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.
Possibility and Hope: Step two says we come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. We are asked to open our minds to this possibility. A source of assistance may be able to do for us what we have not been able to do for ourselves . The writer says we don't have to believe that this will happen, but know that it could. If we have a bit of hope, amidst our despair, then we are moving in the direction of healing.
Today's Reminder: Our literature speaks of the possibility of finding contentment and even happiness through recovery in Alanon. Today I will take the Second Step in that process and open my mind to hope.
Quote from As We Understood: Finding inner strength is looking beyond the visible and focusing life's search on the unseen.
Unfortunately I have been in a place of feeling hopeless, and the despair that comes with it is familiar. Fortunately, from several years now in program, Step two and all the steps, have great meaning for me. As a newcomer I was exposed to steps, slogans, meeting format, etc., and it seemed like a bunch of words. I kept coming back, and now everything makes total sense to me. I have a new way of looking at life, and coping with pain. I have tools for guidance and a family that understands me. I am a grateful member of Alanon, Lyne
Hello Lyne great topic Step 3 for me ,like the reading suggests was an 'exercise in coming to believe" I decided to keep an open mind practice the program and trust the process. i soon found that the alanon program was a Power greater than myself.
Thanks for your continued service
Thank you Lyne and Betty. I am doing the bounce in all this.......I think leaving our AF in charge is good. But am checking in on the
"I think" lol..... the last incident when we left her in charge of the house and animals brings up much. She's living and working her program, just doing wonderful! It is me that I am battling........with the trauma of the last time we tried this. She's working her steps, got her 5 month chip and here I am stuck in the "bounce" of emotions when it comes to "trusting all we be well."
I see where being here and checking my motives/emotions/pain is the right place to be. She is doing excellent. I am worrying.....She will feel good that we are entrusting her again, she'll earn some extra funds and so forth....I need to take a serious look and some time on step 3 and 11 today.
Thank you, Lyne for your service, and I thank those above for your ESH!
For me, it was about being open-minded more than the believing. The believing came later... much later. But being OPEN was the key!
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"The wolf that thrives, is the one you feed." - Cherokee legend
"Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields... Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness." Mary Oliver
Mahalo MIP and for this morning the Ladies of MIP...It was like having ESH like this post with your various thoughts, feelings and actions that I received a huge cache of tools I could pick and choose from to start and then continue on with my recovery. No it wasn't always fun but it was always different than the insanity that entrenched itself in my mind and emotions and spirit. Bless you all for bringing your recovery here and sharing it with others in need I will continue to do the same. ((((hugs))))
Thanks for your service, Lyne, and all the ESH above. For months in the program, after first receiving that little bit of hope, I hung on to it and for a long time I mostly tried to wrap my mind around the program, not letting much in, little suggestions, little changes, yes, and a lot of intellectualizing on top. I was desperate enough though to keep coming back and some bigger changes started to happen, all the while that little hope was alive. I am very much a work in progress, but the hope has grown and I can see that I am closer to actually feeling that I could say step 2 and know it to be completely true for me. I am still learning, for one, by looking at my past failures and the fiasco I've made of my life and mental state. That's getting me more and more convinced that I really can not handle life without a power greater than myself. Amazingly, I still want to revert to thinking "I can handle things myself" despite tons of counter evidence. But that old conviction is fading gradually. I'm on my 5th step with my sponsor and more of my crazy reveals itself to me, so that helps a lot with this, lol. I hope everyone has a good week!
Thank you MIP family for your shares and ESH. Thank you Lyne for your service and the daily. The second step just asks me to 'Come to believe' - it doesn't say Believe (order form) or Must Believe (instructions) or any of the like - it says came to believe as in trusting and being open that a power greater than I could/can restore me to sanity.
We've got much going on here - more than I care to share - and it's gotten a bit insane. I am working hard to hold firm with my boundaries and not react to the insanity...I do know when I do the next right thing, as directed by my HP, all will be as it's supposed to and I just need to keep leaning into my program/recovery.
When I doubt what I feel, see, experience around me, it's logical for me to go back to step 1 and remember that I am powerless over ________________, and my life might become unmanageable if I don't take necessary action through step 2 and beyond.
Happy Monday all - hope it's been awesome for ya!! (((Hugs)))
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Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
