You
are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Talent--I don't know what that is. It's will. You dream a dream and
then you build it. --Philippe Petit
Even the most accomplished pianists begin at some point by playing
simple scales and exercises. With daily practice, their hands learn to
find the correct notes and become limber enough to play well. They
learn each new piece of music very slowly at first, until, with study
and practice, they can play almost without effort.
In the beginning, the pianist only dreams of being an accomplished
musician. This dream helps the artist through many hours of practice
and study.
Talent is really the combination of a dream and the time spent building
it. We develop our ability by devoting time to the skills that interest
us. Like the musician, we become talented through daily practice--the
daily building of a dream. By developing our talents, we develop who we
are.
Who am I becoming today?
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down
there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise
might. --Marion Anderson
Because of our resentments we sometimes get tense. We say we aren't
going to have contact with our parents until they do something we
expect of them. Or we hold out on a friend because we want an apology
for an injury or injustice.
Sadly, we become more tense, more limited in our own joy, by holding
someone else to our expectations. Our lives can be much richer and more
fulfilled when we let go of these expectations. We can let go of
manipulating or drawing forth the responses we want. Our manipulations
and pouting make life too boring and limited. No one else need stand in
the way of our pleasure of being adult men.
Today, I will let go of my claims on others so I can be free to soar.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Your sense of what will bring happiness is so crude and blundering. Try
something else as a compass. Maybe the moralists are right and
happiness doesn't come from seeking pleasure and ease. --Joanna Field
We think we know what will make us happy. Seldom do we readily accept
that painful moments are often the price tags for peaceful, happy
times. Nor do we appreciate that happiness lives within each of us;
never is it intrinsic to the events we experience. Because we look for
happiness "out there" and expect it gift-wrapped in a particular way,
we miss the joy of being fully alive each passing moment. How distorted
our sense of happiness was before finding our way to this program! How
futile our search!
The way still isn't easy every Step we take, but those fleeting moments
when we can get outside of ourselves long enough to be fully attentive
to the people in our lives, we'll find happiness. We'll find it because
it's been there all the time. It flows between us when we open our
hearts to give and to receive compassion. Being truly there for another
person is the key which unlocks the gate holding happiness back.
I will let someone in today and feel the rush of happiness.
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Property Lines
A helpful tool in our recovery, especially in the behavior we call
detachment, is learning to identify who owns what. Then we let each
person own and possess his or her rightful property.
If another person has an addiction, a problem, a feeling, or a
self-defeating behavior, that is their property, not ours. If someone
is a martyr, immersed in negativity, controlling, or manipulative, that
is their issue, not ours.
If someone has acted and experienced a particular consequence, both the
behavior and the consequence belong to that person.
If someone is in denial or cannot think clearly on a particular issue,
that confusion belongs to him or her.
If someone has a limited or impaired ability to love or care, that is
his or her property, not ours. If someone has no approval or nurturing
to give away, that is that persons property.
Peoples lies, deceptions, tricks, manipulations, abusive behaviors,
inappropriate behaviors, cheating behaviors, and tacky behaviors belong
to them, too. Not us.
Peoples hope and dreams are their property. Their guilt belongs to them
too. Their happiness or misery is also theirs. So are their beliefs and
messages.
If some people don't like themselves, that is their choice. Other
peoples choices are their property, not ours.
What people choose to say and do is their business.
What is our property? Our property includes our behaviors, problems,
feelings, happiness, misery, choices, and messages; our ability to
love, care, and nurture; our thoughts, our denial, our hopes and dreams
for ourselves. Whether we allow ourselves to be controlled,
manipulated, deceived, or mistreated is our business.
In recovery, we learn an appropriate sense of ownership. If something
isn't ours, we don't take it. If we take it, we learn to give it back.
Let other people have their property, and learn to own and take good
care of what's ours.
Today, I will work at developing a clear sense of what belongs to me,
and what doesn't. If its not mine, I wont keep it. I will deal with my
issues, my responsibilities, and myself. I will take my hands off what
is not mine.
Today I will wait in quiet and faith for a clear answer before making
any decisions. Today I feel secure, trusting that my instincts are
guiding me on every step on my path. --Ruth Fishel