Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul Daily Inspirations (Chicken Soup for the Soul) (39 page)

Robert J.Ackerman

The greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest.

Henry Miller

Footnotes for Life

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EPTEMBER
14

T
oday I will ask for a miracle. I trust that nothing is more real in this universe than the love and the power of God. I understand that the medium of miracles and shifts in perception is prayer. I will clear my mind of all negativity and ask for what I really need. I will pray for a miracle. In the past I have not dared to ask for enough but today is different. With love in my heart I ask for a true shift in perception. I ask for help to see what I am not seeing, help to release the cloud of doubt and negativity that surrounds me, help to set my mind free of fear and anxiety.

Tian Dayton

The direction of the mind is more important than its progress.

Joseph Joubert

Footnotes for Life

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EPTEMBER
15

W
hen I see the persistence exhibited by the tiny ant, as it builds its mound and drags along food it has found, I know the size of an obstacle has nothing to do with success. It is not the physical proportion of an impediment, but the diligence we possess that gets us what we desire and the reward we receive.

Betty King

He is a man of sense who does not grieve for what he has not, but rejoices in what he has.

Epictetus

Footnotes for Life

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EPTEMBER
16

A
lthough it may feel like I am alone, I am not. There is a circle of love around me. My circle includes neighbors, relatives, coworkers or those who are also recovering. If I reach out to these people I will feel their presence and concern.

I don’t need to feel unworthy because I accept them with their imperfections and they do the same with me. My circle will help me recover if I ask.

Brenda Nixon

Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness.

James Thurber

Footnotes for Life

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EPTEMBER
17

I
give thanks for my life, knowing that all experiences have added to my growth and understanding. I see the promise of the future, anticipating only good. But today I center my attention on the present moment and look around my world. I see much in the way of good and much for which to give thanks. In all my activities I pause, I reflect, I give thanks. I look forward to happiness and opportunity and acknowledge the blessings surrounding me that are meant to be enjoyed now.

Rokelle Lerner

When asked if my cup is half full or half empty my only response is that I am thankful I have a cup.

Sam Lefkowitz

Footnotes for Life

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EPTEMBER
18

S
ome folks spend half their lives brooding about the past–chiding themselves for their mistakes and reliving in their minds, over and over again, what might have been. Others worry about the future–condemning their weaknesses and worrying that they will not be strong enough to overcome what may arise. But those of us in recovery strive to put the pain of our past and the fear of our future behind us. Rather, we find comfort and strength in the innocence of now, the present. With each new dawn we are reborn. And so we live . . . one day at a time.

Kay Conner Pliszka

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift: that’s why they call it the present.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Footnotes for Life

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EPTEMBER
19

I
see the full picture of recovery and my responsibility to let go and move on. Doing so is a tall order, requiring a kind of releasing that I still find difficult to do. My past will always be in the shadows of my memory to haunt me if I do not recognize it as a part of me. If I pretend it’s not important, grit my teeth and force myself to numb the pain, I have missed the point of recovery. On the other hand, if I am unwilling to let go, I am not allowing myself to be fully healthy and alive. Part of recovery is a flowing through the stored pain and part is a decisive, forward-moving action.

Tian Dayton

Our concern is not how to worship in the catacombs but how to remain human in the skyscrapers.

Abraham Joshua Heschel

Footnotes for Life

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EPTEMBER
20

E
veryone has problems and it’s easy to get overwhelmed, thinking there is no solution. Small steps can make a big difference. Today, instead of thinking about what I can’t do, I’ll think about what I can do to solve the problem. Whether something is wrong in my personal life, my work life, my neighborhood, my community or the world–I can make a difference. If I continue to focus on and do what I can do, I find that what I thought was impossible suddenly becomes doable.

SarahWhite