For Today: August 4th

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall

That wants it down.

Robert Frost

I try in all ways to be good, kind, helpful---to give people the benefit of my wisdom and advice.  This is a wall?  It is.  True giving of myself requires not advice or helpfulness, but allowing others to be, without trying to change their opinions or protect them from making mistakes.  Telling another what to do erects a wall between us.  Walls keep us apart.  When I am tempted to give advice, I need to practice the discipline of listening instead. That is real closeness, without barriers.

For Today:  I freely give to others what this program has given me, remembering the only authority here is God as each of us understands God.

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YES AND NO

“Let your ‘no’ be ‘no’ and your ‘yes’ be ‘yes.’”
The Bible, Book of James

The disease of compulsive eating really warps a person's life. Many compulsive overeaters become people-pleasers and do not know how to set boundaries. We end up not being able to say "No." However, we also end up saying "Yes" to our disease. In the depths of our disease we lose complete control in our lives.

This program of recovery helps us to set our lives back in order. When we give our disease over to our Higher Power, work the Twelve Steps and practice the principles of our program, we see that our lives can be turned around ~ and daily we have victory over our disease.

One day at a time...
I will say "No" to my disease and "Yes" to recovery by working the Twelve Steps, surrendering to my Higher Power, and living the principles of my program.

~ Jeff

For today, I pray to listen more and to give less advice!