Look around. No one came to this particular juncture in the road because it was a hoped-for destination. Each of us ended up here because of our pain. All of us tried to force solutions that didn't fit. And we drove ourselves crazy trying to control the behavior of others, certain that “doing it our way” was not only reasonable, but right. Our past sometimes may appear to be a series of failures. But our present experience can be peaceful, hopeful, and successful. It's our decision to let go. A small decision that we can make many times today. Every day.
Let go are tiny words with huge rewards. If I want to, I can give up my attempts to control someone today. Peace will be my reward.
—from A Life of My Own
JANUARY 15
Kindness
As you grow older, try to grow kinder and more broad-minded and more generous.
—Alpha English
As we age, our athletic ability declines. Our memory fails us more often. We tire more quickly, too. And developing the enthusiasm to explore uncharted territories requires more effort than when we were young. However, in spite of these admitted shortcomings of old age, we are never too tired or too forgetful or too bored to be kind to our friends and fellow travelers. Indeed, this is one area that we can show marked improvement in as we advance in years.
Knowing that we can get better at some things is exciting. The good news is that we can practice these attributes as often as we want. Every encounter with another person gives us the chance we need to be kind. Being more open-minded to the opinions of others is also a decision. And maybe we can't be more generous financially, but we can always be more generous in spirit. That's of even greater value to the well-being of the human family. Growing old is growing better. We can see that now.
I will have many opportunities to hone my skills today. Each person I encounter will be the better for it.
—from Keepers of the Wisdom
JANUARY 16
Listening to God
God's voice is present even when we're not listening.
It's beneficial to know that God never leaves our side. Obviously we don't always listen to His guidance. And even when we do, we neglect to follow it sometimes. If we followed it, we'd experience every situation in our lives far more peacefully. However, recognizing God's presence even once is a beginning. Any change we make in this regard strengthens our willingness to listen to God more quickly the next time we're feeling indecisive.
What keeps us from listening to the words of God? For most of us, the interloper is the incessantly nagging ego. It drowns out the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, we're never benefited by the ego's suggestions, but it keeps us too busy to evaluate our actions. We mistake busyness for worthiness, perhaps. Let's remember we are always worthy in God's eyes. It's the ego that labels us unworthy.
We'd be so much happier, so much more peaceful, if we gave our total attention to the Holy Spirit. Can that be so hard?
Today's activities will trip me many times unless I keep my mind on God. Any discomfort I have is my clue my mind has wandered.
—from Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course
JANUARY 17
Interactions
We will never hear anyone else's thoughts if we are only listening to our own.
—Cathy Stone
It's not a defect to think. On the contrary, we need to examine all the issues in our lives, evaluating very carefully what action to take in each instance. Many of us are still clearing up the mayhem that occurred because we didn't give enough thought to situations in the past. But there is nothing gained by constant self-analysis, particularly during those moments when God has sent a friend to share with us her story or perspective.
It's never an accident when another person discusses with us an experience she has had. God intends for us to learn from one another. We are students and teachers, interchangeably. When a teacher comes our way, let's put our minds to rest. Her words may supply the answer we seek.
I will be drawn to the people who have something to teach me today. I will listen first and think later.
—from A Woman's Spirit
JANUARY 18
Surrendering
At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice.
—Maya Angelou
We had to surrender to a power greater than ourselves to get to where we are today. And each day, we have to turn to that power for strength and guidance. For us, resistance means struggle—struggle with others as well as an internal struggle.
Serenity isn't compatible with struggle. We cannot control forces outside of ourselves. We cannot control the actions of our family or our co-workers. We can control our responses to them. And when we choose to surrender our attempts to control, we will find peace and serenity.
That which we abhor, that which we fear, that which we wish to conquer seems suddenly to be gone when we decide to resist no more—to tackle it no more.
The realities of life come to us in mysterious ways. We fight so hard, only to learn that what we need will never be ours until the struggle is forsaken. Surrender brings enlightenment.
Life's lessons are simple once I give up the struggle.
—from Each Day a New Beginning
JANUARY 19
Teachers
Our teachers surround us.
When we were young, our parents and siblings served as our teachers, but they weren't always good ones. We may have learned habits that haunt us still. Shame and guilt may still trouble us because of the messages our parents and siblings gave us. We can't undo the past teachings, but we can come to believe those teachers did their best. They passed on to us what they had been taught. Fortunately, the Twelve Step program can help us discard behaviors that serve us no more and cultivate ones that do.
We're students of life and we'll encounter many teachers. From some, we will learn patience; from others, tolerance and acceptance. A few will make us laugh. All will change us in some way. We may be apt to pass judgment on the interactions we have with others, but those with more wisdom than ourselves remind us that we can learn. In fact, we are privileged to learn something of value in absolutely every interaction. Our teachers are all around us.
I will accept that every person is my teacher today. I may be in for many surprising lessons!
—from A Life of My Own
JANUARY