Friday, March 17, 2023
Today’s Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:
Whoever degrades another degrades me, and whatever is done or said returns at last to me, And whatever I do or say I also return.
— Walt Whitman
At times we feel profoundly alone. Although we’ve begun to understand the depth and importance of our connection to other human beings, that connection can still elude us.
Some of us feel anger, remembering ways we may have been treated by family, teachers, employers, mates, or acquaintances. Some of us feel guilt and regret about our own behavior toward others. As we work the Twelve Steps and feel supported and included by new friends in recovery, our hearts expand; we reach out to others, sharing our experience, strength, and hope. Over time, we begin to feel compassion for our former selves and even for those we believe harmed us.
Anger and shame don’t end just because we enter recovery, but today we don’t have to react with words or actions that disparage others. When negative feelings arise, we now can be conscious of the impact of what we say and do.
Today, I speak and act consciously, with respect for myself and others.
Hazelden Foundation
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