Peace

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Peace

Anxiety is often our first reaction to conflict, problems, or even our own fears. In those moments, detaching and getting peaceful may seem disloyal or apathetic. We think: If I really care, I'll worry; if this is really important to me, I must stay upset. We convince ourselves that outcomes will be positively affected by the amount of time we spend worrying.

Our best problem-solving resource is peace. Solutions arise easily and naturally out of a peaceful state. Often, fear and anxiety block solutions. Anxiety gives power to the problem, not the solution. It does not help to harbor turmoil. It does not help.Peace is available if we choose it. In spite of chaos and unsolved problems around us, all is well. Things will work out. We can surround ourselves with the resources of the Universe: water, earth, a sunset, a walk, a prayer, a friend. We can relax and let ourselves feel peace.

Today, I will let go of my need to stay in turmoil. I will cultivate peace and trust that timely solutions and goodness will arise naturally and harmoniously out of the wellspring of peace. I will consciously let go and let God.

This reading really struck me today. I am having a bit of anxiety about the future and trying hard to not let this anxiety, "fear," be the driving force for me right now. A friend told me today.....just relax and let it be and in time the answer will be crystal clear. Then I came home and read this reading and it all made sense. It is in the quiet and peace that God's will and direction will come. When I get caught up in my fear and worry and anxiety I am making it impossible for me to hear God's voice.

Desiderata

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember
what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without
surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career,
however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and
disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe;
no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it's clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whateveryou conceive God to be; a
nd whatever your labours and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life
keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it's still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

by Max Ehrman, 1927.

Read this again today and it was just what I needed to hear today so I thought I would pass it on......

Contentment

Today's Thought

You are reading from the book Twenty Four Hours a Day Hardcover (24 Hours).

A.A. Thought for the Day

I have more peace and contentment. Life has fallen into place. The pieces of the jigsaw puzzle have found their correct position. Life is whole, all of one piece. I am not cast hither and yon on every wind of circumstance or fancy. I am no longer a dry leaf cast up and away by the breeze. I have found my place of rest, my place where I belong. I am content. I do not vainly wish for things I cannot have. I have "the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. " Have I found contentment in A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

In all of us there is an inner consciousness that tells of God, an inner voice that speaks to our hearts. It is a voice that speaks to us intimately, personally, in a time of quiet meditation. It is like a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We can reach out into the darkness and figuratively touch the hand of God. As the Big Book put it: "Deep down in every man, woman, and child is the fundamental idea of God. We can find the Great Reality deep down within us. And when we find it, it changes our whole attitude toward life."

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may follow the leading of the inner voice. I pray that I may not turn a deaf ear to the urging of my conscience.

I read this a few days back and it is still with me so I thought I would share. Exactly one week ago I made a commitment to myself to try to work on my negative thinking and put a positive spin on things. It has been a success. Many of life's little problems have come up throughout the last week. By chnaging my attitude I have been able to see them as merely problems that we all must solve rather then obstacles to my peace and contentment. I am amazed at how well it is working. At the end of the day I have peace and contentment because I see the day as accomplishment rather then piles of negative crap. I am looking forward to another day and more challenges to deal with. I owe thanks to my Higher Power for the strength to do all this and to all of you for the examples of experience, strength and hope. I also want to say a special thanks to mable for helping me to see that the glass is half full rather then half empty.

Ambition

"True ambition is the deep desire to live usefully and walk humbly under the grace of God." The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of AA P.125

This is the ambition I strive for everyday in all my affairs. I was told once that if I wanted to create a culture of life, a culture where peace and non-violence exists, than that is the life style I must live by. Today marks the five year anniversary of a tragic day in the history of our country. When I look back on this day I must remember to look at it through the eyes of peace and nonviolence. This I do by looking at the little ways we have changed. I will reach out my hand to my brother today and try to be of maximum service to all I encounter for I feel that is they way to bring peace to the earth.......one person at a time.

Elimination

There always comes a time of elimination. The earth sheds each year. The trees and flowers let go of their identity. As the old identity dies, an new identity is born. The body sheds constantly. Some of it happens invisibly, so naturally and silently, that we don't realize it is happening. The heart and the spirit also shed. They shed they the emotions and experiences that we no longer need. They shed the things that stunt our growth. This, too, is an invisible process. Yet because of the energy involved, the emotional energy, we often feel the emotional and spiritual shedding. It feels as if we are dying. We are. Just like the flowers and the trees, we are dying to an old identity. This shedding, or death, is not the end of us. It is the beginning.

Taken from "Yesterday, I Cried" by Iyanla Vanzant

This is so fitting for my day today. When we shed the old and start our new way of life. Our new way of life effects those around us. Most of the time that is positive, but there are times when it is quiet negative. With my immediate family it has been mostly a positive experience with a few growing pains along the way. With my extended family the effects have been mixed. There are folks who are themselves actively in the disease and to accept me and my new way of life is just too painful for them. I hope and pray that someday there will be a relationship there and that they can find the gift of sobriety too. In life you have to learn to take the good with the bad. I am reminded of that tonight as I sit with my family and enjoy each other's company, sharing about our respective days. The phone rings and interrupts the conversation and I'm immediatly drawn into the uglier side of this disease. My 14 year old sponsee is on the phone and she is struggling everyday to stay clean and sober. We went to a meeting tonight and after I dropped her off she got physically assaulted by another member of her family who is in the throws of active addiction. The circle just goes around and around.......but for today I am in a place of peace and serenity in my life and I guess that is all I can hope for everyday.

The Twelve Rewards of Sobriety

THE TWELVE REWARDS OF SOBRIETY

o Faith instead of despair.
o Courage instead of fear.
o Hope instead of desperation.
o Peace of mind instead of confusion.
o Real friendships instead of loneliness.
o Self-respect instead of self-contempt.
o Self-confidence instead of helplessness.
o A clean conscious instead of a sense of guilt.
o The respect of others instead of their pity and contempt.
o A clean pattern of living instead of a hopeless existence.
o The love and understanding of our families instead of their doubts and fears.
o The freedom of a happy life instead of the bondage of an alcoholic obsession.

The rewards of sobriety are unimaginable. I never would have believed life could be this good. One of my favorites is the true friendships. I have met some incredible people, all because I made a decision to put the drink down.

40

There is something magical that occurs when a woman turns forty. She becomes more attractive in a sensual seductive way. It's not that her body gets better, but I think she becomes comfortable with her body and learns how to manuever it better. At forty, woman's eyes begin to sparkle. Not with lust or excitement, but with wisdom. She has seen some things, done some things and learned some things that show through her eyes. At forty, although there are things on a woman's body that lie down, at the same time, other things stand out. They become clear. At forty a woman finds her voice, gets her vision and her footing. When I turned forty I became to old to try to be someone else, so I stopped trying.

As I thought about it, I realized that I didn't have any sense at all until I turned forty. At twenty-three I thought I had the answers. At forty I realized I had no idea what the question was. My life coach once told me that whatever shows up in your life is the answer. Your job is to figure out the question. I have lived through many abrupt, harsh answers. At forty I was committed to remembering the question. For me, the main question I had lived my life trying to answer was, "Why can't people love me the way I want to be loved?" At forty the answer magically popped in my head. "Because you don't know how to love yourself!"

Taken from "Yesterday, I Cried" by Iyanla Vanzant

This part of the book really hit home for me. For a long time I dreaded turning forty. In fact I would always say, I'm celebrating the eleventh anniversary of my twenty-ninth birthday.......but in the past few months since my birthday came and went I am enjoying forty. This year so far has been one of tremendous growth and understanding, change and renewal, peace and serenity. I don't know why I dreaded it.....cause I am surely enjoying it. This is just another example of me focusing on the glass half empty when I should have been focusing on the glass half full!

Sand Dollars

Legend of the Sand Dollar

Version One:

The legend of the Sand Dollar
There's a pretty little legend
That I would like to tell
Of the birth and death of Jesus
Found in this lowly shell.

If you examine closely,
You'll see that you find here
Four nail holes and a fifth one
Made by a Roman's spear.

On one side the Easter lily,
Its center is the star
That appeared unto the shepherds
And led them from afar.

The Christmas poinsettia,
Etched on the other side
Reminds us of His birthday,
Our happy Christmastide.

Now break the center open,
And here you will release
The five white doves awaiting
To spread Good will and peace.

This simple little symbol,
Christ left for you and me
To help us spread His Gospel
Through all eternity.

While on vacation we hiked into a place called Ledbetter Point. We walked on the beach and found lots of sand dollars. I had fun sharing this story with my family and thought I would share it with you all.....enjoy!

PS Happy Birthday to my friend, my confidant, my companion, my partner, my Honey Buns! I Love You!

The Ocean Shores

The Oceans Shore
By Cookie

As I walk along the oceans shore...
The feeling of peace, longing for more...
As I sit upon soft wet sand...
The gentle waves, touch my hand...
This Aura of wonder and tranquility...
Stretching as far as my eyes can see...
Watching the reflections move with the flow.

Feeling the comfort, of its inner glow...
Oh how I wish, this feeling would stay...
As I know I must walk away...
Wish I could leave all the hurt, pain and tears...
Behind me along, with all my fears...
Wouldn't it be nice, if we could leave on that shore...
Feelings that keep in our hearts, ever more...
If I wrote them in the sand, would they be swept away?

By the waves crashing in, Gone on their way...
Leaving us free, of DOUBTS and DESPAIR...
The ocean will handle them, then we won't care...
The ocean can be such a beautiful place...
As our minds wonder in and out of space.

I think that I already know....
We reap whatever we did sow...
I will keep looking, forever more...
But not what I wrote,on that OCEANS SHORE.....

This will be my last post for a while as early tomorrow morning I am leaving for the ocean shore. It's vacation time! I am very excited. I plan to read, walk on the beach, watch the sun set and not much else. My sobriety sister Sam is coming to the beach to spend a day or two and help celebrate my one year. My husband and I will celebrate 21 years of life together in the middle of the week as well. The very end of our vacation we will be travelling north to visit some family. Durning list part of the trip I hope to meet up with one or two fellow bloggers. Have a happy and safe week and I'll catch you all soon. Thanks for all the kind wishes I received yesterday. You all are a big part of my sobriety.

Digging Below The Surface

Today's Thought

You are reading from the book Today's Gift.

In uplifting, get underneath.--George Ade

A sandpile in the summer is deceiving. The topmost sand burns hot on our feet. But as we push down toward the center, we come to a damp, cool place that soothes and oozes between our toes. The nature of most things is not revealed at the surface. Like the sandpile, many people and situations we encounter are, on the surface, downright uncomfortable. The reward is in digging deeper--to the essential goodness, the core or meaning, the true friend. It takes time, a little knowledge, and abundant trust that we will not be burned.

What have I discovered by digging a little lately?

I have been digging a lot lately. There has been some pain, a few tears, hurt and even anger. The rewards have made it worth it for I have been given, peace, serenity, understanding and compassion in return.