TOPICS – June 13
1) Daily Reflections
LIVING OUR AMENDS
“Years of living with an alcoholic is almost sure to make any
wife or child neurotic. The entire family is to some extent,
ill.”
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 122
It is important for me to realize that, as an alcoholic, I not
only hurt myself, but also those around me. Making amends to
my family, and to the families of alcoholics still suffering,
will always be important. Understanding the havoc I created
and trying to repair the destruction, will be a lifelong
endeavor. The example of my sobriety may give others hope,
and faith to help themselves.
2) Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
In A.A. we have to reeducate our minds. We have to learn to
think differently. We have to take a long view of drinking
instead of a short view. We have to look through the glass
to what lies beyond it. We have to look through the night
before to the morning after. No matter how good liquor looks
from the short view, we must realize that in the long run it
is poison to us. Have I learned to look through the bottle
to the better life that lies ahead?
3) Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may try to think God’s thoughts after Him. I
pray that my thoughts may be guided by His thoughts.
4) Walk in Dry Places
The Boredom Battle – Acceptance and Patience.
All of us have times when we don’t enjoy our sobriety as much as we feel we should. Though we’re still grateful, we sometimes feel bored and depressed.
What we have to remember our bleak history of using alcohol as a quick fix for boredom. Ruinous and false it proved to be, alcohol did not bring the miraculous change we sought, but occasionally very temporary relief.
We thought of alcohol as a means of uplifting our mood. Maybe it only lifted us up by depressing our self-doubt and self-criticism.
Whatever the nature of our drinking, we need to stay sober while fighting our battles with boredom. We can do that by accepting a bit of boredom without succumbing to it. Meanwhile, we can look for ways of easing boredom that won’t get us into trouble or lead back to the bottle.
I should not feel guilty or unworthy if boredom strikes me now and then. Today I can help manage my long-term boredom tendencies by practicing acceptance and patience for twenty-four hours and helping others!