Courage to Change:
Again and again in Al-Anon meetings over the years, I heard the suggestion to pray for those I resented. My early attempts to follow this suggestion did me little good. Over time, however, it has become one of the most effective tools of my recovery.
What made the difference? I stopped praying for other people to change. It used to be, “Please God, let them stop hurting me,” or “Show them that I’m right,” or “Get them sober, and hurry!” Today I focus on what I can change, instead. I ask for a new way of thinking about the situation.
I keep in mind whatever is bothering me when I say the Serenity Prayer. What is it that I need to accept or change? I pray for the wisdom to know the difference, and the serenity and courage to follow through with what I learn. Finally, I pray that the person in question be given the serenity, love, and joy that I want for myself. We all deserve that.
Today’s Reminder:
Resentments mark the places where I see myself as a victim. I want to let them go because they cost me too much self-esteem. I will love myself enough to release myself from the closet in which resentments keep me locked.
“If we want to stop the vicious cycle of unhappiness, we must learn new ways of living, new ways of relating to each other.”
– How Can I Help My Children?