Today's reading in the Alanon Daily Reader, " One Day at a Time in Alanon." Is a powerful reminder of how we hurt ourselves more than others while living with this disease and using our old tools to cope.

The reading points out that we have considerable power to change our lives if we are willing to use it.

 

It offers the suggestion that rooting out our doubts and fears is extremely important to our own recovery.  HP will help us to do this when we proceed to  working the steps, keeping the focus on ourselves, reciting the serenity prayer and attending meetings. This is God's gift of serenity to us, and it is ours of the taking if we just use these tools.

The reminder states that "mental sobriety is a state of reasonableness, rational judgment and balance." We exhibit emotional sickness when we continue to be apprehensive and anxious when we have no reason to be. And the quote for the day is; "I will pray today and everyday, for healthful wholesome thinking, so that I may not generate trouble for myself.

 

Accepting the fact  that my own thoughts and automatic negative thinking generates unreasonable fears is a first step in being able to take action to eliminate them. I often thought that if I worried enough, obsessed enough, tried to figure it all out, I would be safe from the pain of alcoholism. Al-Anon tells me worry and fear are negative destructive emotions that cannot prevent anything from happening. Even if I figured it all out, I am still powerless over it. The best I can do is reach for the serenity, courage and wisdom that is expressed in the serenity prayer.

The program works if we work it. Thanks for letting me share