One Day at a Time in Al-Anon:
When I am much troubled, I often find that the counsel of the cheerful optimist only makes my exasperation worse! I feel my sufferings aren’t properly understood — people can’t even begin to appreciate what a martyr I am! I think to myself: “It’s easy enough to talk, but how can I smile when there’s nothing to be happy about?”
Oddly enough, I have found that a deliberate effort to “laugh it off” does have the most astonishing results in shrinking my woes down to bearable size.
This is the helpful hint embodied in our Just for Today leaflet:
Today’s Reminder:
“Just for today, I will be happy. This assumes to be true what Abraham Lincoln said: ‘Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.’
“Nobody’s life is all dark and cloudy. Let’s look for the brighter and happier things in it. This often helps to make the clouds disappear!”
“Dwelling on our troubles only makes them hurt more. I’ll just make myself look on the cheerful side.”