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 shares their experience with obsessive thinking. Like alcoholism, obsessive thinking can be too much to handle. For the author, not starting is the best defense against obsessive thinking because, once started, it gains steam and is hard to interrupt. The author notices that well before obsessive thinking takes hold, they have a choice, They can chose to mentally toy with a subject that has held them hostage in the past, or they can recognize the danger of this topic and try to drop any thought about the topic from their mind. Instead of toying with the dangerous topic, the author can ask HP for help,or reach out to an AlAnon friend or sponsor. The author has made a commitment to exercise the power of choice by refusing the initiation of obsessive thoughts. If they don't get picked up, the obsessive thoughts won't have to be let go.
Today's Reminder: I am learning to pay attention to my thinking. If there is something I cannot contemplate without becoming obsessed, I will respect that fact and act accordingly. I will gather the strength and support of my Al-Anon program, my friends, and my Higher Power before I try to reason it out. And if it is none of my business, I won't pick it up at all.
Today's Quote: "If you work on your mind with your mind, How can you avoid an immense confusion?" Seng-ts'an
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A couple things come to mind for me when I read today's reading. The first is how thankful I am for this group - when my obsessive thinking threatens to take hold, I know I can find peace and support here, get my thoughts out of my head, and take away their power by sharing them with others.
The second always makes me smile. One of my Al-Anon friends often says "never go upstairs alone" as a reminder that, when we are struggling with a thought, we should reach out to others for support. It can get dangerous up there if we are alone, because we have no one but ourselves to give us feedback on whether our thoughts are logical or not. If we are struggling with something, it's much safer to take a trusted friend or sponsor with us on the thought journey.
The sun is finally out this morning, and the dogs were happy to be able to walk. I'm so impressed by my reactive heelers, they saw a rabbit this morning and didn't squeal or rear up on hind legs or wrap their leashes around my legs. Great progress on the walks with the new training collars! I'm seeing hope for a day when I can walk them at a time when the sun is a bit higher in the sky (instead of 4 am), AND keep them under control on the walk. (They spent their first 9 years as farm/country dogs. The transition to city living has been an adjustment, to say the least!)
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
Skorpi, thank you for your service and for sharing, never go upstairs alone. I wrote that down and of course, am well aquatinted with obsessive thoughts. Sometimes I find it easy to latch onto a slogan or step and let go and let God. Other times it is a real struggle to get the garbage out to the trash can. As time goes on with program though, I do get better at this task. ODAT, Lyne
Good morning MIP! Thank you Skorpi for your service and the daily. Thank you and Lyne for your shares/ESH. I too am familiar with obsessive thinking and even with recovery, I can fall into it. For me, it's not just about other people - definitely things too. I can't count how many times I am looking for an item, and when it's not where I think it should be, I can obsess...
My experience, no different than what we learn in recovery, is when I let go of the obsession to find 'it', it usually magically appears or I'll have a thought on where it might be. Letting go and focusing on other present things is a great practice, esp. for those of us with obsessive minds/thoughts.
The quote of the day is certainly a keeper! We still have cloudy skies - been that way for a bit. We've got rain to come Fri, Sat, Sun - just in time for the weekend. I'm on Day 9 of quarantine and we're continuing the practice of social distancing and staying at home so really no big difference. The sun peaked out for a bit yesterday - I enjoyed it while it lasted!
Make it a great day all - Happy Hump 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
