“Remembering where my old life led me, I called my sponsor.”

Those of us who’ve worked the steps have, without question, had a spiritual awakening! We have discovered that life is far from boring. Each day brings many quiet moments of joy, compassion, and insight. A deep and rich sense of serenity and purpose replaces the empty landscape of self. Today, I’ll take time to remind myself that I am not in recovery just to be abstinent; I am living to learn, to grow a deeper spiritual connection to fulfill a higher purpose, and to expand my gratitude through positive action.

There is no language of the holy. The sacred lies in the ordinary. No one is able to describe the spiritual except by comparing it to ordinary things. People have to resort to metaphor to state the divine.

Not until you have failed can you learn true humility. Humility arises from a deep sense of gratitude to God for giving you the strength to rise above past failures. Humility is not inconsistent with self-respect. The true person has self-respect and the respect of others and yet is humble. The humble person is tolerant of others' failings, and does not have a critical attitude toward the foibles of others. Humble people are hard on themselves and easy on others. I pray that I may be truly humble and yet have self-respect. I pray that I may see the good in myself as well as the bad, and move forward in love and gratitude.