Just for today… if I change my actions, my thoughts will follow...
I noticed in myself that the way I treat others often reveals my own state of being. When I treat others well, I am generally feeling good about myself. When I am at peace, I usually treat others with respect and compassion. However, when I am feeling down, edgy, or just irritable (usually due to a self made fear or resentment) I usually respond to others with intolerance, impatience, and plain ol’ indifference. I have learned this pattern from taking regular inventories of myself. I found that I do treat others badly when I feel bad about myself.
When I add a positive truth to the negative facts I learn from my inventory, I begin to behave differently. Most of the time, because I am human and far from perfect, I need to pray to receive courage, guidance, and strength to make that decision (page 87 of the Big Book) to treat those around me with kindness, gentleness, and show them the same concern I would like to be shown.
Please give this a try next time you find yourself in a funk! Chances are it’s not what is happening TO you that can be remedied, but what is happening INSIDE of you that can and will change!
Mark 12:31 “… love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
Pg. 87 Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous
“We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no request for ourselves only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends. Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why. “
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