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 in Courage to change is about horse training. (Actually it isn't but I thought that would be a fun start.)
The author equates training horses to dealing with their own racing thoughts. Giving a command over and over again tends to escalate the situation and does nothing to calm the horse or achieve the training goals. Similarly, when faced with a problem, the author can get stuck obsessing on their racing thoughts, and this takes away the calmness and perspective needed to find a solution to the problem. The author suggests that letting go of a problem and taking time away from thinking about it offers space and time to listen to one's inner voice and take control of the situation.
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This reading really spoke to me, especially this month. I am navigating some continued and new upheaval at work, and looking forward to several months of decisions coming down that may or may not impact me. With everything so up in the air, it can be easy to think through contingency plans, think about ways to manipulate the situation, and get stuck in obsessive thought. I am trying to put the author's advice into practice: give it time. Take a step away from the problem. Come back to it later, when I can think more clearly and keep the issue in its proper perspective.
I hope you have a nice day!
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Skorpi
If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present. - Lao Tzu
Skorpi - thanks for the daily and for your service. I also appreciate the humor....I did laugh a bit out loud! I can relate to those racing thoughts - and so wish I could say my mind still doesn't try to 'go there'. Yet, I am also very aware that for me, the more I practice what's suggested in our recovery program, the faster I can shut them down a bit or at least organize them into what is mine and worthy of time and what's not mine and worthy of setting to the side.
I have a few things of late that are raising up and am back to the basics of living life daily and enjoying the moment. It helps me sort out the chatter in my brain, and focus on the next right thing.
Make today awesome! I'm off to a meeting in a while and then Game 7 of the World Series is on tonight....great series!!! (((Hugs)))
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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
Thanks for your service, Skorpi, and both your ESH. Very appropriate topic for me at the moment as I'm grasping for various Alanon tools at the moment to stop racing thoughts about a new tiny big situation. Good day to all, thanks for being here :)
Good Morning Skorpi Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this very important topic. Thanks to program,essentially the 4th through 12th Steps, obsessive thoughts and the painful results have disappeared from my tool box and been replaced by the serenity prayer, slogans and HP . I know they are flying overhead( as one of the pages in the C2C states ) simply waiting for me to pull them back inside and engage in the madness. Detachment and the serenity prayer are my go to solutions
Thanks for your service.
Skorpi - thank you for this today! It was something I needed! Funny how that works, huh?
I am dealing with racing thoughts, plans upon plans, what if, etc. I am trying to use my toolbox, but I am finding it hard today... not sure why. Perhaps b/c I am unwilling to LET GO?
I am going to take this C2C change to heart today, and set these things aside... then maybe I can hear the reasonable voice deep inside me!
So grateful!
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"The wolf that thrives, is the one you feed." - Cherokee legend
"Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields... Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness." Mary Oliver
Oh I lost an item that I use a lot and just COULD NOT FIND IT...i raced around, yelling at me, "WHERE did you put it??? you stupid" Oh yea, I not only got obsessed , I was angry at the "helpless" feeling I felt....Then I STOPPED.....said "how, really important is this????" and I said that "OK" I will replace if I don't find.....sure enough in an hour, when i had disconnected from it, I found it.....backing off, stepping back....walking away, somehow cuts the bad energy...negates it....and my light energy within can relate to me.........thanks for the reminder
