Today's reading considers how living around alcoholism can lead to gradual changes within ourselves, including ignoring or suppressing feelings. We can end up losing our sense of self and drifting somewhere between muted and numb, hoping, waiting, fading...
We may more easily recognize where our qualifier is not there for us, but miss how we have abandoned ourselves. Recovery includes finding and living as ourselves again.
Today's Reminder: Somewhere inside us there is an innocence not censored by fear, worry or doubt, that lived in the moment, one day at a time...find it, nurture it, keep it with you on your journey.
"It takes one a long time to become young." - Pablo Picasso
*******************
I realized recently that I have fallen into a pattern of behavior that was bringing the same unsatisfying results. Yet I had failed to recognize my own unhealthy decision cycle, and even how deep my dissatisfaction had grown.
It was painful and a bit scary, but well worth the effort to dig deep, beyond the surface reasoning and logic. Pages like this are so powerful and help me peel back the layers to see how my decisions are affecting my situation and serenity.
I am so grateful for the wisdom and guidance of the program
hotrod said
Mar 22, 2017
Great reminder Paul. Thank you I can so identify. When I had the courage to look within as Step 4 and 5 suggests, I too found that I made my needs, wants, thoughts and feeling invisible not only to others but to myself as well. Denial is a powerful destructive tool. I saw that I blamed my family and spouse for not taking care of me because I had also abandoned myself and no one was taking care of me including myself.
Meetings, slogans, sharing all brought the focus back to myself my denial lifted as my self esteem was restored and I continued to grow and love myself . This is indeed a powerful program and it is progress not perfection we seek.
Thanks so much for your honesty and service Have a lovely day
Skorpi said
Mar 22, 2017
Good morning, Paul. Thank you for this post.
Today's reading really hit me, because I have been thinking for the past several years that I am really out of touch with myself. Sometimes I stop and look around, and I do not recognize who I am and I have no idea how I got to where I am. I can logically look back and understand choices and changes, but I feel as though I am a different person, and I cannot reconstruct that emotional change. I've been trying recently to hold onto pieces of the me I recognize again, thanks to my work in the program, and I've struggled with how easy it is to let them slip away again. Today's reading is a great reminder to me to stay focused on myself, what I am doing, and what I am feeling.
Mike B said
Mar 22, 2017
Thank you Paul! I love this: Today's Reminder: Somewhere inside us there is an innocence NOT censored by fear, worry or doubt, that lived in the moment, one day at a time...find it, nurture it, keep it with you on your journey.
Stan1 said
Mar 22, 2017
Good morning and thank you for sharing today's reminder Paul. I too have noticed that I just haven't felt like myself lately so maybe a good time for a little digging to uncover my innocence again.
Iamhere said
Mar 22, 2017
Thank you Paul for the daily and your service. Thanks to all others for the shares too! I love the reminder - finding the innocence within us and nurturing it, and keep it with us always! This for me is the core to our recovery - letting go of all the baggage we've collected, stored and held tight to and trusting the program, the progress, the promises and our process each day, one day at a time!
Great, great thought for the day!!! (((Hugs))) to all - so grateful for Al-Anon and you all on this journey!
Today's reading considers how living around alcoholism can lead to gradual changes within ourselves, including ignoring or suppressing feelings. We can end up losing our sense of self and drifting somewhere between muted and numb, hoping, waiting, fading...
We may more easily recognize where our qualifier is not there for us, but miss how we have abandoned ourselves. Recovery includes finding and living as ourselves again.
Today's Reminder: Somewhere inside us there is an innocence not censored by fear, worry or doubt, that lived in the moment, one day at a time...find it, nurture it, keep it with you on your journey.
"It takes one a long time to become young." - Pablo Picasso
*******************
I realized recently that I have fallen into a pattern of behavior that was bringing the same unsatisfying results. Yet I had failed to recognize my own unhealthy decision cycle, and even how deep my dissatisfaction had grown.
It was painful and a bit scary, but well worth the effort to dig deep, beyond the surface reasoning and logic. Pages like this are so powerful and help me peel back the layers to see how my decisions are affecting my situation and serenity.
I am so grateful for the wisdom and guidance of the program
Great reminder Paul. Thank you I can so identify. When I had the courage to look within as Step 4 and 5 suggests, I too found that I made my needs, wants, thoughts and feeling invisible not only to others but to myself as well. Denial is a powerful destructive tool. I saw that I blamed my family and spouse for not taking care of me because I had also abandoned myself and no one was taking care of me including myself.
Meetings, slogans, sharing all brought the focus back to myself my denial lifted as my self esteem was restored and I continued to grow and love myself . This is indeed a powerful program and it is progress not perfection we seek.
Thanks so much for your honesty and service Have a lovely day
Today's reading really hit me, because I have been thinking for the past several years that I am really out of touch with myself. Sometimes I stop and look around, and I do not recognize who I am and I have no idea how I got to where I am. I can logically look back and understand choices and changes, but I feel as though I am a different person, and I cannot reconstruct that emotional change. I've been trying recently to hold onto pieces of the me I recognize again, thanks to my work in the program, and I've struggled with how easy it is to let them slip away again. Today's reading is a great reminder to me to stay focused on myself, what I am doing, and what I am feeling.
Thank you Paul! I love this: Today's Reminder: Somewhere inside us there is an innocence NOT censored by fear, worry or doubt, that lived in the moment, one day at a time...find it, nurture it, keep it with you on your journey.
Great, great thought for the day!!! (((Hugs))) to all - so grateful for Al-Anon and you all on this journey!