Goodbye to the Martyr Salute

Whew!  A lot of things going on!  Seems like a whirlwind of situations requiring immediate attention spinning through my here and now.  Some of it is big stuff, some of it is small but all of it requiring attention, effort and energy.  Jeesh.  Setting priorities becomes very important.  Which ones come first in order?  Which ones can wait?  Some of it...just let it go.  Sometimes those are the hardest ones.  The ones requiring the least effort.  LOL

I've been listening to Al-non "Blanche" on xa-speakers.org and she has sooo many one-liners!  I like the one where she says her hand was stuck to her head...referring to the Al-Anon "martyr salute".  LOL

Anyway, I called my sponsor and she asked how I'm doing...what a question!  Feeling sorry for myself, overwhelmed by life's situations, etc. I shared with her what's going on.  I whined my long list of grievances, near misses, some successes, etc.  She listened then asked me, "Are you calling because you want to vent, or do you want feedback, or a suggestion, a different point of view?"   I asked for her point of view.  She said I was doing great because already I'd done my morning literature reading, prayer and meditation, working my Steps and called my sponsor, she agreed I can do more prayer and meditation plus call other Al-Anons and to call EAP for outside help..  Some of us need it and I'm certainly one who does!   Kewl..  I followed through with her suggestions and WOW!  The results were dynamic.  Just like that...

Day by Day, "Practicing anything will eventually make us pretty good at it...getting high we were practicing insanity...at first it was a lot of fun...got so good at insanity we couldn't tell if we were playing or serious any longer...straight or high, insanity seemed to take over.  Now we practice sanity on a daily basis.  With the grace of GOD we can get pretty good at sanity, too.  Have I left my insane behavior behind me?  GOD give me faith, that I may know sanity is possible with YOUR grace."

One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, p.200, "The key...is to accept and use the program without any of the "Yes, buts" that would reveal only my resistance and uncertainty.  'I will not resist the impact of a new idea.  It may be just the one I've needed without being aware of it.  I will make my mind more flexible and receptive to new points of view.'

Courage to Change, p.200, "...I can't expect to recover overnight.  When I approach my life with an "Easy Does It" attitude, I treat myself and the world around me gently and lovingly...A quote from One Day at a Time, "We would be wise to take it slowly, concentrating on one idea at a time."

Dear Lord GOD Almighty, thank YOU for all YOU do for us.  The abundance of YOUR Love shines on us all.  As YOU Will.  Love, Carol xoxox