MAY 9 in The Little Blue Book ONE DAY at a TIME in AL-ANON:
 

MAY 9 in The Little Blue Book ONE DAY at a TIME in AL-ANON:

When an Al-Anon wife describes her grievances at a meeting, and explains “what she did because of what he did,” it is very possible that we can see through her motivations more clearly than she can. We see the bitterness, the self-pity and self-deception that have built a wall between her and reality. The suffering is real, but we wonder how much of the hurt is self-inflicted. It may be caused by the wife’s stubborn refusal to let go of her control of the drinker. Or she may unknowingly distort and exaggerate what the alcoholic says and does.

Today's Reminder

I will examine, with a sharp and honest eye, my own motives, for I need to do a lot of straight thinking about my own attitudes and actions.

If I am troubled, worried exasperated or frustrated, do I rationalize the situation and put the blame on someone else? Or can I honestly admit that I may be at fault? My peace of mind depends on overcoming my negative attitudes. I must try, day by day, to be honest with myself.

“We blame little things in others and pass over great things in ourselves; we are quick enough in perceiving and weighing what we suffer from others, but we mind not what others suffer from us.” (Thomas A’Kempis)

Ew, yeah, the past couple days as I've done normal things like put gas in the car, opening the console to get a pen to sign the receipt - - and going into my AH's clothes hamper to get his laundry - -

I wasn't looking for those mini wine bottles either time - but there they were -

and I did relapse into some self-righteous thinking, backsliding into seeing him not as one with a disease, but as a lesser being - -

And I did stop myself from those formerly blind actions that had created wrong pathways. I'd traveled those wrong pathways so often in the past that they were well-worn, and therefore, habits...

Al-Anon is teaching me to travel better pathways, to take out those pathways of habit that lead to places I don't need to be. My Higher Power lifted me out of the mire, and I am grateful.