Choices

[majestyjo]

Choice

from: "A Day's Plan"

"Every day I ask God to kindle within me the fire of His love, so that love, burning bright and clear, will illuminate my thinking and permit me to better do His will. Throughout the day, as I allow outside circumstances to dampen my spirits, I ask God to sear my consciousness with the awareness that I can start my day over any time I choose; a hundred times, if necessary."

© 1990, Daily Reflections, page 80

This is a solution that has worked many times for me over the years. A day can start any time, each day is a new beginning, so have a great one.


It never ceases to amaze me how people can make the decision to stay stuck, to continue acting out in old patterns, and allow themselves to slip into depression and self-pity and not take action before it gets to the wallowing stage. This program is one of freedom. I don't have to live that way anymore.

So many people don't know they have choices, sometimes ignorance is not bliss. Yet I have found myself back there lately, at least I am able to recognize it and have the tools that I can pick up and help myself get out, and a God to not only to show me the way, but give me the courage, strength and wisdom as to what I need to do.

I know I didn't know how to have fun. I didn't know how to "lighten' up" and not take life so seriously as it says in Tradition Four. I didn't know how to let my inner child come out and play, let alone anything about giving her permission to do so. Life is for living and enjoying it. I was asked in early recovery, what makes you happy and I didn't know.

I didn't know I could choose the reactions, the actions and the moods, etc. that I had toward people, places and things.

Written in part in 2004.

[majestyjo]

We are granted freedom of choice. It took me a long time to choose recovery. I was so busy blaming others for my problems, that I had no idea, until I had pushed everyone away, that the problem was me. I had no one left to point a finger at.

Who would want to choose, which one you wanted amongst these adorable critters? Making decisions are not one of our strong points. It is something we never had to do before. Our drug of choice always made our choices for us.

The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action.

- John Dewey

The relationship builds after we make the choice. It wouldn't matter which one we chose, the love is found as the connection grows and more choices are made.

If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise.

- Robert Fritz

We can limit ourselves by our choices. When we ask for God's will, all things are possible. Many times over the years, I have asked, "Are You sure about this?" It was me that was unsure. I had to learn to utilize the gifts that He bestowed on me. I am so grateful for the people He put in my path that taught me and guided me on my journey, who directed me towards making healthy choices, things that were good for my body, mind and spirit.

[majestyjo]

Just for today, I choose to be happy. Just for today, I choose to get off the computer and go out and enjoy the day.

So many times we blame others for our choices. My mother use to say, "Look at what you made me do." My husband would say, "Well I wouldn't have done that if you had only done what I asked."

In recovery, I no longer have to give up my power. When I surrender my day to my Higher Power, I can make healthy choices. I can tap into the Source and live my life to it's fullest, not marking time, waiting for other, more importantly, not waiting on others, when it isn't good for me.
I need to help and give to others, yet I need to give nurturing and care to myself. I can't give away what I don't have.

Life is often how we look at it!

Have fun, enjoy your day. Make a choice to let your Inner Child come out to play.

Share the love, remember to give and receive.

No matter how hard you attempt to control the people in your life, you will not find your fulfillment there. If they don't change, you will be frustrated; if they do change under your pressure, they will be frustrated.

If I look to others for fulfillment, I will never be fulfilled.

- Pocket Sponsor

For so many years, I lived my life through others. If they would only do what I 'told' them to do or 'thought' they should do, what a wonderful place my world would be.

I hinged my world onto theirs and my happiness depended on them and I put my life on hold, waiting for them to see the light.

I manipulated, conned, hinted, etc. my way into a soul sickness that was just as unhealthy as theirs were. It was no longer about them, it was about me.

I had to turn my thinking and obsessive ways over to my Higher Power and ask for help. I had to learn to work the slogan "Live and Let Live" into my life. The key word "Live" my own life and let them live theirs.

I would try to control my actions and thoughts, when in fact, all I had to do was turn them over to my Higher Power and through Him/Her, learn to live a better way of life.

It not only made me sick trying to control my alcoholic/addict, it made me sick, trying to control my own life.

I didn't realize that control was an illusion and as much as I thought I was in control, it just wasn't so. I had to learn to turn things over to my Higher Power and allow things to unfold as He would have them be.

I did the foot work. I had the dreams and ideals, yet often they were not reality and often if I had gotten them, what would I have done with it!

I have to chuckle when I go to buy a Lotto 649 Jackpot. If it is over 3 million $s, I tend to doubt whether I should buy one, what if I won it? I can see keeping a M$ for myself and giving one each to my sister's but after that, really don't have much use for all that money. What if I decided I could now 'afford' to drink and keep myself in the style I would like to become accustomed to. Would all that money change my priorities? That is a scary thought.

It isn't about the A in my life, it is about me and my attitude and my thinking that can get me into trouble. Best to turn it over to my HP who is much more qualified to handle it.

I am granted freedom of choice in today. It is what I do with that choice that makes a difference in my life today.

[majestyjo]

Each day I am granted a choice. Just for today, I choose not to use people, places and things.