Blog entry for:
Tue, May 8, 2007 08:38:39 AM
↔ All i have to do is admit that i do not have all the answers, ↔
posted: Tue, May 8, 2007 08:38:39 AM
then listen as others share what has worked for them.
what i do not know all the answers, imagine that! after all, when i was sixteen i was sure that i had ALL the answers and that attitude even got worse as i grew older and as my disease progressed i even got more cock-sure about what i thought i knew, and i let EVERYONE know it! so here i sit at fifty finally coming to the conclusion that i was so full of shit, that i wonder why my eyes are not brown.
so what do i REALLY know today? well that i am just a human being, and an addict in recovery to boot. the implication of that statement is that is is highly improbable that i will ever know everything or ever come anywhere close. that includes recovery, the disease of addiction, myself and how i react to the world around me.
not to sound too defeatist, there is HOPE for me after all. even though i am incapable of knowing all there is about those subjects, admitting that allows me to try and have an open mind about all of those subjects, helps me to accept suggestions from others and helps me to be willing to try what has worked for them. i can get better, i do not believe i will ever be cured or even well. admitting that i do not know also provides me the freedom to be more than i ever was. it is my preconceived notions and what i think i know that prevents me from growing into the man that i was always meant to be.
so being teachable is not a slam on who i am, rather it is an asset that i NEED to accept and NOURISH by listening to what is going on in the world around me.
what i do not know all the answers, imagine that! after all, when i was sixteen i was sure that i had ALL the answers and that attitude even got worse as i grew older and as my disease progressed i even got more cock-sure about what i thought i knew, and i let EVERYONE know it! so here i sit at fifty finally coming to the conclusion that i was so full of shit, that i wonder why my eyes are not brown.
so what do i REALLY know today? well that i am just a human being, and an addict in recovery to boot. the implication of that statement is that is is highly improbable that i will ever know everything or ever come anywhere close. that includes recovery, the disease of addiction, myself and how i react to the world around me.
not to sound too defeatist, there is HOPE for me after all. even though i am incapable of knowing all there is about those subjects, admitting that allows me to try and have an open mind about all of those subjects, helps me to accept suggestions from others and helps me to be willing to try what has worked for them. i can get better, i do not believe i will ever be cured or even well. admitting that i do not know also provides me the freedom to be more than i ever was. it is my preconceived notions and what i think i know that prevents me from growing into the man that i was always meant to be.
so being teachable is not a slam on who i am, rather it is an asset that i NEED to accept and NOURISH by listening to what is going on in the world around me.
∞ DT ∞
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
Another Look!
↔ a wonderful learning enviornment for me ↔ 283 words ➥ Monday, May 8, 2006 by: donnotμ as a recovering addict and as a human being, i have much to learn. μ 265 words ➥ Thursday, May 8, 2008 by: donnot
μ the fellowship is a wonderful learning environment for the recovering addict μ 216 words ➥ Friday, May 8, 2009 by: donnot
∴ addiction is a great teacher, and if it teaches nothing else, it does teach me humility ∴ 549 words ➥ Saturday, May 8, 2010 by: donnot
∫ i have learned that it is okay to not know all the answers, ∫ 657 words ➥ Sunday, May 8, 2011 by: donnot
¤ as long as i remain teachable , 756 words ➥ Tuesday, May 8, 2012 by: donnot
∗ other addicts—and other humans — 728 words ➥ Wednesday, May 8, 2013 by: donnot
ƒ i will admit that i do not have all the answers ƒ 675 words ➥ Thursday, May 8, 2014 by: donnot
♠ i will look and listen to ♠ 781 words ➥ Friday, May 8, 2015 by: donnot
⫽ teachable ⫽ 742 words ➥ Sunday, May 8, 2016 by: donnot
✗ it is okay ✘ 588 words ➥ Monday, May 8, 2017 by: donnot
🎓 i have much to learn, 🎓 591 words ➥ Tuesday, May 8, 2018 by: donnot
📐 taking advantage 💬 576 words ➥ Wednesday, May 8, 2019 by: donnot
💩 the answers 💫 615 words ➥ Friday, May 8, 2020 by: donnot
🚘 traveling man 🚗 2 words ➥ Saturday, May 8, 2021 by: donnot
🤔 all the answers, 🤓 567 words ➥ Sunday, May 8, 2022 by: donnot
😎 tolerance 😎 418 words ➥ Monday, May 8, 2023 by: donnot
🤨 it took my very best 🤨 545 words ➥ Wednesday, May 8, 2024 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 2
2) When the mother is found, we know what her children should be.
When one knows that he is his mother's child, and proceeds to guard
(the qualities of) the mother that belong to him, to the end of his
life he will be free from all peril.