Today's Thought - November

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November 1

If you don’t take chances, you can’t do anything in life.

~Michael Spinks

Many of us have done things that, in looking back, seem insane or dangerous. We may have had friends or family members who got into serious trouble and frightened us with their risky behavior. Out of fear, we may have become too cautious about everything.

Our dilemma is that growth is a risk, too. If we avoid all risk, we become stagnant. Life thrives on possibilities and options. Of course, risk means the outcome is unsure. We may not get the result we desire. But not all risk taking is as self-destructive as it was in our past. Now we have our relationship with ourselves and our Higher Power. Now taking a chance may help us grow, even when we don’t get what we want.

Today, let me see possibilities, and guide my inner sense of when to take a chance for growth.

Today's reading is from the book Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men*

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November 2

Addressing Our Shadows

No matter how far you think you have fallen at times in your life, you are not an evil person, not even if you believe that some of the things you did in your past are unforgivable. When I first began addressing my dark times as part of my healing journey, I unearthed a list of troubling things that I had done during my active addiction, things that I wanted to stay buried. I didn't think I could ever deal with - or let go of - most of those things. But I have.

If you think there is value in it, you can visit your darkness and the dark times in your life, but you don't have to live there anymore. You can learn what you need to from those times by being in reflection on your own, in conversation with other people in recovery, or in therapy. Spiritual teacher Iyanla Vanzant says that it is our willingness to look at our darkness that empowers us to change. When you look at your darkness, or your shadows, do it with compassion, not judgment, and with self-love, not self-reproach.

We have all had dark periods in our past; we can shine light on them and release them.

Today's reading is from the book She Recovers Every Day: Meditations for Women*

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November 3

Avoiding fights

The program encourages us to stop fighting against people and things. In fighting, our principles get blurred and it gets harder to think, so we have trouble doing what we know is right. In fighting, our center is anywhere but with our Higher Power.

To reduce conflict, it is more effective to show people your way rather than beat them into submission. Fighting is one approach; there are others. Our Higher Power will show us how to handle all situations.

Have I stopped fighting?

Higher Power, help me learn new approaches to conflict and to trust in your help with new situations.

The one person or one thing I will stop fighting today is...

Today's reading is from the book Day by Day: Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts*

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November 4

You Deserve to Treat Yourself Better

As a veteran, you’ve done what countless millions of other people cannot or will not do, and that is serve this country. And you deserve the best. You deserve to treat yourself better. You deserve to allow people to treat you better.

To get that, you need to give 110 percent every day. I don't want to have to use a phrase from the Army, but you do need to "be the best you can be."

I would encourage you most desperately to take care of yourself. Make the effort.

Just for today, I will put the effort in to take care of myself, because I matter.

~Ed C., U.S. Army, 1975–1979

Today's reading is from the book Leave No One Behind: Daily meditations for Military Service Members and Veterans in Recovery*