Interesting read today considering the subtle, but important difference between trying to use willpower to suppress and eliminate a fault, versus using the natural but unwanted fault tendency to point to the opposite, preferred quality or tendency.

Spoiler alert: the latter is more successful; making something magically go away (poof) is unlikely to happen, but using the initial impulse to cue me toward the opposite (turn that frown upside down) allows me to perform mental judo: don't fight it, use it.

Reminder: I can turn turn negative, unwanted tendencies (criticism, negative thinking, doubt, fear) to deliver their opposites when I become aware of them, using the negatives as my cues or signals.

"I stopped trying to force myself to eliminate my faults when I found it didn't work. Then I realized that I had to replace them with something better."
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My feelings and thoughts are very strong, seemingly come out of nowhere, and especially early in recovery are often unhealthy to myself and others. Trying to suppress or eliminate the initial impulse has seldom been successful.

Being aware of my tendencies, accepting them, then becoming aware of the more healthy alternative allows me to work on utilizing a pause (count to 5 before reacting (still working on 10, not quite there yet   ) while I reconstruct the opposite: want to jump in with advice? Construct acknowledgment of feelings, difficulty, and a comment of support and belief they will find the answer and overcome their problem.

This approach, when I remember and use it, it significantly more successful than trying to make it disappear. Grateful for the wisdom of Alanon