For Today: March 10th

For Today:  March 10^th

Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is love in courtesy. It says I care about others’ feelings, that I wish to contribute to their comfort and wellbeing.

Above all, courtesy is treating people as I would like to be treated. I can be courteous, even when I am angry or hurt, without compromising what I believe is right.  Courtesy has nothing to do with right or wrong, it has everything to do with self-respect, which is the wellspring of respect for others.

It is as important to show courtesy to children as to adults. Courtesy is taught at home by parents who act courteously toward their children. There are many benefits in showing children courtesy, beginning with the self-esteem it helps build in them.

For Today: Acting with courtesy toward myself and others contributes much toward feeling good about myself, and enables me to share it with others.

I didn’t grow up in an environment where Courtesy was expressed. There was always anger & arguments to witness. The only people who were shown courtesy were strangers…….anger was reserved for family members!  The message was: Put on a happy face for outsiders….tell them what they WANT to hear; never show them your true feelings; don’t trust them; don’t let them know about the family secrets. In other words: be phony.

Nowadays, I find my behavior to be directly related to how I’m working my Program. Am I treating myself & others with courtesy & respect? Then I am treating my Program with the respect it deserves as well. If I am not treating myself & others with respect & courtesy, I am not treating my Program properly either….it’s all tied in.

I can’t think myself into a new way of acting; I have to act myself into a new way of thinking.

When I treat others with courtesy, I am taking the high road. When I treat others with abruptness or less than courteous words, I am taking the low road & generally, my Program will suffer because of it.

If I expect to work my Program properly & stay Abstinent, ALL of my behavior has to follow suit. I have to stay Honest, I have to act in a courteous manner & I have to keep Serenity at the top of my list.  If I find myself backsliding with my behavior, I find my Program backsliding as well.  While I do NOT have to be a doormat for others, I DO have to show them respect & courtesy, even if they don’t deserve it.  I deserve it.

For today, I pray that I may have true tolerance & understanding. I pray that I may keep striving for these difficult things. I pray for the presence of mind to treat others with the respect & courtesy that I need to treat them with to preserve MY Program.