Courage to Change:
After some time in recovery, I picked up a Blueprint for Progress, Al-Anon’s guide to taking a searching and fearless moral inventory (Step Four). I was well aware of many character defects, and I was eager to be free of their hold on me. But I didn’t expect so many questions about my character assets!
Again and again, I was asked to recognize positive qualities about myself. It was frustrating! Why waste time on things that already worked? These assets hadn’t kept my life from becoming unmanageable; obviously they weren’t worth much. My Sponsor suggested that my resistance to this part of the Step might have something to teach me. He was right.
Eventually, I realized that my assets are the foundation upon which my new, healthier life is being built. Refusing to recognize them just holds down my self-esteem. As long as I see myself as pitiful, hopeless, and sick, I don’t have to change.
I knew I was ready to feel better about myself, so I gathered up my willingness and listed all the positive attributes I could find about myself. I’ve felt much better about myself ever since.
Today’s Reminder:
Today I will acknowledge that I have many positive qualities, and I will share one or two of these with a friend.
“All progress must grow from a seed of self-appreciation…” – The Dilemma of the Alcoholic Marriage