Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 8th by Chris B

Posted on by
Reply

View VIDEO on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=A100094027278120

Follow on TikTok Videos at https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverydays?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=p

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@Recoverydays_chRemember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly

Knowing reality

When we question things – advice, instructions or just the behaviour of another person, we are reacting in a human way. Other animals do not normally question situations, although young animals show curiosity in their early years. Human ability to doubt and question may have helped our survival as a species (why is the long grass moving? Because there’s a lion hiding there). Strangely, humans are also unique in having dreams and fantasies that can influence their attitudes and actions. So, on the one hand we can fantasise ourselves into unreality and on the other, we check ourselves by questioning. It is important to recognise these two influences on our behaviour. Am I aware of my capacity to distort reality?

Balance is everything. By daily meditation, I can learn the habit of self-awareness. If I have internal conflict, it is usually because I want something, or I resist something that my conscience is telling me to do. If I learn to see things honestly, I can take action to restore balance. Today I thank God that I can dream and also question my dreams.

Daily Read8ng from Recovery Days August 7th by Chris B

Posted on by
Reply

View VIDEO on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=A100094027278120

Follow on TikTok Videos at https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverydays?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=p

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@Recoverydays_chRemember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Awareness

Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful in your life.
Mark Twain.

We are what we think – every day, the thoughts that arise in our minds become our awareness. Thus, it makes sense to spend some time at the start of each day in composing ourselves into a peaceful frame of mind, where we recognise the gratitude for our lives and review our expectations for the day ahead. Will I make time each day to compose my thoughts and review my attitudes and expectations?

Self-awareness leads to self-knowledge. I watch how I react to other people. If I become angry, I ask myself: why? If I am anxious, I explore the reasons. Gradually, I start to identify feelings that have been distorted by my thinking. A farmer once put an eagle’s egg into a chicken coop and the bird grew up thinking that it was a chicken. One day, another eagle flew high overhead and the eagle-chicken thought to itself: I wish I could do that, but I’m just an ordinary chicken. It never learnt to fly. Anon. We are not chickens. Today I will use the powers of understanding that have been given to me, so that I will recognise reality in my life.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 5th by Chris B

Posted on by
Reply

View VIDEO on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=A100094027278120

Follow on TikTok Videos at https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverydays?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=p

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@Recoverydays_chRemember Mindfulness – sit comfortably


Remember Mindfulness – feel your body from top to toes

Service

Once you have done a man a service, what more reward would you have? Is it not enough to have obeyed the laws of your own nature, without expecting to be paid for it? Marcus Aurelius.
We should not expect payment or thanks for doing service. It is part of our spiritual growth and our commitment to working the Twelve Steps. Giving of ourselves in this way adds to our sense of purpose and self-esteem. We feel that we are part of a community of like-minded people, that we belong. Am I offering myself for service in the fellowships?

Prayer is often described as: The lifting up of the heart and mind to God. Perhaps it is also the offering of myself in service. When I do that service, I also do God’s will. It is prayer-in-action. There are many ways of connecting with a Power greater than ourselves and this kind of action is satisfying as it differs from so many of my prayers that seem to be of the ‘please’ and ‘thankyou’ kind. I ask God today for unselfishness so that I may help others as I have been helped, without expecting praise or reward.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 4 by Chris B

Posted on by
Reply

View VIDEO on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=A100094027278120

Follow on TikTok Videos at https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverydays?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=p

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@Recoverydays_chRemember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Remember Mindfulness – relax your whole body gradually

Love

Much has been written about love over the centuries, yet it remains partly a mystery. Is it a feeling or an activity, dependence or nurture, selfless or selfish? It has been described as mutual therapy and also as a mutual torture. Most of us long for it and much of mental illness is said to consist of the absence of love. It is also said that therapy works best where the therapist gives unconditional love. The Twelve Steps are a form of therapy, so it is just as well that love plays a big part there. An even greater force for AA’s unity is our compelling love for our fellow members and for our principles. Bill W. Do I feel the love that exists in the fellowships?

There is contemplative love and love in action. When I work the Twelve Steps, I experience both – the service I do, the amends I make to those I have hurt and the message I carry to struggling people are all examples of love in action, whereas my relationship with my Higher Power is usually love in contemplation. Both have their important place in my recovery. Today I give thanks for the love that I find in the fellowships.

August 3

Posted on by
Reply

View VIDEO on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=A100094027278120

Follow on TikTok Videos at https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverydays?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=p

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@Recoverydays_chRemember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly

Relationships

Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly Relationships Self-discovery and interpersonal skills can be learnt in many ways. Most addicted people fail to learn these skills naturally because their addiction takes over. They are often advised to start by building a relationship with an animal. With animals present, the interaction is a metaphor. People’s everyday struggles with themselves and other human relationships are replicated. Different behaviours – trusting, asking for help, showing assertiveness and respect are important life skills that can be practised. Do I recognise the need to practise interpersonal skills before embarking on serious relationships?

Love instead of selfishness, connection instead of escapism, acceptance instead of perfectionism. These are some of the attitudes that I need to adjust to. I must put in the work because they won’t just happen by themselves. My relationships need to be compatible with my own values and principles, so it is in my best interests to make them right. I must learn to trust others, to ask for help when in need and to give to others when asked.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 2nd by Chris B

Posted on by
Reply

View VIDEO on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=A100094027278120

Follow on TikTok Videos at https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverydays?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=p

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@Recoverydays_chRemember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly


Reaching out


Mr Toad, in Kenneth Grahame’s book The Wind in
the Willows is a children’s favourite and a
therapist’s dream. An emotional ragbag of childish
rebel and arrogant fantasist, he epitomises the
‘King Baby’ type so often found in addiction
counselling. Mr Toad’s enormous ego leads him
into all kinds of trouble including prison, for what
sounds like automobile theft and drink-driving. His
salvation comes through his innate honesty and the
unwavering love and support of his friends. One could
draw a parallel with many real addiction stories.
Addiction isolates people. Along our path to
recovery, there is nearly always somebody who at
some crucial moment was there to extend the hand
of unconditional love and friendship. Am I grateful
for the acts of kindness that I have received?


A brand new, bright red motor car might seem the
most desirable gift. But a smile of thanks when we
perform an unsolicited act of kindness does more
good at far less cost. It takes little to bring happiness–
I just need to reach out and ‘astonish a mean world
with my random acts of kindness’ as American
writer Maya Angelou might have said. I ask God
today for the motivation to reach out to others.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 1 by Chris B

Posted on by
Reply

View VIDEO on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=A100094027278120

Follow on TikTok Videos at https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverydays?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=p

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@Recoverydays_chRemember Mindfulness – sit comfortably t

Remember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Balancing needs

If you have been addicted and thus, someone who puts themselves first all the time, you will likely have caused a lot of damage to others. Steps Eight and Nine are about making amends. You identify those you have harmed. Then, in Step Nine you first divide that list into people that you can approach and those that it would be better not to contact because it would reopen old wounds. At this important moment you should consult your sponsor or a person you trust, for guidance. In your new-found zeal you may have difficulty balancing the cost to others against the desire to relieve your conscience. In some cases, more time may be needed. Do I accept that I must balance my needs with those of others?

The Twelve Steps are a blueprint for a happy life. These two Steps help us deal with the past, and teach us the importance of treating other human beings with the love, respect and consideration they deserve. Everyone has their own story with their own strengths and frailties which we need to recognise. Today I ask God for the wisdom to balance my own needs with the needs of others.

Daily Reading fro Recovery Days July 31 by Chris B

Posted on by
Reply

View VIDEO on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=A100094027278120

Follow on TikTok Videos at https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverydays?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=p

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@Recoverydays_chRemember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Remember Mindfulness – feel your body from top to toes

Higher Power

Making sense of a Power greater than ourselves causes some people difficulty. That is understandable. It is sometimes explained like this: – Addiction is powerful, more powerful than us- We were unable to beat it until we asked for help- With help, we succeeded – that took some power to achieve- The power was in other people – fellowships and elsewhere- Perhaps that power came to them from elsewhere – What sort of power? It

doesn’t matter. It’s there. Can I accept the existence of a Power greater than myself even if I can’t put a label on it?

There are many atheists and agnostics in the Twelve Step fellowships. But, we share more similarities than differences. Our primary purpose is not to promote any religious belief but to stay sober and help others achieve sobriety. In our differences lies our strength, because we can appeal to all people and exclude none. Not all organisations can say the same. I give thanks for the recovery fellowships to which I belong

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 30th by Chris B

Posted on by
Reply

View VIDEO on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=A100094027278120

Follow on TikTok Videos at https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverydays?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=p

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@Recoverydays_chRemember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Making choices

It’s a fine thing to say: Build your life around your recovery, but what does that really mean? Firstly, as with any building, the foundations must be strong: I commit to complete sobriety, personal growth, keeping sober company, attending meetings and doing service – all on a regular basis. Secondly, I commit to spiritual growth through working the Twelve Steps and maintaining a dialogue with a power greater than myself. Thirdly, I commit to carrying the message to others. With these three commitments firmly established, I can attend to other matters: family, work and other interests. Whenever I have a choice to make about the future for myself or my loved ones, will I first apply the litmus test: will this be right for my recovery?

I must keep a positive attitude to my recovery and not allow compromises or be complacent. Regular maintenance is essential. But I must also keep an open mind and not shut myself off from new ideas. The internet is an example of a new approach to unity that many fellowships have successfully embraced. Today I give thanks to God for my recovery and ask to remain open-minded to new ideas.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 29 by Chris B

Posted on by
Reply

View VIDEO on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=A100094027278120

Follow on TikTok Videos at https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverydays?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=p

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@Recoverydays_chRemember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Remember Mindfulness – breathe slowly

Mindfulness

It is difficult to describe how mindfulness works. Being aware of our surroundings and of our place in the world and thus our place in the universe is part of it. Opening ourselves to something we cannot see or quantify, seems to bring us a feeling of peace. Perhaps it is because our past lives have been such a chaotic mess that we welcome these precious moments. American poet William Stafford, was a conscientious objector during World War Two: Been on probation most of my life. And The rest of my life been condemned. So, these moments Count for a lot – peace, you know. William Stafford. Am I exploring the benefits of mindfulness?

Prayer should be a dialogue, not a list of requests. It is quite a turning point when our communication turns from: Please give me this to: Thy will be done. It is spiritual progress, not a sign that we have reached our destination. We will not arrive there until we breathe our last. Today, I give thanks for the new relationship that I enjoy with my Higher Power.