Language of Letting Go - June 10
Nature Girl
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: By The Lake
Posts: 60,328
Language of Letting Go - June 10
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go
Responsibility
Self care means taking responsibility for ourselves. Taking responsibility for ourselves includes assuming our true responsibilities to others.
Sometimes, when we begin recovery, we're worn down from feeling responsible for so many other people. Learning that we need only take responsibility for ourselves may be such a great relief that, for a time, we disown our responsibilities to others.
The goal in recovery is to find the balance: we take responsibility for ourselves, and we identify our true responsibilities to others.
This may take some sorting through, especially if we have functioned for years on distorted notions about our responsibilities to others. We may be responsible to one person as a friend or as an employee; to another person, we're responsible as an employer or as a spouse. With each person, we have certain responsibilities. When we tend to those true responsibilities, we'll find balance in our life.
We are also learning that while others aren't responsible for us, they are accountable to us in certain ways.
We can learn to discern our true responsibilities for ourselves, and to others. We can allow others to be responsible for themselves and expect them to be appropriately responsible to us.
We'll need to be gentle with ourselves while we learn.
Today, I will strive for clear thinking about my actual responsibilities to others. I will assume these responsibilities as part of taking care of myself.
From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie ©1990, Hazelden Foundation.
Responsibility
Self care means taking responsibility for ourselves. Taking responsibility for ourselves includes assuming our true responsibilities to others.
Sometimes, when we begin recovery, we're worn down from feeling responsible for so many other people. Learning that we need only take responsibility for ourselves may be such a great relief that, for a time, we disown our responsibilities to others.
The goal in recovery is to find the balance: we take responsibility for ourselves, and we identify our true responsibilities to others.
This may take some sorting through, especially if we have functioned for years on distorted notions about our responsibilities to others. We may be responsible to one person as a friend or as an employee; to another person, we're responsible as an employer or as a spouse. With each person, we have certain responsibilities. When we tend to those true responsibilities, we'll find balance in our life.
We are also learning that while others aren't responsible for us, they are accountable to us in certain ways.
We can learn to discern our true responsibilities for ourselves, and to others. We can allow others to be responsible for themselves and expect them to be appropriately responsible to us.
We'll need to be gentle with ourselves while we learn.
Today, I will strive for clear thinking about my actual responsibilities to others. I will assume these responsibilities as part of taking care of myself.
From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie ©1990, Hazelden Foundation.
Nature Girl
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: By The Lake
Posts: 60,328
Does this reading today make anyone else dizzy, or am I the only one?
Phewww, being responsible for myself, holding others accountable for themselves, be gentle, think clearly...lordy, some days recovery sets me spinning.
When I am overwhelmed, I just go back to the basics...to thine own self be true. Take care of "me", be the best person I know how to be and admit my mistakes as I go...and don't take ownership of anyone else's bad behaviour.
I think I'll take a nice walk in the sunshine today and shake out the cobwebs of befuddlement.
Hugs
Phewww, being responsible for myself, holding others accountable for themselves, be gentle, think clearly...lordy, some days recovery sets me spinning.
When I am overwhelmed, I just go back to the basics...to thine own self be true. Take care of "me", be the best person I know how to be and admit my mistakes as I go...and don't take ownership of anyone else's bad behaviour.
I think I'll take a nice walk in the sunshine today and shake out the cobwebs of befuddlement.
Hugs
Forum Leader
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In my little piece of heaven
Posts: 2,870
The goal in recovery is to find the balance
And yes, Ann, this reading made my head spin too. I'll join you on the de-befuddlement walk.
Cats
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
