December 28

”Just because fate doesn't deal you the right cards, it doesn't mean you should give up. It just means you have to play the cards you get to their maximum potential.” Les Brown

Surrendering does not mean giving up. The Steps are teaching me that surrendering my will to that of the God of my understanding is about giving up on my ways which are not working and opening myself up to the guidance and direction of my Spiritual Source which knows better than me the path I should be taking. The only way for me to discover that road is to stop, to ask for direction through prayer or conscious contact with my Higher Power, and then listening through meditation and looking for the signs of the way to proceed. There is a heavy focus on accepting the hand that life has dealt me and looking to make the best of the situations that I find myself in. There is only so much I can do and only so much influence that I can exert at any given time. I have to trust in my abilities but also keeping in mind that I want to actively seek to do God’s will and not my own. If I am consciously seeking Him then I will go right more often than I go wrong. I will always be human, and I’m not always going to do things the right way, or let my ego get the better of me and be selfish from time to time. This is a process, a path of seeking progress and not perfection. The more I am consciously looking for the guidance of my Source the easier it becomes. And my life goes in a better, healthier direction as a result. I know my Higher Power never bluffs, so I will continue along faithfully following His way.

Affirmation

I have confidence that I can deal with whatever hand is dealt to me as long as I remember to seek the will of my Higher Power.

December 20

”Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.” Robert H. Schuller

As Shakespeare might have said, “Ay, there lies the rub.” Of course Hamlet was speaking about life and death and his choices to escape the pain. Then, again, maybe not so dissimilar to Mr. Schuller’s quote. How is it that I can choose to lead my life, by my sorrow and pain, or by my blessings and joy? An outsider might question that musing by asking if I have the power or ability to choose to have only blessings or sorrow in my life. Yet that is not exactly the question I asked, which was which do I choose to be led by? That implies a distinct difference, meaning that I acknowledge I will have both hopes and hurts in life, but that I can choose to focus on whichever I like. Either can be a catalyst for shaping my future. My hurts, I think, tend to lead me towards seeking justice, and sometimes revenge. It is less about growth than trying to rectify the past. In contrast, my hopes lead me towards goals, dreams and accomplishments. These are often acts of creation and service to help better the world around me. I can see how where I put my emphasis can have a big impact on my decisions and actions. I think hoping is a much healthier and productive option.

Affirmation

My future will be brighter if I focus on my hopes and dreams and take measures towards fulfilling them.

December 17

”Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” Les Brown

There are days where I find being responsible for my life a great burden. Usually this is due to my doing the right things and still having unpleasant things happen that I have little or no control over. It’s not always easy to remember all the blessings I have when tragedy strikes or when things I love are taken away. Life is not always fair. So what helps – getting angry at my Higher Power? Maybe for a brief moment. Pouting or getting depressed? Not really, this takes me away from people in my life who care about me, including myself. Writing, meditating, prayer or something else to allow myself to feel the emotions I am feeling? This is often the most unnatural reaction, yet the more I go here, the sooner I feel better. Life happens, the good, bad and the ugly. Most of life happens because of things I have absolutely no influence or control over. That’s just the way it is. So why do I have to try and fix everything all the time – it simply cannot be done, I am not God. It’s not my place to make things better. So I am left to live through my part in it all, make peace with my feelings, and take that next step forward, trusting in the God of my understanding. But for the grace of God go I, sometimes slowly, sometimes painfully, sometimes begrudgingly, but forward I will go.

Affirmation

Responsibility for my life includes being responsible to accept my feelings and to temper my reactions. I will be kind to myself when things are not going my way.