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, the author reflects on the power of laughter. In speaking with an Alanon friend, our author contemplated the defaults of character that were hard to shake. Laughter can be a tool to make our frailties seem easier to bear and a path toward forgiving ourselves for our imperfections. The author and their friend resolved that in future, they would try less, accept more, and let go of impatience, self-criticism, and self-hatred. Turning to our Higher Power for help remembering that the purpose of making mistakes is to prepare for making more mistakes, and when we are no longer making mistakes, we will be out of this world is an approach that worked well for the author.
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Bringing humor back into my life is something I have been working on for quite a while, and something that seems to come more easily in Alanon meetings and with AlAnon friends. I've always tended toward the serious (really, it is documented on my elementary school report cards!), and even the humor I enjoyed before my alcoholic marriage was rather dry, and often related to plays of words across multiple languages. Finding the humor in situations is something I have been focusing on, and humor has been a great medicine for me.
The part of this reading that speaks most to me is the reminder that being human and being alive means making mistakes and learning from them, so we can prepare to make more mistakes. This reminder lines up with my own spiritual beliefs, that perfection is not for us as humans, and we are obligated to make mistakes. This is why, when I am knitting or crocheting, I intentionally put a mistake into whatever I am making - it is a reminder that perfection isn't for me because I am human, and that I shouldn't pretend that I can be or create perfection, no matter what I am doing. This mindset has helped me be gentle with myself when things go wrong - well, I'm human, so they are bound to! I can learn from them, and get ready to make new mistakes. One way I like to look at it is making mistakes is part of the learning process, and wouldn't life be boring if I just stopped learning?
I hope you go out today, and decide to make a really great mistake, because that means that important learning will have happened.
Make today a great one, everybody!
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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
Thank you Skorpi for your service. I have been way too serious most of my life because my situations were serious, and I was too damaged to see humor in myself or around me. I found it hard to laugh. Fast forward to my life now, I am able to find things to laugh at daily, including laughing at myself. I believe that laughter gives the brain a good dose of positives hormones and is a stress reliever.
I like our slogan, progress not perfection. Its a huge relief knowing that its human, ok, and not expected, to be perfect. Lyne. :)
Good morning MIP family! Thank you Skorpi for your service and the daily. Thank you and Lyne both for your shares and ESH. I too have been way too serious for way too much of my life - of course, I thought that was adulting! It is in recovery that I've learned that balance includes some work, some play, some rest and some self-care every day. I've decided that I may never get to 'perfect balance' and that's OK - we are about progress instead of perfection. I can say that I love my life today and I laugh often.
As I've gotten saner and more serene in recovery, I've shed toxic habits, friends, etc. I go out of my way to avoid controlling and chaotic people, places and things and instead choose to be with others who are like-minded and moving forward. I will always choose being happy over being right and consider my serenity and sobriety mine to cherish, nurture and manage. Nobody or nothing is more important to me today than my own recovery and I am so grateful that a wicked sense of humor is part of my MO!
Love and light to each of you on this Hump day! The sun is shining today and I'm headed to the golf course in a while. I've done my work out, cleaned up and did food prep so am delighted to be 'ahead' just for today. Layla is still with us, and has been spoiled this morning with chicken, pasta, carrots and ice cubes - she will no longer eat her food and has paused her water consumption greatly. Just for today, I get to spoil her and she's enjoying the change in diet!
Make it a great day all - find and keep your joy! On a lighter note, my laptop is aging and has been awesome! I've had it going on 8 years and it's served me well. Since Betty passed, my keyboard has been acting up - and in particular, my F key doesn't work more often than not. I know that Betty fought with her keyboard often so there's a part of me that believes she's wickedly messing with me! So, if I have more typos than usual, esp. if it involves that F key - it is what it is....(((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
I am dealing with some old health issues, in a happy way... and stretching and yawning is a good start to the day. I was a serious kid. I thought the adults were drinking poison, as a kid- because I saw the net result- after the fourth or fifth drink. I went to the movies, as we did- and there was no dancing and singing at the "parties". The conversation was dull and maudlin, and almost always the same topic, every time. ...
I could joke across Wenglish, Welsh, Maori and Fijian... and enjoy these tungs for singing ... a bit better than Italian... only because they are more accessible and relevant in this part of the world.
This week we go to another rowing regatta, but the following I am going to spend time with three or four mates- all great survivors- and we are doing projects together...
...once last year we researched a song, through one of our remote valleys, that was composed 400 years ago- long before Captain Cook.
I think about progress not perfection, sometimes- but then I thresh out with one of Bill's early ones- "half measures avail us nothing."
There is some sort of balance there- which I have to reach by going there. Being a bystander does not work for me. Participation is the key to harmony.
Thank you, Skorpi and everyone for sharing today. I think that when I started being able to laugh at some aspects of my situation, that is when I started turning the corner towards my recovery.
I really enjoy it when people come up with light-hearted slogans, even if they are not conference-approved, like "Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys." If I can laugh at something, and especially laugh at myself for the mistakes I made, it helps me get un-stuck from negativity and despair.
I hope you all find something to laugh about today!
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