Sunday, February 8, 2009

Sting - Brand New Day

So my discovery this week....my thinking is screwed up. Big suprise. The way I think is part of why I am an alcoholic in the first place. A three fold disease they call it. Physical, mental, and spiritual. I got the physical down. The obsession to drink has been lifted for me and as long as I don't put a drink in my body the phenonmenon of craving will not begin. I'm working on the spiritual. I have had an awakening and work to increase my conscious contact with God, my Higher Power, the Source, the Creator everyday. It has given me a level of peace I have never known.

But my thinking, oh my thinking. Still screwed up. For instance...we are having a conversation. You say...I need xyz. I need to know xyz, I need to have xyz. I cannot do abc until I get xyz. I hear.. Can you give me xyz? Can you find out about xyz? Can you do xyz? Now, that is not what you said at all. We are just talking. You are sharing information but not calling for action. But my brain goes into action. Now sometimes in the conversation, I will say...I can give that to you, I can find out for you, I can do that for you, and if we're lucky maybe I'll ask if that is what you want, would you like me to do this, get this, find out this and you will say..please do or no thank you. And it's all good. But sometimes, I will just go into action. Why? I don't know. Because I think I've heard the question I suppose when really all that has been said is a statement. And when that happens...9 times out of 10 (and most likely that's an overestimation), you might be grateful, thanks you'll say or you might not say anything but it will help you and I will feel grateful. But the 10th time...I have crossed a boundry. One I didn't see, granted, but one that was there nonetheless..and then you feel violated. You shared information and it was taken and used. Against your wishes. You after all thought you were simply sharing information. To lighten the load. To explain. Whatever. It's not important. Self centered behavior. I think everything is about me. What I think. What I can do. How I can help. It's not. Big suprise. Motivations, intentions, good will..doesn't matter. It is not about me. The big I AM. Or more accurately I CAN. It's okay to listen for simply listening's sake. And to simply ask How can I help? instead of I will do this or even worse doing it and telling after the fact. When it's too late and the boundry has been crossed and reparations must be made, amends made..wreckage of the present cleared.

Oh what fun this recovery is..what a delight self discovery is...No..it's effing painful. My knees are skinned and I think I need stitches on my forehead. But at least I didn't lose a limb. Or worse, a friend.

7 comments:

An Irish Friend of Bill said...

does 'a boundary crossed' mean 'someone took offence'?
if offence only, that comes under 'what other people think of me is none of my business', and doesn't affect my desire to assist. i step back if someone is responding badly to what i say. but mainly because i cannot help them as effectively if they have resistance. not for any other reason.

all i know was that if other aa's had waited til i could articulate my need for assistance BEFORE they decided to help me by explaining how i could get well, I would STILL be waiting.
they didn't. they could see what a mess i was in, and expalined the solution anyway.

sounds like attachment to outcome. like the do good anyway poem by mother Theresa, I do the right thing, even if people may rebel and complain about my attempts to help.

it is a luxury only to help that can articulate their need for assistance. if i waited for newcomers to learn that skill BEFORE i dispensed information on how not to drink a day at a time, i would be waiting a looooong time. so i dont.

just offer assistance where you see an opportunity, and if someone else has a bad reaction, just deal with it when you get to it. cross that bridge when you get to it. not before.
and let go of your attachment to a favorable response each time you try to help. real life just isnt like that. people who need the help most are often the people who are the MOST 'restless irritable and discontent'

http://iranscope.ghandchi.com/Fun/dogood.htm
DO GOOD ANYWAY...

"In the Final Analysis"

by Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered...
forgive them anyway

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives...
be kind anyway

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies...
succeed anyway

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you...
be honest and frank anyway

What you may spend years building, someone may destroy overnight...
build anyway

If you find serenity and happiness, people may be jealous...
be happy anyway

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow...
do good anyway

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough...
give the world the best you have anyway

You see, in the final analysis, it's all between you and God...
it was never between you and them anyway

i think this comes under REAL harm to others, versus imagined harm. like what i learned in step 8.

Syd said...

I really like what Irish wrote. That is some awesome information from Mother Theresa.

I think that self-discovery is an adventure. I never know exactly what I'll find when I start delving into my psyche. Some of it I like and some I don't.

steveroni said...

I'm beginning to believe that everyone who writes on these (our) blogrolls--including 'commentors' has a professional writing background.

I'm just in awae as I daily read these things--and the comments, and yet we all get along--for the most part. We are ALL trying, as best we know, to help one another.

I enjoy so much this spirit here; cooperation, of helpfulness, and of LOVE!

Unknown said...

Wow this is an amazing post...I love what Irish has said and agree with Steve that my commenting is somewhat lackluster, but my comment is that this is a program of self awarenss and not self help, I remember this deeply as I grow each day and each day understand my own motivations and seek the approval of others less and less, how strange that is for me too because it is completely different than who I was; now that doesnt' mean that I'm not an alcoholic, still am, but I have new tools today and today is a Brand New Day. Thank you for this post.

steveroni said...

Oh yeah! me, TOO! Irish Friend of Bill...what a great comment.

indistinct said...

Thank you, Kathy, for your post. I'm glad I stumbled across it this morning. It's what I needed to hear, and then all those fine comments were icing on the cake.

Judith said...

Progress not perfection.

Ack! Someone slap me. I'm spouting platitudes. Even if it is the appropriate one.