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.
Today's reading is about how difficult and dangerous it can be to get caught up in your own head with obsessive thoughts. There can be a fearfulness connected with too much thinking; I have definitely caught myself going down that path and prayed 'oh no please help me get out of here'. The reading points out that just like a dangerous neighborhood, one should not travel into one's head alone! Our HP, a sponsor, a program person--are all helpful when doing that type of thinking. The quote from Courage to Change suggests replacing obsessive thoughts with a slogan or the Serenity Prayer, something of comfort. The Serenity Prayer has always been what I go to when I start down the dangerous slope to obsessive thoughts. It reminds me that there's plenty I can't change, some things I can, and my job is to figure out the difference, with my HP's guidance.
The thought for the day reminds us: "Don't look around, look up". I think of a few years ago when I stumbled right to this website after having gone to maybe one or two f2f meetings. I couldn't see anything but the chaos that I was living in. I was completely in my head and it felt like the middle of a maze with no sign of a way out. Slowly but surely, with meetings, readings, a sponsor and program work I'm not living up in my head all the time and I'm no longer living in chaos.
I hope if anyone is feeling overwhelmed or too much 'in their own head' they find solace in the serenity prayer, a slogan, reading or another program person today. I'm grateful all of that was there for me when I was ready to receive it.
Good morning Mary and thank you for your service and ESH. I am one who can over-think myself into a fearful state of being if I travel alone into my own head. I too am grateful the program has given me a set of tools to stop it if it starts and to prevent it at times instead.
My go to for that is prayer and often the serenity prayer. Typically if I start, I reach out to my HP asking to be lead to a different way of thinking - it works!
Have a lovely Tuesday too Mary!
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Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
