It is never too late to tell the important people in our lives how much their tenderness and support has meant to us over the years. Though we may hesitate to give voice to such feelings openly for fear of appearing vulnerable, we ensure that these same individuals will never withdraw their love when we are forthright about expressing our gratitude. They may not be aware of the depths of our appreciation and may even question whether their presence in our lives has made any impact on us, positive or negative. Our articulations of thanks, however meager, send a clear signal reinforcing the fact that we recognize the contributions others have made to our existence and understand their value. Today, the security your loved ones will inspire you to share your feelings with all whom have contributed to your well-being.

Maer Roshan, launched TheFix.com, “addiction and recovery, straight up.”

It’s a daily site where you can find headlines such as “Finding the Perfect AA Meeting,”

Honesty and taking responsibility for our choices and feelings helps us move beyond excuses to achieve our goals.

Excuses may seem like rational reasons for us not to do something, but if we’re not careful we can allow them to keep us from reaching our goals. Too often we accept our excuses as reasons why we cannot accomplish what we set out to do, and instead of finding alternatives we give up. But if we can be honest with ourselves and take responsibility for our choices, we will begin to notice that we no longer give excuses. When we keep our minds focused on our goals, we will find that excuses fade away in the light of our priorities, and issues become challenges that can help us become wiser and stronger.

Sometimes we may give others excuses rather than be fully honest. We may think it is kind to tell someone we are willing to do something with them, whether work or play, but then keep putting them off. This diverts our energy into keeping the truth at a distance while continuing a falsehood. But when we can take responsibility for our feelings and express them honestly, but gently, the other person is free to find someone who is better suited to accompany them while we are free to pursue the things we like. When we can do this, our energy can be invested in building better lives and relationships.

There’s another way in which excuses rob us of energy—and that is in the power of our thoughts and words. If we find ourselves in a situation, for example, where we are being asked for a financial contribution but we use the excuse that we can’t afford it, we create and attract lack and limitation into our lives. The same goes for seemingly simple things like pretending to not feel well or any other false statement. We may think that excuses make things easier, but they complicate matters with smokescreens. When we can commit to our priorities, take responsibility for our choices, and communicate them honestly to others, there will be no need to make excuses, and we will have much more energy to dedicate to all the things we love.

At life’s crossroads, our patience is the trait that permits us to wait until we have had a critical look at all the options we have before coming to a decision. In this way, we protect ourselves from those hasty impulses that might otherwise lead us astray by causing us to focus the whole of our attentions on the first alternative we see to the exclusion of all our other possible choices. Even when we feel sure about the suitability of our preferences, we are more likely to take a second look at our options and thus catch any inconsistencies that may later prove injurious. And because we never feel compelled to rush, we are better able to discern the alternatives that will enrich and enhance our lives. Your ability to hone in on good choices will help you achieve your day’s goals with a minimum of fuss today.

Consider that elation is often an emotion you must first give yourself permission to feel. If you remind yourself that life need not be serious all the time, the minor moments of pleasure that manifest themselves in your life today can be a major source of happiness. You will likely find many reasons to smile, no matter what the universe has in store for you.

You may be surprised to find yourself thinking about individuals you have not seen or spoken with in quite some time today, and the nostalgia you feel while reminiscing can put you in a contemplative mood. This can be an auspicious time to reflect upon your past relationships to determine how they impacted the developmental path you have taken. You may discover today that individuals who touched your life briefly made a large-scale impression upon you or that you have followed a path similar to that trod by a close relative. If you sense that you have been unduly influenced by certain people, your thoughtfulness can help you decide how to respond.

As we reflect upon our past relationships, we discover that the people we spent time with over the years have had a great deal of impact on our attitudes, preferences, and beliefs. Whether we understand these influences to be positive or negative aspects of our lives, we must endeavor to comprehend them before we can deal with them in a concrete fashion. When we see clearly how others have shaped us, we are empowered to decide if we want to continue living in the manner we were taught to live or if we feel it is time for a change. Since we can identify specific influences, we can embrace or eradicate them as benefits our individual needs and desires. You can channel your nostalgia into your evolutionary endeavors today when you are willing to look back upon your past with a thoughtful eye.

Living authentically is, in certain situations, easy, but it more often than not takes both diligence and dedication. When we are committed to living a life that is in accordance with our values, we accept that our paths will not always be as simple and straightforward as they first appear to be. Our sincerity grants us strength, providing us with the courage to cope with people and circumstances that can potentially distort our resolve. But the challenges we face will nonetheless occasionally have the power to cause us to seek refuge in the comforts of conformity. Our willingness to be ourselves even when our circumstances make doing so difficult will help us emerge on the other side with convictions that are stronger than ever. As you seek your own truths today, your commitment to diversity and individuality will help you stand strong against conformist influences.

You may gain a sense of satisfaction today from being self-sufficient. It can give you a feeling of confidence and independence to be able to complete all that you wish to accomplish without having to rely on anyone else. Once we have established this, we are free to invite others to help on projects not because we need them, but because we appreciate what they have to offer. Human beings are not meant to live alone, so becoming self-sufficient need not mean that we no longer live in a community with others. But having the confidence to assert our personal power and do what we choose to do rather than being forced to by circumstances gives us a sense of fulfillment. Today you can be proud of your ability to take care your own needs while appreciating those who offer their assistance.

Once we have the knowledge that we can take care of ourselves, then we can concentrate upon the things we enjoy doing, and let other people do the rest. In a family this may mean that you choose to do the gardening while your spouse does the cooking. In a company it might lead to subcontracting certain aspects of a project so that you can concentrate on your specialty. Ideally, this is how our communities are built, with each person bringing their own talents and abilities to the group so that we may all benefit, not out of need, but out of choice. Today you have the confident independence to stand on your own and appreciate the contributions others make to your life.

The gift of a compliment is the gift of positive energy. We can easily picture it as light, imagining not only the beam from the smile as it’s given to us but the way our own face lights up in response and then the warm, fuzzy glow we feel inside afterward. It is like our own inner spark has been rekindled by the flame of another. We can also picture the effect of a compliment like a plant in the sunlight. We are nourished by the rays of light that touch us, and it encourages our further growth. Since the light encourages us, we are motivated to stretch ourselves further, do more, and do it better. The light of attention works the same way in friendships and romantic relationships as it does in the office or on our pets. All living things respond to the light of positive energy. Today as we enjoy accepting light from others, we make a choice to bring more light into the world by sharing it.

Those who have addiction problems go to many organizations to get cured, and the Alcoholics Anonymous is in the front line among all those. This organization has become so popular over the years and a main reason for that is the tremendous success of their 12 step program. This program has successfully cured many individuals and returned them to the society – to family and friends as cured. So the 12 step program is just right for all those wanting to cure alcoholism and drug problems and regain self control and acceptance in the society. This program has become for many as a one-point reference point of solving addiction problems.

As the name suggests, the 12 step program comprises of 12 steps. Here are the various steps.

Step One: Giving up the power and accepting the fact that the use of alcohol, drugs and other elements has made the person lose control over his life. Accepting this as a fact is a useful first step.

Step Two & Three: These steps involve submission to God or a higher power. Actually belief in God is the second step while turning the life to God involves the third. This is one area where the 12 step program has been criticized. Many call it too religious.

Step Four & Five: Here are steps that also have some religion in it. These steps involve morality and confessions to self, to acquaintances and then finally to God.

Step Six: This step is quite passive and has been criticized as well. Almost the same as step 1, here the addict assumes that he is powerless in front of God who will then help the individual to recover, remove the negative forces and get back into the original condition.

Step Seven, Eight & Nine: These steps involve the process of expressing regret and asking for forgiveness for the various mistakes committed.

Step Ten, Eleven & Twelve: Morality is part of the tenth step as well. In the next step, the addict has to get close to God through prayers. In the last step the addict is supposed to achieve spiritual awakening. This awakening will automatically make him recover and despise drugs, alcoholism and other types of addictions.

The 12 step program encourages the former addict to speak of his addiction problems, his challenges and how the situation was turned around. The success story will work as an encouragement for others.

Though it has been successful, the 12 step program has been criticized from many quarters. While some say that the program is too religious, others feel that in the program, the addict is perceived as helpless and needs to depend on God and a higher force. There is no need to take matters in own hand.