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.
Good morning MIP! Today's reading is a wonderful and timely reminder about self-care in recovery. As alcoholism is a three-fold disease - physical, emotional and spiritual - we need to check on our own well-being in these areas as we've been affected!
The reading has a lovely checklist that I'll leave to the book/page. The reminder and quote are certainly worthy of a share:
Reminder: By simply taking inventory of my self-care habits, I am beginning to improve them.
Quote from George Bernard Shaw: "Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did not practice healthy self-care prior to recovery. I usually did annual check-ups and dentist and those 'physical' items until I didn't. I did not nurture or consider my emotional and/or spiritual self-care and did not see/understand the value.
For me, and my recovery, keeping things simple helps greatly. When I consider what I need, my needs are simple too. When I am consistent in my self-care, my life goes well. When I allow myself to put others first, parts of me return to 'BR' behavior (Before Recovery). The simplest way for me to see my growth is to 'feel' - and before recovery, I felt I lived in a perpetual state of reactive unhealthy behaviors and today, I feel I live presently, trust HP and am able to be proactive and respond in a healthy manner (most of the time).
I am grateful that I learned early on to nurture my spiritual life and to trust in a power greater than I...until I was able to let go of my ego and my wants, my inventory(ies) were unintentionally superficial. Today, I can look deeply at me, inventory me and work on me - priceless gift of freedom resulting from recovery.
Happy Thursday MIP family! We've got snow still on the ground but have some warming and melting today! My momma comes in town late Sunday night for the holidays, and I've got golfed planned already for Mon/Tue...Just for today, I'm a grateful person in recovery, looking forward to family, fellowship and holiday joy! Make it a great day...
__________________
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
Good Morning IAH i Loved this page when I first read it years ago. THE suggestions were encouraging and gave me plenty to thnik about .
thanks for your continued service
Thanks IAH for your service and share. In my FOO my needs were basically ignored. I was heavily into the arts and that didnt help either. The best care I have taken of myself is since I got involved with program. It teaches me to cover all the basis and encourages me to value myself. What a concept! Lyne
Thank you IAH for today's reading and your thoughts. Thanks to Lyne and Hotrod.....I always gain insight from your posts.
Self care......when I find myself obsessing or wanting to give unsolicited advise.....when I want to take over.....when someone's actions or inactions are driving me crazy, I know it's time to take more care of me! I need to switch the focus and do something for myself....the one I can control and really take care of.
I have found myself doing an awful lot for a few of the adults in my life. Not because it is from the heart and of service.....but because I want to do for them what they WON'T do for themselves. Whoaaa..time to back off and come back to myself. What do I need? What is loving care of myself? Thankfully, I can recognize the signs....eventually!
Coldest temps of the season so far here in western New York State. Brrrr..bundling up and enjoying a reason to cuddle under a blanket with a cup of tea.
