Courage To Change 01/16/2014
 

There was a time when, if a thought entered my mind, it automatically came out of my mouth. Even if I wasn't sure that what I was saying was true, the words poured out of me. In Al-Anon I have learned to "Think" before I speak.
When I'm tempted to respond to angry accusations with accusations of my own, I stop and "Think". When I have an urge to betray a confidence, to gossip, or to tell something extremely personal to a total stranger, I stop and "Think". And when my opinion about another person's business has not been requested, I take the time to "Think" before I get involved. That way I make a conscious choice about how I will respond.
Perhaps I will decide to say nothing, or choose a more tactful way to proceed, or question whether I really mean what I have been thinking. I may decide that this is not an appropriate place to discuss what is on my mind. Or I may choose to go right ahead and speak up in a very direct manner. Regardless of which option I select, today I am willing to accept the consequences of my actions because I have taken the time to make a choice.

Today's Reminder

Today I will let my words serve my best interests. I will choose them with care.

There is a wonderful line of dialogue from an old Simpsons episode where Meryl Streep plays a bully in Bart's class that he falls for hard and fast. As he is trying to act cool with her on the playground at school, she asks him -- in a coy, sweet voice, just dripping with cruelty, "Do you ever think anything you don't say?"

That line has kept me in check more than once in my time. Thanks for posting!

Well, I feel like I am making progress. Thank you for sharing this. My boss sent all of us a rather aggressive email yesterday. I politely said I have a response but would like to think about it for a bit before I send it.

Today I changed quite a few things in my response before I sent it because yesterday it was coming from hurt feelings. Today it was coming from a simple business response. I am very glad to have thought and pondered on it before I sent something I would have regretted.

I am a slow learner...but I am getting there!

This is interesting-- I am thinking about firesprite's thread started today on instinct--and listening to it instead of all that thinking--
and I'm wondering where the balance is between the two.
I don't know.
It's one of those million dollar questions.

Thank you. I needed this today. Because I think I'm working in the same place as hopeful4 :lmao and I will tell my boss that same thing. :)