Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 9
STEPPING INTO THE SUNLIGHT
But first of all we shall want sunlight; nothing much can
grow in the dark. Meditation is our step out into the sun.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 10
Sometimes I think I don't have time for prayer and
meditation, forgetting that I always found the time to drink.
It is possible to make time for anything I want to do if I
want it badly enough. When I start the routine of prayer
and meditation, it's a good idea to plan to devote a small
amount of time to it. I read a page from our Fellowship's
books in the morning, and say "Thank You, God," when I
go to bed at night. As prayer becomes a habit, I will increase
the time spent on it, without even noticing the foray
it makes into my busy day. If I have trouble praying, I just
repeat the Lord's Prayer because it really covers
everything. Then I think of what I can be grateful for and
say a word of thanks.
I don't need to shut myself in a closet to pray. It can be
done even in a room full of people. I just remove myself
mentally for an instant. As the practice of prayer continues,
I will find I don't need words, for God can, and does, hear
my thoughts through silence.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 8
AN INDIVIDUAL ADVENTURE
Meditation is something which can always be further
developed. It has no boundaries, either of width or height.
Aided by such instruction and example as we can find, it is
essentially an individual adventure, something which each
one of us works out in his own way.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 101
My spiritual growth is with God as I understand Him. With
Him I find my true inner self. Daily meditation and prayer
strengthen and renew my source of well-being. I receive
then the openness to accept all that He has to offer. With
God I have the reassurance that my journey will be as He
wants for me, and for that I am grateful to have God in my
life.

Words Of Wisdom From His Holiness Dalai Lama

Great compassion is the root of altruistic action. It really is a source of wonder. There is no greater source of help and happiness. The capacity to devote yourself to the welfare of others yields otherwise unobtainable power and potential for good. Generate great compassion and you become a friend of the world and a companion of the warm-hearted.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 7
LET GO AND LET GOD
. . . praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the
power to carry that out
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 96
When I "Let Go and Let God," I think more clearly and
wisely. Without having to think about it, I quickly let go of
things that cause me immediate pain and discomfort.
Because I find it hard to let go of the kind of worrisome
thoughts and attitudes that cause me immense anguish, all I
need do during those times is allow God, as I understand
Him, to release them for me, and then and there, I let go of
the thoughts, memories and attitudes that are troubling me.
When I receive help from God, as I understand Him, I
can live my life one day at a time and handle whatever
challenges that come my way. Only then can I live a life of
victory over alcohol, in comfortable sobriety.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

This Beatitude is among the half-dozen most important verses in the Bible. When you possess the spiritual meaning of this text you have the Secret of Dominion—the secret of overcoming every kind of difficulty. It is literally the Key of Life. It is the Jesus Christ Message reduced to a single sentence. This gnomic saying is actually the Philosopher’s Stone of the Alchemists that turns the base metal of limitation and trouble into the gold of “comfort” or true harmony.


Emmet Fox. The Sermon on the Mount: The Key to Success in Life

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 6
GOING WITH THE FLOW
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our
conscious contact with God as we understood Him. . . .
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 96
The first words I speak when arising in the morning are, "I
arise, O God, to do Thy will." This is the shortest prayer I
know and it is deeply ingrained in me. Prayer doesn't
change God's attitude toward me; it changes my attitude
toward God. As distinguished from prayer, meditation is a
quiet time, without words. To be centered is to be
physically relaxed, emotionally calm, mentally focused and
spiritually aware.
One way to keep the channel open and to improve my
conscious contact with God is to maintain a grateful
attitude. On the days when I am grateful, good things seem
to happen in my life. The instant I start cursing things in
my life, however, the flow of good stops. God did not
interrupt the flow; my own negativity did.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 5
"THE QUALITY OF FAITH"
This . . . has to do with the quality of faith. . . . In no deep
or meaningful sense had we ever taken stock of ourselves. .
. . We had not even prayed rightly. We had always said,
"Grant me my wishes" instead of "Thy will be done."
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 32
God does not grant me material possessions, take away my
suffering, or spare me from disasters, but He does give me
a good life, the ability to cope, and peace of mind. My
prayers are simple: first, they express my gratitude for the
good things in my life, regardless of how hard I have to
search for them; and second, I ask only for the strength and
the wisdom to do His will. He answers with solutions to my
problems, sustaining my ability to live through daily
frustrations with a serenity I did not believe existed, and
with the strength to practice the principles of A.A. in all of
my everyday affairs.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 4
A DAILY DISCIPLINE
. . . when they [self-examination, meditation and prayer]
are logically related and interwoven, the result is an
unshakable foundation for life.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98
The last three Steps of the program invoke God's loving
discipline upon my willful nature. If I devote just a few
moments every night to a review of the highlights of my
day, along with an acknowledgement of those aspects that
didn't please me so much, I gain a personal history of
myself, one that is essential to my journey into selfdiscovery.
I was able to note my growth, or lack of it, and to
ask in prayerful meditation to be relieved of those continuing
shortcomings that cause me pain. Meditation and
prayer also teach me the art of focusing and listening. I find
that the turmoil of the day gets tuned out as I pray for His
will and guidance. The practice of asking Him to help me in
my strivings for perfection puts a new slant on the tedium
of any day, because I know there is honor in any job done
well. The daily discipline of prayer and meditation will
keep me in fit spiritual condition, able to face whatever the
day brings—without the thought of a drink.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 3
FOCUSING AND LISTENING
There is a direct linkage among self-examination,
meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices
can bring much relief and benefit.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98
If I do my self-examination first, then surely, I'll have
enough humility to pray and meditate—because I'll see and
feel my need for them. Some wish to begin and end with
prayer, leaving the self-examination and meditation to take
place in between, whereas others start with meditation,
listening for advice from God about their still hidden or
unacknowledged defects. Still others engage in written and
verbal work on their defects, ending with a prayer of praise
and thanksgiving. These three-self-examination, meditation
and prayer—form a circle, without a beginning or an end.
No matter where, or how, I start, I eventually arrive at my
destination: a better life.

Words Of Wisdom From His Holiness Dalai Lama

Human beings are not intrinsically selfish, which isolates us from others. We are essentially social animals who depend on others to meet our needs. We achieve happiness, prosperity and progress through social interaction. Therefore, having a kind and helpful attitude contributes to our own and others' happiness.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 2
KEEPING OPTIMISM AFLOAT
The other Steps can keep most of us sober and somehow
functioning. But Step Eleven can keep us growing . . .
THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 240
A sober alcoholic finds it much easier to be optimistic
about life. Optimism is the natural result of my finding
myself gradually able to make the best, rather than the
worst, of each situation. As my physical sobriety continues,
I come out of the fog, gain a clearer perspective and am
better able to determine what courses of action to take. As
vital as physical sobriety is, I can achieve a greater potential
for myself by developing an ever-increasing
willingness to avail myself of the guidance and direction of
a Higher Power. My ability to do so comes from my
learning—and practicing—the principles of the A.A.
program. The melding of my physical and spiritual sobriety
produces the substance of a more positive life.

Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 1
I CANNOT CHANGE THE WIND
is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and
rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for
alcohol is a subtle foe.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85
My first sponsor told me there were two things to say about
prayer and meditation: first, I had to start and second, I had
to continue. When I came to A.A. my spiritual life was
bankrupt; if I considered God at all, He was to be called
upon only when my self-will was incapable of a task or
when overwhelming fears had eroded my ego.
Today I am grateful for a new life, one in which my
prayers are those of thanksgiving. My prayer time is more
for listening than for talking. I know today that if I cannot
change the wind, I can adjust my sail. I know the difference
between superstition and spirituality. I know there is a
graceful way of being right, and many ways to be wrong