My Responsibility
 

I figured I'd share this with everyone today. I went to a mandatory training session with my job last summer that we all had to do. In the back of the book there was this powerful statement. Hope everyone here can take something useful from it:

My Responsibility


I have come to the frightening conclusion that
I am the decisive element in my environment.

It is my personal approach that creates the climate,
it is my daily mood that makes the weather.

I possess tremendous power
to make someone's life miserable or joyous.

I can be a tool of torture
or an instrument of inspiration.

I can humiliate, hurt, or heal.

In all situations it is my response that
decides if a crisis will be escalated
or de-escalated and a person
humiliated or humanized.

*credit to Dr. Haim Ginott (adapted)*

:grouphug:

Yes, I agree with you, Leo.

It is up to us to make responsible choices in every moment of our lives.

I like it. Thanks.

Thanks Leo :)

D

Great post.

What I really love about recovery is how I don't have to worry about how I portray myself. I know that by being myself then I have nothing to worry about as I have my recovery and it's principles to strive to live by and so how I carry myself is how I like to carry myself. I am the person I truly want to portray in my life.

That was what I used to find humiliating about when I was drinking and drugging. The person that I was when I was 'bang on it' was not the person that was truly inside of my heart, but rather a tortured soul, who was just trying to run away from himself and his life. Not good and it used to frustrate me that I felt so trapped in the vicious cycle, I would get hammered again to get rid of the anxiety/paranoia of how I must have acted when I spoke to people whilst wasted. When I wasn't drinking then I was miserable and this inevitably rubs off on those around you and I used to hate myself for this. I used to view alcohol as my medicine to cure this depression.

Grateful to be a recovering alcoholic and addict. Grateful to be sober.

Peace

Thats really beautiful

Thanks for sharing, I meant to bump this up in hopes more newcomers might read this and take something from it. It's hard sometimes to really look inside and take inventory of yourself. I read this statement again this morning and I'm gonna keep it in my 'toolbox' and apply it today.

Thats nice of you. It is important to have something to read that means something to you.

*bump!*

Moving this on up - I think someone needs to see this today. Wherever you are, I hope you can take something from this.

Thanks! This is great...I love the message behind it...maybe I was the person who needed to see it today leo:-)

Come to think of it, I needed it to....
;)

Love it! thanks for sharing

duggy

leo,

This was a really good post. I know I had to take personal responsibility for my own drinking, I finally had to realize I couldn't try to blame my actions on people, places or things. It was my job to not drink. Period. And my job was much easier when I learned new ways to cope.

Thanks for posting this. I think it deserves a stickie!

Love,

Lenina

:) A stickie? Me too!! Maybe a mod will let that happen - otherwise, a lil bump to the top now and again won't do no harm. :)

~~bump~~

I really need this today - and wanted to share it.