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.
This member likened the balance and vitality felt when living Alanon's Live and Let Live principle to flying downhill on a bicycle.
Embracing all that comes their way, good and bad, was fueled by a meeting discussion proposing thanking god when encountering problems. Difficult at first, this encouraged them to find and replace (great Word function) self-pity with gratitude.
Focus on living their own life provides a secondary bonus of increasing ease of letting others live theirs.
Reminder: Wanting the best for others includes allowing them the blessing of learning from all of their experiences, even those wrapped in difficulty.
"It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end." - Ursala LeGuin --------------------- Not all aspects of this analogy align intuitively for me, but there are some great perspectives and suggestions that stood out to me:
* When coasting downhill, I am allowing a power greater than my own peddling (gravity)
* By relying on gravity, I am free to focus on and truly enjoy the thrill of motion rather than expending energy trying to propel myself
* Not all directions and avenues are available to me if my intent is to rely on gravity
* Trying to add my own power by peddling furiously while flying downhill can upset my balance and lead to a crash
* I can retrain my mind by changing what I say, how I respond, before my feelings completely align (fake it before you make it)
Very grateful for the strategies and reminders
__________________
Paul
"...when we try to control others, we lose the ability to manage our own lives." - Paths to Recovery
Thank you Paul for your service and share. Live and let live is one of my favorites. It reminds me of so much wisdom that I need to practice. Trying to force solutions was exhausting, frustrating, and non productive. Trying to have the best life I can, with ups and downs, is where I need to keep my attention. I am willing to help those who ask, but I no longer need to stick my nose where it does not belong. Grateful member always.
Thank you for this - I love this visualization. For me, I feel both a thrill and an intense sense of calm-focus when cruising downhill on a bike at full speed. It perfectly describes the same feelings I can access when I "live and let live"
