1. Words of inspiration lead us to peace of mind

By Tom O'Connell

Words of inspiration lead us to peace of mind despite the rush of modern times. And many of these words can be found in books with daily readings that provide inspired thoughts for us to use as we face our individual challenges

It's especially interesting to see what advice we can get during this first week of the year 2000. Here are some January 1 samples for us to ponder-

--"Dwell not on the past, only on the present....Bury every fear of the future, of poverty...of suffering, of loss. Bury all thought of unkindness and bitterness, all your dislikes, your resentments, your sense of failure, your disappointment in others and in yourselves...go forward to a new and risen life....I hold the year in my hands, in trust for you, but I shall guide you one day at a time. Leave the rest with me....For each day I shall supply the wisdom and the strength." --"God Calling," by Two Listeners (Barbour and Company 1932).

--"In the new year, I will live one day at a time. I will make each day one of preparation for better things ahead. I will not dwell on the past or the future, only on the present. I will bury every fear of the future, all thoughts of unkindness and bitterness, all my dislikes, my resentments, my sense of failure, my disappointments in others and in myself, my gloom and my despondency. I will leave all things buried and go forward, in this new year, into a new life." --"Twenty-Four Hours a Day" (Hazelden), with meditations that paraphrase "God Calling."

--"Thought by thought, I am helping create a new vision for a new world. We are living in a brand new millennium--a time when we will experience a new world of blessings as we join together in thought and prayer. We will have unique opportunities for learning and growth that will affect our own individual lives and the lives of others, perhaps for years to come. Thought by thought, prayer by prayer, we are creating a new vision for the future, one in which we are united in a spirit of love and joy and renewed hope for all humankind." --Daily Word (Unity www.unityworldhq.org).

--"I am a miracle!" "The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves." --'Alcoholics Anonymous,' p.25. "Today, because of Alcoholics Anonymous, I now trust and rely on God, as I understand Him; I am sober today because of that! Learning to trust and rely on God was something I could never have done alone. I now believe in miracles because I am one!" --Daily Reflections ("Alcoholics Anonymous," New York, NY)

--"This year is a book of clean pages on which I will write a record of my experiences and my growth through the use of the Al-Anon idea....I can live my life only one day at a time. Perhaps my confusion and despair are so great that I will have to take it one hour at a time, or one minute at a time, reminding myself constantly that I have authority over no life but my own...Realizing that nothing can hurt me while I lean upon my Higher Power, I ask to be guided through the hours and minutes of each day...I know He will show me the way I must Go." --"One Day at a Time in Al-Anon" (Al-Anon, New York, NY)

--"We live in a society of instant gratification....No wonder so many of us arrive at Al-Anon's doors looking for the instant answer to all the problems...Recovery is a process. It takes time to regain, reclaim, and recoup all that was lost while we tried on our own to cope...Building trust takes time, change takes time, healing old wounds takes time...I will trust the process of recovery. I'll let time take time." "Courage to Change" (Al-Anon, New York, NY)

--"It is a critical task of recovery to get our priorities in order and keep them that way....We can overextend ourselves in our efforts...As worthwhile as all those efforts may be, they all work toward the same goal of helping us be people more capable of love. If we are truly loved and capable of functioning in loving relationships, what else really matters?....If we are able to glory in and share in the love around us, then we shall have found the key which makes life worth living....My wants are becoming few as I realize that my needs are already met. " --"Days of Healing, Days of Joy," Larsen and Hegarty (Hazelden/Harper & Row, New York, NY)  

The last reading I will recommend to you today is from the Hindu mystic Yogananda--"With the opening of the New Year, all the closed portals of limitations will be thrown open and I shall move through them to vaster fields, where my worthwhile dreams of life will be fulfilled."--"Spiritual Diary"(Self-Realization Fellowship, Los Angeles, California).

May God bless  you and keep you in the palm of His loving hand as you proceed through this New Year...one day at a time...one moment at a time...in peace.

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