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.
While visiting with a long time girlfriend, we started talking about negative thinking. Negative thinking about ourselves. We were both raised in alcoholic families and can really relate to each other on this subject. She was talking about how her dad would call them stupid when they were little. Believe me this woman is not someone you would call stupid. She does not go to alanon although I have spoken to her about it. She does attend church faithfully. We talked about how hard these labels were to leave behind even though we both knew they were not true. She then shared this story with me that has tumbled around in my head for a couple of weeks. I want to share it with you. It comes from her minister shared durring a sermon.
He was working in his younger day at a care center for mentally challanged people. He worked the night shift. Tommy was one of his favorite residents. He loved to help. So Jim the minister always gave him the job of making rounds just before lights out to check and make sure everyone was in their beds. Tommy would check in on everyone and report back to him. One night Jim was in his office and heard Tommy running and screaming twords his office...MERGENCY...mergency! mergency! As Jim jumped up to see what in the world...Tommy ran in and said...Mergency! Steve is in his room and he is eatting his own POO!...so much for the quiet night Jim had hoped for...He rounded up a couple of orderlies and headed with Tommy to see what was going on with Steve. They walked into Steve's room and sure enough..Steve's face and hands were covered..Tommy walked in and looked at Steve and Thru up, which caused a chain reaction and out of the room went Jim and the two orderlies and they too up chucked in the hall. Everyone worked on gathering their composure and made a game plan of cleaning up Steve and the mess in his room. Well as they clean up Steve, They found laying next to him a wrapper from a Snickers Bar...LOL Steve was enjoying an all american favorite ...a Snickers Bar...
Because everyone believed that what Steve was eatting was poo, they had a reaction to that thought. I have thought and thought about this the past couple of weeks. How true! These negative thoughts are based on spoken words not facts. Just because they were spoken they became the truth. I woke this morning and thought a few of these negative thoughts from so long ago and stopped myself and thought of this story...Why believe the lies anymore? Especially when I am the only one who believes them? This morning this story worked for me, So I thought I would share it with you!
Wow! What a wonderful realization of how the "truth" can be so distorted just by looking at or hearing about something. I am going to keep this story in my mind for a very long time. Thank you so much for sharing it. It is really something to think about long and hard.
That's a great story. About 25 yrs ago, I was babysitting at a house that had "what you think determines what you see" hung up on the refrigerator. I've never forgotten it. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, the truth can be distorted; I am thinking of the boy who cried, "wolf." Still, a lie is a lie and never becomes the truth. It is a lie that someone allows him or herself to believe, but it's still a lie.
Diva
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"Speak your truth quietly and clearly..." Desiderata
