I read a story yesterday, which made me ask myself a question. Do I stick my nose in where it doesn’t belong?
May sound like something about myself that’s not familiar, but the question is about honesty. Am I honest with myself? I may have convinced myself that I am, but am I?
What was the story that brought it up? Something De Mello wrote. It was about a priest walking down the street one day and seeing a young boy trying to ring a doorbell on a house, which he couldn’t reach. The priest laughed and went up on the porch and pushed the bell for the young boy. He then leaned down and laughing said, “What do we do next?” And the little boy said, “Run like hell!”
Made me laugh, but also made me stop later on and think about my actions in life. Am I being honest and minding my own business, or am I getting my nose in where it doesn’t belong? Making problems for myself and others?
I mean I came here to get sober and hopefully help others. But does that mean that I’m looking over other shoulders and saying or doing things I need to stay away from? Why am I asking myself that question? Because of where this kind of stuff has taken people over time.
How many alcoholics have I known, who have gotten into resentments and went out and drank again and died as a result? Enough. And I have looked back in the past and know what some of this has possibly been part of that. And how have I reacted when others have nosed around with me?
MYOB has been a remark my old sponsor and some of the old timers have used in ego deflation in depth on me and others back in time. Just taking time to think about this.
After all I’m here for one purpose only in reality. And that’s to stay sober a day at a time and to do what I need, depending on my Higher Power and others, plus the Steps. I need to do whatever it is to express my gratitude to my Higher Power and others. Part of that is the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Steps. I can only hope that I’m trying to practice this spiritual way of life, as expressed in the Ninth Step.
Hopefully I’m freely giving what was so freely given to me and that I’m reflecting on the thought of staying sober a day at a time. Gratitude.