As we end another year, it’s important to reflect on all that has happened. For alcoholics, this can be a time of both celebration and sadness.
We celebrate all that we’ve accomplished in sobriety, while also mourning the losses we’ve experienced along the way. Today, I want to focus on gratitude.
There are so many things to be grateful for, even on our darkest days. So take a few minutes to think about what you’re grateful for, and write them down.
Maybe you’re grateful for your health, or your family and friends. Maybe you’re grateful for your new job, or the fact that you were able to stay sober this year.
Daily Reflections December 20
This is indeed the kind of giving that actually demands nothing. He does not expect his brother sufferer to pay him, or even to love him. And then he discovers that by the divine paradox of this kind of giving he has found his own reward, whether his brother has yet received anything or not. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 109
My experience with the Twelfth Step program made me realize that there are no rewards for selfless giving.
But when I learned to be humble and accept it, then once again could see how rewarding this kind of behavior can actually become.
Giving to others not only provides them with the opportunity for a better life, but it also gives us hope and fulfillment.
The rewards of giving are abundant in our lives when we get out of ourselves and give without expectation or need for repayment.
I encourage you to reflect on your own Twelfth Step work today and see what gifts come back into your life through this process.