Latest / Sober Readings / Overcoming Self-Will
Transcript
- Scott Hayes: Good morning, welcome to Sober Readings. Today is Tuesday, March 3. Today's reading from Daily Reflections. Overcoming Self-Will. So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will-run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us. That's from Alcoholics Anonymous, page 62. For so many years, my life revolved solely around myself. I was consumed with self in all forms. Self-centeredness, self-pity, self-seeking, all of which stemmed from pride. Today, I have been given the gift, through the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, of practicing the steps and traditions in my daily life, of my group and sponsor, and the capacity, if I so choose, to put my pride aside in all situations which arise in my life. Until I could honestly look at myself and see that I was the problem in many situations, and react appropriately inside and out, until I could discard my expectations and understand that my serenity was inversely proportional to them, I could not experience serenity and sound sobriety. Today's reading from 24 hours, March 3rd, AA Thought for the Day. After we've made a surrender, the drink problem is out of our hands and in the hands of God. The thing we have to do is to be sure that we never reach out and take the problem back into our own hands. Leave it in God's hands. Whenever I'm tempted to take a drink, I must say to myself, I can't do that. I've made a bargain with God not to drink. I know God doesn't want me to drink, and so I won't do it. At the same time, I say a little prayer to God for the strength needed to keep the bargain with Him. So ask yourself today, am I going to keep my bargain with God? The meditation for the day. I will try to grow in this new life. I will think of spiritual things, often and unconsciously I will grow. The nearer I get to the new life, the more I will see my unfitness. My sense of failure is a sure sign that I am growing in the new life. It is only struggle that hurts. In sloth, physical, mental, or spiritual, there is no sense of failure or discomfort. But with struggle and effort, I am conscious not of strength but of weakness, until I am really living the new life. But in the struggle, I can always rely on the power of God to help me. the prayer for the day. I pray that I may see signs of my growth in the new life. I pray that I may always keep trying to grow. And finally today a reading from As Bill Sees It, page 250, Prayer Under Pressure. Whenever I find myself under acute tensions, I lengthen my daily walks and slowly repeat our serenity prayer in rhythm to my steps and breathing. If I feel that my pain has in part been occasioned by others, I try to repeat, God grant me the serenity to love their best and never fear their worst. This benign healing process of repetition, sometimes necessary to persist with for days, has seldom failed to restore me to at least a workable emotional balance and perspective. And that's from an article in the grapevine from March of 1962. And that's it for today's readings. Thanks for listening, everyone. Send me your thoughts and your comments on today's readings at soberreadingswithscottatgmail.com or you can go to my website soberreadings.com and fill out the form. While you're there, if you want to leave a dollar, For today's readings and the donation basket, click that donate button. Again, thank you for listening. Take care of yourselves and each other. And remember, just for today, don't drink, go to a meeting, and keep coming back. Have a great day. And as my friend Larry says, best day ever.