Peace a Day at a Time. Karen Casey

      MARCH 18

      Acting responsibly

      Turning the other cheek doesn't mean giving up our right to respond.

      Revenge is not an option once we get accustomed to the Twelve Step principles. It never did give us more than a short-term rush, and it usually left us with guilt—lots of it. Now we are learning to acknowledge the boundaries between us and other people. This helps us detach from their mean-spiritedness, which often has prompted our own vengeful behavior.

      It's important to distinguish between letting others stomp on us and letting them have their behavior. The program doesn't say we should take abuse; it suggests instead that we rationally tailor our response, relying on God as our speechwriter. If we respond calmly and firmly, without attacking, we give all concerned an opportunity to calm down.

      Far fewer will be the times we're haunted by guilt if we follow this action plan. Acting responsibly, with God's help, will feel right and honorable to ourselves and the “opposition.”

      I need to stand up for myself always and, just as important, rely on God for support.

      —from A Life of My Own

      MARCH 19

      Happiness

      We didn't have any money growing up, but that isn't the essential. We had happiness.

      —Helen Casey

      One of the most important lessons in life is how “valueless” money really is. While it's true, we need enough to take care of our physical needs; more than that brings little additional benefit. There are literally millions of wealthy, unhappy people in this world. It's trite and profoundly true that money doesn't buy happiness.

      Where does happiness come from? Let's take a brief inventory of the times we have laughed in the past week. Were we opening envelopes containing money? That, of itself, is laughable. But the point is that happiness resides in our minds, not in other people, in possessions, or in wishes. We make it ourselves. We know this, certainly. But we forget it just as certainly.

      The benefit of remembering this is that each day can be as much fun as we decide to make it. Being old or infirm or poor doesn't demand that we be unhappy too. What a powerful idea this is. And it's available to us every minute.

      I am in charge of the kind of day I'll have today. This has always been true, but I'll respect that thought today!

      —from Keepers of the Wisdom

      MARCH 20

      Healing

      Healing our minds is our purpose.

      Sometimes we forget just how elementary our assignment on this journey is. It's all about changing our minds. We're actually familiar with changing our minds. We have done it repeatedly throughout our lives. We've changed our minds about friends, neighbors, jobs, spouses. The style of clothes, cars, or houses that appealed to us changed over time. How we've spent our leisure time has changed many times too. So what's the big deal about changing our minds?

      This change of mind changes everything about our lives. We will see every instance in time differently than ever before. Seeing each person and every event with loving and forgiving eyes allows us to see them as never before. No matter how many times we've looked at a friend or lover, we have not seen that person as we will from now on. Healing our minds is changing them. The miracles will follow.

      Asking the Holy Spirit for a change of mind is my only task today.

      —from Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course

      MARCH 21

      Opportunities

      Life is like an unbridled horse.

      —Kay Lovatt

      Many of us thought we knew where we were going after we finished school. We selected a path that fit our personality, we thought. Motherhood, a career, or both. Perhaps a single life or a low-stress job. Our friends suited our choices. So did our homes, our hobbies, our dreams. But then something happened. We didn't plan on addiction. Our drinking or drug use seemed social, at least initially. Where did the path veer? Why didn't we see the changes in store?