Activity

JANUARY 16 Reflection for the Day
When we first came to Gamblers Anonymous, whether for ourselves or under pressure from others, some of us were all but sickened by the concept of “surrender.” To admit defeat flew in the face of our lifelong beliefs. Some of us thought of the immortal rallying cries of Churchill at Dunkirk, or of FDR following the attack on Pearl Harbor. And so we secretly vowed, at first, that the very idea of surrender was unthinkable.

Have I truly come to believe that only through utter defeat am I able to take the first step toward liberation and strength? Or do I still harbor reservations about the principle of “letting go and letting God”?

Today I Pray
May I really believe that the complete surrender of my whole being to a Higher Power is the way to serenity. For I can be whole only in Him who has the power to make me whole. May I do away with any feelings of wanting to “hold out” and never admit defeat. May I unlearn the old adage which tells me that I must “never give up” and realize that such pridefulness could keep me from recovery.

Today I Will Remember
From wholly His to whole.

JANUARY 17 Reflection for the Day
I have been told over and over that I must constantly work to give up my old ideas. “That’s easy for you to say,” I’ve sometimes thought. All my life, I have been programmed, computer-style; specific inputs brought forth predictable responses. My mind still tends to react as a computer reacts, but I am learning to destroy the old tapes and literally reprogram myself.

Am I fully willing to abandon my old ideas? Am I being fearless and thorough on a daily basis?

Today I Pray
Help me to take inventory each day of my stock of new, healthy thoughts, throwing out the old ones as I happen upon them without regret or nostalgia. For I have outgrown those old ideas, which are as scuffed and run-over as an old pair of shoes. Now, in the light, I can see that they are filled with holes.

Today I Will Remember
The Program reprograms.