Each Day a New Beginning: January 29th

"I can't help it" . . . that's what we all say when we don't want to exert ourselves.
—Eva Lathbury

Irresponsible behavior is not unfamiliar to us. Passivity is equally familiar. In the past, excusing ourselves of all responsibility prevented us from being blamed. We have learned that it also prevented us from feeling worthy, from fulfilling our potential, from feeling the excitement that comes with achievement.

Our fear of failure helped us to be irresponsible. We may still fear failure, but the program offers us an antidote. We can't fail if we have turned our lives over to our higher power. We will be shown the way to proceed. Our fellow travelers have messages for us that will smooth our path.

I have chosen recovery. I have already said, "I can help it." I will celebrate that I am taking responsibility for my life today.

From Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women by Karen Casey © 1982, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

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Fear prevents us from allowing love into our hearts. Fear causes us to feel blamed and, in turn, to place blame on others. Fear prevents us from living a full life and creates an "I can't help it" attitude which is nothing more than a cop out ON life.

I CAN help it and I WILL help it. I refuse to allow fear to dictate my behavior.  If I don't put myself out there because of feeling fearful, then I may as well stay in bed all day with a hotplate next to my bed and a ton of groceries to munch on.  I can eat myself up to 900 lbs and just lie around, waiting to die.

I can give UP or I can surrender my powerlessness over my fear & hand it over to God, along with my addictive vices.

For today, I am not afraid to fail.  If I've tried something which resulted in failure, at least I've TRIED. That means I am living my life, as God intended me to, with no fear OF failure. Because failure does not define me. 

For today, I CAN HELP IT.  I will take responsibility for my life and I will live it, to the best of my ability, one day at a time.