Courage to Change:
So many of us come to Al-Anon feeling that we’ve gotten a raw deal from life. “It isn’t fair!” we complain. “Don’t I deserve better after all I’ve been through?” The prayer quoted in our “Just for Today” pamphlet may shed some light on this subject when it says, “Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console… to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive…” Instead of questioning what life is giving us, perhaps we might profit more by asking what we ourselves can give.
By reaching out to help others in a healthy way, we move beyond our problems and learn to give unconditionally. Every moment can be an opportunity to serve, an opportunity to change our lives. Al-Anon offers us many good places to start—setting up chairs, welcoming newcomers, leading a meeting. When we discover that we really can make a positive contribution, many of us find that self-esteem has replaced self-pity.
Today’s Reminder:
Today I seek to be an instrument of the peace of God. I know that it is the most loving and generous commitment I can possibly make — to myself.
“When people are serving, life is no longer meaningless.”
– John Gardner