Courage to Change:
Here’s one of the most useful lessons I’ve learned in Al-Anon: If I don’t want to be a doormat, I have to get up off the floor. In other words, although I can’t control what other people say, do, or think, I am responsible for my choices.
Looking back, I can accept that plenty of unacceptable behavior was directed at me, but I was the one who sat and took it and often came back for more. I was a willing participant in a dance that required two partners. I felt like a victim, but in many ways I was a volunteer.
Today, as a result of my recovery in Al-Anon, I know that I am not helpless. I have choices. When I get that old feeling that tells me I am a victim, I can regard it as a red flag, a warning that I may be participating (with my thoughts or my actions) in something that is not in my best interest. I can resist the temptation to blame others and look to my own involvement instead. That’s where I can make changes.
Today’s Reminder:
It can be very empowering to take responsibility for my own choices. I will act in my own best interest today.
“I would do well to accept the challenge to look to my own recovery before I spent any more of my precious life wishing the alcoholic would change…”
– Living with Sobriety