January 31

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Self-acceptance is one of the important parts of the EA program for me. I am learning to love and accept myself through the Twelve Steps. I am learning I do not have to be perfect - only human. I have assets as well as defects, as everyone does. I am reminded of the story of the three-legged stool. One leg is our love and acceptance of ourselves. The second leg is God's love and acceptance. And the third leg is our love and acceptance of other people. What a wonderful life I have when I can experience all three of the "legs." I am learning about acceptance. When I feel God's love and acceptance, I am able to love and accept myself. What follows is a love and acceptance of others.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
God, help me to feel Your love and acceptance. May I be the kind of person You want me to be. May I learn what Your will is for me and accept it.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
My daily spiritual reading and interchange with others is important in helping me feel the presence of God.

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January 30

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
When I see greeting cards that say, "Happy birthday from your secret pal," or "Best wishes from your secret pal," I have to chuckle to myself. I have a secret pal - one who does not send cards on special occasions but one who makes every day special if I only remember to ask and to surrender my problems. My secret pal is my Higher Power, and everyone else can have the same friend I do. The key for me is to start each day by turning my life over and asking for serenity and acceptance for the day. If, in my haste to get along in the morning, I do not take the time for my surrender, it is not long before I realize the day is not going well. It is then time for action.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I not forget it is never too late in the day to turn my life over to You.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Greeting cards are always special, but successful days are my Secret Pal's specialty.

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January 29

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Sometimes I feel real joy, like today. It is sunny and very cold, the kind of day I enjoy very much, and I would much rather be outside in it instead of inside looking out my window. Somehow, the brightness of the day says to me that part of emotional healing lies in knowledge and awareness. If I am to solve the problems I have, I feel I can best do it in the bright light of accurate knowledge. Since I do want to solve my problems, awareness will help.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to seek the bright light of awareness and the knowledge of what and where I am.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Only through self-acceptance can I bear to take a true look inside myself.

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January 28

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
It is possible to get rid of that "poor little ol' me" feeling if I make up my mind to do so. When that "feel-sorry-for-myself-for-no-reason" syndrome comes my way, I do have the ability to change my attitude. First I take a few moments to concentrate on what is bothering me. If I cannot come up with a legitimate reason for the "blues," it is time to take action. I tell myself I have ten minutes to really wallow in self-pity and set the clock to ring at that time. I play sad records and dwell on the injustices of life. When the alarm goes off, I ask my Higher Power for help to concentrate on positive thoughts which lead to my feeling better about myself. The key here is, I can change my moods with my Higher Power's help and some concentrated effort on my part.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Thank You for the ability to switch from negative to positive thinking.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I can mope when I want to, but only for ten minutes.

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January 27

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Sometimes I feel real joy, like today. It is sunny and very cold, the kind of day I enjoy very much, and I would rather be outside in it instead of inside looking out my window. Somehow, the brightness of the day say to me that part of the emotional healing lies in knowledge and awareness. If I am to solve the problems I have, I feel I can best do it in the bright light of accurate knowledge. Since I do want to solve my problems, awareness will help.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to seek the bright light of awareness and the knowledge of what and where I am.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Only through self-acceptance can I bear to take a true look inside myself.

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January 26

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Too often we have been hesitant to express ourselves. Fearing rejection, our own or another's, we withdrew. The more we closed off, the more lonely and fearful we became. Before we were willing to risk sharing ourselves, many of us needed to hear over and over again that expressing our feelings is a sign of being healthy. When we are finally able to tell someone what we are feeling, we experience relief and often jubilation. Someone's acceptance gives us the courage to risk once again.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I be willing to risk sharing who I am with someone today.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Only through self-disclosure do we discover the beauty of self.

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January 25

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Before EA, I took on the responsibility of feeling loved ones' pain when they were hurting. For days I would obsessively try to think of the magic sentence or idea which would solve their problems immediately. Now I realize I do not have the power and knowledge, so I immediately turn another's tough situation over to God. My attitude now is: If God wants me to be helpful in a situation, it will flow naturally, with no obsessiveness or self-will on my part. Most times it is love and compassion which God wills me to give to the one in pain, not a direct solution to their problems.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Please help me to let go of any situation I have been tightly hanging on to.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Emotional releasing of a problem is the first step towards a situation in which I feel powerless.

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January 24

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Sex is a topic which is not often talked about with sincerity and honesty. Those of us who have come to EA often find as part of our recovery a need to deal with some unhealthy attitudes about sex. Many people's attitudes about sex seem to go from one extreme to the other - either it is dirty, or it is an obsession. Sharing our sexual struggles may lead to healthier outlooks.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
God, when I am unable to share with the group, may I have the courage to confide in a trustworthy member or a Fifth-Step person. That can be a beginning.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
As I continue to face myself, I continue to become more whole.

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January 23

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Today I will take care of myself. For me that was a totally new concept. I have discovered I am important enough that I do not have to please anybody but me. If I try to please everybody, there is no guarantee anybody will be pleased. If I please myself, at least one person will be happy.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I reflect on the value of the EA program which taught me my worth as a person. May I thank You daily for me.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I do not need to be a people-pleaser, but I shall try to remember it is a pleasure to be around people who are pleasant.

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January 22

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Storm clouds are often ominously black on the bottom. They suggest rain, lightning, thunder, and what is generally considered "bad" weather. They also suggest eventual rainbows, fresh air, and healthy crops. Our problems are much the same. They are ominous to face. But, if we can detach ourselves from them, they do not engender fear. Just as we can enjoy a thunderstorm by anticipating the peace and sense of well-being which is to follow, we can approach the problems we face with hope in our hearts. Sometimes we may need to take shelter during our storms. It makes no more sense to seek trouble than it does to go into a raging storm when it is not necessary.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Be my rain gear to get me through the storms I face.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
"This too shall pass," can be my weather report. I may not see the rainbow
until after the storm.

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January 21

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
I once overheard it said that the way you can tell a spiritual thing from something material is in sharing. When you share something materiel, the more you share it, the smaller portion each person gets. On the other hand, when you share something spiritual, its value is simply multiplied by the number of persons with whom you share. They may in turn share it, thus increasing it as thousandfold. The principles of this program are spiritual, and to persevere in "giving it away to keep it" sooner or later makes the promises come true of having a new and better way of life.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I focus on one of the steps today and share it with someone.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I can't give it if I don't have it.

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January 20

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
By being a kind, considerate and generous people-pleaser, I was looking for acceptance. I put the responsibility on the other person to make me feel good about myself, instead of on my own shoulders where it belonged. I am not saying I should never do anything for another, but I need to continually be aware of my motives. Does what I am doing violate my values? Do I have strings attached? Am I expecting something back? Am I doing it only because I want someone to like me?

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Let me be more aware of my motives for doing what I choose to do. I no longer want to lose myself for I am all I really have.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
If I continue to exist for others, I will not gain: instead, I will lose the most precious gift God has given me - myself.

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January 19

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
There are some days when I do not feel capable of meeting any challenges. There are some days when I do not feel confident and wish I had more abilities. Those are the days when I have to remind myself often that I can meet challenges and can accomplish whatever I have to do, that I do have the ability to make good decisions. I need to remind myself that my Higher Power and I are greater than any challenge. When we are working together, I am capable of using my God-given talents and abilities, and nothing can interfere with my success.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to remember that You and I can handle anything.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
To begin each day with a positive attitude because I know I can rely on my
Partner.

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January 18

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
"My problem is not powerlessness, but too much power over my emotions," I said. Then I learned that controlled emotions control me. "Of all emotions, I relate to anger least, " I said. Then I learned that my large choices in life, no less than my idlest snap judgments of people, were ruled by unadmitted angers and fears. "How inappropriate theirs angers are," I said of my near ones. But my own poor strategies of living had gone to produce the emotional climate I complain against. I learned detachment and forgiveness.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May my love for others continue to grow as I learn to acknowledge my true feelings and to accept the consequences of my feelings in the real world.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I will listen to my feelings and direct them toward recovery.

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January 17

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Has my life become more manageable since I came into this program? Even if it has not, I have an ingredient which I did not have before: hope. Hope alone is something I never used to have. even though I am still powerless on my own, I have learned there is a power I can reach out to. If other people in the group have been able to find new life, then I can hope to find it too. I am now able to look forward to better things ahead.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I count every small victory as a big step in my life.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I have hope for today.

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January 16

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
God gives us the changing seasons to remind us that all of life will be filled with constant change. I will never be the same person that I was yesterday, and tomorrow I will change some more from what I am today. The snows of winter give way to flowers in the spring. So it will be with life. If I stay close to God, the drab winters of my life will eventually give way to beautiful flowers. Neither the flowers nor the trees fear the coming of winter. They follow the dictates of God and trust that their changes will evolve into new beauty and life.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
I pray that I may take lessons from nature and not worry about the wintry days, nor fear any changes in my life.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Spring always follows winter.

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January 15

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Step Twelve is a hard step for me to do deliberately. I think I do it best when I allow myself to be just myself. It is much easier for me now to share myself with others. I have to be able to Twelfth-Step myself before I can carry the message. By practicing the principles of the program in all my affairs, I become a living example of a better life. When I share my experiences, strengths, and hope with newcomers, I, in turn, give them hope. Hope gives us all a reason to live, and with that comes strength to go on.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I always be the best possible example to others. May my past experiences and future goals give them and me the willingness to work harder to achieve and maintain emotional health.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I cannot keep it unless I give it away.


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January 14

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
God has become a bigger and bigger part of my life - not because I am so devoted, but because I am seeing God in more and more places. I began by talking to and asking God questions, sort of getting acquainted. I don't need to worry about proper words and flowery phrases. This new friend of mine understands what I am saying and even what I am not saying. I believe God lovingly watches over me. I believe this Higher Power of mine is my friend, my partner, and my constant companion. These beliefs come to me because of working Step Eleven.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I keep seeking, as suggested in Step Eleven, to improve my conscious contact with You.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Not my will, but Thine.

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January 13

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
By now I can safely assume I am going to make mistakes as long as I live. They are a nuisance, but they have become an increasingly familiar nuisance. I think I would miss them now if they suddenly vanished. When I admit my mistakes, it is like welcoming my inlaws - they are a pain in the rear, but they are a part of me and I have learned to love them (a little). As Step Ten suggests, if I continue to take personal inventory, I can catch the mistakes almost as soon as I make them and then promptly admit them - to myself and others.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I remember to regularly work Step Ten to guard against old behavior patterns creeping into my life. Help me to take responsibility for my mistakes and to face the consequences which are the result.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
The biggest mistake I can make is to not search out my mistakes.


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January 12

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
I became more mannerly and stopped thinking it was all right to hurt people around me. It became easier to say things such as, "Excuse me. I didn't mean to bump into you." I became aware that there were others around me as sensitive as I was. As Step Nine suggest, I began to make direct amends to people I had harmed whenever it was possible. Fear and pride made it difficult at first, and I had to be willing to risk. It became easier as my apologies were accepted. Some people had died and others had moved away, so I asked God to help with those amends. Making amends releases guilt feelings.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
God, please grant me the courage, honesty, and good sense to enable me to sincerely and lovingly apologize, including to myself.


TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Everybody can be hurt, including me.

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January 11

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
I became aware that in my struggles I had elbowed a lot of people in the ribs. Many of them I had hammered in the heart as well. I realized that in order to live in peace with everyone, I had to make an honest and accurate list of all those I had harmed, as suggested in Step Eight. It was hard to face the fact that my behavior had affected so many others. It was easier when a friend suggested my own name be at the top of my list. As I gathered the names together, I asked God to help me become willing to make amends to all, including me.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May You continue to give me the honesty, courage, and humility necessary for me to take responsibility for my actions so I am always willing to make amends.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I cannot do good or bad to others without doing good or bad to myself.

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January 10

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
I began to exercise patience. I told myself, "My Higher Power is working on me as fast as possible." Telling God I was willing to wait made the waiting easier somehow. As Step Seven suggests, I asked for God's help through grace. When I asked for my short-coming to be removed, I found I was not giving anything up, but eliminating things which could again lead to my downfall. I was cleaning house and sending the unnecessary items to the dump - not just dusting them off and putting them back. I could not do this alone.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I take action, not just pray and wait, by using the EA tools which have so graciously been given to me.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I will clean my mental house from the inside out and ask God to be my "trashman."

Emotions Anonymous, Order Today

January 9

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
I came to believe that God has a sense of humor and did not hold my defects against me. We could both laugh at the fix I was in. Like a kitten tangled in yarn, if I stopped struggling, God would gradually get me untangled. I needed to stop struggling, which would become "entirely ready," as the Sixth Step suggests. Even as I prayed that all my defects of character be removed, I found myself thinking I was not yet able to be rid of certain ones. What would I do without this bad habit? How would I spend my time? That was the time to surrender - over and over.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
God, please help me to deal with the character defects which brought me to my bottom.
Remind me to continuously work the steps with enthusiastic effort, which is the way to become ready.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
God has the power to change my life.

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January 8

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Holding on to my secrets became intolerable; sharing them was unthinkable. I shared them anyway and survived. Without working suggested Step Five, I could not have survived. I would have "slipped" out of the program. I needed to get rid of all the awfulness of my past. The only way to release the sordidness, the shame, the dishonesties, and the guilt was to take a complete moral inventory of myself and to honestly admit it to God, to myself, and to another human being. I learned that burying or stuffing my attributes or failings will only do me harm. The human being I worked with was a Fifth-Step person.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
God, help me continue to be as honest and open with others as I was at my first Fifth Step.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
A Fifth Step once a year is like spring cleaning; everything gets shiny and bright.

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January 7

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
I knew my secrets were hurting me a lot. As I was being hurt, I was hurting others. I finally decided to call a secret a secret, and I itemized them as suggested in Step Four. I faced them with the one weapon that could get rid of them - honesty. Being honest with myself made it easier to be honest with others. Through looking at past mistakes, I found I could forgive myself for being human. Isn't that what I am supposed to be? While going through this self-inventory, I found I really had some strong points. This led to a new sense of confidence. Now when I take my inventory I know I have to have done at least one good thing today - even if it was only getting up on time. There were days in the past when I did not get up at all.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I continue to take moral inventories of myself, never holding anything back out of shame or pride. Help me to be willing to recognize my assets.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I need to accept that I have assets.

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January 6

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
I started giving God a chance to control the outcome of things as suggested in Step Three. I discovered when I did that, I was freer to do what had to be done. When I remember I cannot control the universe (not even my own little universe), I can relax and let my Higher Power take over the worries of my world. It is such marvelous freedom to not be in control. The energy I save when I turn my life over to God as I understand God can be spent enjoying all the good things: love, smiles, family, friends, hugs, or nature. I have to make that conscious decision of surrender every day of my life. What a relief!

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
I pray I continue to have the sense to turn my life and my will over to You each morning as I awaken.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Worry is worthless; surrender is serenity.

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January 5

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
When I lose my balance, I instinctively reach out for something to grab on to. I am learning to pay more attention to this basic instinct and have come to see myself as a life-long toddler losing my balance in many relationships. Step Two suggests there is a power I can reach out to - one who will help me maintain my balance. It is great to know I have support. I am no longer on my own, stumbling and falling. The belief in this power gives me the stability I need in my life.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
I am not afraid to stumble any more; Your support brings balance to my life.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Believing in a Higher Power makes my life sane.

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January 4

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
It was a relief to stop blaming myself for failing to do the impossible. It felt good to say, "I can't." Admitting I was powerless, as Step One suggests, released me from the painful chore of being responsible for the world and everyone in it. I do have a power, a Higher Power, who supports me as I make changes to better my life and become a better person, and who gives me directions for the way to remain powerless over things and other people.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to realize Your will, for me and others, is wiser than mine.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER

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January 3

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
No machine can last forever without periodic maintenance. Some of this can be done with the machine is in operating - oiling, tuning, cleaning. Other types of maintenance require "down time." In working the program, some steps are "operating" steps and some are more likely to be "down time" steps. Steps One through Three, Ten and Twelve are important in our operating maintenance. Steps Four through Nine may require down time. Step Eleven is a sort of bridge between and helps us know when down time is needed.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I keep on top of what is happening enough to know when I need down time. May I plan some down time in the near future to do some preventive maintenance work on my program.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I cannot afford not to take periodic down time.

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January 2

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
The Twelve Steps make up a whole. Each is good separately, but unless we apply all of them to our lives, we will regress. It is easy to enter the program, get excited, work only a few of the steps, and feel better for having done as much as we did. If we do not consciously make a choice to change our way of life permanently to include all of the steps, we may lose what we have gained. At the least, we will not continue to progress and will lose out on the serenity promised as a result of working the steps. It is very tempting to be satisfied with lowering the pain level to manageable proportions. If we do step there, the person we will hurt most is ourselves, although we may also hurt others. The difference between working the whole program and only part is the difference between serenity and existing.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May You always remind me that, "Just for today," I have a program.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
This program is not a menu from which to choose what I want, but a way of life. To get the full benefits, I must live it all.

Emotions Anonymous, Order Today

January 1

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
It is the first day of a new year. Another beginning of my new life. As I reflect upon last year, I can see many changes in me. It is not the big changes in me that are so interesting; it is the infinitesimal changes in me which count and will build the firm foundation for my future. Just as it takes many little bricks to build a firm foundation for a large building, so it is with my life. I will lay bricks one day at a time and continue to cement them with faith in my Higher Power. I shall enter into this new year in peace knowing I am never alone and am in partnership with the Master Builder.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
I trust You have a wonderful design for my life already drawn up.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
The construction of my life will go as planned, just so long as I am willing to be crew and do not play architect.

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