POSSIBILITIES - MARCH 16, 2012

Imagine All the Possibilities

Think of all the possibilities for your life--for love, for work, for growth. Think of all the possibilities for adventure, for fun, and for service. This day, this week, this month, this year abounds with possibilities. Each task you have to do, each problem you encounter and need to solve abounds with possibilities. Your life abounds with possibilities.

For a long time, we only saw some of the possibilities life held. We'd look at a situation and see the possibilities for guilt, victimization, sadness, and despair. We'd tell ourselves there was only one choice, or no choice, or that something had to be done in a particular way--the hardest and dreariest way possible. We'd neglect to envision the other options--the choices for joy, for making any event more fun, more pleasant, more enjoyable.

You don't need to limit yourself anymore. You've opened your heart. Now open your mind. Look around. See all the possibilities. The universe is teaming with them. It will lead and guide you into this abundance if you ask it for help and then allow that to happen.

Open to life's abundance. Open to all its possibilities. The more open you become, the more creative you'll be--in work, in play, in love, in life. The more creative you are, the more possibilities you'll see.

THE WORLD OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH - MACH 14, 2012

We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 84

The word "entered" ... and the phrase "entered into the world of the Spirit" are very significant. They imply action, a beginning, getting into, a prerequisite to maintaining my spiritual growth, the "Spirit" being the immaterial part of me. Barriers to my spiritual growth are self-centeredness and a materialistic focus on worldly things. Spirituality means devotion to spiritual instead of worldly things, it means obedience to God's will for me. I understand spiritual things to be: unconditional love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control and humility. Any time I allow selfishness, dishonesty, resentment and fear to be a part of me, I block out spiritual things. As I maintain my sobriety, growing spiritually becomes a lifelong process. My goal is spiritual growth, accepting that I'll never have spiritual perfection.

Gently breathe in God's spirit, that spirit which, if not barred out by selfishness, will enable you to do good works. This means rather that God will be enabled to do good works through you. You can become a channel for God's spirit to flow through you and into the lives of others. The works that you can do will only be limited by your spiritual development. Let your spirit be in harmony with God's spirit and there is no limit to what you can do in the realm of human relationships.

INNER PEACE - MARCH 13, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If we can locate the stillness at the center of our hearts, we can find composure in almost any situation. People who maintain their sense of calm when things around them are in a state of flux and confusion are always wonderful to be around. We feel calmer just being near them, as if they have activated our own sense of inner peace. From them we learn that we can be calm, even when everything around us is in turmoil, because we know that no matter what happens, this inner sense of calm will help us to function well. Often, times of confusion are the times that enable us to find that part of ourselves that knows how to cope, and how to be a light to others in the storm.

If we allow ourselves to be thrown off balance by every piece of disturbing news that comes our way, we may be relying too much on our emotions. On the other hand, our thoughts may also be unreliable at times like these, as they chatter on endlessly about what might happen next. If our feelings and thoughts activate one another in a hectic way, then we become caught up in the confusion that surrounds us. If we can locate the stillness at the center of our hearts, we can find composure in almost any situation. 

It helps to remember that we don't need to completely understand what's happening right now, nor do we need to be able to predict the future. Most of us just want to find our way to being at peace with whatever happens, and we can find this peace inside.

CHALLENGES - MARCH 13, 2012

...to have a crisis, and act upon it, is one thing. To dwell in perpetual crisis is another ~ Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

Misery is an option available to us every day, over any situation. We can linger, befriending despair. It is also possible to take life's rough currents in stride, responding to them sanely, thoughtfully, trustingly. The rough times, we can see in retrospect, teach us the most.

Crises become too familiar to some of us. They push us into overdrive and an elation accompanies them, an elation born from the energy inherent in the crisis. However, this same energy is inherent in calm, sensible responses to life if we'd learn to cultivate it. Crises ultimately burn us out, while measured, balanced, responses to turmoil rekindle belief in ourselves, and our ability to handle the gravest conditions.

Dwelling in crisis allows us to avoid forward movement. However, if we want to grow and find the real happiness we deserve, we must move ahead to the challenges that promise us our due.

A crisis may protect me from unknown opportunities today. It will also prevent growth. My choice is open.

DOORS - MARCH 5, 2012

 
The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.
~ Flora Whittemore

We often hear the phrase, "When one door shuts, another opens." It means everything has a beginning and an end. When our travels on one path are completed, another path lies ahead.

It's not easy to feel a door close. Relationships, friendships, careers, and lives end. Although we may not understand why a door closes, it's important to remember our Higher Power has everything to do with it. By the same token, we may not understand why certain doors open, revealing opportunities we may have longed for. Again, our Higher Power feels we are ready to pursue that new experience.

The doors that open and close today help prepare us for our experiences tonight. The doors that open and close tonight will help us grow toward tomorrow. We are not mice in a maze, randomly pursuing paths for a reward of cheese. We are children of our Higher Power, guided towards our chosen goal through the many doors we open and close along the way.

PRIDE - MARCH 1, 2012

God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves. ~ Dwight L. Moody

Simple, human pride fouls too many of our relationships. We believe we are right. What's more, we must force this view on our adversary. Our ego-driven pride demands it. But what if we give our adversary the benefit of the doubt? We don't need to insist that we are right. When we disagree with someone, we can offer a silent blessing, and feel blessed at the same time.

If we insist on opposing someone out of pride, we actually hurt ourselves. When we are angry and insist on our point of view, we are giving in to our ego, whose values are different form Gods. Any response other than love comes from our confusion about what's important.

I don't have to protect my pride to be happy. I only have to be loving.

GUIDANCE - FEBRUARY 29, 2012

We have to face the fact that what we see as divine guidance may simply be an expression of self-will. We are all too familiar with examples of people who did terrible things, claiming to be obeying orders from God.

We cannot judge whether another is really receiving guidance from a Higher Power. In our own lives, however, we can learn to distinguish between God’s guidance and our self-will. The outstanding characteristic of a divinely guided action is the strong sense of peace it brings. Even if we have to deny ourselves for a time, we sense that the final outcome of any decision will be beneficial for all concerned. We do not have to argue for or defend our decision.

When self-will is in the saddle, we may find ourselves being called on to justify our actions. We may also have to quell or rationalize feelings of guilt or doubt.  The right answers come when self-will is working in harmony with the Higher Will. Our lives will have a quality that everybody senses, including ourselves.

Knowing that self-will can easily lead me astray, I'll listen today for the divine voice of my Higher Power.