“Acceptance, hope, love and joy is in recovery, not in the bottle or vial.”

The word education is derived from the Latin educare, meaning "to draw forth from within." True learning is not accomplished by pounding something new into our psyche; it is allowing our innate wisdom to come forth. What you are is God's gift to you. What you make of yourself is your gift to God. Today, God, I ask You to help me to live up to all that I can be.

In the past, we repeatedly engaged in specific thoughts and behaviors that propelled our addiction. We unknowingly shaped our brain in ways that worked against us. Now, in recovery we need help to reshape our level of consciousness. Here are 5 meditation/mindfulness exercises to help inspire and empower us: 1. Be Present in This Moment. 2. Focus On Your Breath. 3. Recognize That Your Thoughts Are Just Thoughts. 4. Expand Your Circle of Compassion. 5. Practice Being Still Today, help me to take part in these mindfulness practices, to allow my journey in recovery to become ever deeper, more meaningful, and more rewarding.

We prefer to be in the light, yet darkness has gifts for us - different gifts than we get from light. Darkness changes how we see things. In the dark we see less, but we pay better attention. Looking up at the stars at night, we see a magnificent world beyond us. As we continue to let go of our fears, our eyes adjust to the darkness. We find that we can see more than we first thought. We can see enough to take the next step.

All reform is from within; we find that the outward is improved as the inward is improved. Help me turn to my inward self, to ask for Your strength to set right my thoughts & actions. As I improve, my outward circumstances will change for the better. The power released from within ourselves will change our outward life. I pray that the hidden power within me may be released. I pray that I may not imprison Your Spirit that is within me.