Thursday, September 27, 2012

Food for Thought: September 27th

We Admit

Three of the Twelve Steps have to do with admitting. We admit that we are powerless over food and cannot manage our own lives; we admit our wrongs to God, ourselves, and another person; we continue to take inventory and admit when we are wrong.

Out of honest admission of our weakness comes strength. We are able to see ourselves realistically and with clarity. When we are humble enough to admit our wrongs, we get rid of the false front we had tried to maintain. This frees us to be who we are, without pretense.

When we admit our faults, we are cleansed. We no longer have to try to hide and cover up our weaknesses and mistakes. Instead of pretending to be perfect, we can be human and satisfied with progress.

We admit that we have a progressive disease, and we learn how to control it. We do not pretend to ourselves or others that we can eat like everyone else, because we are compulsive overeaters. We cannot manage our own lives, but there is One who can.

I admit that I am powerless, and I am grateful for Your Power in my life.

From Food for Thought: Daily Meditations for Overeaters by Elisabeth L. ©1980, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation.

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I've heard many say that 4th Step work is negative.........that it's meant to keep us dwelling on our mistakes & imperfections.  In reality, as this reading discusses, admission of weakness brings strength. When we get rid of the false front we've been trying to maintain for so long, we're freed to become who we truly are, without pretense.

Admitting our faults is cleansing, and that is the purpose of much of the Step work. We no longer feel the need to hide & cover up our weaknesses & mistakes.  Instead of pretending to be perfect, we admit to being human & satisfied with progress rather than perfection.

Admitting we have a progressive disease allows us to become willing to control it.  We stop pretending to ourselves or others that we can eat 'normally', like everyone else does, because we understand & accept ourselves as compulsive overeaters. 

What a great way to look at the usefulness & purpose of Step work!  Once I rid myself of all the baggage I've carried around from past mistakes, only THEN am I free to wake up every morning with a clean slate & to live in the moment!

For today, I thank God for guiding me to Recovery, and for urging me to take an honest look within myself to figure out what brought me to addictive behaviors.  And, more importantly, what it takes to bring me OUT.


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