So, a big part of my recovery was letting go of the little things that routinely upset me, and simply chalking them up to life happening all around me. I can't control IT - so I might as well work on how I react to it.
Throughout our day we have multiple opportunities to 'do the right thing.' It can be as simple as opening to door for someone or saying 'I'm sorry' to someone we've harmed. For a long time I would let how I reacted to the first opportunity of the day dictate how the rest of it would go. If it went poorly I would say 'to hell with it,' and most likely the rest of the day I would be all wrapped up in only me.
For me, getting sober wasn't just about not drinking anymore - it was also about getting a handle on my selfishness and self-centeredness. I had to get away from thinking about myself all the time and start thinking about others instead.
Yesterday was a microcosm of life for me. It started out very well, then took a turn south at work, then got better, and finally turned south again last night (I expressed frustration at toys lying around the house again - my wife does daycare). As I got ready for bed I realized that I had an opportunity to 'do the right thing.' Could I control that there were eight kids in the daycare yesterday? No... Could I control that my wife felt a little overwhelmed that day? Not really..... In the grand scheme of things is a couple of toys lying around really a big deal? Of course not....
So, I took a big old bite of humble pie and apologized for being upset about the toys and then listened to what she had to say. Getting it out took away all the frustration in me my wife didn't have to go to bed upset. I guess the moral to the story would be that there is always going to be an opportunity to set wrongs to rights, we just have to be ready and open to them when they happen.
Throughout our day we have multiple opportunities to 'do the right thing.' It can be as simple as opening to door for someone or saying 'I'm sorry' to someone we've harmed. For a long time I would let how I reacted to the first opportunity of the day dictate how the rest of it would go. If it went poorly I would say 'to hell with it,' and most likely the rest of the day I would be all wrapped up in only me.
For me, getting sober wasn't just about not drinking anymore - it was also about getting a handle on my selfishness and self-centeredness. I had to get away from thinking about myself all the time and start thinking about others instead.
Yesterday was a microcosm of life for me. It started out very well, then took a turn south at work, then got better, and finally turned south again last night (I expressed frustration at toys lying around the house again - my wife does daycare). As I got ready for bed I realized that I had an opportunity to 'do the right thing.' Could I control that there were eight kids in the daycare yesterday? No... Could I control that my wife felt a little overwhelmed that day? Not really..... In the grand scheme of things is a couple of toys lying around really a big deal? Of course not....
So, I took a big old bite of humble pie and apologized for being upset about the toys and then listened to what she had to say. Getting it out took away all the frustration in me my wife didn't have to go to bed upset. I guess the moral to the story would be that there is always going to be an opportunity to set wrongs to rights, we just have to be ready and open to them when they happen.
ray:
Comment