What are Al-Anon's BIGGEST lessons?
 

Today I won't argue with reality. It just is and I don't know that it should be any other way. Al-Anon is a way if life, there is no finish line. Al-Anon helped me to understand that addiction is a sickness which can't be oversome unless the addict is willing to help himself. Now I can laugh at myself and how I viewed the world before Al-Anon. I know that serenity is NOT the absence of conflict, but my ability to COPE with it.The Al-Anon program places great emphasis on positive qualities, but I could only do it when the negatives had been sorted out. The healing began and my life changed when I became aware of a Power greater than my ego. I know that I have NO RIGHTto expect that my solutions will solve other's problems. I recognize that my burdens need not crush me. My heart had to be broken in order for my HP to enter. My BIGGEST LESSON: I know that when I try to control, my life becomes unmanageable!! UNLESS I stand firm upon the 1st step, the other 11 fall apart under me. I have true friends in Al-Anon, so I do not walk this path alone.
Every min. that I am sad, costs me 60 seconds of happiness. Just for today: I will look my best, I'll not say one critical comment,.
Today I choose to be happy. What do you choose today? What is your biggest lesson from Al-Anon or that you hope to learn in recovery?

today i'll mind my own business and take care of myself. the best i can do is to lead by good example.

Parentrecovers, "Minding our own business" that is a good lesson.

it seems so simple - mind my own business. NOT!!! :)

I have peace of mind today. Just for today I am accepting what is. When I argue w/ reality, that is when I get into trouble.

That there is a grander plan for me than I could ever imagine or try to manipulate. To have compassion for those who suffer, yet take care of myself.

To totally embrace the concept of Letting Go Totally from A-Z

I'am only at about K so I'am not doing to badly!

To detach and let go of guilt for taking care of myself first

Letting go + detaching
 

These seem to be the keys to those of us who love addicts. It is hard to figure out just how to go about it. "Progress not perfection" comes to mind. We work it until it works.

I think the biggest thing was learning to let go. That I had no control of what happened and that in the grad scheme of things, it was not all that big a deal.

When you learn to just shrug your shoulders and say , “what ever”, life gets much easier.

My biggest lesson is that I had spend my life trying to change the world to meet my expectations. Steps 1 - 6 taught me that. What I have to do now is change my expectations to meet the world. Steps 7 - 12 show me how.

Mike :)

feel, deal and heal
 

Mike, thank you for the simplified explaination of the steps. It made me take a look at them again and you are right. They're not as complicated as some make them out to be or as they appear at 1st glance. They allow me to feel, deal and heal.

I learned that the best guards of interruptions to my serenity are setting boundaries, focusing on myself and making sure my needs are met.