Blog entry for:
Thu, Jul 6, 2006 06:47:36 AM
Δ amending my behavior and the way i treat ourselves and others δ
posted: Thu, Jul 6, 2006 06:47:36 AM
is the whole purpose of working the steps.
when i get to this particular reading in the annual cycle i think of some old song that i heard once a long time ago where the singer kept saying i am sorry and forgive me. or maybe I never heard that song at all, i made it up in my head to justify my behaviors and the harm i did. The fact whether that song was real or imagined is really unimportant, my point is that the whole "i’m sorry" refrain, that i used to sing was a large part of my repertoire. i even learned to pull it out as the last resort, in fact ui would try anything i could to avoid saying i was sorry, even though mouthing those words were abhorrent to me. and i really never was sincerely sorry, well never is an awful long time, so perhaps for the sake of honesty i might amend that statement to state that most of the time i was not really sorry, after all i had already created my rationalization in my head, so had already absolved myself of most the blame in that particular situation. and when i could rationalize no further, my favorite excuse came to light, "i was really high at then!"
so learning to accept responsibility for my behaviors and the damage they cause was an entirely foreign concept to me when i came to recovery, and to this day still causes a problem or three on a daily basis. that does not absolve me of my responsibility to take responsibility for my actions and my recovery and do the next right, regardless of my personal feeling about it. so that i can truly say, "i am no longer just ‘sorry’ i am responsible."
when i get to this particular reading in the annual cycle i think of some old song that i heard once a long time ago where the singer kept saying i am sorry and forgive me. or maybe I never heard that song at all, i made it up in my head to justify my behaviors and the harm i did. The fact whether that song was real or imagined is really unimportant, my point is that the whole "i’m sorry" refrain, that i used to sing was a large part of my repertoire. i even learned to pull it out as the last resort, in fact ui would try anything i could to avoid saying i was sorry, even though mouthing those words were abhorrent to me. and i really never was sincerely sorry, well never is an awful long time, so perhaps for the sake of honesty i might amend that statement to state that most of the time i was not really sorry, after all i had already created my rationalization in my head, so had already absolved myself of most the blame in that particular situation. and when i could rationalize no further, my favorite excuse came to light, "i was really high at then!"
so learning to accept responsibility for my behaviors and the damage they cause was an entirely foreign concept to me when i came to recovery, and to this day still causes a problem or three on a daily basis. that does not absolve me of my responsibility to take responsibility for my actions and my recovery and do the next right, regardless of my personal feeling about it. so that i can truly say, "i am no longer just ‘sorry’ i am responsible."
∞ 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!
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☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 1
3) Great, it passes on (in constant flow). Passing on, it becomes
remote. Having become remote, it returns. Therefore the Tao is great;
Heaven is great; Earth is great; and the (sage) king is also great.
In the universe there are four that are great, and the (sage) king
is one of them.