Recently, while sitting in a meeting I noticed that the letters from the name of the company were printed on the end of the pages of my manual. When the pages were compressed, I could easily make out the name. When the manual was open, and the pages were separated, it was difficult to read.

When compressed, the letters stood about 1/4-inch high. There were three words to a line, which made up a total of two lines. Upon closer inspection, when I slowly turned the pages I could not see any ink on the end of the individual pages. Even when I viewed a single page up close I could not detect any marks, yet when the pages were compressed there was ink on every page clearly spelling out the name.

Acts of Goodness and Kindness Generate Light

I relate this to each act of goodness or kindness we do for ourselves and others. When we are kind to ourselves, merciful and loving, we imprint on our hearts genuineness, softness and the ability to give ourselves some “wiggle room” if we don’t pull it off just right. Over time, the pages of our lives form the words, “In Recovery.” It is these little acts that go mostly unnoticed that make us instruments in helping others who might also be in recovery. These acts empower us with light. Recovery is light.

Focus on Each Day, “Here and Now.”

Sometimes when we are trying to change, we are expecting to immediately see a huge transformation or progress in our lives. If we don’t, it is easy to lose hope, become discouraged and maybe even stop trying. If we can focus on each day and stay in the “here and now,” our future can be filled with hope, optimism and a fulfilling life.

© 2014 Rod W. Jeppsen