aa friends Community Group
Welcome. If you come to visit for the first time and have some questions feel free to ask. PM someone if you like but don't stay a stranger. We were all in the pit. We know a way out. No condemnation and no hammers. Just ask and prepare to make a load of friends.
"Make plans but don't plan results." This is a simple phrase cautioning us against unnecessary worry and stress.
If our plans involve other people, we would be wise to work joyfully toward realizing our dreams, but we should not expect or worry if others do not want the same goals. Nor should we worry if others are not as enthused about our ideas as we are. We know, by applying the Serenity Prayer, that we can only change ourselves; we cannot force changes in others.
Another cause of unnecessary stress in planning results comes from our ingrained habit of regarding ourselves as inadequate. All too often, those of us who make plans give up on ourselves when we predict the outcome of our dreams on the basis of our past experiences. We falsely conclude that because we failed or felt empty in the past, we'll most certainly not succeed in the future; thus, we quit too soon and rationalize our resignation with a "Why bother to try?" attitude.
If our plans involve other people, we would be wise to work joyfully toward realizing our dreams, but we should not expect or worry if others do not want the same goals. Nor should we worry if others are not as enthused about our ideas as we are. We know, by applying the Serenity Prayer, that we can only change ourselves; we cannot force changes in others.
Another cause of unnecessary stress in planning results comes from our ingrained habit of regarding ourselves as inadequate. All too often, those of us who make plans give up on ourselves when we predict the outcome of our dreams on the basis of our past experiences. We falsely conclude that because we failed or felt empty in the past, we'll most certainly not succeed in the future; thus, we quit too soon and rationalize our resignation with a "Why bother to try?" attitude.
Thanks for reminding me and helping me to get out of this rut I am in.
I hadn't heard that before gjm. I can't plan my results, I can desire them, and work for them, but that doesn't mean they will always come to fruition from what I expected from the outset. And sometimes they're even better.
I guess I was so beaten that living in the now has become essential.
I was invited to a barbecue over the weekend with people I worked with many years ago. My old friend only knew me sober and didn't know I had relapsed. I was non-committal and explained my situation to her which she understood wholeheartedly. I didn't need to think about it again until the day came. I chose to stick to my usual program stuff and not be around the alcohol.
I remember years ago dreaming my days away and rarely, if ever, were they realized. And if they were, they never were quite as how I dreamed they would be! :)