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.
I attended a fancy business/civic lunch yesterday- our organization bought a "table" at it and I was invited to be there as a rep.
It was super "high school-ish"(women being catty and not talking to certain people, pecking order, dirty looks, ad nauseum as sometimes groups of women can tend to be this way, sadly) and a huge waste of time but I got through it and learned not to accept the invitation the next time around lol. I just observed myself and the others throughout and kept chucking internally. I took nothing personally although in the past I certainly would have.
I call that progress. In the past I would have gotten really depressed about it and used the situation to experience a ton of victimization and "poor me". Not now. I feel gratitude that I have a job, that the situation provided me with a tasty lunch, that I got to get out of my office! HA!
Awesome, Jean!! and Oh Boy!!...that feels sooooo much better doesn't it?
My biggest discovery in Alanon was "choice". It brings a freedom and power that I lived my entire life not knowing I had. I can choose my thoughts, my reactions, my actions and responses. Fun stuff!! I can be a control freak on my terms..lol!
Christy
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If we think that miracles are normal, we will expect them. And expecting a miracle is the surest way to get one.
maybe it has to do with living in different places and seeing the exact same stuff happen over and over, too. This combined with program- its just one of the ways of the world- people treating each other like crap in those kinds of posturing situations. Get any one of those women to sit down and have a cup of coffee and they are probably the nicest and kindest people alive but in that dog eat dog competitive situation of posturing, etc. (ESPECIALLY these days when everyone is so afraid of losing their jobs) everyone acts like an idiot (me too probably lol). I can certainly NOT take that personally!!! And this is the way it is from Shanghai to Brooklyn to Honolulu to Green Bay to Eugene to Orivesi to Helsinki to Berlin to (fill in the name of your town).
All I can do is shake my head, chuckle and focus on my own behavior in those situations. Make a gratitude list FOR ME in the heart of that situation, silently and wait it out- it all comes to an end eventually and then I can get on with what I really want to do.
Thanks for being a part of my recovery you guys. J.
Those sort of events usually fill me with fear. I can just feel your inner strength and contentment. I've got a lovely mental image of you full of bliss although, surrounded by all that negative stuff. Brilliant progress.
