Chat Meeting Topic:

Reason Things Out...

Well, I can't say that Al-Anon gave me my life back because before Al-Anon I really didn't have a life to speak of. I was too busy living everybody else's life! Too busy reacting to others to be able to act on my own accord.

What Al-Anon did do was give me a new life, or at least a new attitude about my life. For the first time, I discovered I could do things just for me and it was okay. I could keep the focus on myself and my own recovery, mind my own business, and it was not only okay to do it that way, it was highly recommended!

What Al-Anon gave me was the understanding and wisdom about the family situation that I never found anywhere else. It gave me the opportunity to "reason things out" with others who understood, because they had been there too.

Using the Tools

For the first time in my life, some of the insanity began to clear a little. As it says in the opening, "So much depends on our own attitudes..." I found that a big part of my problem turned out to be my attitude about the problem. That slowly began to change as I learned acceptance, detachment, and forgiveness.

I learned how to use the tools of the program -- the literature, the slogans, the meetings, and the telephone! Yes, if I didn't understand, if I was confused, or if I just needed to talk, it was okay to ask!

I found out what those Al-Anon folks meant when they talked about "the help and friendship we have been privileged to enjoy." It was like starting a whole new life with a brand new outlook, which I desperately needed.

BuddyT

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