Courage to Change ~ July 16 - Relax !
 

Courage to Change ODAT in Al-Anon II 7/16

One of the wonderful, but unexpected, benefits of working the Al Anon program is learning how to relax. Until now, most of my life sped by in a frenzy of activity. School, work, projects, obligations, all helped me focus outward. That way I didn’t have to rest long enough to feel how frightful my home life was.

There is nothing wrong with working hard and producing results, but I was abusing these activities. They were socially acceptable ways to deny my feelings. Both family and society supported my hiding behind them, until, beaten down and exhausted, I reached the doors of Al Anon. By that time, I couldn’t have relaxed if I had wanted to – I didn’t’ know how it was done

In Al Anon it was suggested that I would not treat anyone as harshly as I treated myself. I would never ask some I loved to go without rest, never letting up, and never having any fun. But that was exactly what I asked of myself. My sponsor helped me to learn what gave me pleasure and how to take it easy. Now, relaxation is part of my daily routine.

Today’s Reminder:

Hard work can be terrific, and my activities can be highly rewarding. But I am striving for some balance. Today I will look at how I spend my time, and set some of that time aside to relax.

“The time to enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” Bertrand Russell

I remember when I was always in motion from the moment my feet hit the floor in the morning until I collapsed exhausted in bed at night. I had to keep busy all of the time... it was the only way I could keep the frightening and horrible reality of my life at bay. I never had time to think or relax... I only had time to rush around trying to fix everything that was going wrong, trying to handle everyone else's problems and crises, trying to keep us and our family and HIM looking good.

Thank God for a program of recovery. I don't have to live like that anymore! I take time every day - even if it's only a few minutes - to be sure that I can relax, breathe, find the balance in my day.

I can be going 100 mph doing this or that, to complete shutdown.

Thank you for this. I really need to learn to relax, or, in the words of my 10 yo dd, “chillax”!

Ditto Cat! I remember those days well exhausted and drained....."fixing everything around me" except for
the most important fix-ME!

:hug:

My daily devotional readings this past week have all, in one way or another, dealt with the necessity of relaxing and living in joy.

A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing. Proverbs 17:22