Readings

For Today: He that is too secure is not safe. Thomas Fuller Whether I have been abstinent twelve hours or twelve years, I never have it made. Today's recovery is all I have. A compulsive overeater who has had any kind of dieting career knows all too well how suddenly all the wonderful plans can come crashing down. The one-day-at-a-time philosophy of Overeaters Anonymous is insurance against complacency. It guards against my projecting anything beyond this twenty-four hours. I know I am abstinent today, but I cannot tell what I will do tomorrow. That is the attitude that keeps me gratefully abstinent. For today: I am sure only of this day's abstinence. I have no need to plan tomorrow's abstinence or weight loss. [--Wow - I really needed this one--] -- Voices of Recovery "Nothing tastes as good as abstinence feels." For Today p. 154 Before OA, I evaluated what I put into my mouth only by how good it looked and how good it would taste. I still catch myself yearning and reaching for yummy items. One of the best reminders for me is that 'nothing tastes as good as abstinence feels.' Years ago, before OA, a friend said this to me, but I never connected it to our program until i read it in my first OA year. Today, I know that immediate gratification is not the answer for me. Abstinence means exercise and sticking with the food plan that works for me. It gives me clarity, a sense of well-being, and the feeling that I am following God's will. Using the telephone and writing my feelings keeps me on track. Sponsoring is easier and more fun when I'm abstinent and working with my sponsor. God, grant me the willingness to make healthy choices not only in the food I eat but also in my relationships, in my loving, and in my caring for others who are still suffering. -- In This Moment, I am whole. I am one with the universe. I am a complete being. I reach to connect with my Higher Power. I wish to know my soul's aspirations. I feel strength from within to heal from within. I know another human being will not complete me. My Higher Power completes me. I am whole. I am one. I am worthy of love. -- The Language of Letting Go Honest Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. Step Five of Al-Anon Talking opening and honestly to another person about ourselves, in an attitude that reflects self-responsibility, is critical to recovery. It's important to admit what we have done wrong to others and to ourselves. Verbalize our beliefs and our behaviors. Get our resentments and fears out in the open. That's how we release our pain. That's how we release old beliefs and feelings. That's how we are set free. The more clear and specific we can be with our Higher Power, ourselves, and another person, the more quickly we will experience that freedom. Step Five is an important part of the recovery process. For those of us who have learned to keep secrets from ourselves and others, it is not just a step - it is a leap toward becoming healthy. Today I will remember that it's okay to talk about the issues that bother me. It is by sharing my issues that I will grow beyond them. I will also remember that it's okay to be selective about those in whom I confide. I can trust my instincts and choose someone who will not use my disclosures against me, and who will give me healthy feedback. ==