors can be a powerful weapon in recovery.
Complacency in recovery can lead us to cut corners
and minimise potential dangers. It can sometimes
go unnoticed for a long time. These ‘but for the
grace of God’ moments are reality checks. Do I try
to avoid complacency?

Complacency goes with arrogance. It is difficult for
an arrogant person to sincerely say: There but for the
grace of God go I. It is also difficult for an arrogant
person to let go of resentments. Clearly, if there is
arrogance within me, then my recovery is going to
be in danger. Humility itself can seem like a
relatively lightweight attribute when compared to
say, courage or honesty. But its true importance lies
in its power to overcome the toxic effects of my
inflated ego. I ask today that I may constantly seek
humility and make choices on the basis of humility.