Got a message this evening from an old friend and they said something which I needed to hear. Acceptance. They said they heard that today and it was what they needed very much. It hit me also.
I thought how often I can get hit with things, which disturb me. And acceptance is the last thing I probably ever think of. Self punishment or something like that is where I often go. Not that this is a lot of stuff, but, when it happens, I fail to often accept whatever it is. Instead I hit myself over the head with it.
I stopped and went back and thought about this. How often I need to practice acceptance, much like I learned it fairly early on from my old sponsor. And over time I had forgotten that I needed to practice acceptance, as I had.
That caused me to think about the power of the Serenity Prayer. Often I think about that prayer, but just as often I forget to simply accept it, as I should. I know over time a lot of the changes I have gone through in here have been the result of my being able to accept things.
The peace I grew to know in this program was a almost direct result of my being able to accept what was in front of me. And the remark made me stop and think about all of this. In fact the word alone did for me what I so often need. And that is peace of mind. Quiet within and gratitude.
Fortunately I always accept who and what I am. An alcoholic. A sober alcoholic, who stays sober a day at a time. That alone is a major factor and thought in my life. But the practice of acceptance is what I need on a daily basis. The peace I think we all need from time to time. I know I could definitely benefit from this.
I’m so thankful this thought was offered to me tonight. It almost instantly hit me and I could feel the quiet within. Just to open my mind and my heart and accept my life as it is today. To think of that word did it almost at once.
Someone brought up the thought about “gratitude” today. Had I been sharp and on the ball and thought of the word “acceptance”, I probably would have talked about that. It fits so perfectly into my life.
I need to say thanks to my Higher Power, my old sponsor, the old timers, and all those in here, who have helped me through all this time.