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Touchstones 01/24/2013 hursday, January 24, 2013 You are reading from the book Touchstones You have got to know what it is you want, or someone is going to sell you a bill of goods somewhere along the line that can do irreparable damage to your self esteem, your sense of worth, and your stewardship of the talents that God gave you. —Richard Nelson Bolles In recovery, getting to know ourselves sometimes means developing a new form of toughness. As we deepen our relationships with ourselves, we have a clearer sense of what we care about, what is truly important, and what is not. Certainly we have learned there is evil in the world. Harm does come to good people and the good side does not always win. So we must be men who know ourselves and are not pushovers when our basic values and needs are challenged. We leave room for being wrong, and we continue to grow and learn. But we stand up for what we believe as we see it today. We must not join the forces that would put us down or destroy us. Those negative forces are within us more often than they are outside. Wherever they come from, knowing clearly what we want and care about is our strongest defense. I will seek the wisdom to know my values and the strength to defend my beliefs. |
I was a doormat for everyone - I taught people that it was ok to trample me and anything that I believed in. I never fought for what was right or wrong, or even right or wrong for me. As long as you still liked me and stayed with me, I was fine. I was ok to have my core values run over roughshod in hopes that I was accepted. Looking back, I can see that this ran against the grain of who I was, and that it shredded me up inside, even if I couldn't verbalize it then. Today I have a different outlook. I have my values and beliefs that are mine, and with that, my dignity and integrity. I no longer mold myself after what I think others want me to be. I quit playing the chameleon. As I learn to assert myself, and to create and hold to boundaries, my once shattered self-esteem and self-worth begin to grow and respect for myself grows too. I never thought I could be in a place like this, but the steps and my HP have given me what I need to build. |
:) yep! |
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