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.
Todays reading is a focus on the power of love. The writer describes times of worry when it felt like he/she was not doing anything important in life. It felt to the writer as if nothing of much consequence was getting accomplished. As the writer learned more about love: love for self, a HP and other people, he/she came to appreciate that being loving is being alive. The writer began to focus on actions coming from the place of a loving heart, without expectation. Becoming more loving and spiritual became the most important things to be done in life.
In the past several months, anytime I have been in conversation w my HP, I have thought please help me put good into the world, and help me receive good. After todays reading I guess what I have really been praying about is Love. The power of feeling loved and loving self, HP and others will sustain us.
Todays quotation comes from Lois Remembers (p.196): I used to believe thinking was the highest function of human beingsI now realize loving is our supreme function.The heart precedes the mind.
Thank you for your service, Mary, and DM for your share.
Great page, great reminder and focus for morning (or evening, or anytime!) meditation. When feeling challenged, one of the most powerful ways to change our mindset is to do something to help someone else, even a small gesture.
Serving others brings a pure feeling within ourselves and a blessing to someone else, an energy based upon the principles of love. It is something that is always available for us, does not have to cost us $, and has a 100% success rate. Can't help but think of Huey Lewis n the News, (80s song reference) lol
Good stuff, have groovin Sunday, all
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Paul
"...when we try to control others, we lose the ability to manage our own lives." - Paths to Recovery
Thanks Mary for the reading and to you, DM and Paul for your shares. When I put the Al-anon slogan Let It Begin with Me to action by turning the finger inward to practice self care, kindness, self love; I'm better able to extend love and support to others.
The following sentence in today's reading is one that perhaps I want to take to my heart for further consideration. "To be fully alive is to use all the splendid faculties of my personality in every area of my life." "Splendid faculties of my personality," what are mine today as a recovering person? Are these hidden treasures or do I already have awareness of them? Can I use them for good?
A few things come to mind. Before recovery, I overcompensated. I people pleased at the expense of myself, used excessive humor to diffuse serious situations, ease the pain of others and deny my fear of unpleasant realities. Both a desire to make others happy and a sense of humor are still a part of me today as a recovering person. In balance, they add value to my relationship with my higher power and relationships with other people.
Prior to Al-anon, my motivations were skewed. Many actions were taken to prioritize others wants and needs rather than my own. If asked. I likely could not have even identified what my own wants and needs were. Familiar with the term random acts of kindness, I perform them often today. But because of recovery, there is nothing random about prioritization of my own physical, spiritual and emotional well-being today. It still is gratifying to offer kindness to others, to give outwardly but Let It Begin with Me is still my number one priority. I consider express kindness, being loving to myself, honoring my physical body and mental well-being with care to be an offering of gratitude to my loving higher power. I've learnedto accept and appreciate, and continue to cherish my gifts and imperfections as a person, as my higher power's work in progress.
Today, I still give based on what I have and where I am at in my recovery. I would like to say that my giving is always free of expectation but of course that would be unbelievable, I'm human. What I know is that when I offer kindness, I experience serenity when doing so, feel closer to my hp, a higher power that loves me unconditionally.
There are others things that I'm in the process of learning however from giving and then letting go of my expectations of my giving will be received, how I will feel. I continue to learn respect for myself and other people, tolerance for disappointment, joy in giving, the power of human connections and the power of "the spontaneous expression of a loving heart," as was stated in today's reading. These are reasons I want to continue exploring the topics of giving and receiving and grow in my personal recovery. I can do what I can. I hope my loving hp will continue to guide me in the use of my "splendid faculties," to put positive energy out into the world one person at a time.
-- Edited by tiredtonite on Sunday 5th of March 2023 10:52:36 AM
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Surround yourself with people and elements that support your destiny, not just your history.
All your shares were much needed by me today.
With much gratitude,
PNP
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"The wolf that thrives, is the one you feed." - Cherokee legend
"Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields... Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness." Mary Oliver
