July 10 HOPE FOR TODAY When I care about something, I willingly give it my time and attention. I care about Al-Anon, and I care about my groups. I have a vested interest in their health and growth. So I do what is in my power to do. I participate freely and with love. I do whatever needs to be done – set up, clean up, chair meetings, and speak with newcomers. I do these things not out of a sense of obligation but because I belong. I feel as though I am a part of these groups. I feel comfortable participating in Al-Anon meetings because in them I find an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. However, I wasn’t always so open. There have been times in my life when I didn’t trust and I didn’t receive respect, so I withdrew. I didn’t allow myself to stay and work through the challenges offered to me. Now that I’m in recovery, I don’t want to limit my opportunities to grow by restricting my involvement with others, whether or not they are in the program. As always, Al-Anon teaches me to pray, look at myself and my attitudes, and then take action. For me this action means detaching from people’s behavior and giving them the same acceptance, consideration, and respect for which I long. To live more harmoniously with others, I practice “Live and Let Live.” I endeavor to accept that people are human and have human frailties and limitations, as do I. When I don’t expect perfection from others or from myself, I am free to participate and be a part of life. Thought for the Day A sense of belonging is as necessary to my spiritual health as air is to my lungs. “Recognizing this spiritual need to belong, the principle of participating has been built into our whole service structure.” (The Concepts – Al-Anon’s Best Kept Secret?, p. 11).
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 07:46:54 +0000
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