This is from AA’s Daily
Reflections, a book by alcoholics for alcoholics:
In the Reflection for October 7 the
meditation is entitled Daily Monitoring.
“The spiritual axiom referred to in the
Tenth Step – ‘every time we are
disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us’ – also
tells me that there are no exceptions to it. No matter how unreasonable others
may seem, I am responsible for not reacting negatively. Regardless of what is
happening around me I will always have the prerogative and the responsibility
of choosing what happens within me. I am the creator of my own reality.
“When I take my daily inventory, I know that I must stop judging
others. If I judge others, I am probably judging myself. Whatever is upsetting
me most is my best teacher. I have much to learn from him/her, and in my heart
I should thank that person.”
The Tenth Step of Alcoholics
Anonymous states: “[We] Continued to take
personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.” Hmmm – Continued
to take personal inventory. Hmmm – continued to look within to “fix” whatever
is wrong. Notice that the emphasis is NOT on trying to “fix” what’s “out
there.” It is always an inside job.
AA has taught me that I always
grow through pain. The exception, of course, is when I spend all my mental
energy blaming and judging everything and everyone “out there” for my
discomfort. When I do that, I also spend a tremendous amount of mental and
emotional energy plotting, planning, fantasizing, and mentally meting out the
just rewards of my revenge.
I try always to remember the
little “as” in the Lord’s Prayer: …Forgive
us our trespasses AS we forgive those who trespass against us…. If you
believe the typical images of many Christians’ idea of Judgment Day, you better
believe I don’t want God to forgive me the way I forgive.
The easiest way for me to
forgive is to never have blamed in the first place. For me to not blame is to
focus on what was going on inside me. Why did I choose to react rather than
respond? My anger, fear, dislike, disappointment is not with the person or
event that triggered it. A Course in Miracles teaches me I am never truly upset
for the reason I think. So, if it wasn’t the person or event, what was it?
That’s what I try to focus on. That’s where the pain lies. That’s where my
growth occurs.
I will be out of pocket for the
next two weeks. I’ll talk to you later.
Although these messages are
mostly for me, thanks for listening. As always – feel free to forward this
message to your friends, family, and those accompanying you on your spiritual
journey.
Don
#2 October 2014
Copyright, 2014