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.
In today's reading from Courage to Change, the author speaks about nagging guilt about moments when they said or did something that brought another pain that had plagued them since childhood. Step Eight offered the opportunity to release the author from this unrelenting guilt. By naming actions that caused harm to others, making a list of people they had harmed, and writing down the memories, the author began to feel hopeful about living free from the guilt.
Today's Reminder: Guilt is a burden that keeps me from giving myself fully and freely to the present. I can begin to rid my mind of guilt by quietly admitting where and when I have done wrong to people, including myself.
Today's Quote: "Al-Anon has shown me another way of living, and I like it. Life can either be a burden and a chore or a challenge and a joy. One day at a time I can meet the challenges of life head-on instead of head-down." As We Understood...
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Today's quote especially resonated with me. I tend to think of life as a burden or chore, but this is thinking that was the result of years of living with the impact of the disease of alcoholism. Learning to instead see life as a challenge and a joy helps me to remember myself before living with this disease, and helps me to learn to live as myself again. I especially like the imagery - meeting challenges head-on, instead of head-down.
I hope you make today a great 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
Good Morning Skorpi Alanon has given me the tools to embrace life, one day at a time, trusting HP so that I can live life with acceptance and without guilt
Thanks for this reminder and have a good day
Good morning Betty and Skorpi....thank you both for your ESH and shares. Thank you also for your service and the daily Skorpi.
I too feel that Al-Anon has given me tools to be a different and hopefully better version of me. Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. I am grateful that the steps present us with a plan for healing and living with more grace, peace and serenity.
That quote is certainly a keeper, for me, just for today. I really do like starting my day with the daily readers as it reminds me there is always hope so long as I remain open and willing and honest.
Make it a great day all - have golf league tonight and errands today. The heat has broken, just for today so I am thoroughly enjoying window weather today!
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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
I too am getting used to the person "I used to be." I am finding that life seems a little more brighter... obstacles a little less dauntiing with each passing day. I too love the imagery!
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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
Thank you Skorpi for this share: yes. step 8-9 really freed me up re: guilt because I DID make a list and I DID make amends where safe and appropriate and ya, much less guilt...the biggest entities I owed amends to were me and my HP and I had to address them as well....I got ahold of a lot of people , whom I could find, and who were SAFE to approach and did my amends....most were positive to me....the ones I could not find or were unsafe to approach, My amend was to acknowledge them in that I had some part in the reason why we don't speak and I owned my part and my RX was to keep working my program, learn from the lesson..take what I learned, going forward and sending them peace and goodwill from a distance....its not always safe to approach one I need to make amends to and that is "OK" for me to protect myself, but not ok to just "blow it off" and no acknowledge that I had a part in the disolved relationship.....my oldest brother comes to mind...he literally wants to kill me....told our other brother how he would love to "do it" my younger bro. avoids him because of this....I confronted the abuse..came forward about it in my recovery...I told folks when I entered recovery that some of them I would have to "put some distance with" because I am saving my life and can only have supporters in my life...the rest??? well?? maybe later we can have a chat, but right now, my sanity and recovery came first....so yea, i got attacked by some...Loved/supported by most.....I stuck with the ones who loved and supported me and cut loose the ones who did not.....but him??? he has to be pretty messed up to want to murder his own sister...I can't hate him...I definitely don't love this man....He just no longer exists to me...I wish him well, but from a HUGE distance.....he wants to murder me, literally, for "outing" his dear daddy in the course of my recovery....Oh well....I have the RIGHT to life, to liberty, to love and to good health and to a livable life.....and if the truth hurts??? than so be it....I can only heal if I am in the truth..good..bad..inbetween....I was as sick as my secrets....not anymore...I share where it is safe (99% of it is in recovery rooms) to do so...I have a FEW non recovery friends and relatives who know my story and who love and support me.........
ooops got off topic here a bit, but steps 8,9 brought up this memory....I've realized that not all are gonna respond to my amends steps positively and maybe even be violent....NOWHERE does it say to put me at risk to make amends with someone............so i do the next right thing----make the amend to ME and to my HP within
