Latest / Sober Readings / What We Know Best
Transcript
- 10 23Reading: Welcome back to Sober Readings, or welcome to Sober Readings, if this is your first time joining me, and thank you. My name is Scott. I'm glad you're here with me today for today's readings. Today is Friday, October 23rd. Happy Friday, everyone. So let's get started today, like we always do 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. What we know best. The survival of AA depends upon unity. What would happen if a group decided to become an employment agency, a treatment center, or a social service agency? Too much specialization leads to no specialization, to frittering of efforts, and finally to decline. It goes on to talk about conformity to AA's primary purpose. And the last line says, The life of millions of alcoholics is closely tied to my competence in carrying the message to the still suffering alcoholic. And that last line is part of the primary purpose, which is stated in the preamble. And the primary purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. It's a simple statement, but one that carries a tremendous amount of meaning. I've learned that my sobriety isn't just about what I can get out of the program. But also about what I can give back. Someone was there for me when I first walked into the rooms of AA, confused, afraid, and unsure of what my future would look like. They shared their experience, strength, and hope with me and helped me believe that a life without alcohol was possible. Today, I have a responsibility to do the same for someone else. Whether it's sponsoring another alcoholic, sharing at a meeting, answering a phone call, or simply listening to someone who's struggling. Every opportunity to be of service strengthens my own recovery. And I need to remember that I can't give away something I don't have, which means taking care of my own sobriety must remain a priority. The beautiful thing about AA is that when I help another alcoholic stay sober, I'm also helping myself. That's how this program has survived for so many years, and that's how we keep the message alive for the next person who walks through the door. Today's reading from 24 hours, the AA Thought for the Day. So let's first go back to the reading for Tuesday, October 21st, and there was a line that said, First, I understand myself more than I ever did before. Yesterday's reading started off by saying, Second, I am content to face the rest of my life without alcohol. And today's reading starts off by saying, third, I have learned how to be honest. What a relief. No more ducking or dodging. No more tall tales. No more pretending to be what I am not. It goes on to say, I've had an unsavory past. I am sorry yet. But it cannot be changed now. All that is yesterday and is done. But now my life is an open book. Come and look at it if you want to. I'm trying to do the best I can. And today's question is, am I really honest? The meditation for the day. Though it may seem a paradox, we must believe in spiritual forces which we cannot see more than in material things which we can see if we are going to truly live. These spiritual forces we know because we can see their results, although we cannot see them. A changed life, a new personality, results from the power of unseen spiritual forces working in us and through us. And in today's prayer for the day, we're praying that I may believe in the unseen and may be convinced by the results of the unseen which I do see. One of the greatest gifts I've received in sobriety is the relief that comes from simply being honest. When I was drinking, dishonesty became a way of life. I lied to others, I made excuses for my behavior, and perhaps worst of all, I lied to myself. It was exhausting trying to keep track of what I had said, what I had done. And what I needed to hide. Today, sobriety has given me the freedom to live without carrying that burden. I don't have to make up stories, cover my tracks, or pretend to be someone I'm not. That doesn't mean being honest is always easy, especially when it requires me to admit that I'm wrong, acknowledge my shortcomings, or take responsibility for something I've done. But I've learned that the temporary discomfort of telling the truth is far better than the lasting guilt and anxiety. That comes with dishonesty. And honesty isn't just about what I tell other people, it's about being truthful with myself about my feelings, my motives, and the condition of my recovery. There's an incredible amount of peace that comes from having nothing to hide. And today, that peace is something I'm not willing to give up. For today's final reading, we're going to go to As Bill Sees It, page 37: a full and thankful heart. One exercise that I practice is to try for a full inventory of my blessings and then for a right acceptance of the many gifts that are mine, both temporal and spiritual. Here I try to achieve a state of joyful gratitude. I try hard to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in ongoing love. The finest emotion that we can ever know. And I want to revisit this line: a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits. Because it reminds me of the importance of gratitude and humility in my sobriety. When I'm truly grateful for what I have today, there's very little room left for ego, pride, or the belief that I'm somehow better than anyone else. I have to remember where I came from, what my life looked like when I was drinking. And how many people help me to get where I am today? None of this happened because I was smarter, stronger, or more deserving than the next alcoholic. It happened because I became willing to accept help, work the steps, and have trust and faith in a power greater than myself. When I start taking credit for everything good in my life, or begin believing that I have this whole sobriety thing figured out, that's when I need to take a closer look at my attitude. Gratitude reminds me that the life I have today is a gift, not something I'm entitled to. And the more I focus on being thankful for what I've been given, the less time I spend comparing myself to others, wanting more, or thinking too highly of myself. A grateful heart keeps me humble, and humility keeps me willing to learn, to grow, and continue doing the things that help me stay sober. So thank you for joining me for today's readings. I hope something you heard or something I said stays with you and helps you along your way. If you'd like to be a guest on Sober Readings and share your experience, strength, and hope, you can find a link to my email in the show notes. And if you enjoy today's episode and want to help support Sober Readings and help me pass along the message, please subscribe to the podcast and give this episode a like, because it really does help people find the show. So so thanks for spending a few minutes of your day with me. Be good to yourselves, be good to others, and remember 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.