Got a reminder today of just how seriously I may take myself. Two friends of mine have had some serious hospital time. One for a multiple bypass and the other in ICU with pneumonia. And all I had to do today was just to stay sober. That’s serious, but with God’s help and some reminders, I don’t think I’m that threatened.
Early this week I had a talk with a old friend of mine, who was weighted down with a lot of cares. She had told me a really funny story a few days before. We reminded each other of that story and she broke out laughing. The clouds went away and the “seriousness” passed.
I was sitting here and thinking of how often, when I’m not paying attention to the real world, the world of sobriety, the world of the spirit, how often I can drift into my own mind and find myself adopting a “serious” attitude. When I’m in that mode, everything is taken seriously, especially me. Yet, I’m reminded by the program that it’s ok to take really serious things seriously, but not myself.
It’s ok for me to take my sobriety seriously. It’s only proper that I think that way. But not me. All I have to do is look in the mirror to get myself laughing.
I’m always reminded of my character defects and what a klutz I can be. That’s all it takes is to look at my reflection with such a serious face and I have to chuckle.
As my sponsor used to remind me, “Lighten up”. He often reminded me that I was trying to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. He was right. I was in danger of getting a metaphysical hernia from the strain. How often he rescued me from myself. I need to remind myself.
Taking myself too seriously is not sober thinking. That’s the kind of stuff, which can give free reign to my character defects. It’s then that I’m open to anger, discontent, resentment, and all kinds of fears, which come from extreme self centeredness. I know that this is when I need to stop my day and start it all over afresh.
Anyway, I was thinking about this and thought I’d pass it along.