Latest / Sober Readings / Focusing And Listening
Transcript
- 11 3Reading: Welcome back to Sober Readings, my name is Scott. Today is Tuesday the third of November. Let's get started today with the serenity prayer. God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference. Today's reading from Daily Reflections is titled Focusing and Listening. There is a direct linkage among self examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. And that's in the twelve steps and twelve traditions. If I do my self-examination first, then surely I'll have enough humility to pray and meditate, because I'll see and feel my need for them. And then I'll jump to the last line in this reading, which really gets to the point of today's reading. These three self examination, meditation, and prayer, form a circle without a beginning or an end. No matter where or how I start, I eventually arrive at my destination, a better life. And so I've learned that self examination, prayer, and meditation are three of the most important tools I have for maintaining and strengthening my sobriety. Self examination allows me to take an honest look at myself, recognize where I've fallen short, and identify the things I need to work on. Prayer gives me the opportunity to turn those shortcomings over to God. Ask for guidance, and find the strength to do his will rather than my own. And meditation allows me to quiet my mind, listen for that guidance, and find the peace and serenity that I spent so many years searching for in a bottle or a drug. These aren't things I can do once and expect lasting results. They're they require daily practice, patience, and willingness. And the more I make them part of my everyday life, the more I grow spiritually. The more I become understanding of others, and the more I learn to respond to life's challenges rather than reacting to them. So for me, sobriety isn't just about not drinking or using drugs anymore. It's about becoming a better person one day at a time. And three things that help me get there are self-examination, prayer, and meditation. Let's go to today's readings from 24 hours, the AA Thought for the Day. And it starts off again with the rewards of sobriety, and this one is I have charity, another word for love. That right kind of love which is not selfish passion, but an unselfish, outgoing desire to help other people. It goes on to say Charity is gentle, kind, understanding, long suffering, and full of desire to serve. And AA has given this to me. And so the question they ask, have I charity? And in today's meditation for the day, it starts off with the line out of the Bible Ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. God has unlimited power. There is no limit to what his power can do in human hearts. But we must will to have God's power, and we must ask God for it. So in today's prayer for the day, I'm praying that I may keep praying for the strength that I need. So let's talk about charity for a minute. They use these words long suffering. In describing charity. And long suffering means being patient, tolerant, and forgiving, even when other people disappoint us, frustrate us, or treat us unfairly. And that's important in in sobriety because it reminds me that true charity isn't just about being kind when it's easy. It's about remi remaining kind, patient, and understanding when it's difficult. It's about resisting the urge to become angry, resentful, or judgmental when people don't behave the way I think they should behave. It means accepting that others have shortcomings just as I do, and giving them the same patience and understanding that I hope to receive. So it that doesn't mean allowing people to mistreat me or failing to establish healthy boundaries. It simply means that I can choose compassion over resentment and patience over anger. And when I practice this kind of charity, I'm not only helping others, I'm protecting my own peace and my own serenity and my own sobriety. For today's final reading, we're gonna go to As Bill sees it, and this one is titled Daily Acceptance. Too much of my life has been spent in dwelling upon the faults of others. This is a most subtle and perverse form of self-satisfaction, which permits us to remain comfortably unaware. Of our own defects. Too often we're heard to say, If it weren't for him or her, how happy I'd be. And that comes from a letter that was written in 1966. It goes on to say: Our very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the people about us as they are. And the final paragraph in this reading says. Provided we strenuously avoid turning these realistic surveys of the facts of life into unrealistic alibis for apathy or defeatism, they can be the sure foundation upon which increased emotional health and therefore spiritual progress can be built. And that part was written in the in a grapevine article in nineteen sixty two. You know, it's so easy to get caught up in the faults of other people focusing on what they're doing wrong. How they've treated us or how we think they should be living their lives. But when I spend my time dwelling on the shortcomings of other people, I'm really only hurting myself. I allow resentment, anger, and frustration to build up inside me, and those are dangerous emotions for someone like me who struggles with alcoholism and addiction. The truth is I have absolutely no control over what other people think, say, or do. The only thing I can control is how I respond to them. And the circumstances life puts in front of me. Acceptance doesn't mean I have to agree with everything that happens or approve of someone else's behavior. It really means recognizing reality for what it is, rather than fighting against what I cannot change. When I stop judging others, take an honest look at my own shortcomings, and accept life on life's terms, I free myself from so much unnecessary suffering. And that freedom brings me closer to the peace and serenity that are that are so important in my sobriety. And that brings us to the end of today's episode of Sober Readings. Thank you all so much for listening today. I hope you heard something in the readings or something maybe that I said that helps you along your way today. if you'd like to be a guest on Sober Readings and share your experience, strength, or hope with me, just join me for a reading, share your thoughts on today's readings. There's a link down in the show notes below to send me an email. And you'll also find a link down there in the show notes to my website, soberreadings.com, where you can learn more about sober readings and me, and stay connected to the show. So if you'd like to drop a dollar in the virtual donation basket, just stay on that website, navigate over to the support page, and click the button that says drop a dollar in the basket. So again, thanks for spending a few minutes of your day with me. Be good to yourselves, be good to others, and remember we only have to do this one day at a time. So just for today, don't drink, go to a meeting, and keep coming back. Have a great day everyone, and as my friend Larry says, best day ever.