For Today: June 25th

People to whom nothing has ever happened cannot understand the unimportance of events.

T.S. Eliot

To a person who feels hurt & lost, the life of a movie star or a jet-setter can look grand, and without a problem.  “If only I had such-and-such, I would be all right.”  “If only something would happen to me, my life would be better.”

Events are on the outside, and problems are on the inside.  Possessing objects or engaging in activities that attract attention can be distractions that keep one from dealing with feelings of insecurity, frustration, anger or low self-esteem. Such problems cannot be eradicated from the outside. It’s an inside job.

For Today: Recovery holds out the promise of a better life than I ever dreamed possible.  The most important thing I can do today is the footwork that is bringing it about.

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Happiness isn't getting what you want but wanting what you have.

It’s easy to watch TV & think my life would be grand if only I could live the life of a Housewife of New York.  In reality, my problems would still be my problems if I led that lifestyle, I’d just have more stuff cluttering it up. 

I’ve lived a lifestyle of grandeur and I’ve lived a life of simplicity.  And, I would give up all the material possessions in the world to have peace of mind & contentment! 

Like the Beatles say, money can’t buy me love, and I am living proof of that statement. All the money on earth won’t change the fact that I am a compulsive overeater.  The only thing that helps me change my behaviors is working the steps & asking God for help; staying connected to others who share my affliction and giving back to the world. 

Many times in the past I’ve changed my physical address in order to find that elusive ‘happiness’.  What I found was that I brought myself with me when I moved, and the old problems were still there, but even worse because now I was in a new location & feeling lost!

Serenity comes from inner peace; inner peace comes from spirituality & abstinence, and everything else is just a coping mechanism or a smoke screen to hide the fact that I am not happy with myself.  Until I accepted me, nothing could or would change, and I would never find the serenity I so desperately sought.

For today, I pray to keep my priorities in life straight; to seek simplicity versus excess; to find satisfaction with fewer possessions, and to seek out & give back love.  Love is the meaning of life & a far more satisfying pursuit than excess.