January 14th: The Freedom of Letting Go

January 14th - Reflection for the day

I admitted that I couldn’t win the gambling battle on my own. So I finally began to accept the critically important fact that dependence on a Higher Power could help me achieve what had always seemed impossible. I stopped running. I stopped fighting. For the first time, I began accepting. And for the first time, I began to be really free.

Do I realize that it doesn’t matter what kind of shoes I’m wearing when I’m running away?

Today I Pray

May I know the freedom that comes with surrender to a Higher Power—that most important kind of surrender that means neither giving in nor giving up but giving over my will to the will of God. Like a weary fugitive from spiritual order, may I stop hiding, dodging, running. May I find peace in surrender, in the knowledge that God wills that I be whole and healthy and He will show me the way.

Today I Will Remember

First surrender, then serenity.

My thoughts:

For so long, I fought against the idea of surrender. It felt like weakness, like admitting failure. But through recovery, I’ve learned that surrender is not about defeat—it’s about release. Letting go of the fight against gambling wasn’t giving up; it was stepping into a new kind of strength. It was an acknowledgment that I couldn’t do this alone and that there is a greater power, one that can guide me when I’m willing to listen.

I spent years running—running from my emotions, my responsibilities, and myself. The more I ran, the heavier the burden became. When I finally stopped running and opened my heart to a Higher Power, I experienced a profound sense of relief. The weight of trying to control everything on my own began to lift, and I started to see a path forward.

Surrendering to a Higher Power isn’t a one-time event; it’s a daily practice. It’s in the small moments—when I ask for guidance, when I pause to reflect, and when I choose to trust the process instead of trying to force outcomes. In surrender, I’ve found a serenity I never thought possible.

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