For Today: November 5th

In the carriages of the past you can’t go anywhere.

Maxim Gorky

I need not wallow in the pain of yesterday, nor shun it out of shame.  The lesson of my past is part of me, and I use it for greater understanding of myself, greater empathy for those who still suffer, and as a solid foundation for my recovery.  The past is the sum total of experience that made possible what I have today.

The OA program helps me to keep my past in perspective.  As I practice each of the steps, the guilt, shame and self-pity engendered by defects and wrongdoings are dissipated.  With my amends, I sweep it all away.  I belong to the world today and I will be part of its tomorrows.

For Today:  I have no desire to live in the past; rather, I embrace it and feel joyous about the experiences that have brought me to Overeaters Anonymous.

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Yes, I AM grateful for my past………without it, I wouldn’t be who I am today.  I am not, however, ‘feeling joyous’ about it.  Hmmpfffffff.  Honestly, if I could erase a whole bunch of mistakes I’ve made, I truly WOULD be joyous.

But I can’t erase the past, nor should I agree to live in it.  The past is finished and what lies ahead is a bright future.  

OA gives me a step-by-step plan to take my life back and to live it without shame and fear.  I can't change yesterday, but I CAN change today!

For today, I will stay true to my food plan; I will seek out another person to help (thereby getting me out of my own selfish behavior); I will go through the motions ahead of me without complaining or feeling sorry for myself.  For today, I will live 'as if' I am not the center of the universe.

For the next 24 hours, I will live in the blessed peace of Recovery.

For Today: November 4th

 He is not poor that hath not much, but he that craves much.

Thomas Fuller

“You can’t be too rich or too thin.”

I’ve said this in jest, but how far is it, really, from what I believe?  Why do I always want more?  More things, more gadgets, more clothes, more money, more weight loss.

The truth is I have what I need.  I am grateful for my abstinence and the weight loss that goes with it.  Having turned my will and my life over to God as I understand God, I no longer need to agonize over what I eat and how much I weigh.  In this, as in every area of my life, God is doing for me what I cannot do for myself.

For Today:  I accept with gratitude the many blessings that are mine thanks to the OA program.

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" I no longer need to agonize over what I eat and how much I weigh."  AMEN!

THIS is the beauty of abstinence! I stick to my pre-determined food plan and I don't have to agonize over what to eat or not eat.  I can stay OFF the scale and KNOW that my weight won't fluctuate by more than a couple of pounds.  I am able to get OUT of my own head and live in the present, with the peace of mind that comes along with abstinence.  

Abstinence is FREEDOM from diets, weight, appearance and food.


For today, I am grateful to be relieved of the obsession with MYSELF.

For Today: November 3rd

When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.

Confucius

I did not deliberately choose my faults, but neither do I have to be afraid of letting them go.  I can establish what they are (I have many more faults than I am aware of) by taking steps four and five, and I can abandon them in steps six and seven.  What would any thinking person give for such simple, direct therapy?  And it doesn’t cost a dime.

Do my faults include any of these: sloth, bad temper, promiscuity, rudeness, dishonesty, child abuse, violence?  God, who loves me and wants me to be free, will accept them all.

For today:  I need not be afraid to admit anything to God and to another person, under God’s guidance.

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 I have many faults.........and Step 4 helps me to identify them.  The more 4th step work I do, the more faults I FIND.  God is already aware of these faults, and the purpose of step 4 is to make MYSELF aware of them, not God.

I need not be afraid to uncover these character defects, because in doing so, I am able to identify them & get RID of them! 

I am not a criminal.........I have no faults to confess that would send me to jail........but I DO have shame over some of my character defects and THAT is the emotion I am trying to release.  Shame serves no constructive purpose, and only leads to self-loathing which leads to compulsive overeating.

For today, I will have no fear in admitting my faults and asking God to remove them from my life.

For Today: November 2nd

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it.

Thomas Paine

Freedom isn’t free; it costs something. The source of all the blessings I have received needs my support to stay alive and strong.  I support my freedom from compulsive overeating by:

---being willing to give up the pleasure as well as the pain of excess food, abstaining no matter what.

---nurturing my spiritual condition through daily contact with a Power greater than myself, even if it is limited to an expression of thanks.

---practicing the twelve steps to the best of my ability.

---taking responsibility for keeping OA alive by attending meetings as a personal commitment and doing service at whatever level it is needed.

---contributing as much as I can afford toward the cost of carrying the message and maintaining OA services at all levels.

For Today:  Does the support I give my freedom come close to this checklist?

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Freedom isn’t free, and certainly, neither is slavery to addiction.

In order to maintain my abstinence, I go to whatever lengths are necessary.  If that means I say No Thank You to someone’s heartfelt offering of off-plan foods, then I say No Thank You, running the risk of hurting that person’s feelings.

What’s better? To hurt the hostess’s feelings or to jeopardize MY abstinence?

If the hostess knew what an expensive price I’d have to pay to taste her delicious (fill in the blank), she’d never even expect me to.  And, in turn, I don’t expect HER to know MY story…………I don’t run around giving out the details of my addiction problem……………

A simple No Thank You, or Gee I Just Ate, or That Looks Lovely But My Stomach Is On The Fritz is enough of a disclaimer to get me OUT of a sticky situation.

“No matter WHAT” is the phrase of importance here in OA.  The tired old excuses MUST be put to rest, once and for all, if I am to maintain abstinence and enjoy the benefits of recovery.

Keeping my home free from trigger foods is a must.  Ordering healthy meals ALL the time when I’m dining out is another.  Preventing myself from having to make decisions with regard to food is another.  My choices are healthy, whole foods and that’s IT.

When I feel like I’m paying too dearly to maintain my abstinence, all I need do is look back to the time I was TRULY miserable, living in spiritual, physical and emotional poverty, ignoring God and doing things MY way. 

MY WAY brought me to the depths of despair, one bite at a time.

The OA way shows me a whole new life, a whole new WAY, a whole new purpose in being, one day at a time.

For Today: November 1st

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life; that word is love.

Sophocles

Sometimes the word does not have to be spoken: it is felt.  Small children are picked up and hugged.  A warm tender tone of voice can say anything and bespeak love.

And more: when the milk is spilled, the new toy broken, the rug stained---love is cleaning up the mess quietly, without recrimination, in mutual understanding that accidents can’t be helped.

An OA shared at a meeting an incident that took place at a birthday party when she was five years old.  She burped, and her brother called her a pig.  She felt so humiliated she wanted to run from the table.  But her father went to her, gave her a hug and whispered, “It’s OK.”  The power of her father’s love far outweighed the sting of her brother’s remark.

Love is a great deal more than saying I love you.

For Today: How do I show love?

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 I show love by being there for my family & friends, no matter what. 

Love means speaking the truth without trying to hurt someone's feelings.

  Love means putting aside my agenda and taking the time to listen to YOU.

Love means saying I'm Sorry when I've made a mistake.  


Love means asking for help when I need it and then expressing my gratitude afterward.


Love means a lot of different things, but above all, love means showing compassion & empathy for my fellow man, and looking at them with innocence instead of guilt.


For today, I will act with loving kindness towards everyone I encounter.