“Crawling into the rooms of recovery, my mind was out of control.”

One minute in seated meditation puts this in stark relief: The thinking mind does not want to quiet down. ‘Monkey mind,’ the Buddhist metaphor for our continual mental grasping, is difficult to tame. It’s a barrier to wisdom & contentment, both in formal practice and in life. Attention, on the other hand, unlocks access to insight. Being in the ‘right mind’ is the key to calm abiding, which ultimately relieves us from our anxiety & suffering. As we continue to recover from our addiction, using a phrase like ‘Be Still and Know That I am God’ can be one of our doorways to a state of peaceful mindfulness. Today, help me to learn and to use some meditation tools to relax, instead of allowing my ‘monkey mind’ to take over.

Divine order is in force here, now, and always. “As we go through the day, we remind ourselves that divine order is in force, Continue to recognize that anxious stressing or complaining does not help; instead, as distractions and situations of powerlessness appear, place the outcome in the hands of God. Just for today, help me to not be distracted by appearances. Let me remember that You are in charge, that Your love is present, and all is well.”

“Never doubt that God's Spirit is always with you, wherever you are, to keep you on the right path. God's keeping power is never at fault, only your realization of it. You must try to believe in God's nearness and availability of His grace. It is not a question of whether God can provide a shelter from the storm, but of whether or not you seek the security of that shelter. Every fear, worry, or doubt is disloyalty to God. You must endeavor to trust God wholly. Practice saying: "All is going to be well." Say it to yourself until you feel it deeply.”