In her book Fearless Relationships: Simple Rules for Lifelong Contentment , Karen Casey offers insightful advice on how to heal ourselves and mend our relationships. In this excerpt, Casey explains how improving our relationships involves and includes improving ourselves as well. Growth means accepting responsibility for how we—and our relationships—evolve.
For decades, the book A Program for You: A Guide to the Big Book's Design for Living has helped millions of people understand and apply the Twelve Steps to their lives and find an authentic path to recovery. In this excerpt, the authors ask us to be honest about our "willingness" when it comes to recovery and challenge us to let go of the defects of character that can keep us stuck in old patterns and afraid of the future.
In her book A Woman's Way Through the Twelve Steps , Dr. Stephanie Covington guides readers through the Twelve Step journey through the lens of women's perspective—including her own recovery story. In this excerpt, Covington notes that seeing our patterns doesn't make them change. To do that we need to learn how to let them go.
In his book Twelve Step Sponsorship: How It Works , author and sponsor Hamilton B. writes for both sponsors and sponsees about how to work the Steps together. In this excerpt he explores the heart of Step Six: whether we're ready to have our Higher Power take away the defects of character that we identified in Step Four and that we admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being in Step Five.
In their book, Drop the Rock: Removing Character Defects Bill P and Todd W study Steps Six and Seven. This excerpt focuses on Step Six, in which we "became willing to ask God to help us remove our defects of character."
A pair of short meditations selected from late May entries in two of Hazelden Publishing's popular meditation series of books: A Life of My Own and Today I Will Do One Thing . Today's Meditation Monday selections invite us to seek and find emotional support for our recovery.
In her book Conscious Service: Ten Ways to Reclaim Your Calling, Move beyond Burnout, and Make a Difference without Sacrificing Yourself , Elizabeth Bishop offers practical tools for self-connection and self-care. In this excerpt, she describes how to build supportive relationships before we need them. Tapping the insights and support of "Safe Sounding Boards" can help us navigate difficult situations without losing our cool or threatening our recovery....
A pair of short meditations selected from late May entries in two of Hazelden Publishing's popular meditation series of books: A Day at a Time and If You Leave Me, Can I Come with You? Today's Meditation Monday selections challenge us to reach out when we need help and stay honest about reality in what we say and do....
In his book Passages Through Recovery: An Action Plan for Preventing Relapse , Terence Gorski describes six stages of challenge we face in moving from active addiction to sobriety. This excerpt offers a seven-step method for managing stress and solving problems during the stabilization stage of recovery.
A pair of short meditations selected from mid-May entries in two of Hazelden Publishing's classic meditation series of books: Day by Day and Twenty-Four Hours a Day . Today's Meditation Monday selections invite us to cultivate patience, learn to avoid overreacting, and share the load with others.
In their book Rein in Your Brain: From Impulsivity to Thoughtful Living in Recovery , Cynthia Moreno Tuohy and Victoria Costello offer techniques for breaking the cycle of compulsive thoughts and behaviors. In this excerpt, the authors discuss "self-fulfilling prophecies"—how the pain we experience in relationships can lead us to repeat old patterns—and offer strategies for change.
A pair of short meditations selected from early May entries in two of Hazelden Publishing's popular meditation series of books: Easy Does It and Answers in the Heart . Today's Meditation Monday selections invite us to enter and enjoy this day of recovery with creativity, love, and action.
In her book Conscious Service: Ten Ways to Reclaim Your Calling, Move beyond Burnout, and Make a Difference without Sacrificing Yourself , Elizabeth Bishop offers practical tools for self-connection and self-care. In this excerpt, she challenges us to explore and celebrate what makes each of us great—and she's not interested in lies, or bragging, or puffed-up half-truths. Claiming our greatness is all about honesty....
Two short meditations selected from early May entries in three of Hazelden Publishing's popular meditation series of books: A Woman's Spirit and Walk in Dry Places . Today's Meditation Monday selections are gathered around the theme of conquering our fears and anxieties.
In her book The Next Happy: Let Go of the Life You Planned and Find a New Way Forward , Tracey Cleantis offers practical advice on how to heal from our losses and let go of the things and relationships that no longer work for us. In this excerpt, the author shares her personal experience of balancing real grief and authentic positivity.
A pair of short meditations selected from late-April entries in two of Hazelden Publishing's popular meditation series of books: Walk in Dry Places and A Life of My Own . Today's Meditation Monday selections invite us to remember the past without sinking into regret, and practice releasing our impulses to control the present and future.
In their book Living the Twelve Traditions in Today's World: Principles Before Personalities , Mel B. and Michael Fitzpatrick examine the history of each AA principle and how they remain relevant to recovery programs today. This excerpt explores the Sixth Tradition: An AA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the AA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose ....
A pair of short meditations selected from mid-April entries in two of Hazelden Publishing's popular meditation series of books: In God's Care and Answers in the Heart . Today's Meditation Monday selections invite us regard ourselves with compassion and treat the people around us with love and care.
In her book When Misery is Company , Anne Katherine helps those of us who feel comfortable in our misery find a new path toward happiness. This excerpt reviews some common self-sabotaging patterns and offers ways we can be more mindful in our activities and begin to enjoy life more.
Bestselling Author Melody Beattie's The Grief Club blends healing wisdom and pragmatic guidance to help us face life's most difficult moments and do the work that allows us to move ahead. In this excerpt, Beattie describes the importance of claiming our own space for grief, and the challenge of detaching from feelings, behaviors, and people who aren't—and never will be—our responsibility.
A pair of short meditations selected from early April entries in two of Hazelden Publishing's popular meditation series of books: A Life of My Own and Easy Does It . Today's Meditation Monday selections invite us to listen to the wisdom and insight other people share with us.
When we were using, alcohol or another substance controlled us. It directed our thinking and acting, formed our goals and ran our lives. And that didn't go so well for us and for the people who care about us. We'll never be able to make peace with our addiction when it's active; we have to be fully committed to recovery. Half measures are not enough. A Program for You: A Guide to the Big Book's Design for Living is written as a companion to the Big Book. It directly applies to those who are work...
Welcome to Meditation Monday. We’re pausing each Monday for a few minutes of reflection and inspiration from the authors of the Hazelden Meditation series of books. Meditations are daily reflections, prayers, slogans and phrases intended to offer inspiration and comfort, and—above all— hope to those of us in recovery. The selections for this last Meditation Monday in March come from one of Hazelden’s best-loved meditation authors, Dr. Karen Casey. Together, these meditations from Each Day a New ...
Some of us in early recovery may have a challenging time with the spiritual part of it all. As human beings, we often want answers to all of our questions. We may not feel safe with uncertainty, and cling to any belief to eliminate that fear. We may demand answers about our addiction, life, and the universe that we may never receive. But with patience and practice, we will come to understand things more than we ever did before—especially when it comes to finding and trusting a higher power. In h...
Welcome to Meditation Monday. We’re pausing each Monday for a few minutes of reflection and inspiration from the authors of the Hazelden Meditation series of books. Meditations are daily reflections, prayers, slogans and phrases intended to offer inspiration and comfort, and—above all—hope to those of us in recovery. The selections for this third Meditation Monday in March come from two of Hazelden’s popular recovery resources: Today I will Do One Thing , by Tim Mc., and Day by Day , which was w...
Stress is part of everyone's life. Those of us new to recovery have let go of the substances and processes we once relied on to detach from our anxiety and calm our feelings of fear. Now we need some new—and hopefully healthier—ways to manage daily stress. Relieve Stress: 20 quick Techniques , by Dr. Katrin Schubert, is an accessible guide to coping with stressful situations in recovery and daily life. In the book, Schubert shares easy and quick exercises that promote in-the-moment body awarenes...
Welcome to Meditation Monday. We're pausing each Monday for a few minutes of reflection and inspiration from the authors of the Hazelden Meditation series of books. Meditations are daily reflections, prayers, slogans and phrases intended to offer inspiration and comfort, and—above all— hope to those of us in recovery. The selections for this mid-March Meditation Monday come from two of Hazelden's best-loved recovery resources: A Day at a Time and Twenty-Four Hours a Day for Teens . Together, tod...
The statement "Nobody's perfect" may sound cliché and overused, but it's true. We have made mistakes in our past, and we will continue to make mistakes as we move forward in life. We must learn to forgive ourselves and extend grace to others as well. Recovery involves learning along the way. When we remain teachable there’s room for mistakes as well as forgiveness. In their book What Went Right: Reframe Your Thinking for a Happier Now , Dr. Michael Wetter and Eileen Bailey offer advice about how...
A pair of short meditations selected from early March entries in two of Hazelden Publishing's popular meditation series of books: Walk in Dry Places , written by Mel B., and Days of Healing, Days of Joy , written by Earnie Larsen and Carol Larsen Hegarty. Today's Meditation Monday selections are gathered around the theme of self-reflection, self-awareness, and sharing....
In her book A Woman's Way Through the Twelve Steps , Dr. Stephanie Covington explores the Twelve Steps through the lens of women's experiences with addiction and recovery. The following excerpt invites us to reconsider the word "powerless" as it's used in the First Step: "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable."
