Just For Today
From the Emotions Anonymous program one day at a time.
It has been written by members of Emotions Anonymous for anyone who wants to spend a part of each day with a few minutes in thought, prayer and meditation. It is our hope that these daily readings may help us find serenity, courage, wisdom, and peace of mind so vital in our everyday lives and the world we live in -- today.
Book available at local meetings and online at www.emotionsanonymous.org
December 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
In the EA program we are learning to live one day at a time. This can be confusing. Newcomers often say, "What about making plans? There are certain things which must be planned ahead." Of course there are life events that require planning. We say, "Make plans, but don't plan the results. Don't decide the outcome ahead of time. Put into action whatever is necessary to move the plan along and leave the results to your Higher Power.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I become willing to be flexible and remember that You are in control of life now.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I can make plans without rigidly trying to control the results.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
How many blessings can I find to be thankful for today? It is easy to say, "Thank You, God, " for the big things in my life such as the recovery of a loved one's health, a new car, a job promotion, or the winning of a contest. But how about gratitude for the mundane or insignificant things such as grass, getting home safely, being able to read the comics, or watch a favorite TV show? Certainly there are people in my life to be thankful for other than my spouse or significant other. How about the pleasant bus driver, a delightful co-worker, or the charming paper boy? There are things in my home to be thankful for-things which make my life easier and more pleasant. Air conditioners, dishwashers, and Scotch tape come to mind. Practicing gratitude throughout the day makes me aware of how blessed my life truly is.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to remember to be grateful for all things large or small.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Do not take my blessings for granted.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
My life is occupied often with too much thinking and not enough feeling. This condition of constant thinking leaves me physically tense at the end of the day. Usually this keeps me restless in my sleep at night. This physical discomfort alone should prod me into working the Fourth Step. Before I can free myself to feel, I must be willing to look at yesterday's hurts and guilt's and put them on paper today. The unfulfilled needs of my infancy and the repressed pains of my childhood will slowly drain from me as I put to work the slogan, "Know thyself - be honest."
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
I seek the courage necessary to work Step Four.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Sustained healing takes place only when I work the Steps.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
It is so much easier for me to forgive others than it is for me to forgive myself. I may have done something I believe is wrong, or failed to do something which should have been done, an for some reason, feel I cannot be forgiven. I need to remember my Higher Power will always forgive me and will give me the help I need to find the words and means to make amends to those I might have hurt, including myself.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
If I am carrying thoughts and feelings of guilt and self-recrimination, remind me of Your forgiving love.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Not to be so hard on myself.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
In working the Fourth Step, I found one emotion constantly appearing - fear. Fear denied me the chance of enjoying my present surroundings and relationships. Fear led me to believe that upsetting experiences from my past would recur, so I had to try and control the future. Fear limited my thoughts and actions like a chain attached to my body, dragging me down with its weight. Fear, in effect, stood boldly between me and my goal of serenity and peace of mind. I am learning to replace fear as the controlling force of my life with faith in a loving Higher Power.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I let go of behavior and habits which I have clung to in order to handle fearful situations.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Faith is action.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
My defects of character cannot be removed by my willpower. I have spent the better part of my life trying to combat these shortcomings. I have grown frustrated and anxious in the process. Step Seven says, "You have done your work in Steps Four and Five; now let go and let God. Just humbly ask for your shortcomings to be removed." As the steps suggest, relax. I can now start to live a less anxious life. I can also start being more spontaneous and put my worries and emotional problems into the hands of the Higher Power.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May the faith I have obtained in the first steps of the program stay with me and help me to now complete Steps Six and Seven.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Today I will relax my mind and body and truly accept that my Higher Power will remove my shortcomings at the right time.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
If the weather is unpleasant, I will try not to let it ruin my day. When it is foggy and gloomy I will look for beauty in the difference of the scenery when objects are indistinct. When it is rainy or snowy, I will be glad I can stay inside or let it challenge me to dress appropriately and be comfortable in it. When the roads are bad, I will try to perfect my driving skills or see how I can plan less traveled routes.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I look for positive things in whatever weather there is, accepting what I cannot change.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Look for the good, even in the weather.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
As we grow, we experience our worth and it feels terrific. We gain feelings of self-esteem and are grateful. Another period of growth comes along and we feel insecure and inadequate once again. We question and doubt if we have ever gained any self-worth. It is imperative to recognize that personal growth, even after many years of growing, always produces feelings of instability. This instability can even border for moments of despair. Our willingness to embrace the struggle and to learn what we need to about ourselves will eventually produce an even greater realization of our worth.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I be reminded that as I grow, self-worth will fluctuate and each new growth experience will grant me a deeper level of self-acceptance.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I look forward to my next growth experience with hope.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
So much of my grief is brought about by my own unrealistic expectations. Before the program, I did not have guidelines or a Higher Power to help me find balance between unrealistic and realistic expectations. High expectations of myself result in high expectations of others. When I fail to meet my own expectations, I feel I have failed. When others fail to measure up, I am angry or hurt. Low expectations of myself are just as damaging and are reflected in my expectations of others as well. Both myself and others are weakened if my expectations are too low.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to see that a well-balanced outlook on what I expect of others and of myself will do much to eliminate my struggles with living comfortably and having meaningful, healthy relationships.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I will strive for realistic expectations.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
My tears have always been a source of shame. When I was growing up I was told they were a sign of weakness, self-pity, and foolishness. Consequently, I grew up fighting and repressing them. In the past several years I have slowly learned to accept them as an emotional release, and most importantly, as source of healing. When a grain of sand invades an oyster shell, it causes irritation. Immediately the oyster secretes a liquid much like a tear. This liquid hardens and forms a globe protecting the oyster
from pain. The tear or liquid is called a pearl. So my tears, too, are a beautiful and wonderful function of healing.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me remember my tears are an expression of my inner feelings and they are okay.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
My tears are pearls.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
If I am powerless, my only reasonable course is to live and let live. I must learn, with God's help, to live my own life more fully and to let other people live their own. If I spend my time and effort learning to manage my own life, I will not have any time or energy left over to manage anyone else's. My reward is a feeling of freedom as my burden is lightened when I let go of what does not belong to me. I need not worry - God will take care of others.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I remember that my progress comes from detaching from the idea that I alone can control other people or solve their problems.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Mind my own business.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
The program is like a seed or young plant in the ground. If I am upset, I can't even think straight. It is important for me to quiet down, to be receptive to what is being said to me. First things first! To earth - pliable, open, willing, and honest. Later on I have to weed out attitudes which can choke out sanity like anxiety and temper. For many, the promise of sanity is snatched away from time almost immediately by personalities taking over before principles have even had a chance to grow. Am I allowing the roots of my program to go down deep? Am I "feeding" my program with the spiritual nourishment provided by the steps and program literature?
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to absorb the sunshine of the fellowship.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I will relax and watch my seeds grow.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
The Second Step tells us we came to believe a power greater than ourselves could return us to sanity. In order to return to a place, one must have already been there. In each of us there is a place, perhaps even beyond our earliest memories, where we knew the perfect harmony of mind, body and spirit. Each of us is wonderfully made, designed to experience a vast range of emotions. Like high and low notes on a piano, like light and dark colors in a rainbow, it is the infinite range of possible variations which makes them beautiful and ever new. So, too, we need to experience all our emotions - high and low, light and dark. We then need to seek out in ourselves the place of harmony for each of them in our own unique range of self-expression. In EA that range is constantly widening, enabling us to "hear more music" and "see more colors" in our lives.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I accept every emotion gratefully. May I acknowledge it, bless it, and allow You to help me interpret it.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I am wonderfully made! As Shakespeare marveled, "What a piece of work is Man!" (Woman, too!)
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Not only am I powerless over some of the things which make my life unmanageable, but also over some things which make it manageable. For example, I am unable to alter, even in the slightest, my self-worth. My value as a human being is determined and fixed by God who has made me a worthwhile person, and there is nothing I can do to change that. Nothing. However, my feelings about me and my worth do change from day to day, from moment to moment, because that is the way it is with feelings: they change. I am powerless over my emotions, including the emotions of self-esteem.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to accept myself today as I am, even if my self-esteem is not as high as I would like it to be.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
My value comes from God, not from anything I do or fail to do.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Today I will accept my past. I will try to learn what I can from those experiences which cause me the most pain. I will be kind to myself, giving me credit for the things I have accomplished and not dwell on the things I have not done. With what I learn from my experiences and the will and strength of my Higher Power, I will try to make a better today and look forward to tomorrow.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to accept and learn from my past so I can continue with me emotional and spiritual growth.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Painful experiences are not shameful, but rather a way I can better come to know myself.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
The verb "resent" comes from the Latin, meaning "to feel again." When I resent someone, I recycle old anger, hurt, shame and humiliation. This is just like sticking a knife and twisting it. I toss and turn all night while the person I resent is home sleeping like a baby. The EA program shows me the way out of this futile and agonizing self-torture. Powerlessness was my dilemma; today I have the power, through God, to forgive those whom I have allowed to hurt me. I can release myself from these burning resentments.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I realize that the more I resent someone, the more I hurt myself.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
To pray for those I resent, even if it is hard to do at first.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
How I expend my time and energy during the day determines how I am going to feel about myself at bedtime. If I have used my time and energy in constructive and creative ways, I feel good about myself. If I have wasted the day in procrastination and negativism, I do not care very much for myself. When I am indecisive, I tend to procrastinate. If I have spent the day worrying about the past or the future, I have wasted energy, which leaves me physically but not mentally tired. I can choose early in the morning how I am going to feel late in the evening.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
God, help me to do first things first.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
When one thing gets done, it is easier to do the second and the third and more.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
I have heard that the eagle is the only bird who will fly into a storm. I like relating to the eagle because I know the quicker I face my pain, the faster I pass through the stormy time. On the other side of the storm I always find a beautiful rainbow. In this rainbow the colors show me the strength and courage which I had not known I possessed. This strength and courage gives me hope to face whatever lies ahead.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Grant me the spirit of the eagle so I can continue to soar and become the person You created me to be.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Each time I face my pain I receive the gift of strength and courage.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
I thought it was my responsibility in life to look for the bad. I thought I was supposed to look for everything wrong in every situation or person with whom I came in contact so I could tell them how to fix their problems. I put myself in charge. That is a tall order and a heavy burden. If I found everyone's imperfections, then they could change and would become perfect as I thought they should, I would not have any problems. This, of course, kept me from looking at me.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to allow others to take their own inventories and to ask myself, "Whose problem is it?"
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I can find more joy in looking for the good.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
We are used to the idea that death follows life. A less obvious progression, which is very obvious in nature, is that life follows death. Seeds must die in order to become plants. Caterpillars must die before butterflies exist. Old habits must die before new ones can be formed. In all of these cases the timing must be right. Then the old gives way to the new. As the old submits to this "death," our Higher Power supplies new life. As we work the program, we prepare the soil for the new life, and we learn to know when the time is right.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
As I submit to the death of the known patterns, I pray You will lead me to a new way of life with new patterns.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Surrender and let God do it.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Confusion seems to complicate my mind when I want to make decisions. My Higher Power is there to help me sort out what is most important right now, and I also have a program to help me. Am I using it? My life has been lived through other people for so long my own worth and identify are lost at times. I can take time to relax and find out who I am and accept myself today. I am a valuable person, and at times I do not recognize it.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
When I lose touch with my priorities, I know You will help me to see I must take care of myself first.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I will choose to do the things which make me happy.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
I am not always kind to people I meet. Some days I have to consciously work at being agreeable. I am not necessarily unkind, I just do not make that special effort to react positively. Those are the days when I am not particularly satisfied with myself. I am ordinarily a friendly, outgoing person. When I back away from someone I meet, it is me backing away from me. Then I realize it is time to act "as if" everything is okay - with me and with other people.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Remind me when I am being unfriendly I may be missing an opportunity to meet to best friend I could every have.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Life is a series of meetings; give them a chance to be meaningful.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
So often I have held back from risking, yet not understood why. I let fear control my life. Unless I challenge in the present my fear of losing love, control, or esteem, I will lose even more. Today is the only day I have. I will risk telling a significant person how I feel. I will also risk asking for something I have secretly been needing. And instead of losing, each time I risk I will ultimately gain.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I remember that to risk nothing is to gain nothing.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
If I am open, I will gain more than I will ever lose.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Do I remember how it used to be a struggle to get out of bed in the morning because I just plain did not care? Do I remember how it was almost impossible to leave my home because of fear? How about pouting? It is not wise to dwell on the past, but is important to check my progress. I need to realize how much I have grown and how far I have traveled from my bottom level. Seeing the improvements gives me the necessary encouragement to carry on and certainly adds to my confidence and self-worth.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to see how much better I am than I was.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I will occasionally reflect on the "way it was."
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
For many people throughout the world, today is a day of celebration, giving and receiving, family gatherings, sharing and love, warmth and joy. For many people, however, these occasions may bring out feelings of sadness, loneliness, depression, grief, and perhaps even a sense of hopelessness. For any and all of us, perhaps it is most important in this holiday season that we accept ourselves and our feelings, whatever they are, and that we continue to believe and trust that we are not alone today.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to try to retain and maintain love and hope today.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Love is the most precious gift I can give and receive.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Our length of time in the program can mean a lot or very little, depending on what we do with that time. The more we open ourselves to the healing of acceptance and surrender, the more growth we will achieve. On the other hand, we can sit in meetings for years and remain as closed and fearful as the day we came to our first meeting. At each meeting we have a choice. We can be open to the warmth and acceptance which awaits us, or we can remain closed. Our Higher Power uses this time to touch us through each other.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I be willing to do my part and not rest on my laurels.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
The gifts of growth and healing are available for me. I only need to accept them.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Many of us continue seeking relationships where we end up feeling rejected and abandoned. Yet we resist believing we could gravitate to relationships which could cause us once again to question our worth. It is a known fact, though, that we tend to repeat what we have experienced, whatever feels familiar. The familiar may be miserable, but secure; we know what to expect. As we look honestly at our past relationships, how many times have we unconsciously been drawn toward someone who has not been able to be there emotionally over the long haul?
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May my new awareness, plus Your guidance, help me seek relationships where I feel valued instead of rejected.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I deserve to be valued.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
To love someone is to give them something of ourselves. We risk being vulnerable; we want to share so much of ourselves. That person learns a great deal about how we feel and what we think. Our openness has given this person the power to hurt us. In sharing to this degree, we give up some of our personal power. Yet if we do not risk giving up some of our power, we will never experience what it feels like to be truly loved and cared about.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I be willing to take the risk to love and to be loved.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I would rather feel someone's love than have only my power.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
There are times in our life when we want to give up. Our pain seems to have no end. In a sense we are like the runner of a twenty-six mile marathon on the twenty-fourth mile. The runner may think it is impossible to finish the race, or maybe lose perspective. Yet, if there is a reflection on previous efforts, the decision will be made, no doubt, to continue the race or at least give it one last try. It does not matter how many people come in before or after, It matters only that there was no giving up. When the runner crosses the finish line, the pain turns quickly into jubilation.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I have the perseverance to continue my race.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I will rejoice in my accomplishments. I will reward myself with something I enjoy, for I have done my best.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Often we rebel against our pain. In our painful moments we may feel much alone, and it is true that to some degree we are. Yet, isn't it the pain which we have faced which has ultimately given us compassion for ourselves and then for others? Sometimes when we are open and share our pain, someone responds, "Thanks, you have really helped me." These moments create a deeper awareness of our value and the meaning to our pain.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I have the courage to be open to what my pain is trying to teach me.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Pain faced brings freedom.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
"No matter what you do, I will still accept you," is a powerful message and a wonderful gift to hear from another. One might think this kind of acceptance would cause a person to act irresponsibly. Instead, this acceptance frees a person to experience what needs to be learned. Knowing someone is there who understands and cares ultimately helps one to become more honest and responsible.
MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I be reminded that being loved and valued, no matter what one does, is necessary for a person's maturing process.
TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I will be accepting of those I love. I will benefit, too, for I will become more lovable.