To be a friend involves risk. Friends confront each other when it's needed...

My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.
--Henry Ford

To be a friend involves risk. Friends confront each other when it's needed, but they do it out of love and with compassion. All of us need a friend who will tell us when we are acting out of line, when we are "not able to see the forest for the trees." Friends are there for us in the struggles – rooting us on, maybe teasing us a bit, helping us get past the difficulties and eventually helping us find the gift embedded in them. Friends risk upsetting us, if it means we may become better people.

We need to be grateful for these people. Theirs is not always an easy job. Many of us have big egos; we don't want to be told that we are wrong. However, friends keep seeing the best in us, even when we aren't acting our best. Theirs will be the faces we see when we look back at our lives, especially at the times of crisis and challenge.

Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me be a friend, and help me be grateful for my friends.

Today's Action

Today I will work to bring out the best in those around me, even if that means saying the hard things. If I must confront someone, I will only do it if I can do it with love and compassion.

You are reading from the book:

God Grant Me... by Anonymous

God Grant Me. . . © 2005 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden.

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Online daily inspirations
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The little thing that would make a difference in your relationships?

Too Busy for  a  Friend.....

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the  other students

in the room on two sheets of  paper, leaving a space  between each name.

Then she told them to think of  the nicest thing they could say

about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class  period to finish their assignment,

and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote  down the name of each student on a  separate

sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about  that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class  was  smiling.

'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!'

and, 'I  didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again.

She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents,

but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose.

The students were happy with  themselves and one another.

That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the  students was killed in
Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student.

She had never seen a serviceman in a  military coffin before.

He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with  his  friends.

One by one those who loved him took a last  walk by the coffin.

The teacher was the last one to  bless the coffin.

As she  stood there, one  of the soldiers who acted as  pallbearer came up to  her.

'Were you Mark's math  teacher?' he asked. She  nodded: 'yes.'

Then he  said: 'Mark talked about you a  lot.'

After the  funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went  together to a luncheon.

Mark's mother and  father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his  teacher.

We want to show you something,' his father said,

taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed.

We thought you might recognize it.'

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of  notebook paper

that had obviously been taped, folded  and refolded many times.

The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on

which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said.

'As you can see, Mark treasured it.'

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. 

Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said,

'I still have my list. It's in the top  drawer of my desk at home.'

Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me  to put his in our wedding album.'

'I have mine too,'  Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary'

Then Vicki, another classmate,  reached into her pocketbook,

took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group.

'I carry  this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash,

she continued: 'I  think we all saved our lists'

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried.

She cried for Mark  and for all his friends who would  never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget

that life will end one day.  And we don't know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for,

that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

And One Way To  Accomplish This Is: Forward this message on.

  If you do not send it, you will have,

once again passed up the wonderful opportunity to do something nice and beautiful.

If  you've received this, it is because someone cares for you

and it means there is probably at least someone for whom you care.

If you're 'too  busy' to take those few minutes right now to forward  this message on,

would this be the first time you didn't do that little thing that would

  make a difference in your  relationships?
                                                                                   
Remember, you reap what you sow.

What you put into the lives of others  comes back into your own. 

By doing what needs to be done right now, we make the most of each present moment

Each day is a new start. Each moment is a beginning.

We do not have to wait until Monday to get back on the program or clean a closet or tackle a difficult report. We do not have to wait until tomorrow morning, either. Now is the moment to stop, to make a phone call, to begin whatever project we have been putting off.

There is no way we can change what we did five minutes ago, nor can we predict what will happen half an hour from now. We can only deal with now.

By doing what needs to be done right now, we make the most of each present moment. As long as we are alive, we are always free to begin again. Instead of following an old, worn out habit, make a fresh start this moment on the rest of your life.

Give me grace, Lord, to begin again.

You are reading from the book:

Food for Thought by Elisabeth L.

Food for Thought by Elisabeth L. © 1980, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden.

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Online daily inspirations
Read a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.

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To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org
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Honesty is the only policy.

Reflection for the Day

If I am troubled, worried, exasperated or frustrated, do I tend to rationalize the situation and lay the blame on someone else? When I am in such a state, is my conversation punctuated with, "He did." "She said." "They did."? Or can I honestly admit that perhaps I'm at fault. My peace of mind depends on overcoming my negative attitudes and tendency toward rationalization. Will I try, day by day, to be rigorously honest with myself?

Today I Pray

May I catch myself as I talk in the third person, "He did..." or "They promised..." or "She said she would..." and listen for the blaming that has become such a pattern for me and preserves delusion. May I do a turnabout and face myself instead.

Today I Will Remember

Honesty is the only policy.

You are reading from the book:

A Day at a Time (Softcover) by Anonymous

Our Higher Power helps assure that our priorities

Daily, we determine our priorities.

Priorities are not merely something we establish once a year, once a month, or even once a week. Our priorities are visible in the myriad decisions we make and actions we take each day.

Being closely in touch with our inner selves and our Higher Power helps assure that our priorities reflect our genuine needs and desires. When we are securely centered, we will not be unduly influenced by other people but will know what is truly important to us and necessary for our health and well being.

We set our priorities when we do our grocery shopping and plan our meals. We set them when we choose between playing tennis or reading a book or going to see a friend. We set them when we decide how to respond to a negative comment from a co-worker. Our daily priorities reflect who we are and determine what we are becoming. Let's set them with care.

Today, may I put first things first.

You are reading from the book:

Inner Harvest by Elisabeth L.

This book is now out of print and no longer available to purchase. Inner Harvest by Elisabeth L. © 1990 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden.

---

Online daily inspirations
Read a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.

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To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810
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When all is said and done, willingness is everything.
--Frank D.

Most of us know very well that spiriual recovery doesn't happen, nor is there any positive growth, unless we are first of all willing.

Sometimes we get confused over the difference between willing and wanting. We don't have to want, let alone enjoy, doing what needs to be done. Not wanting to do something is altogether different from not being willing to do it. As one recovering woman said, "Everything I ever let go of had claw marks all over it." The bottom line is that she did let go no matter how badly she wanted to hang on; she was willing.

Think of the people in the spiritual program we most admire, those whose progress seems so speedy compared to ours. They may very well not enjoy going out to meetings. They may find it uncomfortable to meet with their sponsors or to say kind words when they really want to complain. They may wish they didn't have to make amends to certain people. But druthers aren't the point. The point is that they are willing to do what it takes.

Today, I ask God to help me deepen my willingness to grow and to see the difference between what I want and what I will.

You are reading from the book:

Days of Healing, Days of Joy by Earnie Larsen and Carol Larsen Hegarty

I am grateful for the rewards of each day in my spiritual awakening.

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I shall tell you a great secret, my friend. Do not wait for the last judgment. It takes place every day.
--Albert Camus

We live our program in one day portions - and our actions today have immediate consequences. For instance, if we listen to a brother or a sister in the program, we may be enriched and the other person strengthened for today's challenge. We don't have to confront every temptation of life on this day - only the portion we can handle. Our old insanity would have us predict the entire story of our future from today's limited viewpoint. But our spiritual orientation guides us to restrain ourselves. We simply live in this moment.

The rewards of recovery are granted every day. We begin with the gift of a new day and new possibilities. We now have relationships that sustain us through difficulty and give us reason to celebrate. We have a new feeling of self respect and hope.

I am grateful for the rewards of each day in my spiritual awakening.

You are reading from the book:

Touchstones by Anonymous

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