Readings

For Today: "Don't let life discourage you. Everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was." Richard L. Evans "As newcomers we look at recovering compulsive who tell us of the happiness, freedom and joy in their lives, and we can hardly comprehend that they were not always this way. Those miraculous recoveries seem unattainable for us. One suggestion made to newcomers is to seek out speakers and talk to them after the meeting. A minute or two of one-to-one conversation will reveal what a formal talk from the podium may fail to get across: members with years of program and lives that are happy, joyous and free are compulsive overeaters who, like the rest of us, began at the bottom. For today: Where I am today is a fine place to start. -- Voices of Recovery "Believe that you can be abstinent. You will be. Believe that you can have sanity, peace of mind, and freedom to live the life you want. You will have them. Believe that you will recover. You will." For Today, p. 354 Believing in something that seems impossible requires a leap of faith. The gift of abstinence, freedom from compulsive overeating, the peace and sanity which result from working the program seem like elusive dreams to the newcomer or the relapser. Faith requires that I keep doing what works, no matter what. Sometimes it takes days, weeks, months, or even years before I can see and feel like I have gotten 'it.' And when I do 'get it,' I don't get to keep it because the 'it' keeps changing. The hope and belief that things will get better is not a tangible commodity that I buy; it is something I must earn. I believe it is possible for everyone to be abstinent, to recover, and to have all our dreams come true. We get what we expect, so 'expect a miracle.' we are ALL miracles. -- In This Moment In This moment, I need to take my inventory. I have been in CoDA for a lot of years and still experience the desire to control. I know I'm powerless over others. I know there's only one person i can control and that person is me. And to be honest, my power to control myself is limited. I need to turn over a lot of 'stuff' to my Higher Power. Why do I complain and nitpick, even though I know I'm powerless? When I'm angry, when I'm critical of others.I know there's only one person i can control and that person is me. And to be honest, my power to control myself is limited. i need to turn over a lot of 'stuff' to my Higher Power. Why do I complain and nitpick, even though I know I'm powerless? When I'm angry, when I'm critical of others, it's a signal for me to look at what I'm avoiding. I may need to set or reset a boundary. I need to look within. It's time to pray for knowledge of God's will for me. Time to go to a meeting. Time to take personal inventory and admit my wrongs. Trying to control others doesn't succeed. My CoDA program works when I work it, and I work it 'cause I'm worth it. -- The Language of Letting Go Living Our Lives Don't stop living your life! So often, when a problem occurs, inside or around us, we revert to thinking that if we put our life on hold we can positively contribute to the solution. If a relationship isn't working. If we face a difficult decision. If we're feeling depressed, we may put our life on hold and torment ourselves with obsessive thoughts. Abandoning our life or routines contributes to the problem and delays us from finding the solution. Frequently, the solution comes when we let go enough to live our life, return to uor routine, and stop obsessing about the problem. Sometimes, even if we don't FEEL like we have let go or can let go, we can 'act as if' we have, and that will help bring about the letting go we desire. You don't have to give up your power to problems. you can take your focus off your problem and direct it to your life, trusting that doing so will bring you closer to a solution. today, I will go on living my life and tending to my routine. i will decide, as often as I need to, to stop obsessing about whatever is bothering me. If I don't feel like letting go of a particular thing, I will 'act as if' I have let go of it until my feelings much my behavior. ==