You
are reading from the book Today's Gift.
The prayer of the chicken hawk does not get him the chicken. --Swahili
Proverb
Imagine flying high over the grassy plains searching with piercing eyes
for dinner down below. The sun is warm on our backs as we catch the
heated updrafts and rest, always watching, always praying, that dinner
will be provided for the little ones back in the nest.
Dinner will be provided, of that the hawk is sure. It has faith. But
the faith and the prayer will not put the chicken in its talons. It is
going to have to keep looking, and, when it spots the prey, its wings
will fold back, and its sleek body will plummet out of the sky. It will
brake quickly with broad wings and clasp the unsuspecting supper on the
fly.
Like the hawk, once we have prayed, we must get to work. Our goal isn't
going to be done for us. We can pray for the strength and wisdom we
will need to get it done, and that prayer will be answered. But, as the
hawk knows, it's up to us to do the work.
What is my goal today, and my first step toward it?
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
You see, I just can't stop! Or tie myself to any one. I have affairs
that last as long as a year, a year and a half, months and months of
love, both tender and voluptuous, but in the end - it is as inevitable
as death - time marches on and lust peters out. --Philip Roth
Fears of intimacy, of learning about ourselves in a committed
relationship, have kept many of us lonely. Focusing on the need for a
sexual high helps us avoid the intimacy we fear. Whether we are in a
long-term relationship or not, thinking that sex is love limits our
chances for a comfortable intimacy. Sex is an expression of an intimacy
that already exists, rather than a way to become intimate.
Many of us fear closeness beyond the romantic stage. Others of us have
pursued closeness, but when we met our own emptiness we said that
wasn't the right person for us and ran in search of another excitement.
The problem for us isn't the choice between singleness and marriage,
but between letting someone truly know us or not.
I will set aside my fears and learn the pleasure of intimacy.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Give as much of yourself as you can to as much of your higher power as
you can understand. --S.H.
The more we are in concert with God, the greater will be our pleasures
in life. Recognizing our partnership with our higher power makes every
decision easier, facilitates the completion of every task, and removes
all uncertainty about our value to this world, particularly to those
persons around us.
Knowledge that we are never alone, that in every circumstance our best
interests are being cared for, softens whatever blow we encounter. The
blows teach us; they are the lessons the inner self has requested, and
let us never forget we have a ready tutor to see us through every
assignment.
The more we rely on God to see us through the mundane activities as
well as the troubling experiences, the greater will be our certainty
that all is well, our lives are on course, and a plan is unfolding
little by little that has our best interests at its center.
My understanding of God and the power of that presence is proportionate
to my reliance on that power. Not unlike the power of electricity, I
can plug into the source of the "light" of understanding and for the
strength to see my way through any experience today.
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Enjoyment
Life is not to be endured; life is to be enjoyed and embraced.
The belief that we must square our shoulders and get through a meager,
deprived existence for far off rewards in Heaven is a codependent
belief.
Yes, most of us still have times when life will be stressful and
challenge our endurance skills. But in recovery, were learning to live,
to enjoy our life, and handle situations as they come.
Our survival skills have served us well. They have gotten us through
difficult times - as children and adults. Our ability to freeze
feelings, deny problems, deprive ourselves, and cope with stress has
helped us get where we are today. But were safe now. Were learning to
do more than survive. We can let go of unhealthy survival behaviors.
Were learning new, better ways to protect and care for ourselves. Were
free to feel our feelings, identify and solve problems, and give
ourselves the best. Were free to open up and come alive.
Today, I will let go of my unhealthy endurance and survival skills. I
will choose a new mode of living, one that allows me to be alive and
enjoy the adventure.
I do not need to know anything about this day beyond this moment. This
moment is perfect...just as it is and I can handle anything in this
moment. My Higher Power gives me all the strength I need today to
handle whatever comes up in this moment. --Ruth Fishel