For Today: September 7th

No man can justly censure or condemn another, because indeed no man truly knows another.

Sir Thomas Brown

It is easy to condemn those who transgress, but there is no justice in such judgment.  I cannot know how another person feels, what the life experience of that person is.  Much as I do not want to think about it, child abuse and neglect are evils that have been with us a long time.  Am I so sure of the inherent “badness” of a person who lashes out in unprovoked attack?  To be sure, I am not obligated to stand still and let myself be used as a doormat, but I am bound to apply a single standard to all persons.  As I learn in OA to admit my errors and misdeeds, and ask my own and others'  forgiveness, I can do no less than extend the same humanity to others.

For Today: It is not for me to judge anyone.

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Judging others prevents me from looking at my OWN problems with honesty. It's easy to do.....that's for sure......but judging others sets ME back in my program.  While I shouldn't sit there and allow myself to be used as a doormat, I shouldn't go to the other extreme of passing judgment either.

That's the nature of compulsion......being prone to extreme behavior all over the place. The 'all or nothing' mentality.........I am either starving myself or overeating..........either sitting around like a lump on a log or exercising like a demon.............either being used as a doormat or casting judgment. 

Sigh.

Compulsive overeating is NOT just a disease of eating too much food; it is a disease of extremes in EVERYTHING.

OA has taught me to be more moderate with life...........with food, exercise, and behavior in general. I've learned to ditch the all-or-nothing mentality and settle into living in the moment.  When I don't project about tomorrow, I can handle today.

For today, I pray to not pass judgment on anyone, including myself,  for the next 24 hours.