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.
Recovery, miracles, and gratitude: The writer points out that in spite of frustration, anger, disappointment, and anxiety, brought forth from coping with a loved one's alcoholism , they could still learn to live a serene and happy life. The writer says that this alone is a miracle, and by practicing gratitude , all things in life can be better.
Today's Reminder: When I take time for gratitude, I perceive a better world. Today I will appreciate the miracles all around me.
Quote from In All Our Affairs: Even the darkest of moments can be faced with a grateful heart, if not for the crisis itself, at least for the growth it can evoke with the help of our Higher Power.
Had I read this page in early recovery, I might have thought the writer to have a screw loose. But now, I relate to the entire page. I just lost a friend to cancer, my older dog is sickly, and I could look at all of the wrongs in my life. Alanon has taught me to look for the good, to focus on what I do have, and appreciate even the smallest things, like the smell of a flower. With continued practice, I grow, change, and become a healthier person, Lyne
Dear Lyne Thank you for posting your thoughts on this amazing reading. I found that practicing gratitude and keeping an open mind really does allow me to live life to the fullest. Viewing each situation with gratitude and looking for the lessons I can learn has made a true difference in my life.
Thanks for your service. Enjoy the week
Good morning Lyne and Betty - thank you both for your shares and ESH. Thank you Lyne for your service and the daily. I did arrive bitter, angry, broken and with a negative outlook and attitude. Yet, by practicing what was suggested, especially looking for what is good/working & gratitude, slowly I changed as did my outlook, attitude, etc.
One day at a time, with an attitude of gratitude and faith replacing fear (most of the time), I am a different person and have gotten the priceless gift of serenity. I am able to continue to grow and learn and live and love unconditionally, with lower expectations and a more healthy reality vs. the distorted one I arrived with.
I am grateful you all are a part of my journey! We have rain and it's been raining for most of the weekend. We have some flooding today and we have golf scheduled close to lunch time - it will be soggy but the rain should be over....tacos later - I love Mondays!!! Make it a great day!
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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
What a lovely reminder for today. Today's reading reminds me of a slogan I heard early on in my time in Alanon: Don't just do something, sit there! I thought I had to act, I had to pay attention to the negative things in life, so that I would be able to solve problems and make things better. Now, I've been introduced to Eric Sevareid's quite: "The chief cause of problems is solutions." and I've learned to focus on the good in my life, enjoy the little things, and practice gratitude. These things help me to notice the really important things in life, and stop causing more problems for myself by seeking solutions.
I hope you all have 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
Thanks Lyne for the service. I can relate to growth through adversity and a spitirutal connection to Creator sourced therein. Gratitude is sometimes the bonus in restriction...I tend to let go of it when there are external satisfiers. I am grateful in that sense to get back to basics where I am, where this morning, the gifts have nothing to do with a commercial exchange. Have a beautiful day.
Thanks, Lyne, for your service, and for qll the ESH. I began making daily gratitude lists some months into the program, inspired by suggestion of our Betty here in one of the threads on MIP. I still do this, though nowadays mostly only mental lists, and they have gotten long! I didn't immediately see the great value of acknowledging, appreciating the good in my life, at first I only got short immediate relief from my normal tension filled state. Now the habit of making gratitude lists is also slowly seeping into my whole day, where I find now and again I am grateful for this or that during the day, and without any special reminders to be grateful too. I certainly did not start out like this! Woopee for progress! Thanks all for sharing this journey of recovery with me, MIP is one of the regulars on my gratitude list :)
I try to write down my gratitude lists everyday. Even if its just three or two things early in the morning. I realize that I dont always realize what I have and say to say just doing the grind of work and family that I forget to be grateful for everything I have. When Im having anxiety or just a really bad day is when I just get so caught up and I forget. I have a little sticky note to remind myself to write down something that Im grateful for. It helps so much
