Recovery Relationships To Love and Be Loved By admin Posted on February 1, 2018 4 min read 3 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Reddit Share on Pinterest Share on Linkedin Share on Tumblr Ten things that help me most in achieving serenity: Step One. I admit I’m powerless—over food and other people (their emotional well-being and their opinion of me). I’m powerless over war, famine, poverty, natural disasters—powerless over everything outside myself, and a lot of what’s inside too. Action plan. My action plan includes morning exercise and meditation. When I wake up, I don’t have to think about what to do, I just do it. Plan of eating. My food plan embodies all I’ve found out about what works for me to make my body healthy and mind clear. No food fights. Before OA, I argued with food and tried to make deals with it: “Just one bite and then I’ll leave it alone.” Now, I don’t even go there. Daily prayer and meditation. I pray while I do morning yoga and walk my dog. I meditate at work on my lunch hour. When I hear about someone in trouble, I close my eyes and hold them “in the light” for a few moments. Rigorous honesty. I tell the truth to my sponsor every day. I phone or email to turn over my food and feelings; anything I’m ashamed of or afraid to share is exactly what I say out loud. Abstaining from perfectionism. A huge part of my disease was thinking I had to be perfect to be safe: do perfect work, have a perfect body, know the perfect answer. I lose my serenity if I hold myself to that standard. Now, I celebrate my mistakes, brokenness, and willingness to keep coming back. Radical self-care. I listen to my body and emotions, and value what I learn. I treat myself gently and try to nurture myself as I would a child or friend. Step Three. Turning over my will and my life at ever-deeper levels teaches me I’m not in charge. My job is to follow instructions from HP, which come via program and trustworthy people. Letting go helps my serenity grow. Love. In the rooms, in prayer, and in meditation, I receive unconditional love and acceptance. To experience myself as loved and precious, exactly as I am, was new for me. As I began to trust and allow myself to grow, I became more able to love others. Now I understand I’m here on earth to love and be loved. My abstinence and program help me do that. The more I live in love, the greater my serenity. — Joan P.
