Readings

Today's For Today:

"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie - deliberate, contrived and dishonest - but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." John F. Kennedy

(I have to be honest, like pretty much all high up politicians, I don't have so much respect for him and the way he lived and his own honesty, but it is a great quote, in my opinion)

"My food addiction was acquired so I could survive and cope in earlier, painful circumstance. Thus began two myths: First, that pain was to be avoided at all costs, and second, that eating would relieve the pain free of charge. These myths were useful then, but they are insanity today.
As I become willing to accept the truth that is revealed to me in this program, the myths I clung to so desperately lose credibility. I no longer need to be anesthetized; I can stand still and feel my feelings. I don't think something is wrong if I'm not happy every minute.

For today: The more I accept the reality of what is, the more comfortable and serene my life becomes."

Wow. I had written "Wow!" there last year, and that was before J left.
Ouch.

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Today's Voices of Recovery:

"Step Eleven encourages us to practice prayer, to continue talking to our Higher Power daily, even when it seems like a senseless exercise." OA 12 & 12 p. 92

"My first attempts at practicing prayer were a self-pitying review of my failings, or reviewing arguments for the existence of God, or crying to a God - whose existence I doubted - that I would not go to bed until He/It promised me I would be abstinent tomorrow. All these methods failed me. Because prayer appeared not to work, it was hard to keep up any consistent practice. But over the years of trial and error, repeatedly trying and failing to pray regularly, I have learned how I need to pray.
I thank God for my abstinence and my recovery. I ask for help with my abstinence in the day ahead. I offer my service. I acknowledge the previous day's failings and ask to be shown how to do better. I offer the day ahead to the service of God. I pray for friends in and out of OA. From the time I started this simple daily routine my recovery stopped plodding forward - it sprang forward.

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I apologize to anyone who counts on these. I am running late and must stop at 3 places before work. Will do the rest later.