OPEN-MINDEDNESS

A.A. Thought for the Day From Friendship House

OPEN-MINDEDNESS

We have found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the realm of the spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 7


But even faith is not the whole story. There must be service. We must give this thing away if we want to keep it. The Dead Sea has no outlet and it is stagnant and full of salt. The Sea of Galilee is clear and clean and blue, as the Jordan River carries it out to irrigate the desert. To be of service to other people makes our lives worth living. Does service to others give me a real purpose in life?
Meditation for the Day

Seek God early in the day, before He gets crowded out by life's problems, difficulties, or pleasures. In that early quiet time gain a calm, strong confidence in the goodness and purpose in the universe. Do not seek God only when the world's struggles prove too much and too many for you to bear or face alone. Seek God early, when you can have a consciousness of God's spirit in the world. People often only seek God when their difficulties are too great to be surmounted in any other way, forgetting that if they sought God's companionship before they need it, many of their difficulties would never arise.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not let God be crowded out by the hurly-burly of life. I pray that I may seek God early and often.

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Thought for Today
Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.
--Groucho Marx
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Buddha/Zen Thoughts

Joseph Goldstein on "Non-Self" -- from Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, Vol. VI, #3
The Buddha described what we call "self" as a collection of aggregates - elements of mind and body - that function interdependently, creating the appearance of a woman or a man. We then identify with that image or appearance, taking it to be "I" or "mine," imagining it to have some inherent self-existence. For example we get up in the morning, look in the mirror, recognize the reflection, and think, "Yes, that's me again." We then add all kinds of concepts to this sense of self: I'm a woman or a man, I'm a certain age, I'm a happy or unhappy person -- the list goes on and on.
When we examine our experience, though, we see that there is not some core being to whom experience refers; rather it is simply "empty phenomena rolling on." It is "empty" in the sense that there is no one behind the arising and changing phenomena to whom they happen. A rainbow is a good example of this. We go out after a rainstorm and feel that moment of delight if a rainbow appears in the sky. Mostly, we simply enjoy the sight without investigating the real nature of what is happening. But when we look more deeply, it becomes clear that there is no "thing" called "rainbow" apart from the particular conditions of air and moisture and light. Each one of us is like that rainbow - an appearance, a magical display, arising out
of our various elements of mind and body.

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Native American
Grandfather, today, let me know all people are my teachers and I am the student.

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Walk in Dry Places
Solving our common problem

Recovery
Twelve Step programs bring together people who admit certain behaviors that society often views with pity or contempt. Some of these behaviors, such as alcoholism and gambling, are heavily stigmatized.

Though we often talk about "our common problem", the thing we have most in common with each other is that we're human beings who share the human condition. No one is really immune from the similar problems that beset us.
That's why somebody once remarked, only in half-jest, that "alcoholics are like normal people, only more so." We have to remember that the people around us are no different from us in that they are subject to such feelings as pride, resentment, self-pity, and discouragement.

Our common problem is really that we're human beings who need a spiritual life in order to become our true selves.

This can turn a problem into a new life if we accept the program.
Today I'll look upon all people with understanding and acceptance. Everyone shares the same feelings that drive me, and everyone deserves my warmth and understanding.

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passed on to me from my friend Cheryl T from New Zealand who got it from Angela from Dallas ... small world :-)

I want my Higher Power to live in my heart full time, but He'll only
take a 24-hour lease.

It's amazing how good I feel when I get connected to my Higher Power. I
do this when I pray and meditate in the mornings, or when I speak to or
help someone in the program, or when I attend meetings. I love the
peace I feel, the sense of belonging I have and the feelings of being
comfortable in my own skin.

It's also amazing how I can wake up the next day and feel so
disconnected. I've often asked my sponsor why I can't stay connected,
and he tells me it's the same reason I can't stay full after I've eaten
a meal. When I ask him to explain, he says:

"Because we are spiritual beings, we all have a hunger to connect with
our source. Once connected, we are filled with the peace and serenity
that is the nourishment of this union. As we go about our day expending
energy - the biggest energy drain caused by thinking about ourselves -
we quickly become depleted and hungry. That's why we need to
continually take actions to restore our connection and move God back
into our hearts."

"Even though my Higher Power will only take a 24-hour lease, I can take
actions to renew it daily."