“it's hard to let go, and even harder to not bend down to pick old thoughts, habits and ideas back up.”

Three readings. A song that says the rest. And inspiration for whatever this day is here to teach.

A lone surfer riding inside a great curling wave

Read — the readings that opened the day

In God's Care: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery

To bring our addictions under control, we had to surrender them - and our willpower - to a power greater than ourselves. Then, as soon as we admitted that we were powerless, SOMETHING mysterious happened! Today, we want to grow to gain peace of mind; to be free of our shame, pride, doubts & fears. Our surrender must become habitual. Each day, we invite God into our hearts. As we continue to admit we do not know how to run our life sober, peace returns. We develop a deeper faith & gratitude. Today, I* offer God a clean slate on which to write my life, asking to trust the Mystery of faith and His Divine Love.

The Surrender of Equal Taste

Anam Thubten

The phrase “equal taste” is an experience of some kind of equanimity in which we are no longer lost in our hopes, fears, anger, or anxiety. We are no longer reacting to life’s situations. We are simply embracing whatever is unfolding in front of us. We are experiencing something like all situations as having the same flavors, the same taste. It’s almost like we are experiencing that the taste of death is the same as the taste of birth. When we experience this, it means that we’re no longer lost in our preferences, no longer lost in the trap of fear & expectations.

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Meditation for the Day Breathe in the inspiration of goodness. God has given us two things - His spirit, and the power of choice - to accept or not, as we will. We have the gift of free will. When we choose the path of love & service, we accept God's spirit. It then flows into us, and makes all things new. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may choose the right path; that I may try to follow it to the end.

Reflect — Steve L.'s own words

What does “let go” really mean? I was trying, but my thoughts & internal responses seemed to be the same. I was sober, but had not experienced the real gift of letting go. I met my sponsor at a meeting, and asked him, “What does letting go look like; how do I get there?”

He picked up his car keys, held them in his hand, and said, “Here, watch.” He dropped them and they fell on the ground. Then, he said, “There you go; now don’t bend down to pick them up!” I still use that analogy today; it's hard to let go, and even harder to not bend down to pick old thoughts, habits and ideas back up. If/when I do pick them back up, I can call one of you, and ask for help and the grace to leave it in God’s hands. And my life gets better!

Thank you for the gift of one day at a time.