I can be certain I'll hurt no one today if I consult with the Holy Spirit before taking action.
—from Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course
FEBRUARY 1
Reciprocity
Do unto others . . .
Snapping at a friend often results in being snapped at in return. That doesn't surprise us. Accusations generally elicit an angry defense and an argument. That comes as no surprise either. By contrast, being loving and compassionate toward the people in our lives generally results in others returning love and compassion to us. Why, then, is it harder to express love?
The fear of rejection is strong for many of us. Offering love while fearing it won't be returned makes us feel too vulnerable. However, the principles we are being exposed to through this program will help us understand that we do receive from others what we give. The scales are balanced. Remembering that before responding to anyone around us will make our lives far more peaceful.
I will know what to expect from others today by how I treat them. I pray to be kind and loving.
—from A Life of My Own
FEBRUARY 2
God's presence
Life is so much easier if we don't feel sorry for ourselves.
—Helen Casey
Our willingness to feel sorry for ourselves is related to our level of faith. When we cherish the knowledge that God has always been present, we can pull ourselves through any difficult experience. Some might say that our difficulties multiply as we age, and many situations are harder for us to handle. Perhaps we have less income and our bodies are less agile. But nothing has to get us down, and nothing will if we go to the ever-present Source for whatever we need.
When we decide to feel sorry for ourselves, we have effectively filled up our minds with thoughts that prevent us from hearing the inner voice of strength. If we listen to it instead, we'll not be overwhelmed by any situation that's happening. It might help to recall an earlier period in our lives when our faith walked us through a hard time. Perhaps we got fired or a marriage filled us with pain. When we sought comfort, it came to us. It still will. We need not feel abandoned, which is what we're feeling if trapped by self-pity. God didn't go anywhere. Only our minds left.
I will recall the Power of the Presence anytime I am scared or frustrated today. Comfort will come to call.
—from Keepers of the Wisdom
FEBRUARY 3
Unconditional love
There is nothing else that can expand the human soul, actualize the human potential for growth, or bring a person into the full possession of life more than a love which is unconditional.
—John Powell, S.J.
A garden tended by loving hands reaps succulent fruits. Our attention to family and friends, when offered lovingly, likewise reaps rewards for all of us. Our efforts are not soon forgotten by us or our loved ones. Each loving act we express finds its home, in another's heart as well as our own.
The decision to love someone unconditionally is simply made—and yet it takes daily persistent effort. How quickly we forget the promised benefits. Each day a gentle reminder is needed.
“I will love wholly and nurture the fuller development of someone special.” This one commitment, carried out, guarantees two vital, growing souls.
—from Worthy of Love
FEBRUARY 4
Accountability
We are empowered to decide exactly what kind of day we will have, every day.
So many times throughout the day we are inclined toward anger, frustration, criticism, or perhaps all three. We love to blame a situation or another person for how we are feeling. Many of us have shirked responsibility for our feelings and our behavior.
When we came into the program and first learned that we needed to be wholly accountable both for our feelings and for our behavior, we panicked. The responsibility seemed overwhelming. On occasion, it still does. But it's also exhilarating to know that we, and only we, can decide how we are going to feel. No one can trigger behavior that we aren't willing to display. No one can decide who we will be or how we will feel; we are the ones in charge. That's a wonderful gift.
I am in charge of myself today. I'll enjoy my life, all of it, if I choose to.
—from A Life of My Own
FEBRUARY 5
Divine plan
What you desire with a burning desire, a continuing burning desire, you will draw to you.
—Jean Will
Our thoughts manifest themselves. That's both a powerful realization and a haunting one. Does it mean that we are to blame for the bad as well as the good experiences in our lives? Some wiser than ourselves would say yes. However, if our lives have been fraught with pain, that response doesn't comfort us. Let's settle, instead, for coming to believe that we have gotten what we needed for our growth, and it has taken many forms. We will continue to get whatever we need to make us whole.
Our journey has been full of surprises, right? Probably few of us imagined the turns our careers took. Nor did we anticipate the travels, the friends, the struggles in the midst of joys that our families experienced. And yet, all that we have come to know has benefited us. All that we have lived through enriched our contributions to others.
We may not be conscious of our souls' supreme desires. We must trust, however, that they have come to us in the right way at the right time. They will continue to do so.
My experiences have always been right for me. Even when I didn't like them, they were right. The same will be true today.
—from Keepers of the Wisdom
FEBRUARY 6
Choices
The bottom line is that I am responsible for my own well-being, my own happiness. The choices and decisions I make regarding my life directly influence the quality of my days.
—Kathleen Andrus
There is no provision for blaming others in our lives. Who we are is a composite of the actions, attitudes, choices, decisions we've made up to now. For many of us, predicaments may have resulted from our decisions to not act when the opportunity arose. But these were decisions, no less, and we must take responsibility for making them.
We need not feel utterly powerless and helpless about the events of our lives. True, we cannot control others,