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 c2c likens learning to use our al-anon tools to oiling a saw- it doesn't change the equipment we have but it makes it a lot easier to use what we have and to use those assets in a much more productive way. It points out that we might be skeptical about the usefullness of the process but if we take a leap of faith because we want what we see other al-anoners have, most of us find that when we try out the al-anon way of using our assets, things go much more smoothly for us.
The reading reminds us that building a new fulfilling life is not a small task, but with the right tools, practice is all that is required to progress.
"You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just so you learn to love God and man by loving. Begin as a mere apprecntice and the very power of love will lead you on to become a master of the art". (Francis deSale)
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I like the idea that we dont gain any new equipment but rather learn to use what we have for good; the idea that I already had positive qualities that I just didn't know how to use was very foreign to me before al-anon and I like the parts of the program that remind me of it. It's good to know that all I need to is continue to practice and it will continue to get easier to use these qualities to enrich my life. Yay!
Great reading and principle. I love the examples that point out that we learn by doing not by talking about it. That is why we suggest that everyone keeps coming back and that it is progress not perfection that we embrace.
I found that learning how to "walk the walk" takes practice and that happens by my sharing the journey with like minded people. Th e reason for this is so I could develop the "alanon oil" to place on my destructive attitudes.
Thanks for your service. Ms. M. I do hope you have a lovely day.
Thanks, Miss M for sharing the reading...I certainly have benefitted from the wisdom of the program when it comes to guidance and instruction; I always seemed to think that a hammer was useful for everything, and I swung it heavily. Knowing how, when, and when not to use various tools is what I found in AlAnon, and it has dramatically changed my worldview for the good.
Daily focus on the instruction has helped me gradually, but steadily, improve how I perceive and address the challenges in my life. Today is a great day for more practice and appreciation for how much more peace I feel now than when I arrived...So grateful
__________________
Paul
"...when we try to control others, we lose the ability to manage our own lives." - Paths to Recovery
I love the idea that we learn to love by loving. The power of love is great, indeed. One of the daily readers today (this one?) also had a quote to the effect that "sanity and serenity are the gifts I get in exchange for the effort I put in to working the program". The two ideas are similar to me -- the program works if we work it, and we love more/better by working at love, too. So many good lessons in the daily readers!
