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Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 9th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly


Personal values


We all have an internal value system which we refer to for decisions, perhaps subconsciously. It can be helpful to identify the values (there may be quite a few) and then pick the five that we consider the most important. These might be, for example: Honesty, Helping others, Openness, Determination and Humility. We can then ask ourselves if these are still our priorities – not everyone has the same. We can also look back at some of our recent decisions and consider whether we applied these values correctly; how did we respond, for example, when we saw a stranger in need of help? If we see room for improvement, we should make that happen. Do I review my value system?


When was the last time that I was really happy? When did I last feel justifiably proud of myself? Was it related to the values that I have and remain true to? If I had to explain my personal values to another person, could I do so with assurance because I feel they are right? Understanding my values and getting into the habit of referring back to them when I have important decisions to make, can lessen anxiety and increase my self-esteem. Today I ask for the will to keep working on self-improvement.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 8th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – review expectations


Facing challenges


Danish physicist and Nobel laureate Niels Bohr was born on this day in 1885. An agnostic with a sense of humour, he is famous for his dictum about the horseshoe he kept over his front door: They say it works, even if you don’t believe in it. Difficulties should be welcomed as great opportunities, he said: Every great
and deep difficulty bears in itself its own
solution. Such words should resonate with those in early recovery. Do I see life’s challenges as opportunities for growth?


Our ability as humans to create problems seems to be matched by our ability to find solutions. Here are some methods:

  • Keep positive: easy does it
  • Plan – a day at a time
  • Accept help: let go and let God
  • Focus: what really matters?
  • Don’t over-think: keep it simple
  • When I embrace challenges, I grow in maturity. It is all part of reversing the lifestyle that started with my powerlessness and unmanageability. I give thanks today for the Twelve Steps.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 7th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – Review Expectations

Unselfishness

Addiction makes us self-obsessed and it can be hard to break the habit. A life of focusing on our own needs turns us into super-selfish monsters. Unselfishness can be learnt. Here a a few things to try:

  • Listen with full attention
  • Give unconditional positive regard
  • Do not judge others
  • Try giving – of yourself
  • Consciously put your needs after those of others
  • Say a prayer for someone in trouble

Am i ready to work on my selfish attitude?

“Caring for others is the best way to fulfil our own concerns”. The Dalai Lama.

Today I will reflect on these words and try to care for others.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 5th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment


Revisiting the past


But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back and she became a pillar of salt. Genesis.
There are dangers in revisiting the past, as Lot’s wife discovered to her cost. It is not wrong for us to do so, as long as we do not linger there too long. Even if our own past lives were not Sodom and Gomorrah, there is a danger that too much focus on the past may lead us to euphoric recall of imagined ‘good times’ that were in reality, anything but. In looking back, Lot’s wife displayed a very human side showing nostalgia for what was probably both good and bad. Am I ready to put the past behind me?


The past is another country, where we can no longer dwell, though we may visit. It is for many of us, a place of shame but it can also be a valuable asset. When I remember the past as something that it was not – a place of fun and thrills, I put myself in danger. But if I remember the past as it really was – a place of anger, hatred and dishonesty, I am giving myself a powerful reason to hold on to the blessings of my present new life. Today I ask for the honesty to confront the reality of the past.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 4th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – feel your body from head to toes.


Problem-solving


You have a problem that you find stressful and as a
result, you drink. You then have two problems, and
your mental state now renders you less capable of
dealing with either. What seems a problem to one
person may seem minor to another. Some people
welcome challenges, some catastrophise the
smallest incident. Problems, in other words, are as
big as we think they are. Yet, if we sincerely trust
our Higher Power, we can deal with anything that
life throws us. Do I trust my Higher Power enough
to hand over the problems that I find difficult?


I can choose to change my attitude to any event by
handing it over to my Higher Power and trusting it
will guide me. Then I just need to sincerely try to
do the right thing, according to my conscience. At
such moments, it can help to have a role model in
mind – someone whom I really respect – perhaps a
fellowship member. If I can’t ask them directly, I
can ask myself: what would Joe do in this situation?
There is a solution to every problem, as long as I
seek guidance in finding it. Today I give thanks for
the guidance that I trust my Higher Power to give

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 3rd by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – listen to your breathing


Doing things differently


Life is not a matter of waiting for events and hoping for the best. That may have been the state we ended up in, when our addiction was rampant, but things are different now. If we are to make spiritual progress, action is required. The process of taking positive action may be summarised as follows:

  • Have a wish or idea to do something
  • Visualise how you would do it and how that would make you feel
  • Ask for guidance
  • Commit to the action
  • Do it!
    Our thoughts, feelings and actions are all connected –we have our own personal way of doing things but we need to be sure that it is fit for purpose. Am I ready to follow a positive action plan?

Impulsiveness and thinking that I know best have proved in the past to be unsatisfactory methods of doing things. Today I see the value of taking time to consider my choices asking for guidance. I will remember that impulsiveness is old behaviour.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days September 16th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly


Acceptance


A farmer’s horse ran off one day and everyone said: how terrible, he’s lost his livelihood. But the farmer just smiled. The horse came back with some mares, and everyone said: That’s great. The farmer smiled. The farmer’s son broke his leg herding the horses and everyone said: That’s terrible. But soldiers came recruiting for the army and ignored the boy with the broken leg and everyone said: That’s great. The old farmer kept on smiling. Anon.
Mindfulness teaches us just to be aware of ourselves and not to judge everything that happens. The farmer in the story (told by writer Anthony de Mello) simply accepted things he had no control over. In recovery, we learn the same lesson. Am I living my life according to the guidance of the Serenity Prayer?


Keeping an even temperament and cutting out pointless occasions for worrying allows me to focus on things that bring peace of mind, such as helping others, living according to the right principles and asking my Higher Power for guidance. Today I will live my life according to the Serenity Prayer.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days September 11th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – feel your body from top to toes


Trust and share


‘Trust and Share’ is a great slogan, but what does it
actually mean? Newcomers can find it hard to talk
about themselves in front of strangers but there is
therapeutic value in doing so. There is no right way
to share, but the key is honesty. A share is
described as ‘experience, strength and hope’ and
the telling will help both you and those listening.
Experience of your past struggles reminds everyone
of the pain of addiction. Strength usually refers to the
battle to change from active addiction to sobriety.
Hope is like affirmation – your trust that a Higher
Power will see you through the programme. No-one
will judge the effectiveness of your share and you
should not judge yourself. Everyone will benefit. Am
I ready to trust and share?

Trust is one of a group of words that includes love,
empathy and honesty, words that you associate
with special people. Most people don’t have a
problem telling their mother things, for example,
because they know that they won’t be criticised,
whatever they reveal. It’s a similar situation in the
fellowships. Sharing strengthens the bond. Today I
ask to be willing to trust and share.
……………………………………………………….

Daily Reading from Recovery Days September 9th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly


Anger management


I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end,
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
William Blake.
Writing two hundred years ago, Blake understood
the value of talking therapy. As addicted people, we
should know the dangers of anger and resentment –
we are told often enough. Unresolved, these powerful
emotions can easily lead us to relapse. It has been
said that not forgiving someone is like drinking rat
poison and expecting the rat to die. Dealing with
emotions is a prime example of positive action in
recovery. Am I ready to handle anger positively?


My feelings just sometimes appear, but they can be
managed. I must not let them fester – I can regulate
my thoughts. It’s my choice how long I want to let
others’ actions affect my peace of mind. Anger can
always be dealt with appropriately with the right
approach. Today I ask to manage my anger instead
of simply reacting angrily to situations.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days September 8th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment


Into action


There is a common perception that drug
dependence is linked to low moral fibre and a ‘bad
attitude.’ Some say that all one needs, in order to
quit, is willpower. They tend to be people who have
never known the courage that an addicted person
on the streets requires, just to face each new day.
Denigrating people with addiction makes the
situation worse. Do I extend the hand of help and
understanding to those struggling with addiction?


To think is easy, to act is difficult, to act as
one thinks is most difficult.
Wolfgang Von Goethe.
How easy it can be to agree with a sensible idea for
action, and then do nothing. Satisfaction lies in the
effort I make, not the thoughts I have. So much of
my past life has been about making excuses and
procrastination. If I am really going to change, then
I must become a ‘doer’ instead of a ‘thinker’. It
requires a shift of basic attitude. Today I ask for the
motivation to act in making change happen.