Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Aug. 14, 2018 - Readings in Recovery: Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018
Today’s thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:

We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it – and stay there, lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove lid again… but also, she will never sit down on a cold one any more.
 — Mark Twain

“Last night I asked for help, but the person couldn’t give it to me. Tonight I’m not going to ask because I’ll be refused.” Poor us! One person has rejected us, so now we’ve got the whole world rejecting us. We believe if one person lets us down, everyone else will too.

Such thinking, as negative as it is, can provide safety. If we believe we can’t trust anymore, then we won’t. But there won’t be any growth in this kind of safety. By condemning everyone, we won’t see those who want to help.

To find help we may have to ask several people. If a few people turn us away, we shouldn’t give up hope. There are many flowers in the field of life, but to pick the best, we need to look at them all.

If I get rejected it doesn’t mean I’m a bad person or no one can be trusted. It means I need to take another risk or maybe two.

You are reading from the book:

Night Light by Amy E. Dean. © 1986, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation

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