It’s amazing how much I always get what I need. Several individuals, in different circumstances are so angry that the best thing to do is to avoid them. That kind of anger I’m sure that many of us know exactly what that is.
Yet anger is basically in itself a simple thing. The root cause is self pity. I didn’t get what I wanted, or no one is doing my way? Anytime I find myself angry I always look at it that way. I’m feeling sorry for myself and blaming others for why I’m angry.
In one case today, I was reminded of what Bill said in the Fifth Step in the 12&12 about blaming others for what’s wrong with us. I mean that we are critical of others for things we did, about which we are in denial. Bill says it’s stuff we held onto and never shared in the Fifth.
One man is now in jail for his anger. His resentments at members of his group led him back to a drink. They weren’t doing it his way.
Back years ago, I attended a meeting where we were talking about the Sixth and Seven Steps. People were talking about their character defects and self pity came up. One person said they were shocked that we considered it a defect. They said they didn’t because it was their way of entertaining themselves. Entertainment? I don’t think so.
Today we talked about the Serenity Prayer. I was reminded of all of this by the Serenity Prayer. Every time I think about Steps Six and Seven I tell myself that it is the Serenity Prayer. What I can do to change and what only God can do and I can’t. To me that’s the place for my anger and self pity, because I never want to drink again. That’s exactly where anger and self pity can take me.