New Awareness

[MajestyJo]

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

The Good Feelings

Let yourself feel the good feelings too.

Yes, sometimes, good feelings can be as distracting as the painful, more difficult ones. Yes, good feelings can be anxiety producing to those of us unaccustomed to them. But go ahead and feel the good feelings anyway.

Feel and accept the joy. The love. The warmth. The excitement. The pleasure. The satisfaction. The elation. The tenderness. The comfort.

Let yourself feel the victory, the delight.

Let yourself feel cared for.

Let yourself feel respected, important, and special.

These are only feelings, but they feel good. They are full of positive, upbeat energy - and we deserve to feel that when it comes our way.

We don't have to repress. We don't have to talk ourselves out of feeling good - not for a moment.

If we feel it, it's ours for the moment. Own it. If it's good, enjoy it.

Today, God, help me be open to the joy and good feelings available to me.

In today's reading, I was reminded out much my life was focused on the negative instead of the positive. I had trouble finding the positive, mainly because I wasn't looking for it. It seemed like my whole live was filled with bad feelings and bad thoughts.

Over the years I used different things to stuff those negative feelings. I didn't know that when I stuffed negative I was also stuffing the positive, although at the time, I didn't know it was there.

When I came into recovery, I had to balance out my character defects with positive attributes. I was reminded that my using wasn't the issue, the problem was me. Even when I got by the prescription drugs and alcohol, I had to look at all the other things that I used to focused outside of myself instead of looking in and connecting with my Higher Power. Over the years it has been relationships, long hours of work, food, shopping (especially buying things I didn't need or could afford), getting caught up in busy i.e. service, my computer which led me to sites and playing games, and reading (burying my nose in a book and shutting the world off). All things are good in their place but not when used as an escape from feeling and reality.

There has to be time for fun. I had to learn to let my inner child to play. Yet I also had to put her to rest and be responsible too.

I was looking outside for validation, self-worth, affirmation, self-esteem, self-respect, forgiveness, compassion, and love. I couldn't find them in me so I looked to find them from you.

The tools of the program lead to new awareness. Do I utilize this gift to it's fullest in my life to change and grow or do I continue to practice old behaviors and patterns.

A post from another site dated June 21, 2009

[MajestyJo]

Was just sharing with a friend today about this. I hadn't seen him for a while and he is 77, had bi-pass surgery, and we had a long gab fest. We talked about how the program has made us aware and when we stay in today, we can pick up the tools of recovery and apply the steps to all areas of our life, including our health issues.

When I am feeling stuck, sick and tired of being tired, then I know it is time for knee-mail and asking for help. Sometimes I wonder how come it took me so long to get to the new awareness. I have found that often when you are in it, it is hard to see, others can see it, but you are generally the last to know. I think they call it the blanket of denial. As my favourite slogan says, "It has to begin with me."

[MajestyJo]

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.

Awareness

When we first become aware of a problem, a situation, or a feeling, we may react with anxiety or fear. There is no need to fear awareness. No need.

Awareness is the first step toward positive change and growth. It's the first step toward solving the problem, or getting the need met, the first step toward the future. It's how we focus on the next lesson.

Awareness is how life, the Universe, and our Higher Power get our attention and prepare us for change. The process of becoming changed begins with awareness. Awareness, acceptance, and change - that's the cycle. We can accept the temporary discomfort from awareness because that's how we're moved to a better place. We can accept the temporary discomfort because we can trust God, and ourselves.

Today, I will be grateful for any awareness I encounter. I will display gratitude, peace, and dignity when life gets my attention. I will remember that it's okay to accept the temporary discomfort from awareness because I can trust that it's my Higher Power moving me forward.

Today I celebrate all of me exactly as I am. --Ruth Fishel

I can't change, what I turn a blind eye to. Role playing, isn't the real me. I need to stay in the moment, in today, and I can see where I am at in my journey and make a decision as to whether I need to make any changes.