Courage To Change 04/29/14
Courage To Change 04/29/14
I grew up with guilt and blame, amidst harsh criticism and constant fear. Even now, after years of Al-Anon recovery, when past mistakes come to mind I tend to react with guilt, exaggerating the significance of my errors and thinking very badly of myself. In Al-Anon I’m learning to see myself more realistically. Sure, I have wrestled with alcoholism
and taken a fall or two. I’ve made plenty of mistakes that had nothing to do with alcoholism. But I’m not evil. It’s time I stop treating myself as if I were. There was a time when the only power I felt I had was the power to mess things up. Today, because I am learning to believe in myself and my ability to make a positive contribution to my own life, I am free to look at my mistakes without blowing them out of proportion. I
can learn to stop repeating those errors, and I can make amends for the harm I have done.
and taken a fall or two. I’ve made plenty of mistakes that had nothing to do with alcoholism. But I’m not evil. It’s time I stop treating myself as if I were. There was a time when the only power I felt I had was the power to mess things up. Today, because I am learning to believe in myself and my ability to make a positive contribution to my own life, I am free to look at my mistakes without blowing them out of proportion. I
can learn to stop repeating those errors, and I can make amends for the harm I have done.
Today’s Reminder
I will not chain myself to the past with self-defeating guilt, or by inflating the importance of my errors. Instead, I want to face my past and heal old wounds so that I may move forward into a richer, fuller, and more joyous life today.
“You don’t have to suffer continual chaos in order to grow.”
John C. Lilly
I will not chain myself to the past with self-defeating guilt, or by inflating the importance of my errors. Instead, I want to face my past and heal old wounds so that I may move forward into a richer, fuller, and more joyous life today.
“You don’t have to suffer continual chaos in order to grow.”
John C. Lilly
It really hit home for me too this is how I grew up as an acoa This is me! Took me a long time in Al Anon to learn to be gentler to myself and still when I make a mistake, my first reaction is to beat on myself.I had to relearn to talk to myself too when I realized that I would not talk to a dog, let alone another human being the way I talked to myself.
I grew up with guilt and blame, amidst harsh criticism and constant fear. Even now, after years of Al-Anon recovery, when past mistakes come to mind I tend to react with guilt, exaggerating the significance of my errors and thinking very badly of myself.
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