Readings

For Today Angry men are blind and foolish, for reason at such a time takes flight and, in her absence, wrath plunders all the riches of the intellect while the judgment remains the prisoner of its own pride. Pietro Aretino God gave me a mind a spirit, a capacity for love and compassion. Anger destroys those gifts as surely as compulsive overeating destroyed them. Acknowledging my anger is a positive step, but do I see its source as a defect within me? Or do I blame it on something outside myself: what someone said or did, a job, a situation, the weather, anything. When I am angry I am no good to anyone, least of all myself. Today I have a way to deal constructively with my anger; I have steps that lead me to freedom and a Higher Power to restore me to sanity. Am i entirely ready to have God remove my anger? For today: Taking responsibility for my anger by admitting it is the first step toward a return to sanity and balance. Voices of Recovery In Step Three we learned faith as we made the most important decision we had ever made, the decision to trust God - as we understand God - with our will and our lives. OA 12 & 12 p. 104 For many years, Step Three to me was nothing more than a decision to be willing. The principle of faith was the key I had been missing. This reminds me of the parable, "If only I have faith the size of a mustard seed - miracles can happen." When I applied the God power I found in Step Two to the decision I made in Step Three, I found the willingness to carry on with the rest of the Twelve Steps and to remain abstinent from compulsive eating. It was then I allowed the miracles to begin. In This Moment In This Moment, I let go of the outcome. I've identified a need for companionship and decided to reach out to get that need met. He may be available, he may not. I can identify my need and take action. I can't make it happen. My power doesn't go that far. I can initiate and ask to get my needs met. The outcome is up to God. Step One: I admit a need. Step Two: I accept that the fulfillment of that need is up to God. Step Three: I turn it over to God and let go of the outcome. The Language of Letting Go Letting the Cycles Flow Life is cyclical, not static. Our relationships benefit when we allow them to follow their own natural cycles. Like the tide ebbs and flows, so do the cycles in relationships. We have periods of closeness and periods of distance. WE have times of coming together and times of separating to work on individual issues. We have times of love and joy, and times of anger. Sometimes, the dimensions of relationships change as we go through changes. Sometimes, life brings us new friends or a new loved one to teach us the next lesson. That does not mean the old friend disappears forever. It means we have entered a new cycle. We do not have to control the course of our relationships, whether these be friendships or love relationships. We do not have to satisfy our need to control by imposing a static form on relationships. Let it flow. Be open to the cycles. Love will not disappear. The bond between friends will not sever. Things do not remain the same forever, especially when we are growing and changing at such a rapid pace. Trust the flow. Take care of yourself, but be willing to let people go. Hanging on to them too tightly will make them disappear. The old adage about love still holds true: "If it's meant to be, it will be. And if you love someone, let them go. If they come back to you, the love is yours." Today, I accept the cyclical nature of life and relationships. I will strive to go with the flow. I will strive for harmony with my own needs and the needs of the other person. ==