Step by Step
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023
“Selfishness — self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.” — Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 5 (“How It Works”), p 62.
Today: “…we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.” The boomerang effect. If I harbor thoughts of exacting revenge on those who have wronged me — real or perceived — I would be wise to reach back into my yesterdays and remember that my best-laid plans of revenge or comeuppance for someone else have usually acted like a boomerang and sneaked from behind to crack me in the head. If I am not yet able to let go of whatever emotion I hold against someone I think has hurt me, perhaps I can understand that setting out to inflict intentional harm or injury — revenge — may well put me in the position of being hurt somewhere down the road. And the selfishness that drives the engine to quench that thirst for revenge is the precursor of resentment — our most formidable and potentially lethal opponent. Today, if I can’t or won’t let go thoughts of getting even with someone and hoping for their day of reckoning, I am better served to understand that I may be setting a trap for myself. And our common journey continues. Step by step. — Chris M., 2023
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