slogans Archives - The Recovery Show

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How do you use slogans? Do you “let it begin with me”? When do you ask yourself “Is it worth my serenity?” How do you “Live and let live”?

3 slogans for today.
- Let it begin with me.
- Is it worth my serenity?
- First things first.
For each slogan: How do I understand the slogan?
What did I think when I first heard each slogan?
Has my understanding changed?
How have I applied the slogan in the past? Now?
The “Al-Anon declaration” includes the words “Let it begin with me” twice. Why?
- LET IT BEGIN WITH ME—When anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, let the hand of Al‑Anon and Alateen always be there and LET IT BEGIN WITH ME
Do I use “Let it begin with me” to remind me that my recovery comes first?
- Sort of like the “oxygen mask” metaphor?
- “Isms” and “if you spot it, you got it”
What happens when I ask “Is it worth my serenity?” How does it change the way I react to situations?
Do I use “first things first”
- To reduce frustration, fear, or uncertainty?
- To help me move forward one step towards a goal I don’t know how to reach?
- To help me choose from several “next steps”?

Our topic for next week is new topic. Please call us at 734-707-8795 or email feedback@therecoveryshow.com with your questions or experience, strength and hope. Or just leave a comment right here.

Readings

We opened with a reading from Chapter 9 of How Al-Anon Works, Slogans.

Later, we read from Courage to Change, April 18 and December 2.

Continue reading “Slogans part 2 – Episode 235”

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Do you find yourself seeking perfection? Do you procrastinate because you can’t achieve it? Or, maybe, you are paralyzed because of it.

We explore the 3 P’s, guided by the questions below and with shares from listeners.

How do Perfection, Procrastination, and Paralysis connect to each other?
How have I experienced perfection(ism) in my life?
How (and why) do I procrastinate?
- What is the payoff from procrastinating?
When do I experience paralysis?
- What behaviors do I exhibit then?
How can I use the “6 P’s”(from our book Paths to Recovery) of Step six? Thanks to Cleaning Out the Old Toolbox blog for these reflections:
- Perspective: think of defects of character as “survival skills that no longer serve me”. Since my Higher Power wants more for me than mere survival, I can let them go and trust that I will develop healthy behaviors and thinking.
- Pain: Whenever the pain of staying the same hurts more than the pain of change, that’s the time when I will be ready.
- Prayer: My part is to pray for openness & willingness; God’s part is to do the removing.
- Patience: God gets to choose when and how fast He will remove my defects of character.
- Process: Quite possibly, this is a grief process of denial, anger, bargaining and depression.
- Payoff: The bottom line–what am I getting out of holding on to some of these defects of character? What is still good about it?
How can I let go of 3 P’s?
- Slogans
  - Progress, not perfection
  - First things first
  - How Important is it?
  - Do the next right thing.
  - Keep it simple.
  - Easy does it.
  - Let go and let God.
- Steps
  - Step 4 — identify my character traits
  - Step 5 — be honest about them!
  - Step 6 — become ready to let go of what is not helping me
  - Step 7 — Ask for the help (and practise new behavior)
- Acceptance that nothing is/will be perfect. Ever.
- Gratitude

Our upcoming topic is courage. The word courage appears in the serenity prayer, from which the title of one of our daily meditation books was taken: Courage to Change. How have you experienced courage in your recovery? Which steps required courage of you? How has recovery given you courage to change the things you can? Please call us at 734-707-8795 or email feedback@therecoveryshow.com with your questions or experience, strength and hope. Or just leave a comment right here.

Episodes mentioned in this show are: Episode 203, Adult Children of Alcoholics; Episode 200, Daddy’s Medicine; and Episode 22, Parents’ Roundtable.
Continue reading “3 P’s: Perfection, Procrastination, Paralysis – Episode 219”