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.
Todays reading is a focus on the power and role our minds play in recovery. The writer describes learning that the power of his/her own mind can help or hurt, but its a choice which way that will go. The writer then goes on to examine both steps 3 and 11 more thoroughly. In 3 (Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him), the writer learned that will refers to our thoughts and feelings and lives refers to our actions. In 11 (Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out), the writer understands that the prayer is to understand what Gods will is for us, and to then have the strength to carry out that plan. Step 11 is a comfort to the writer in that his/her thoughts can be set aside and the focus instead can be put upon what our HP intends for us.
This reading resonated with me in terms of letting go of trying to control people, situation, thoughts, etc which are beyond my control. Theres a juxtaposition between my own small individual universe and the vast everything else. What I understand about the choice described above is: I can allow the feelings of not being able to control everything in my sphere as anxiety inducing, or I can choose the freedom of understanding that I do not have to and cannot control everything. Some of it is beyond me and I can leave that to my HP, God of my understanding, all that is beyond. The message I am getting from todays reading is about where we might decide to put our energy. The Thought for the Day asks: Are my mind and heart focused on my recovery, or do they linger somewhere else that does me less good?
Sometimes I think about recovery as a filter. We have to grapple with and work through the negative/unhealthy (working steps, meetings, literature, sponsors) in order to find and dwell in all thats positive and good for us.
