Today's reading acknowledges the challenge of consistently applying the guidance of the program in the midst of a crisis. Rather than beat ourselves up if we struggle, we can take comfort knowing recovery is a process, we are improving, and we will have another opportunity to apply our tools.
Reminder: When we struggle, remembering Easy Does It may help calm our minds and remove the discomfort of feeling a sense of failure if we fail to respond perfectly every time.
"When I'm trying too hard to change things, when I forget to let go - when I demand too much, too son, of myself and others, I'll ask God to remind me that Easy Does It." ---------------------------- As demanding as I am of myself, I can be even more so on others. This slogan is a resource I can always use more often as it truly has a powerful calming effect.
As with other slogans, this is a shortcut to a bigger truth: the issue is not as important as I am tempted to make it. Whether my expectations are of myself or others, I don't know what is best, so pushing to ensure it is done a certain way does not guarantee a good outcome...there will be another day.
Grateful for the reminders
Debb said
Apr 20, 2021
Thank you Paul for your service, today's reading and ESH.
I do love "Easy Does It" because, as you said, it really does have a calming effect on me.
I am reminded that stuff does not have to be done right now or perfectly by either me or
someone else!! My AH has a tendency to, when presented with situations that are clearly
warning signals, to not react until the situation is totally broken and I am the total
opposite!! I found that our 19 year old frig needed to be turned up and called a repair
person to discover that the compressor was dying and we needed to buy a new one.
He would not have handled that situation the same way, he would have let the frig
over work until it died. We had to wait a week for a new one to be delivered so if he
had let it die there would have been a scramble to save what was in it, because that is
what he did with the last refrigerator! He did not give me much trouble about dealing
with the situation the way I did, but I needed to use the "Easy Does It" mentality with
him because all of this preparation to replace the frig was not his idea.
Lyne said
Apr 20, 2021
Thank you Paul for your service and for both above shares. Ive come to love this slogan, Easy Does It, because I took myself way too seriously most of my life. Also, I just spent about a week in a funk and I need to remember Easy Does It: the fog lifted, I feel my balance again, and recovery from a setback may not always be on my timing, but it does come. I need to relax, take a breath, pause, and use my slogans: Easy Does It and Keep It Simple ODAT.
PosiesandPuppies said
Apr 20, 2021
Thank you Paul!! This was exactly what I needed this morning!
Amazing that each time I am struggling, Al-Anon gives me what I need to keep on keeping on! Especially this forum. Simply amazing!!
I need to apply "Easy Does It" to me!
&
Pol said
Apr 20, 2021
Thank you for this!
Its nice to read that this morning since I'm struggling a bit.
Daffodils said
Apr 20, 2021
Thank you for all your shares and the reminder to Easy Does It. Rome wasn't built in one day...in my world, it was half a day. lol. Debb, I can totally relate. As I write this, the plumber just arrived to fix a leaky pipe I asked AH to deal with WEEKS ago..enough said..We are excited that AH is getting his Covid jab Friday...we've been slow in vaccine roll-out here in Ontario, Canada compared to the U.S. so this is a miracle in action. Thanks again for keeping me grounded and grateful.
Iamhere said
Apr 20, 2021
Happy Tuesday MIP. Easy Does It reminds me NOT to take myself so darn seriously and to 'stop and smell the roses'...something I neglected to do for so many years of my life fighting this disease and most other things, well beyond my control.
All I know for me for sure, just for today, is starting each day with a clean slate, staying positive no matter what and keeping things as simple as possible helps keep me in the center. It is me and my wild, imagination and over-thinking mind that tends to complicate things, assume others know what I need/want, and leads me to think my way/will is best.
I'm grateful for this program, MIP and all of you! I no longer wonder where I would be had I not stumbled into recovery, and prefer instead to just be/stay grateful. Much, much easier to accept what is instead of analyzing what was or what could/would be.
Love and light all!!!
SunnyFrogs said
Apr 21, 2021
Good morning.
I am finally feeling my old self again since getting my Covid vaccine. I am glad to wake up to a new day and a fresh start.
The 2nd dose I got made me exttemely emotional,probably because I just wasn't feeling or sleeping well. i was getting frustrated because I was so emotional and didn't feel very capable of using all that I have been learning here. It all seemd to go right out the window,especially yesterday. Instead of beating myself up for it I am just moving forward today. Easy does it would have been so beneficial for me,I see that in hindsight.
But,it's benefiicial right now too. I am a work in progress, I am human, I am flawed and that's ok.
Iamhere said
Apr 21, 2021
(((SF))) - glad to hear that you're feeling better. I'm scheduled for my 2nd shot in 2 weeks, and anticipate a reaction. I was blessed to not react to the first dose yet most that I know did for the 2nd. Take good care of you!
mamalioness said
Apr 21, 2021
Dear Paul thank you for your service and this much needed reminder that I need to apply easy does it. I am still way too hard on myself with complex PTSD and attention deficit, it is so hard for me to slow down and breathe and pay attention and just do one thing at a time in a slow and easy manner, it is the most difficult part of my program and the most necessary because I self sabotage when I am not slowing down and applying easy does it, pay attention, breathe and think about what I am doing. There is this meditation expert name Sharon Saulsburg who did a video or I should say audio, and a book about how to be mindful and I am practicing that and right now that is the only goal. To slow down, breathe, pay attention and as Sharon says just be mindful about my body and my what I am feeling what do I smell what do I see what do I hear, just paying attention to all my five senses and yeah easy does it
Maresie888 said
Apr 22, 2021
Easy does it is a great reminder of balance and equanimity. Equanimity is my goal because my meditation teacher recommends it. My meditation teacher has certainly been there so I take his recommendations seriously
If we look.st the founders of al Anon thry did a fantastic job. We know that Bill was very interested in psychology. However remember the time no internet no trauma therapy.
Thry found ways to work on one of the core issues for so many of us which is certainly balance. They created meaning out of so much loss. That is a phenomenal achievement
There was no.easy does ot in my.family of origin. There was only pain, crisis cover up, Shane, projection (they blamed it all on someone and made peope targets)
In my relationship with the qualified his version of easy does it was to be high. When I look.at individuals about are compulsively high now I see the desperation. Of course I am still frustrated because I have to be around them. However there is some space in there. There was no space before
The same goes for me. I have a monstrous to do list. All kinds of people making demands on me and a therapist who sees expectations. Yet at the same time here us a space and equanimity in my life. I have the ability to see the whole picture rather than the snapshot. I also have a growing sense of security which my therapist points out. Of course I have worked non stop to get there. However having the opportunity to embrace the concept of easy does it was not a possibility before. Now it is.
Today's reading acknowledges the challenge of consistently applying the guidance of the program in the midst of a crisis. Rather than beat ourselves up if we struggle, we can take comfort knowing recovery is a process, we are improving, and we will have another opportunity to apply our tools.
Reminder: When we struggle, remembering Easy Does It may help calm our minds and remove the discomfort of feeling a sense of failure if we fail to respond perfectly every time.
"When I'm trying too hard to change things, when I forget to let go - when I demand too much, too son, of myself and others, I'll ask God to remind me that Easy Does It."
----------------------------
As demanding as I am of myself, I can be even more so on others. This slogan is a resource I can always use more often as it truly has a powerful calming effect.
As with other slogans, this is a shortcut to a bigger truth: the issue is not as important as I am tempted to make it. Whether my expectations are of myself or others, I don't know what is best, so pushing to ensure it is done a certain way does not guarantee a good outcome...there will be another day.
Grateful for the reminders
I do love "Easy Does It" because, as you said, it really does have a calming effect on me.
I am reminded that stuff does not have to be done right now or perfectly by either me or
someone else!! My AH has a tendency to, when presented with situations that are clearly
warning signals, to not react until the situation is totally broken and I am the total
opposite!! I found that our 19 year old frig needed to be turned up and called a repair
person to discover that the compressor was dying and we needed to buy a new one.
He would not have handled that situation the same way, he would have let the frig
over work until it died. We had to wait a week for a new one to be delivered so if he
had let it die there would have been a scramble to save what was in it, because that is
what he did with the last refrigerator! He did not give me much trouble about dealing
with the situation the way I did, but I needed to use the "Easy Does It" mentality with
him because all of this preparation to replace the frig was not his idea.
Thank you Paul!! This was exactly what I needed this morning!
& 
Amazing that each time I am struggling, Al-Anon gives me what I need to keep on keeping on! Especially this forum. Simply amazing!!
I need to apply "Easy Does It" to me!
Its nice to read that this morning since I'm struggling a bit.
All I know for me for sure, just for today, is starting each day with a clean slate, staying positive no matter what and keeping things as simple as possible helps keep me in the center. It is me and my wild, imagination and over-thinking mind that tends to complicate things, assume others know what I need/want, and leads me to think my way/will is best.
I'm grateful for this program, MIP and all of you! I no longer wonder where I would be had I not stumbled into recovery, and prefer instead to just be/stay grateful. Much, much easier to accept what is instead of analyzing what was or what could/would be.
Love and light all!!!
I am finally feeling my old self again since getting my Covid vaccine. I am glad to wake up to a new day and a fresh start.
The 2nd dose I got made me exttemely emotional,probably because I just wasn't feeling or sleeping well. i was getting frustrated because I was so emotional and didn't feel very capable of using all that I have been learning here. It all seemd to go right out the window,especially yesterday. Instead of beating myself up for it I am just moving forward today. Easy does it would have been so beneficial for me,I see that in hindsight.
But,it's benefiicial right now too. I am a work in progress, I am human, I am flawed and that's ok.
Easy does it is a great reminder of balance and equanimity. Equanimity is my goal because my meditation teacher recommends it. My meditation teacher has certainly been there so I take his recommendations seriously
If we look.st the founders of al Anon thry did a fantastic job. We know that Bill was very interested in psychology. However remember the time no internet no trauma therapy.
Thry found ways to work on one of the core issues for so many of us which is certainly balance. They created meaning out of so much loss. That is a phenomenal achievement
There was no.easy does ot in my.family of origin. There was only pain, crisis cover up, Shane, projection (they blamed it all on someone and made peope targets)
In my relationship with the qualified his version of easy does it was to be high. When I look.at individuals about are compulsively high now I see the desperation. Of course I am still frustrated because I have to be around them. However there is some space in there. There was no space before
The same goes for me. I have a monstrous to do list. All kinds of people making demands on me and a therapist who sees expectations. Yet at the same time here us a space and equanimity in my life. I have the ability to see the whole picture rather than the snapshot. I also have a growing sense of security which my therapist points out. Of course I have worked non stop to get there. However having the opportunity to embrace the concept of easy does it was not a possibility before. Now it is.
Maresie