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.
and Happy New Year! Today's reading is a reminder that although we may have suffered the effects of the family disease of alcoholism, it is not our fault nor the alcoholic's fault in regard to the disease. The program helps us to navigate the effects of this disease with the tools of slogans, literature, meetings, sponsorship, giving and receiving ESH and the guidance of our HP. The sentence from this reading that stands out to me is: "Each moment becomes the one I have always been waiting for." As it is the start of a new year, we are reminded that we have the freedom to start all over again. The quote from the thought for the day tells us that working a program can be a focus on one of the tools each day- a slogan, step, prayer, reaching out to others, including a sponsor.
For me it has been extremely helpful to work on small pieces of the puzzle at a time- one step, focus on one slogan; this is how I am going to approach the new year. I was talking with a friend yesterday who like me, went through a divorce a few years ago. She said she really believes she was meant to know her ex, have a marriage and family with him, and then leave the marriage. It got me thinking about being accepting of our HP's will for us. The humility in that is where I want to start today.
I hope the year is off to a good start for everyone! Enjoy your Tuesday!
Thank you for sharing this page yanksfan, great page to start the day, week, and year!
I find that looking back with regret can be overwhelming, and always negative and draining. AlAnon does me no good if I am not working it by daily focus and intentional practice in live situations, making no excuses for myself, instead learning and making adjustments.
The slogans mentioned: 'Let it Begin With Me', and 'One Day at a Time' point me in the right direction, gatekeepers for my mind. When I stray outside of those boundaries, a loss of peace and serenity follows...pretty simple! All that remains is my choice: follow the guidance or remain tied to old habits and suffering.
Grateful for the wisdom to guide my choices
__________________
Paul
"...when we try to control others, we lose the ability to manage our own lives." - Paths to Recovery
Good morning Mary, I love this reading from the HFT. The concept that your friend shared about her divorce from her hubby is one that I have felt often during my lifetime. Prior to program I thought that I was going to live life happy and free without any problems "if i managed well" This was not so and in reflecting on my past. I can see when my Higher Power was there guiding me through all the difficult times. I was pointed in the right direction, allowed to find Al-Anon when I was desperate, given the courage and wisdom to keep showing up and most importantly allowing me to be there when my son and hubby passed. I can still feel that spiritual connection when I reflect on these difficult times. HP was definitely there guiding me and supplying the courage and wisdom to keep showing up.
I was able to reach"Acceptance of life on life's terms", by simply picking up the tools that I was given. I stopped reacting let go of un realistic expectations and developed new principles that enabled me to live life with courage and a little wisdom . This was a true gift of this program.
I Like your plan for the New Yer Good luck.
Thank you for your continued service and have a great day
Happy Tuesday to one and all - thank you Mary for your service and the daily. Thanks also to Paul and Betty for your ESH.
When I arrived in recovery, I wanted it now....not later - I was a very impatient person. I was an over-achiever, and rarely enjoyed the journey - just had my eye on the end game. That approach to life is what caused me tons of misery and many missed opportunities to 'stop and smell the flowers'. I no longer want to rush through anything, but instead want to live each moment and enjoy all that I can as often as I can.
I can use today as an example. One of my high school gal pals lost her father on Thursday. He was old and they were as ready as one can be for him to depart this world. The funeral was today. I went to bed fully intending to get up, do my morning 'work' and then drive out of town to attend the service with my other gal pals.
God had a different plan for me - I woke up instead to a cracked pipe in the master bath toilet closet, which had saturated the entire floor (carpet) and leaked through to the basement storage area where....I have literally hundreds of cardboard boxes with my inventory, my parents photos, and tons of 'other stuff'.....
*Sigh* - at first glance, trust me when I say, I part of me was very angry and overwhelmed. We had to turn the water off to the house, call a plumber and start cleaning up/sorting out what was damaged, could be saved, etc. To make a long story short, I've been sorting, scrubbing, drying - rinse/repeat - for the last 8-9 hours!!!
Here's the upsetting parts -
1. I did not make the funeral.
2. There were photos/documents damaged that can't be saved.
Here's the annoying parts -
1. I feel bad for not going to the funeral - sent a text message and all was well - but I feel bad anyways.
2. I have 3-4 loads of towels still to wash - every towel, blanket, sheet and other in this house had to be used to sop, dry, clean, catch WATER.
3. My hands are chapped and this was certainly not how I planned to spend the day.
Here's my growth -
1. I only cussed twice (this is huge growth for me....and it was before coffee).
2. I did not get dramatic or allow this to ruin my full day, week, month of new year.
3. Grateful it happened today and not yesterday or weekend - plumber would have cost even more + holiday/weekend rates.
4. This area of my storage needed to be cleaned out and sorted. It was an area I planned to attend to THIS YEAR - it's now DONE!
5. I was able to stay focused on the next right thing and not get stuck in self-pity and why was 'this' happening to me, today!
6. Grateful I found this 'first thing' this morning as the mess would have just kept expanding.
7. I put on my best music and made the best I could of an unfortunate situation/accident.
8. We are doing YOYO for dinner (You're On Your Own) - so what I do from here is open.
The program has given me the grace to realize that life happens. It is my ability to respond to life events vs. react that I am forever and always grateful for. There is the old me below the surface that would love to BMW (Bitxx, Moan and Whine) about this and the effort and the timing and the .... but the program has taught me to just do the next right thing and trust all will be well. I must admit that while the effort was huge and unexpected, I am one who always feels content after a hard day's work...so - I am exhausted but feeling peaceful at the same time - GRATEFUL that my sanity is intact in spite of my day.
One day at a time, one moment at a time, one slogan at a time, one step at a time - doing what's in front of me as best I can is action that I can do each day and enjoy as much as I decide to do so. Life is a journey and an adventure when we embrace it.
Make it a great evening all.....
__________________
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
