Let It Begin With Me

HOPE FOR TODAY
Today is Saturday, May 22, 2010

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Anticipating enjoyment is a good way to begin my day. If I lose my place. I'll remember I can start my day over at any time.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:
"I haven't succeeded in changing my past, of course, but the present is filled with promise, and, amazingly, I am discovering that it is fun to be me" ("From Survival to Recovery," p. 185; Virginia Beach, VA).

SEOC's SHARE FOR TODAY:
I have often wondered why I most often than not choose to be safe rather than try something new. It is hard for me to learn something, because I always seem to have this feeling that I should know everything and to do anything efficiently. I find that I have little patience for myself. Why is all this?

Again, it stems from my childhood. There were plenty of times that I had not done as well as others had expected of me and so I withdrew, not wanting to do anything, out of fear of disapproval. I discovered that FEAR was the real culprit. Now, I must ask myself, "Does this fear profit me anything?" Sometimes, yes. Most of the time, no. There is a whole world out there that I'm missing out on and at the same time, the whole world out there is missing me.

So what do I do? I climb out of my shell, the one I created and explore all my possibilities. Easier said than done, right? You bet! It takes a lot of courage for me to try new things, to encourage myself to become a little creative and experiment. Wouldn't you know? Sometimes, the world sees me as someone very special. But then again, if the world fails to see my gifts and appreciate them, at least I can see, acknowledge and celebrate the gift of my inner child.

That's all I got today. I'm Seoc, a gratefully recovering Adult Child. I'm glad we're here.

Hope for Today is a daily meditation book published by Al-Anon Family Groups and focuses on isuues faced by Adult Children of Alcoholics.