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.
'AMEN' What an inspiring, gentle prayer. It holds many of our principles and states them with such simplicity. The last thought really touched my heart:
"Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people.
And, give me O Lord, the grace to tell them so."
When examining my motives in my 4 th and 5 th Steps, I found that complimenting someone was so very difficult for me. This traced back to childhood (living with alcoholism), when I decided that giving compliments, uplifting someone else, was manipulative and somehow detracted from me and made me feel less then. WOW,that was when I realized how limited I was.
HP has since lifted this and it is so very enriching to be free to "Have the grace to tell them so". '
Thank you
-- Edited by hotrod on Thursday 7th of March 2013 09:14:50 AM
This week I am doing a mamoth painting and decorating job. Its going ok but since I'm feeling a bit tired I thought I'd take a few minutes to enjoy my MIP family and reading the posts I was reminded of a little card that I carry in my wallet. Perhaps it is worth a share....
A 17th Century Nun's Prayer
Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking
that I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.
Thanks Hotrod, I have never yet had any sense of your being limited in any way - in fact grace is a word I would use if asked to describe your posts! My mother and I both came across this prayer at the same time and it did make us chuckle - neither of us wanted to be 'hard to live with saints'!!
And hotrod, I am SO with you on the compliments thing. I cannot tell you how many times I've thought something nice and pleasant about someone and never spoke up to let them know. It feels SO alien to me, still, to compliment someone out of the blue.
