April 26

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
In the aftermath of inventorying my specific defects of character, I found that underlying them all was a profound conviction that I am fundamentally defective in my very being. I am programmed with these false instructions: "You are not good enough! And it is your fault. And you are responsible for being better. But no matter what you do, you are weak and wrong, and you are condemned!" But in my Fifth Step my Higher Power gave me permission to accept myself for being me.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
May I understand that I am not guilty of being no better than I am.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
I am a part - not apart.

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April 17

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Our thoughts are like the environment - they started out clean and beautiful. Over the years we dump a lot of garbage into our minds. Some things decay over time (are biodegradable), while other things last forever and leave a garbage dump. The biodegradable refuse is excellent fertilizer - we learn from our mistakes. The plastic and metal must be disposed of - resentments, hate, envy, greed, etc. Just like the environment, there is a need for a one-time wholesale cleanup, once the situation is realized to be bad. Occasionally a new pocket will also need substantial work as new ground is covered. Those areas which have been cleaned will need continued policing to make sure they are actually clean and that there is no new buildup.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to be aware of the location of the garbage dumps in my life so I can pick and sort the fertilizer from the junk. Help me learn from the past and get rid of the things which are getting in the way of my recovery.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Not all garbage is useless, nor is all that we are keeping useful.

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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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