Courage to Change:
Before coming to Al-Anon, I never felt I could be myself around other people. I was too busy trying to be what I thought others wanted me to be, afraid people wouldn’t accept me the way I am.
But with my first Al-Anon meeting I felt at ease. Members talked about common characteristics that I recognized in myself. “They’re talking about themselves, but they’re describing me!” I thought. “I’m not crazy after all!” Meetings helped me to realize that there were many people in this world like me — people who had been affected by another’s alcoholism. I didn’t have to lie to people in these meetings, and eventually I learned that I didn’t have to lie to anyone anywhere. I came to see that I can live my life for inner peace and not for outward appearances.
Today’s Reminder:
Living with joys and problems affirms my membership in the human race. What sets me apart is the path on which I have been placed to walk. No one can walk it for me, nor can I change my path to suit anyone else.
“The shell that had enclosed my life, that had prevented me from living and loving, has cracked, and the power of the Al-Anon program is filling the void that for years kept me at a distance from life.” – As We Understood