Today's reading opens up reminding us about daily practice of the Al-Anon program.  It helps us become more tolerant of others and keeps us focused on ourselves.  The writer discusses how many of the defects he/she saw in others before the program came to be common of themselves in their inventory step work.  We are reminded that it can be easier to accept the limitations of others when we acknowledge our own.

Without the Al-Anon tools, we can often have distorted thinking and inconsistent behavior.  Through our self-examination, we find that our own self-perceptions were inaccurate and we made mistakes.  This helps us see that perhaps our perceptions of others also were incorrect.  We really do not know what anyone else should think, feel or do.  We reach a point in recovery where we can no longer justify intolerance - of self or of others.

With regular dedicated practice of our program, we begin to feel good about ourselves.  This allows us to be and become increasingly open-minded and more considerate towards everyone in our lives.

Today's reminder discusses how all tools of our program help us to improve in all our affairs - the meetings, fellowship, steps, traditions, literature, etc.  The reader asks that we recommit to our recovery today.

The quote for the day comes from "The Dilemma of the Alcoholic Marriage" - "An earnest and concentrated study of the Al-Anon program, in depth, will help me to become more tolerant, confident, and loving, teaching us to accept the faults of others as we seek to correct shortcomings in ourselves."

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I was a lost, angry mess when I arrived at Al-Anon.  I blamed everyone and everything for the condition of my life and my broken spirit.  When I opened my ears, closed my mouth and began to try what was suggested, I found some peace.  I soon discovered that the more effort I put into my program, the more peace I felt in my broken heart.  Slowly for me, the anger began to slip away and it was replaced with compassion for my qualifier(s) as well as others who have their own struggles.

I am hugely grateful to Al-Anon for the gift of the program and all the rewards we are given when we work for them.  Al-Anon saved my life in many, many ways and I am thrilled and excited to live each day now instead of just going through the motions and looking outside myself for joy and peace of mind.

(((Hugs))) to all!!