Had a moment today, when someone reminded me of what works for me. They were talking about anxiety. They had become overwhelmed by this and it reminded me of me and a whole lot of people like myself, who from time to time suffer from what happens to us, when we’re thinking about us.
Self centered thinking can lead to these moments in our lives. Worries about how we’re doing. Thoughts about days or weeks ahead of where we are at the moment. Forgetting we’re in the “now” and not in the future or the past. Looking back at our failures or what we think are mistakes we made. Or fearing we’re going to make those same mistakes again. Or just a general feeling within us. Our egos. Our pride.
Today at the meeting we were talking about that favorite Step of mine. The Second Step. The beginning of my sobriety. The door to the spiritual way of life for me and how big a part this plays in my life today. It reminded me of what I often do, when something like anxiety comes into my head.
Of course the one thing my sponsor told me was that, when this stuff comes up, to stop and start my day over. Get back into the present. The “now”. Say a prayer and ask for help, then act as if everything is all right. If I do that it comes true.
But there is something else I do, which relates to prayer. It’s when I’m in a place where there isn’t time and I need to block these thoughts. And, when I say this, I’m not trying to teach anyone their view on a Higher Power or whatever it is that works for them. It’s their business and not mine. What is it? It’s very simple. If I’m occupied I just simply say to myself one word over and over again. I keep repeating it and find myself walking through whatever it is that is bothering me. And what is that “word”? God.
Simple to say the least. And my experience is that whatever it is, anxiety, worry, fear, anger, passes. It’s gone and I experience a comfort that was lost before. It worked for me before and I know it works anytime I remember to do it. It pulls me into the present and in my thinking it’s a form of prayer to my Higher Power, asking for grace to help me through, whatever tension I’m suffering from.
Just a thought on what works for me and helps me to stay sober.