[Leed]

Days of Healing Days of Joy ........................Sept. 30th

Let not thy Will roar, when thy Power can but whisper.................
.......................................................Thomas Fuller

A man at a meeting of adult children brought knowing nods and sympathetic smiles when he said, "I've found that my way doesn't always work - in fact, it doesn't work very often." He was talking about that rebellious attitude he had recently discovered in himself.

Certainly there were many in the room who could identify. The a tomatic "You can't make me" reaction goes back a long way. Even today, if somebody suggests something that sounds right - even if it's what we want to do, what we know we should do - because someone else said it, we won't.

The man went on to describe the effective antidote he had devised to curb his willful ways. I am practicing actions that adapt to the rules." he said. "like fastening my seatbelt, which I always refused to do. Maybe following this rule will save my life. Maybe following all the rules will save my life in more ways than one."
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I will listen to the wisdom of others and follow that wisdom when it sounds right to me.


It seems to me that alot of alcoholics are stubborn. LOL Could we have been born that way or did it come with the alcoholism? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? All I know is that I knew best -- and rarely took the advice of anyone. Even if proven WRONG, I'd still try to find a way for MY way to work. "Self will run riot" -- that was me with bells on.

It wasn't until I got sober that I found I had to humble myself -- not only to my peers but to my Higher Power, and to myself. My self-will had to be thrown out the window. I could no longer run the show. I could no longer do things ONLY my way. Today I can listen to what others have to say and consider their ways too. What a concept!

[madisgram]

thanks so much leed for these awesome posts. they offer me so much thought and self appraisal.
oh golly. this brings to mind the stubborrness i still have. sometimes someone will point out another point in conflict with mine. it takes a lot for me to catch myself and LISTEN to what they have to say. like my way or the highway even if i am wrong and probably know it! i guess the best example of not ever doing this is with my sponsor. i know it is a gift given to me to take her suggestions willingly cause that's not my nature. can't take much credit for that behavior except in my heart i knew she knew far more than me how to stay sober.
your post reminded me of another experience. talk about my ego! if i got into a jam i knew i was able to "scam' my way out of it. sometimes i'd say sit down and think you can come up with a solution to avoid any fall out. you can do this and worse yet i thought that was incredible talent!
a great answer to my question to my sponsor when i asked when should i let god's will prevail or when should i exercise my will...she said "when in doubt don't"...meaning let go and let god. get outta tha way, jan!
i have a competent talent for managerial skills. just so everything went correctly i had i thought to run the show. what a relief when i learned i didn't have to run the world!!! life became far more easy to sit back and allow others to do their thing.
so i had a LOT of self will run riot too. A LOT. learning to leave my will "at the door" turned out to be a wonderful thing. life was far easier and i wasn't worn out running everything.