One Day at a Time in Al-Anon:
Perhaps the first thing we expect to learn in Al-Anon is how to get the alcoholic to stop drinking. This is a difficult idea to pry ourselves loose from, but our “making it” in Al-Anon depends entirely on realizing that our spouse’s sobriety is not our business, however much it may seem to affect our lives and destroy our happiness.
The key figure in my Al-Anon work is I, me, myself. That’s where the changes must take place to change my outlook from black to pink! Our work in Al-Anon, with ourselves, often results in the alcoholic’s wanting sobriety and getting it. This is merely a lovely bonus for our dedication to the Al-Anon program.
Today’s Reminder:
I will stop wondering what to do about the alcoholic, and think about myself. What can I do to improve my life, to restore myself to full citizenship in the world? What are the shortcomings that are hampering me, and how can I rid myself of them? That is the crux of the Al-Anon program, and it really works.
“God help me to accept my powerlessness over alcohol and its effects. I will direct my efforts to improving the one life over which I do have power, my own.”