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.
" Continuing to take a personal inventory means that we form a habit of looking at ourselves, our actions, our attitudes, and our relationships on a regular basis."
Basic Text, p. 41The daily inventory is a tool we can use to simplify our lives. The most complicated part of taking a regular inventory is deciding how to start. Should we write it out? What should we examine? In how much detail? And how do we know when we've finished? In no time, we've turned a simple exercise into a major project. Here's one simple approach to the daily inventory. We set aside a few minutes at the close of each day to sit quietly and check out our feelings. Is there a knot, big or small, in our gut? Do we feel uncomfortable about the day we've just finished? What happened? What was our part in the affair? Do we owe any amends? If we could do it over again, what would we do differently?We also want to monitor the positive aspects of our lives in our daily inventory. What has given us satisfaction today? Were we productive? Responsible? Kind? Loving? Did we give unselfishly of ourselves? Did we fully experience the love and beauty the day offered us? What did we do today that we would want to do again?Our daily inventory doesn't have to be complicated to be effective. It is a very simple tool we can use to keep in daily touch with ourselves.Just for today: I want to keep in touch with the way I feel in living this life I've been given. At the end of this day, I will take a brief, simple inventory
>>>rosie>>>> i look at me all the time now....doing these "takes" this literature, makes me look at me....answering other's posts, the meetings, all give me INSIGHT as to me...what i am doing with MY side of the street.......set aside a few minutes at bedtime, and look at my FEELINGS...... how do i FEEL about me?? the day that just finished???? or do i feel GOOD about my day/ interactions??? that is a good barometer....if i am uncomfortable about the day...what happend?? who was involved in my day???? do i owe any amends???? if i can do today over again, WHAT would i have done???? and ALSO look at the GOOD times....what made me happy???? what gave me peace???? did i be a blessing??? what did i do /say to make ME feel good???? what would i repeat about today????? TODAY, i ask my HP to "Keep me in touch with my feelings....good AND bad"....
>>>rosie>>> case in point...today i had "sort of argument" with a DEAR friend (he fixed my faucets) and i got a leak today, and called him, and sick with the flu i was not very happy camper...fever, and i got a leak.....so when we hung up, after he said he would stop by asap, i felt "kinda sad" about our talk...i examined my feelings, why i felt "kinda icky" and i realized that i was being too pushy, "i want it NOW" mentality....so i called trent back and i said "hey i am sorry if i sounded bitchy, i am sick and i got this leak and i am NOT blaming U for this....it just happened...NOONE's fault".......we ended up laughing and joking and i felt GOOD, about our talk.......so i "examined my feelings" and thought about it...did the step 4 thingy.....all is ok, except i feel like 10# of crap in a 5# bag........
Sometimes when I get overwhelmed and don't respond well to others, or as I say "I'm not playing well with others" A counselor told me I am supposed to take a time out, I thought this was a weird thing to do, as time out always seemed to me to be a punishment or discipline for children, so I do what I call "checking in with myself" , just like you I check to see if I am acting a certain way (i.e. angry, sad, etc) because I am feeling that feeling, or is it like an iceberg, where other people are seeing the top but what is going on is under the surface of the water. I may be acting or reacting in an angry fashion, where really what is going on under the surface may be frustration, loneliness, or hurt feelings. Then I make amends if I need to.
Give yourself some credit! Sounds like you worked thru steps 4-10 simultaneously to me! As I keep telling al-anon friends & newbies, once u work thru the steps once, u just keep working thru them your entire life.
It is okay to feel crappy (sorry u have the flu) ~ sometimes just saying how u feel & in this case ur sick, makes u feel a lil better, it sounds like ur buddy did undestand completely.
What I like about step 4 now... 20 yrs ago, I couldn't see anything positive about me at all. With six right there behind it, u kinda feel like it has to be all bad but we have plenty of positive character traits too!
get well soon, love -K
-- Edited by kitty at 21:10, 2006-01-18
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Light, Love, Peace, Blessings & Healing to Us All. God's Will Be Done. Amen.
Thanks for sharing this Rosie, I'm going to try this in my daily routine. I think it really helps to focus on ourselves and the way we treat others and ourselves.
Twinmom~
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"The people who don't mind matter and the people who mind, don't matter". (Dr. Seuss)
step 4, so humbling!! When I first started coming here and learning the steps, I kinda had a 'Holyier than thou' attitude with my A. ALL OUR PROBLEMS WERE HIS FAULT!! I shamefully admit I had this attitude for quite awhile. I was so smug.
Once I started actually working the steps,(which by the way still need a lot of work by moi(me)), doing my moral inventory, and at last admitting I wasn't perfect, humbled me into seeing I need as much work on myself, (maybe even more!) as my A. Once I realized I wasn't perfect, I believe I became a much better person to live with!!
Thanks for the post!! A great reminder!! Love, TLC
Hi and thank you for this post. I am new at all this but within the past month I have and continue to learn alot. Thanks again. I wll be looking into myself more tonight. Thanks again!
