I’ve been blessed to attend various support groups over the past two years, and have recorded many of the more meaningful comments and quotes that have been made by others in my pink notebook, along with my own thoughts, many of which have been shared (respecting anonymity, of course) with TPN readers over the past year.
On this weekend of what one of my friends called the “height of unbridled consumerism,” I want to share with all Pink Notebook readers some of the best of these comments, in what I hope will be a gift of meaning for you. Unlike most gifts you’ll get this weekend, they were given freely, and are freely shared. Who the author is doesn’t matter; but their words do. I hope at least one of these phrases will help you in some way, large or small, on your journey into 2017.
Happy holidays for those who celebrate, and best wishes for the coming year for those who don’t. I’m grateful for your readership, and your comments and stories. Here are 12 bits of wisdom for the traditional 12 days of Christmas.
- The Gift of Clarity. Describing the experience of early days in Al-Anon: “There has been no burst of light, no burning bush–just a gradual clearing of the fog that I used to be in before finding recovery.”
- The Gift of Humility. To those who love alcoholics, to remind us that we’re not in control: “They all have a higher power and you ain’t it.”
- The Gift of Instinct. “There is an aspect of knowing that precedes thought that is clear and available to everyone, but I have to work to access it. I try to practice in easy situations. It’s not judgmental or opinionated.”
- The Gift of Letting Go of Control. “The first time you state your opinion on a matter it’s a suggestion; the second time it’s control and the third time it’s manipulation. (And, yes, rephrasing still counts.)”
- The Gift of Simple Definition. “Co-dependency is living your life in reaction to another.”
- The Gift of Understanding. Speaking to co-dependents about their relationship with their alcoholic or addict loved ones. “It’s a journey for them to get sick and a journey for them to get well, and the same is true for us.”
- The Gift of Self-Focus and Improvement. “If you do what’s highest and best for you, you’ll be doing what’s highest and best for everyone else.”
- The Gift of Choice. “Do you want to be right, or happy?”
- The Gift of Free Love. “Give love without expectation. Receive love without demand.”
- The Gift of Fear. “When I experience fear, I will look at it as a signal I have something to learn.”
- The Gift of Truth. “Truth is the gateway to gratitude for me. I was an emotional skater over thin ice.” And, “Truth is like a GPS for my DIY.”
- The Gift of Maturity. “Maturity is learning to adjust to life, not expecting life to adjust to you.”
Peace for the new year, and…
Ask & you shall receive,
