Recovery
Meditations: December 8th
~ ENOUGH ~
Thou preparest a table
before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou anointest my head
with oil; my cup runneth over.
The Bible, Book of
Psalms
As a practicing compulsive overeater, I was obsessed with
getting my "fair share" and stockpiling everything from food to
friends. I was afraid there wouldn't be "enough" in the future. One
of the Promises of the program states that "Fear of people and of economic
insecurity will leave us." But just how can I calm down when the thought
comes that there isn't enough, or that there won't be enough in the future?
At a recent meeting, the speaker said that when he began to
worry about his finances, he would ask himself, "Do I have enough money
between now and the time I go to bed?" Since we're only alive in the
moment, that's really the appropriate time frame. To me, that sounds like the
best example of "One Day At A Time" thinking I've heard so far!
Additionally, this could be applied to anything else I might worry about:
"Do I have enough FOOD between now and bedtime?... enough LOVE?"
You-fill-in-the-blank, because it isn't always just economic insecurity that
haunts us!
One Day at a Time . .
.
I'm learning to trust
my Higher Power, which always supplies my needs. Whenever I start to worry, I
can ask myself if I have enough to last between now and the time I go to bed,
and cultivate trust and appreciation for the gifts I receive daily.
Marilyn
********************************************
Each Day A New Beginning
—Dodie Smith
Repeatedly, today and every day, we will be in new situations, new settings with old friends, and old settings and situations with new friends. Each instance is fresh, unlike all the times before. And inspiration can accompany each moment, if we but recognize how special it is.
"We will not pass this way again," so the song says, which heightens the meaning of each encounter, every experience. Acknowledging that something can be gained each step along the way invites inspiration.
Inspiration moves us to new heights. We will be called to step beyond our present boundaries. Maybe today. Whenever the inspiration catches our attention, we can trust its invitation; we are ready for the challenge it offers. We need not let our narrow, personal expectations of an experience, a new situation perhaps, prevent us from being open to all the dynamic possibilities it offers.
I must be willing to let my whole self be moved, inspired. I must be willing to let each moment I experience be the only moment getting my attention.
From Each Day
a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women by Karen Casey © 1982,
1991 by Hazelden Foundation.
Food For Thought
We compulsive overeaters often find it extremely difficult to make decisions about food. We wonder if we are getting enough or too much, if we are eating the right kind of food, if we will be hungry tomorrow. The process of planning our three meals a day can be agonizing if we cannot decide which foods to choose.
Here is where a food sponsor can give us the assistance and support we need. Since someone who has traveled the road before us will be informed of our menus, we can relax and know that our decisions will be checked by an objective listener. As long as the choices we make fall under the food plan, which we have determined to follow, they will be good decisions.
Having written down our food plan for the day and having given it to our sponsor, we do not need to make any further decisions about food today. Recognizing that our obsessive worry about food is an illness, we will turn off further deliberations and work our program
Today I will make only those decisions about food that are necessary to my program.
From Food for
Thought: Daily Meditations for Overeaters by Elisabeth L. ©1980, 1992
by Hazelden Foundation.
The Language of Letting Go
When we don't ask for what we want and need, we discount ourselves. We deserve better.
Maybe others taught us it wasn't polite or appropriate to speak up for ourselves. The truth is, if we don't, our unmet wants and needs may ultimately come back to haunt our relationships. We may end up feeling angry or resentful, or we may begin to punish someone else for not guessing what we need. We may end the relationship because it doesn't meet our needs.
Intimacy and closeness are only possible in a relationship when both people can say what they want and need. Sustained intimacy demands this.
Sometimes, we may even have to demand what we want. That's called setting a boundary. We do this not to control another person, but to gain control of our life.
Our attitude toward our needs is important too. We must value them and take them seriously if we expect others to take us seriously. When we begin to place value and importance on our needs we'll see a remarkable change. Our wants and needs will begin to get met.
Today, I will respect the wants and needs of others and myself. I will tell others, my Higher Power, and myself what I want and need. I will listen to what they want and need too.
From The
Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie ©1990, Hazelden Foundation. All
rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in
any manner without the written permission of the publisher.
Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:
Laughter, by definition, is healthy.
--Doris Lessing
A hearty laugh can warm a cold room and make our spirits soar. But many of us are afraid to laugh, especially when we make mistakes. We think we're supposed to be perfect, and we don't allow ourselves to make mistakes. However, we're not a mold punched out by a machine. We're human beings, with all our wonderful flaws. It is those flaws that make our lives interesting and surprising. Who knows when we might accidentally bump into a chair or catch our sweater on a doorknob? We needn't feel self-conscious, it happens to many of us.
The ability to laugh at ourselves is a gift from God. All we need to do is grab it and use it. Then we will see how healthy and powerful laughter can be.
Laughter, by definition, is healthy.
--Doris Lessing
A hearty laugh can warm a cold room and make our spirits soar. But many of us are afraid to laugh, especially when we make mistakes. We think we're supposed to be perfect, and we don't allow ourselves to make mistakes. However, we're not a mold punched out by a machine. We're human beings, with all our wonderful flaws. It is those flaws that make our lives interesting and surprising. Who knows when we might accidentally bump into a chair or catch our sweater on a doorknob? We needn't feel self-conscious, it happens to many of us.
The ability to laugh at ourselves is a gift from God. All we need to do is grab it and use it. Then we will see how healthy and powerful laughter can be.
You are reading from the book:
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