The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I was urged to share acronyms, al-anon slogans & other sayings... some old, some new ~ food for thought.
~ Easy Does It ~ Keep It Simple ~ How Important Is It? ~ First Things First ~ Live And Let Live ~ ~ One Day At A Time ~ Let Go And Let God ~ But For The Grace Of God, there go I ~ Think! Listen And Learn ~ ~ Keep An Open Mind ~ Let It Begin With Me ~ Together We Can Make It ~ Be Honest ~ Keep Coming Back ~ ~ Feel Good About Saying "No" ~ Fake It 'Till You Make It! ~ Use It Or Lose It ~ ~ Talk And Grow ~ Let Go & Let God ~ How Important is it? ~ Is it worth my Serenity ~ Whats to Be will Be ~ We Are all Different
Alanon's Three C's: Alcoholism: You didn't CAUSE it, You can't CONTROL it, and You can't CURE it! 3 C's ~ You Can Control Yourself, You Can Change Yourself, You Can Cure Yourself3 A's ~ Awareness, Acceptance, Action ANGELS EXIST but some times, since they don't all have wings, we call them FRIENDS.
This Too Shall Pass
Say what you mean but don't say it meanly.~Expectations are premeditated resentments. "A's pick up the bottle alanons pick up people."~ Take the blame out of me & all u get is bla bla bla. "If HP brings you to it, HP will walk you through it." ~ "Change your attitude change your life. Insanity is doing the same things over an expecting different results. Dont go to the hardware store for bread. My serenity is proportionate to my acceptance.Recovery is self-discovery. Happiness & knowledge increase only as we share it with others. Change my attitude, change my life. EGO - Edging God Out ~ Courage is fear that has said its prayers. ~ Progress not Perfection.
FEAR ~ Future Events Aren't Real
YANA ~ You Are Not Alone HELP ~ Help/Heal Ourselves/Others Purge Emptiness MYOB ~ Mind My Own Business FAITH ~ Finding Answers In The Heart HALT(S) ~ Hungry Anxious/Angry Lonely Tired Sick or Honestly Actively Lovingly Tolerant ANGER ~ A Negative Grudge Endangers Recovery QTIP ~ Quit Taking It Personally PUSH ~ Pray Until Something Happens FINE ~ F**ked Up Insecure Neurotic THINK ~ THOUGHTFUL HONEST INTELLIGENT NECESSARY KIND THANK HEAVEN I NOW KNOW GIFTS ~ Getting It From The Steps ASK ~ Ask Seek Knock HEART ~ Healing Enjoying And Recovering Together HOPE ~ Happy Our Program Exists ~ healing/helping ourselves purge emptiness GOD ~ Good Orderly Direction JADE ~ (dont) Justify, Argue, Defend, Explain COOL ~ CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES OFFER LOVE FROG ~ fully relying on god DETACH ~ dont ever think about changing him/her&/or dont even try and change others FEAR ~ future events aren't real "My serenity is proportionate to my acceptance." "You can't control the wind but you can set your sails." "The mind is like a parachute, it works best when open." "Thank You God for reminding me not to interfere with Your Divine Plan." "Listen not to criticisms or accolades both take you off your path." A. Einstein "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." B. Franklin If you are looking in the past or the future, you're not living in the now. The present is a gift. The gift is now. Live for today. Live for each and every new moment. Be gentle with yourself. Fight for yourself, you are worth it, if you dont who will? Let it begin with me: When anyone, anywhere reaches out for help - let the hand of Al-Anon & Alateen always be there and - Let it Begin With Me.
In recovery were all like infants, first we crawl then we can stand. We take steps & learn to walk before we can run free.
FACE IT: Become aware of the thinking/behaviour that is a problem TRACE IT: Try to establish where you think it comes from and why EMBRACE IT: Accept that you did the best you could with what you had at the time but it no longer needs to be that way. Forgive yourself. ERASE IT: The thinking/behaviour no longer serves your best interests. To erase it, ask God to remove your shortcomings. Refuse to participate in the same thinking and behaviour patterns. You may 'slip' from time to time but thats ok, it's a process and it's about progress not perfection. REPLACE IT: Nothing exists in a vacuum therefore if you remove something you need to put something else in it's place. Where possible fill the void with Gods love. You can replace negative thinking/behaviour with positive, healthy responses. Use the tools of the program. Sometimes we try something new and it doesn't work out for us, that's ok too, just try something different. LET GO & LET GOD ATTEND TO THE DIVINE PLAN
Thank You God for reminding me not to interfere with your Divine Plan
LET HIS NAME BE ERASED~ JEWISH PRAYER TO RELEASE *EVIL DOERS/ ACTIONS
6 GUIDELINES FOR SETTING BOUNDARIES
HAVE CLEARLY DEFINED EXPECTATIONS.
CLEARLY DEFIENED CONSEQUENCES THAT DONT DISRUPT YOUR SERENITY.
SET THEM CLEARLY.
COMMUNICATE THEM CLEARLY.
ENFORCE THEM CONSISTENTLY
WITHOUT REGARD FOR THE RELATIONSHIP (RELEASE ANY EXPECTATIONS)
SAY WHAT U MEAN & DONT SAY IT MEANLY
QTIP QUIT TAKING IT PERSONALLY
GTS THE GETTING THEM SOBER CLUB ~ FIRST THINGS FIRST ~ LOVE YOURSELFEASY DOES IT
ONE DAY AT A TIME ODAT
LIVE & LET LIVE THINK, LISTEN AND LEARN KEEP AN OPEN MIND USE IT OR LOSE IT FAKE IT TIL YOU MAKE IT LET IT BEGIN WITH ME FEEL GOOD ABOUT SAYING NO (OR SETTING BOUNDARIES) BE HONEST, THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT, IT WORKS IF YOU WORK IT SO, KCB KEEP COMING BACK BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD (THERE GO I - IT COULD BE ME)
JUST FOR TODAY
1.I WILL USE MY PROGRAM
I WILL BE GOOD TO MYSELF & RELAX
I WILL BE UNAFRAID
I WILL BE GRATEFUL
I WILL APPRECIATE MYSELF & OTHERS
I WILL BE LOVING & KIND
I WONT CRITICIZE & WORK ON MYSELF
I WILL TACKLE THIS DAY & THIS DAY ALONE, LEAVING THE FUTURE WHERE IT IS
I WILL STUDY TO STRENGTHEN MY MIND
10. I WILL STRETCH & STRENGTHEN MY BEAUTIFUL BODY 11. I WILL MEDITATE 12. I WILL BE HAPPY 13. I WILL LOVE MYSELF, TRULY & GENTLY 14. I WILL ATTEND MEETINGS ON-LINE REGULARLY 15. I WILL SURRENDER TO GOD 16. I WILL COMMUNE WITH GOD IN PRAYERS 17. I WILL PRAISE & THANK GOD
Let the Understanding, Peace, & Love of the Program work in YOU each day.Take what you like & leave the rest.You cannot expect different results without different actions behaviors.
Just For Today, I will Let It Begin with Me And Think, How Important Is It Before I lose my serenity And if I Keep It Simple When my mind wants to burst I will remember Easy Does It and place First Things First And isn't it kind of Funny When I feel I've bottomed out I find hope and courage when I finally Let Go and Let God But For The Grace of God I can Keep An Open Mind And learn to Live and Let Live One Day At A Time.
Never let me imagine that my satisfaction with life depends on what someone else may do (ODAT in Al-Anon pg234)
If you keep doing what you've always done, you will keep getting what you've always gotten
__________________
No matter what me and my God are going to be ok, even better than OK -
When I speak at meetings I always mention that for my first few years in program "The Slogans" were my tool. The Steps looked to complicated for my fried brain, but the Slogans made sense. Then when I did get some sanity and decided to work the steps I found that I had already done many with the use of slogans . Let Go and Let God were the first 3 steps. Serenity Prayers ( which I said often) was the 11th step Focus on Yourself was my invitation to look at myself and own my [art (4th step)
Sharing at meetings were my 12 th step
The slogans made sense of the steps and enabled me to do them formally with such ease. What a powerful program Thanks for posting them
-- Edited by hotrod on Thursday 29th of July 2010 09:11:00 AM
Some of these May be repeats but I found some more...
Al Anon is for people who want it rather than people who need it.
On Self Love and Self Care:
Learn to give from my overflow rather that from my reserve. This is self care, we learn to let go of burdens we were never meant to carry. Learn to ask, âWhat is the best thing for me?â
â¨âI can only love myself as much as I believe I am lovable.â
Kindness â I like to treat myself with a Grandmotherâs heart. Al-Anon is where we can practice kindness to ourselves. â¨
On Expectations:
An expectation is a premeditated resentment. Courage to Change Page 153
Any time I am in resentment, I am not taking care of myself. I am blaming someone else for something I need to do.
The higher the expectations, the lower the serenity. I try to keep my boundaries high, my expectations low, and my heart open. â¨â¨
On the Steps:
Willingness comes from the pain, the healing comes from the steps.
Step 1. Surrender
Step 2. Sanity
Step 3. Serenity
There is a difference between âreliefâ and ârecoveryâ.
Steps 1-3 bring relief
Steps 4-9 bring recovery..
Steps 10-12 maintain itâ¦
Steps 6 & 7:
Step 6 Be willing, Be ready and let God do the work
Step 7 Humbly ask (acknowledge who I am in relation to God)
These steps have grown and I expand with the stepsâ¨.
The steps say WE, Al-Anon is program that is meant to be worked with another and with God.
Acronyms:
THINK:
Is it-
Thoughtful,
Honest,
Intelligent,
Necessary,
Kind
SHAME:
Should
Have
Already
Mastered
Everything.
WAIT:
Why
Am
I
Talkingâ¨
LOVE:
Let
Others
Voluntarily
Evolve
EGO:
Easing
God
Out.
TTT:
Things
Take
Time
HALT:
Don't get too:
Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired
QTIP:
Quit
Taking
It
Personally
On Helping, Fixing and Controlling:
âHelpingâ Iâm disrespecting their ability to do it themselves.
âFixingâ, Iâm saying that they are broken,
âServingâ I am just showing up to listen.
âI remove the other personâs dignity if I try to make their decisions for themâ ODAT pg 200â¨
Control is only an illusion.
When we point a finger at someone, three are pointing back at us.
On Feelings and Emotions:
At times I am afraid of my own feelings if I donât get in there and try to control.. what if?
When I have a feeling, I lean into it and look at the idea behind the feeling.
Learn to live with the âdis-easeâ that comes when you stop something and practice new behavior, the feelings will pass. â¨
Anger can be constructive in telling me that someone else is stepping on some boundaries that I need to enforce.
I cannot give what I do not have.
I am not responsible for other peopleâs happiness.
âWorry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.â A.S. Roche
Toxic shame = the feeling that I am a mistake instead of feeling that I made a mistake.
We donât have to act on our feelings, we can look at them and let them pass.
All suffering is the result of thought pointing in the wrong direction. Thought does not change an emotion but action does.
Every time I tell the truth, I gain my own freedom.
I need to be true to who I am to be able to have a sense of self.
Am I comparing my insides with other peopleâs outsides when I feel out of it in a group?
Donât turn feelings into decisions.
On God, Prayer, and Meditation:
A coincidence is a little miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous.
There are no mistakes, only lessons.
Be in nature and discover how much God loves you, âPause, so you can hear the rabbits.â
I cannot give other people the status of my Higher Power.
I donât worry about tomorrow because God has already been there and He has set the stage.
âGod helps those who donât try to take over His workâ. ODAT pg 196
Change can only come from a position of acceptance.
What ever your heart clings to, that is your God. Martin Luther
Meditation âsitting quietly and letting the mud settleâ
Where ever I place my attention, energy flows.
A mind is a dangerous place, donât go there alone.
Pause for Poise.
Definitions:
Responsible = I want to be able to respond, not react.
Insanity = doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Willingness = a readiness to change oneâs perception.
The difference between pity and compassion â pity elevates me, compassion is empathy for anotherâs humanness. â¨
Pain is something that comes and goes, suffering is something we hold on to.
Resentment is anger re sent, it goes round and round resending the feelings. â¨
C.S. Lewis: â¨â¨Denial is the shock absorber for the soul. It protects us until we are equipped to cope with reality.
4 Mâs = martyrdom, manipulating, managing and mothering
âThe only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is in how you use themâ ODAT pg 185
Tools:â¨â¨
It is futile to spend time trying to figure out what makes some one else tick. Detachment
When I blame someone else for something, I give up my power to them.
Living in the past is VICTIM, Living in the future is MANIPULATING. Live in the present.
What you think of me is none of my business. â¨â¨
When I get into a situation, I always ask myself, âWhat is my part in it? What is going on with me?â â¨â¨â¨
Things to say to the alcoholic when he/she does his/her thing: ⨠I never thought of it that way. ⨠You could be right ⨠Hmmmmmm. ⨠OH, SO, NO and WOW (Al Anon Sentences)
â¨â¨â¨On Keeping it Simple: â¨
5 Sentences: â¨This is what I want. This is what I need. This is what I feel. This is what I think. This is what I will do.
It is easier to resist the bait than to struggle with the hook.
My Happiness is My Responsibility
Worry is a terrible waste of time.
Say what you mean, mean what you say, but donât be mean when you say it.
Would I rather be Right or would I rather be HAPPY.
âBe yourself because everyone else is taken.â Oscar Wilde
Al Anon is like a laboratory, we experiment and find out what works for us. â¨â¨ â¨â¨ â¨
I found this Poem ofthe Slogans reallyhelped me to keep them active in my mind and helpful in my recovery. Keep it simple is my favorite
Al-Anon Slogans in a Poem - By Coach Papa
Slogans in a Poem by Coach Papa
First Things First - I have heard it said - Be Honest With yourself, - get out of your head - You can Feel Good -About Saying "No" - Keep Coming Back to - Talk And Grow - Easy Does It - sounds real nice - If you Keep It Simple - you don't roll the dice - Live And Let Live - Brings it back to you - They're in recovery, - you are, too - What's to Be will Be - So, Let Go & Let God - Just wait and see - That one Day At A Time - Is more than a phrase - In Al-Anon, - it's the phrase that pays - Think! Listen And Learn - or watch bridges burn - Keep An Open Mind, - Now it's your turn - Is your serenity worth it - Just, Fake It 'Till You Make It! - I am pretty sure, You can - Cause, How - important is it? - In time, you will understand - It's true, we're all different, - But, together we can make it - If you feel that you can't, - Then, once again, fake it - When you let it begin with me - The fog will raise, - the sun will shine - Your eyes will see - Slogans are there - For you to use - Say one every day - So you don't sing the blues - It works when you work it - We say and it's true - We're all here to help - But your recovery is up to you.
