Writing in my journal this morning (surprise surprise) and flipping back to the front of it I found the time when I was reading a book called "The Five Things We Cannot Change" by David Richo. I wrote this quote from him down:
"When we open to the givens in life, we open to the possibility of becoming the courageous, compassionate, and wise beings we were meant to be."
The 5 givens? They were these:
--Everything changes and ends
--Things do not always go according to plan
--Life is not always fair
--Pain is part of life, it DOESN'T have to be the end of it
--People are not loyal and loving all of the time
Ten years ago, I would've felt utterly depressed reading these five things, true as they are (especially the first one). But now...having gone through so much stuff with addicts and addiction and recovery, they make perfect sense and they no longer hold any power over me.
They make me appreciate life now, grateful when something lasts, when things work the way I'd hoped, when people are fair, when I'm able to cope with necessary pain, and when I find people who are loyal and loving.
And it ain't the end of the world when they don't.
I just take a deep breath and look at Ann's lake
Love,
GL