[Leed]

Days of healing Days of joy ~ a Hazelden book

"This above all -- To thine own self be true..................Wm. Shakespeare

Perhaps more than any other common trait, we exhibit the fear of living our own truth. After all, we may have lived most of our lives in the pursuit of pleasing or, at least, of placating others. We hoped this would buy us the acceptance we coveted. How could we have known that people pleasing would strip us of our own opinions and feelings? We didn't know we'd lose our sense of humor, our principles, or perhaps even our morals. We lost our own truth.

Recovery means finding it. If a joke is funny, we laugh. If it is not, we don't. If someone else's statement is offensive, we can confront it or leave. If an unpopular decision has to be made, we are free to make it and go on to something else. We don't have to please! We learn to believe our own truth as we live it, not the other way around. Being who we are makes us who are are. If we're not sure who we are, today is the best of all days to start finding out.
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Today, I will not fake my reactions to anyone or anything. If I don't know how I feel, I will withhold my reaction until I figure it out.

I think many of we alcoholics have been people pleasers. We have wanted to be accepted by others, so we went along with whatever they said or even maybe done -- just to be accepted. That was me, in spades!

I recall many times perhaps laughing at jokes that I didn't find particularly funny; or never speaking up at things that I thought offensive due to being afraid that they'd reject me. While today, I don't ask for trouble, I do speak up. Just a short time ago, I was speaking online to a friend about politics, which of course one should NEVER do - but aside from that, he said something very offensive to me, and I replied that I disagreed. Consequently I do NOt hear from him anymore. LOL But I feel better for not having gone along with him. Sometimes, those things happen. And sometimes, we're better for it. God bless.

[mamafor3]

Ohhh God, I just say TRUE WORDS!!!! Everyone of us should be more honest about reactions to everything happens around us, not hold back feelings or hide because we have different meaning about anything.
I think we live longer and have a better life if we believe our own, and are strong enough to say or confront others meanings !! We are not a like, thanks God for that.

I believe in this words... with honesty you live longer

Be yourself