“Black & White thinking gave me a sense of power, control and authority.”

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

Daily Meditations

Richard Rohr, O.F.M.

The calculating mind works in a binary way; either-or thinking gives one a false sense of control. It takes a contemplative mind to be content with such paradox and mystery. It unveils the Great Spirit in all things and gives us the ability to live with the contradictions in between. It is only then that we may rest in a contemplative state and learn what they have to teach us.

Adapted from Daily Meditations

When A.A. “Came of Age”

As a society we must never become so vain as to suppose that we have been the authors and inventors of a new religion. We will humbly reflect that each of A.A.’s principles, every one of them, has been borrowed from ancient sources. We shall remember that we are laymen, holding ourselves in readiness to cooperate with all men of good will, whatever their creed or nationality.

Adapted from When A.A. “Came of Age”

Meditation for the Day / Prayer for the Day

Meditation for the Day God can be your shield. Then no problems of the world can harm you. Between you and all scorn and indignity from others is your trust in God, like a shining shield. Nothing can then have the power to spoil your inward peace. With this shield, you can attain this inward peace quickly, in your surroundings as well as in your heart. With this inward peace, you do not need to resent the person who troubles you. Instead, you can overcome the resentment in your own mind, which may have been aroused by that person. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may strive for inward peace. I pray that I may not be seriously upset, no matter what happens around me.

Reflect — Steve L.'s own words

Today’s meditations reminded me of my own journey & progress, or lack of, in recovery. Black & White thinking gave me a sense of power, control and authority. Growing up watching TV shows like Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, Superman, The Lone Ranger and Bonanza, along with a strong engineer father-figure gave me a template to build my own life. Then, upon entering The Ohio State during the turmoil of the 60’s, with all of the cultural & psychedelic changes, I thought I discovered a new formula for life. The magic in alcohol and assorted hors d'oeuvres on the party table really worked! All of my fears, doubts and anxieties left; but after 15 years on the merry-go-round, I was just like Bill Wilson in his story on page 5, “I woke up. This had to be stopped.” But how?

Walking into AA, my confusion, questions, doubts & fears were overwhelming. I was coming out of my skin; is this really the right place for me? I wasn’t sure, but felt I had nowhere else to turn. Thank you for your encouragement and transparency to help me decide that, yes, this was the right place!

I signed onto the Men’s Zoom Step Mtg. My friend Todd W. was sharing on Step 11; after a long period of drinking & using, he was strapped down in the hospital bed in a coma; the nurses said they thought he’d never walk or talk again. Today with a master’s degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Todd is in charge of a team at a large company, with a wife and son. They’d all just got back from a family vacation in Michigan, refreshed and ready to tackle the next assignment. You told me that if this new formula for living life worked for them, it could work for me. Thank you for showing me the tools and being the example to become comfortable and not a stranger in a strange land!