Listen to what we tell ourselves,we can decide which shoulds are want to's, and throw out the rest!!

Thou shalt not should thyself. Anonymous!! Listen to what we tell ourselves,we can decide which shoulds are want to's, and throw out the rest!! When someone tells us we should do something, do we want to do it, or do we feel mad that someone else is telling us what we want to do? Sometimes we forget that these messages are not our own, but are the desires of others. It's important to listen to what we tell ourselves, to be aware of which messages we're giving ourselves and which come from others. We can make a list of all our shoulds and identify where they came from: parent, boss, friend, self. Then we can decide which shoulds are want to's, and throw out the rest. Doing what we want to is very different from doing what we should, and we can usually do a better job of it. Have I freed myself of shoulds today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation

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Depression? Do I need to do something just for myself today, need to take a rest and reenergize?

Do I need to do something just for myself today, need to take a rest and reenergize? Claire Weekes©Think in terms of depletion, not depression.You can understand how a body can replenish itself, whereas it may be difficult to understand the way out of depression. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9290-depression https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn__jc5py2I https://www.psycom.net/depression-test Despair and depression may come over us suddenly, for no reason we can figure out. But if we stop and reflect, we may realize we are reacting to too much of something--too much work, too much excitement, too much fun. We may be having a letdown after holidays, after completing a project, or at the end of a school year. When we feel a letdown coming on, we must give ourselves time. We need to take some time off and do nothing, plan nothing. Then we can ask God to help us let go of the negative feelings that come along with a letdown. We can plan a small gift for ourselves--a walk by the lake, for instance. In our excitement with a rush of events, we often forget that we, like the infants we once were, need to take a rest and reenergize. Do I need to do something just for myself today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

I will focus on what's happening now!! Things will work out, if we let them. Staying in the Present Moment!!

I will focus on what's happening now!! Things will work out, if we let them. Staying in the Present Moment!! . . Often, one of our biggest questions is "What's going to happen?" We may ask this about our relationships, our career, our recovery, and our life. It is easy to tangle us up in worrisome thoughts. Worrying about what's going to happen blocks us from functioning effectively today. It keeps us from doing our best now. . .. It blocks us from learning and mastering today's lessons. Staying in the now, doing our best, and participating fully today are all we need to do to assure ourselves that what's going to happen tomorrow will be for the best.Staying in the Present Moment Often, one of our biggest questions is "What's going to happen?" . . .. We may ask this about our relationships, our career, our recovery, and our life. It is easy to tangle us up in worrisome thoughts.Things will work out, if we let them. If we must focus on the future other than to plan, all we need to do is affirm that it will be good. . . I pray for faith that my future will be good if I live today well, and in peace. I will remember that staying in the present is the best thing I can do for my future. I will focus on what's happening now instead of what's going to happen tomorrow!! From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie ©1990,

By gently welcoming the children we once were, we become wiser, stronger, and more spiritual.

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By gently welcoming the

By gently welcoming the children we once were, we become wiser, stronger, and more spiritual.- - Within every man there is the reflection of a woman, and within every woman there is the reflection of a man. Within every man and woman there is also the reflection of an old man and an old woman, a little boy and a little girl. - Hyemeyohsts Storm - - This Cheyenne teaching reminds us of our connections - inside ourselves and with other people. Reading this passage, we are seeing it partly with the eyes of that small child who first learned to read. And perhaps, looking in the mirror today, we can see the traces of the old men we are becoming. We have been close to our mothers or sisters or lovers and have found parts of ourselves in them. By gently welcoming the children we once were, the old men we will be, the part of us that has a woman's outlook, we become wiser, stronger, and more spiritual. - - We don't need to be frightened or disrespectful of the parts of ourselves that don't feel 100 percent virile. We can have virility and many other sides too. Such awareness creates peace with ourselves. -- I will notice the reflection of small children in old faces, old people in children's faces, and men and women in each other. From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men ©1986, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

I am free to love and be loved?

Clearing the Slate One of the greatest gifts we can give is an open, loving heart. And holding on to negative feelings from past relationships is our greatest barrier to that gift. Most of us have had relationships that have ended. When we examine these relationships, we need to clear the emotional slate. Are we holding on to anger or resentments? Are we still feeling victimized? Are we living with the self-defeating beliefs that may be attached to these relationships - Women can't be trusted.... Bosses use people.... There is no such thing as a good relationship.... Let go of all that may be blocking your relationships today. With great certainty, we can know that old feelings and self-defeating beliefs will block us today from giving and getting the love we desire. We can clear the slate of the past. It begins with awareness, honesty, and openness. The process is complete when we reach a state of acceptance and peace toward all from our past. Today, I will begin the process of letting go of all self-defeating feelings and beliefs connected to past relationships. I will clear my slate so I am free to love and be loved. From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie ©1990, Hazelden Foundation.

New Energy Coming

Fun becomes fun, love becomes love, and life becomes worth living. And we become grateful. There is a new energy, a new feeling coming into our life. We cannot base our expectations about how we will feel tomorrow, or even a few hours from now, on how we feel at this moment. There are no two moments in time alike. We are changing. Our life is changing. At times, things haven't worked out the way we wanted. We had lessons to learn. The future shall not be like the past. The truly difficult times are almost over. The confusion, the most challenging learning experiences, the difficult feelings are about to pass. Do not limit the future by the past! Haven't there been many changes that have brought you to where you are now? Reflecting on one year ago. Haven't you and your circumstances changed since then? Sometimes, problems and feelings linger for a while. These times are temporary. Times of confusion, uncertainty, times of living with a particular unsolved problem do not last forever. We make these times doubly hard by comparing them to our past. Each situation and circumstance has had its particular influence in shaping who we are. We do not have to scare ourselves by comparing our present and future to a painful past, especially our past before we began recovering or before we learned through a particular experience. Know that the discomfort will not be permanent. Do not try to figure out how you shall feel or when you shall feel differently. Instead, trust. Accept today, but do not be limited by it. A new energy is coming. A new feeling is on the way. We cannot predict how it will be by looking at how it was or how it is, because it shall be entirely different. We have not worked and struggled in vain. It has been for and toward something. Times are changing for the better. Continue on the path of trust and obedience. Be open to the new. Today, God, help me not judge or limit my future by my past. Help me be open to all the exciting possibilities for change, both within and around me. From Beyond CodependencyThe Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie ©1990, Hazelden Foundation.