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.
Coming from the fog of constant perceived crisis, today's page helps us apply proportion to events that depart from our expectation. Inconvenience, or major crisis?
Alanon suggests the question 'how important is it' is helpful to decide if I am exaggerating or anticipating future fears, rather than staying in the present moment.
This small adjustment at the beginning of a development can mean the difference between a day of self sponsored agony or consistently available serenity.
Reminder Today if I experience an upset, I will ask How important is it? before reacting. It may not be worth losing my serenity over.
"It is almost as important to know what is not serious as to know what is." - John Kenneth Gallbraith ---------------------- I plead guilty to the charge of exaggerating statements, issues, and events from minor differences into sometimes serious and ugly messes. None of those times did I ask myself today's question.
Every time, I could have just let it slide, address it after the dust had cleared, or if it was time sensitive, handled it more considerately. Instead of getting wound out, I could have handled it like my GPS when I make a wrong turn: 'Rerouting', and take one of many alternate routes.
Once again, it starts at the beginning, it's how I choose to frame it. When my intent is to find resolution and maintain my serenity, program approach and tools are the key.
Grateful for the reminders
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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 great ESH. Me too, guilty! But I do use the slogan, How important is it, and that little reminder often helps me refocus, and put things in perspective. This is how I can help change my attitude and hold onto serenity. Grateful member always.
Thanks Paul for the reading. Thanks to you and Lyne for your shares. I look forward to reading es&h from others in Al-Anon as well concerning how they work the slogan "How Important Is It."
I've learned that how I handle day to day events, situations, communications is evidence of my spiritual condition. If I toss my conscious contact with my higher power to one side and act solely on self will, thinks often don't go very well. It can be a bit tricky because there has certainly been recovery progress with responding vs reacting as I live "life on life's terms" each day. Some things throughout my day may run smoothly. Perhaps there are a series of events or exchanges with people that indicate that my day seems to be going well. I feel serene, no sense of insanity brewing. If there is something that I have not worked through however by sharing it with my loving higher power and perhaps a trusted sponsor - person, this stuffing of feelings can come out sideways. It can be triggered by something mundane, simple. I overreact.
I know myself better thanks to Al-Anon. I know that I cannot leave uncomfortable feelings unattended. I cannot stuff them with busyness, deny them and quantify my progress by how much I get done in a day while ignoring my spiritual condition. The inner turmoil is there. The stress from it, ignored can go from simmering to boiling. What do I get out of such mistreatment of myself? Needing to practice emotional self care daily is not a sign of weakness or lack of recovery. For me, it's being self supporting. It helps me to maintain my serenity and act sanely particularly when something unpredictable and perhaps unpleasant occurs.
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Surround yourself with people and elements that support your destiny, not just your history.
