Daily Prayer

Higher Power, I give You my pain and I ask You to show me the lessons I'm to learn.

I ask for Your help in holding on to hope.

Help me to never forget that You and others are with me.

 

Today I will list the times during my active
addiction that I felt most hopeless.

Then I will think of what lessons
I learned from these moments.

How did others, my Higher Power, and
I transform these moments?

 

~~ @@ ~~

My Mistakes

I find comfort in knowing that, in the past,

I did what I thought was right at the time.

What makes my mistakes seem so bad

is that I judge them by what I know today.

I know more than I did then,

and less than I will tomorrow.
I trust that, in the future,

I will not make the same mistakes.

I have more information now, and

I will be able to handle things differently

and make wiser choices.

I accept myself for who I was then

and for who I am today.

Failure -- Our Teacher

Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker.

Failure is delay, not defeat.

It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.

Failure is something we can avoid only by

saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.

Denis Waitley

Clarity

Today, I will trust that the events in my life are not random.

My experiences are not a mistake.

The Universe, my Higher Power, and life are not picking on me.

I am going through what I need to go through to learn something valuable,

something that will prepare me for the joy and love I am seeking.

Messengers From The Wilderness – Weeds

Simply expressed, a weed is any plant that grows where it isn't wanted. Weeds are defined by their tendency to flourish at the expense of a gardener's overall vision, and we tend to battle their presence in our yards.

It is interesting to consider, though, that a plant is a weed only within a certain context, which is to say that one person's weed is another person's wildflower. Most of us have pulled at least one dandelion up by its roots and disposed of it in the interest of preserving the look of a perfect green lawn, yet the dandelion is good medicine, packed with healing properties and vitamin-rich leaves that are a delicious, spicy surprise in a summer salad.

In the wild, there is no such thing as a weed because the overall vision is in the hands of Mother Nature, who accommodates and incorporates all forms of life. In nature, balance is achieved over the long term, without the aid, or interference, of a human supervisor.

While one plant may prevail over others for a certain period of time, eventually it will reach an apex and then it will naturally decline, allowing for other forms to be born and survive. This self-regulating realm was the first garden of our ancestors, who learned the art of agriculture from studying the forests and fields of the as yet uncultivated earth.

In a sense, weeds are harbingers of this wildness, pushing their way into our well-ordered plots, undermining more delicate flora, and flourishing in spite of us.

The next time you see a weed, you might want to look deeply into its roots, discover its name, its habits, and its possible uses. Instead of seeing an unwanted intruder, you might see a healer offering its leaves for a medicinal tea or its flowers for a colorful salad.

At the very least, if you look long enough, you will see a messenger from the wilderness of Mother Earth, reminding you that, even in the most carefully controlled garden, she cannot be completely ruled out.

-- Today's DailyOM

I've Learned . . . .

I've learned . . .

That life is like a roll of toilet paper.
The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

That we should be glad God
doesn't give us everything we ask for.

That money doesn't buy class.

That it's those small daily happenings
that make life so spectacular.

That under everyone's hard shell is
someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

That the Lord didn't do it all in one day.
What makes me think I can?

That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

That the less time I have to work,
the more things I get done.

Living University

What we really need to learn is how to live life. Nature is the greatest university when we want to learn about balance, harmony, the Natural Laws and how to live life. But we will never learn unless we spend time in the "living university." Nature is full of examples, lessons, and exercises about life. Nature will help humans learn. Nature will help humans heal. Nature will help with Medicine, knowledge and healing. The reason our Elders are so wise is because they have attended the right educational system - nature's university.

Creator, help me to become wise.