Your cart is currently empty!
April 7th – Taking Inventory
“Through the process of taking inventory, we gain insight into our actions. We learn to recognize our motives and avoid rationalizing, minimizing, or justifying our behavior.”
– Life with Hope, third edition, page 48
What made me so close-minded? Why did I have so many resentments? Maybe it was my marijuana addiction. When I started taking inventory of my life, I was amazed to discover that I had played a role in many of the situations and relationships that I was still harboring resentments and fears about. Smoking marijuana had dulled my self-awareness and made blaming others and running away from life easier. When I was actively using marijuana, not only was I powerless over my frequency of use, but I was also increasingly powerless over my emotions and reactions.
As I stayed clean for a while, I started gaining some self-control over these things. If I were to put marijuana to my mouth, that powerlessness would quickly return. The insights into my motives and behaviors that I gain from taking inventory of my life have resulted in emotional and spiritual growth. This growth enables me to stay clean, deal with life on life’s terms, and even help others by sharing my experience, strength, and hope.
Final thought: Today, I will take inventory of my motives and admit when I am rationalizing, minimizing, or justifying my behavior.
Living Every Day with Hope – Copyright © 2025 Marijuana Anonymous World Services. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Marijuana Anonymous groups have been granted limited permission to quote Living Every Day with Hope.
Hope Delivered To Your Inbox
By subscribing to Daily Dose of MA Recovery you receive via email the meditation of the day from Living Every Day with Hope and additional announcements from MA World Services.
A New Leaf – Online
Where Marijuana Anonymous members spark creativity by sharing experience, strength, and hope.
Why MA?
By, Chuck R. A lot of people in other 12 Step programs ask the question, “Why Marijuana Anonymous?” I tell them that for twelve years, I was in and out of AA and NA and could not put together any length of sobriety or stop smoking pot. I tell them that I could stop drinking…
Notes from a Newcomer
By, Terri R. I will always remember my first MA meeting. I was scared and nervous, but I remember all of that melting away as the meeting started. Soon I realized, “This is where I need to be.” I could relate to what I was hearing. Listening intently, I was amazed that there was a…
Terry’s Story
By, Terry M. Today I have many things to be grateful for. In the past three years, my life has changed a lot. To list all these changes would be impossible. There are so many things I take for granted today that I would not have known before the changes of these last few years.…
Daddy
By, Rich C. As a child, I called you Daddy.As I grew up, it became Dad.You didn’t often (or hardly ever) say, “I love you son.”Rather, you showed love.Often, we regret the things not said.Or, regret the hurtful things sometimes said.Before you died, you made amends.You said the things that needed to be said.You said,…
Clarity
By, Anonymous Anger was my god, and when I look back to my time in active addiction, believe me when I tell you, all I saw was red. Not the rose-coloured glasses that tell you the world is a utopia, or the glasses you see others through right before the hurt. I saw rage, I…
Steps and Principles
By, Tanya Mc. Stepping into… I am absolutely powerless over weed in my life.I can honestly say i can’t stop using, once I start.It’s always, just one more time, but then;It seems to be a marathon, on which I embark. But, I feel like it is just me who is doing this.I feel like there…
Copyright © 1989–2025 Marijuana Anonymous World Services—All Rights Reserved
—Marijuana Anonymous World Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, does not endorse or accept contributions from any outside enterprise—