Daily Reprieve

From Courage to Change of Nov 08:

“Just for today… I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out; if anybody knows of it, it will not count.” What a terrific exercise! It helps me to break free of the habit of doing kind or generous things in order to get something back. Only when I perform a loving act with no expectations will I reap the true reward of giving.

I am learning that giving doesn’t have to take away from me or anyone else — if there are no strings attached, everyone stands to benefit. Every good and loving gesture soothes my soul and contributes to a healthier world. These anonymous, positive actions are the building blocks of a flourishing spiritual well-being. My self- esteem grows because I can feel good about my actions. I am engaged in worthwhile pursuits.

Today’s Reminder

Today I will put unconditional love into action. When I give freely, without expecting anything in return, I always receive more than I give.

“I was created in love. For that reason nothing can express my beauty nor liberate me except love alone.”
~ Mechtild of Magdeburg

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NOTE: Mechtild of Magdeburg (c. 1207–c. 1282/1294) was a German Christian mystic, poet, and beguine whose visionary writings became foundational to medieval mystical theology.

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“Just for today… I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out; if anybody knows of it, it will not count.” I learned this concept in my early childhood training in the Christian church. Now here it is woven into my life and death recovery, my world of pragmatic morality.

There’s something quietly revolutionary about this idea. It overturns an old inner pattern — the one that taught me to shape my kindness for applause, or to offer generosity with an invisible invoice attached. Anonymous goodness pulls me out of that gravitational field. It lets me experiment with love that has no agenda, no echo, no expectation.

When I practice this kind of giving, something inside me unknots.
It’s as if the act itself whispers: You are allowed to be good without performing goodness.
And I feel a shift — a subtle, right-hemisphere drifting open — where the gesture becomes both prayer and practice.

I’m beginning to see that love, when offered freely, doesn’t cost me anything essential.
It doesn’t subtract.
It does not diminish.
Instead, it circulates, like breath or light, enlarging everyone it touches — including me.

Every quiet act of kindness softens the hardness around my own spirit. It reminds me that recovery is less about dramatic transformations and more about a thousand small, hidden turnings toward grace. These anonymous offerings are the micro-surrenders that build spiritual muscle. They strengthen the part of me that has learned to stop bargaining with the universe.

And in those moments, my self-esteem grows in a way that feels honest.
Not inflated.
Not borrowed.
Just… aligned.

Because I know I’ve done something worthwhile — not to be seen, but because it is good.

Today, I choose to put unconditional love into motion. To let it move through me without a ledger or a witness. Every time I do, I discover the ancient paradox:
when I stop reaching for a return, I receive more than I ever expected.

This entry was posted on November 13, 2025 at 1:40 pm and is filed under Uncategorized with tags Addiction, Alcoholism, Courage to Change, faith, Journal, Life, love, mental-health, Personal, Recovery, Spirituality, writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.