“Our family gathered together to pray and to play,”

“Seeing the glass as half empty is a sign that our attitude is holding us back. Sometimes, we find pleasure, perverse though it may be, in feeling sorry for ourselves. It's then that we need to change. We ask God for the strength to help us adjust our attitude. As we share our negativity, share with friends and ask for help, we can begin to heal. Today, I ask my Higher Power to help me reach out to a friend to adjust my attitude, and to let go of any negativity.”

Adapted from A Woman’s Spirit

“Without light, we have no plants, no warmth, no beacons. Thus light is a precious commodity that must shine & be shared. Too much light can blind; effective light does not call attention to itself; rather, it lights up the world. In recovery, we give thanks for being shone The Light; we keep our light alive simply by sharing It so others can find their way out of the darkness. Just for today, I will share my experience with The Light to another.”

Adapted from Daily Meditations

“The New Year brings promises of renewal, invitations to begin again, whether we want to or not. Beginning again is the skill we practice repeatedly in mindfulness meditation; we return to a mantra or an object of concentration when the mind wanders. Every moment, all phenomena, all sensation & perception—impermanent & interdependent, is a continuation. Famously stating *“form is emptiness; emptiness is form,” Heart Sutra* describes all phenomena as empty. There is no birth, no death—no starting, no ending. In the full intensity of the present moment there is never anything to fear—there is only something to deal with. If we can be in the radical present moment, not lost in the past, not anxious about the future, we can be free from our fears. Right now, I relax & focus on my breath, and let the Miracle of The Now embrace my soul.”

Adapted from The Practice of Starting Over

Meditation for the Day “You are so made that you can only carry the weight of twenty-four hours, no more. If you weigh yourself down with the years behind and the days ahead, your back breaks. God has promised to help with the burdens of the day only. If you are foolish enough to gather again that burden of the past and carry it, then indeed you cannot expect God to help you bear it. So forget that which lies behind you and breathe in the blessing of each new day. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may realize that, for good or bad, past days have ended. I pray that I may face each new day, the coming twenty-four hours, with hope and courage.”

Adapted from Twenty-Four Hours a Day© 1975, Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved.