And acceptance is the answer to all of my problems today...Alcoholics Anonymous p. 417

I used to want things my way and ONLY my way. Before getting sober I thought that life was supposed to always make sense. I used to look at other people who I deemed "happy" and wondered what the hell they were doing to get that way. I used to think that I had drawn the proverbial "short straw" in life - drugs, booze, crime, and no real plans for the future. Every day was like the one before it. I woke up wondering where my next fix would come from, how I would make it through the day and IF I would make it through the day. I lived my life as if NOTHING was possible. Talk about hopeless.

Since getting clean and sober a few 24-hours ago, I am finding that life is just about as good as I make it out to be. I can choose my attitude by choosing the kinds of thoughts I choose to entertain. I can choose to focus on what is working in my life, what is good, what I am grateful for, and make the most of each and every day. ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE and one we must make each and every day. Part of maintaining a good attitude is accepting the things I can do absolutely nothing about. I have learned that I can't change other people. I can't change how they think, how they behave, or what they think about me. In fact, what others think is NONE OF MY DAMN BUSINESS! This has been a lesson learned the hard way. If I am constantly trying to please other people, that leaves no room for doing what makes ME happy. Live and let live, eh? Works for me!

Today I can choose to live with an attitude of ACCEPTANCE. Acceptance of the things that are out of my control. Acceptance of the fact that the One who created me already has my path in life all figured out. I just have to get up, get dressed, get moving, and do my best. Things have a funny way of always working out in GOD'S way. He knows better than me. When I play God and try to manipulate what will happen, what might happen, what could happen - and so on - I am playing God. That is a scary concept!

Today my first crack at authorship will be quite telling. I have made my book, Chopping Wood & Carrying Water available for free. I'm proud of it. I worked hard on it. I hope you take a minute to download it, check it out, and leave me some feedback. Maybe the book will get 1,000 free downloads, maybe it will get ZERO. That is God's business. If you are so inclined, here is the link. Check it out, click on the picture of the book and be reading in five minutes. Or not. Thanks either way!

www.freedomthroughchange.com 

Finish each day and be done with it - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think that most of human suffering can be explained in two very simple concepts: FEAR of tomorrow and REGRET for the past. What do you think? It is my belief that most people today are living in a fog of what MIGHT BE and not what IS. We spend countless hours planning for the future and put conditions on happiness: I will be happy when I get a raise. I will be happy when I find my calling in life. I will be happy once my bills are paid. I will be happy once I find my soul mate. I will be happy once I've lost some weight...and so on. We worry about tomorrow's problems before tomorrow even gets here. We think that we are the ones running the show, but this is quite wrong. GOD is running things. All we must do is get up, get dressed, and face life, ONE DAY AT A TIME. Life does not exist in the future. Life exists NOW. Life is happening in the PRESENT. One reason we are unhappy is because our minds are focused on tomorrow.

Many people also suffer because they hold on to yesterday. They worry that they said the wrong thing, missed an opportunity, or feel that they would have been better off had they been in the right place at the right time. Yesterday is gone forever. There are no rewind buttons in life. THIS IS IT, this is what we've got...TODAY. I personally refuse to take all the mistakes, misfortunes, and mishaps of yesterday into TODAY. The great thing about living ONE DAY AT A TIME is that each new day is a BRAND NEW opportunity to live my life the way that I want. I get a clean slate each and every morning, but I can ruin today by worrying about tomorrow and regretting yesterday. With one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow, I am pissing all over TODAY.

Just for today, do your best to KEEP YOUR HEAD WHERE YOUR FEET ARE. If you are sitting in a meeting, BE IN THAT MEETING. If you are washing the dishes, WASH THE DISHES. If you are walking the dog, by all means WALK THE DOG. Get into the habit of being mindful of each and every moment. We are each given the exact same number of hours each day...how will you spend yours?

If you are so inclined, a portion of my book CHOPPING WOOD & CARRYING WATER is available at http://www.freedomthroughchange.com  This little devotional will be available for free this weekend. I encourage you to download it, read it, and give me some feedback!