Readings

For Today: It is easier to confess a defect than to claim a quality. Max Beerbohm Ask me to name one outstanding quality about myself, and I will hem and haw, knowing deep down that my best self-appraisal is unreliable. It seems safer to be derogatory than complimentary, to criticize rather than praise. Perhaps it is habit that leads me in that direction. Often i am not conscious of my reproachful thoughts until they are clearly on the surface. Then i turn them over to my Higher Power, ask to have them removed so I may be free to live fully, without either arrogance or false modesty. For today: For an honest, balanced view of myself, I take a few moments in which I free my mind of everything except God's love for me. Voices of Recovery Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character." Step Six I recognize many of my character defects when I react strongly to seeing them displayed by other people. When I notice character defects in others and realize that i still practice them myself, even though i don't want to, I know I need God's embrace. For me, the first stage of Step Six is to accept that I have weaknesses and to know that God embraces me nonetheless. In This Moment In This Moment, my life is manageable. When I'm in the past, it's depression. When I'm in the future, it's anxiety. When I'm in the moment, it's MANAGEABLE! The Language of Letting Go: Directness We feel safe around direct, honest people. They speak their minds, and we know where we stand with them. Indirect people, people who are afraid to say who they are, what they want, and what they're feeling, cannot be trusted. They will somehow act out their truth even though they do not speak it. And it may catch everyone by surprise. Directness saves time and energy. it removes us as victims. It dispenses with martyrdom and games. It helps us own our power. It creates respectful relationships. It feels safe to be around direct, honest people. Be one. Today, I will own my power to be direct. I do not have to be passive, nor do i need to be aggressive. i will become comfortable with my own truth, so those around me can become comfortable with me. ==