Progress Not Perfection

[caressa]

Let everyone be sure he is doing the right thing, doing his very best and doing what God wants done, and he won't need to compare himself with someone else. Each of us must bear his own faults and burdens, for none of us is perfect.

Galations 6:1-5

This was a scripture that was part of my meditation on March 10, 1992. It was written ten days after moving into my first apartment from the YWCA after being there for two years.

When I think back to my life then, I am very grateful for the slogan. Because this applies, just as much in today as it did almost twelve years ago.

There has been a lot of progress, yet each day is far from perfect, I am far from perfect, and yet I have never found it necessary to pick up a drink or a drug (pills were dried-up alcohol for me) during those years.

One of the biggest improvements in my life is not beating myself up so much when I have fallen short of the perfection that I always seem to want to place on myself. Just tonight at bridge, I found myself saying, "I can't stand stupidity, especially in myself!"

One of the biggest blessings is knowing that my God loves me inspite of those imperfections, and that when I take those faults and burdens to Him, He is there to help carry the load and change them into what I need for my Higher Good in today.

[Tiger]

Hi Carresa,

Great subject,

Prior to AA and early in AA I wanted to live in perfection. I wanted a perfect wife, a perfect job, a perfect boss as weel as myself being "perfect".

Then I recognized "The Myth Of Perfection"....it's not reality!

There are no perfect familys, jobs, people - including "myself". I had to learn to live in an "imperfect world"....the world of "reality"!

Serenity comes from "accepting" this fact instead of fighting against it

Tiger

[caressa]

Thank you for sharing Tiger. When I was reading your post the thought that went through my mind was Allan Jackson's song, "But here in the real world!!!"

Reality something we spent to many years escaping or not aware of what it was when we came upon it because we lied, cheated and schemed our way through life and I know for myself, I didn't know what my truth was. I had begun to believe my own lies.

All those: It will be better tomorrow, tomorrow wil be different, if they hadn't done this, if they hadn't done that, then I would have....; everything would have....; and the list goes on, and on, and on.....

[majestyjo]

Still trying to progress and I know I am far from perfect.

As they say in Al-Anon, We aim toward perfection. All we are asked to do is to try to be the best ME in today.