A Bad Day is just A Bad Day
Wisdom of the Rooms - August 31, 2009
"Just because you're having a bad day doesn't mean you're having a bad life."
It's amazing the way my mind used to work. When things were good, it told me they wouldn't last. When things were bad, it told me they were going to get worse. When I was having a bad day, it told me every other day was going to be just as bad and that no matter how hard I tried, my life would end in failure.
When I entered recovery, the first thing I learned was that alcoholism was a disease of perception. I was told that what was happening in my head didn't always reflect what was happening in my life, and I was given tools to help me tell the difference. Gratitude lists helped me see the good as well as the bad; running my thinking by others helped me see past my insanity, and working with others always helped me feel better no matter what was going on.
It took a long time to develop a new perspective on my thinking, but by being willing to change and by working hard at it, I now know that most of what my mind tells me is a lie. To counter this today, when I wake up I turn my thoughts over to my Higher Power, and I let Him direct my thinking. If I'm having a bad day, I know I can start it over at anytime, and I do that by saying to myself, "Thy will, not mine be done." This always works.
Today I know that if I'm having a bad day, it doesn't mean I'm having a bad life. It just means it's time to turn it over.