Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020
Today’s Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:
Feeling is the inner life; expression is the outer life. — Alexander Lowen
There’s a connection between our ability to feel, our ability to express our feelings, and our ability to let go. There are probably many painful emotions we learned to suppress when we were young, particularly anger or sadness. Other emotions might be difficult to feel because they’re connected to past pain, especially about childhood abuse or acting out in our addiction.
Yet there’s no letting go, no moving on, until we stop trying to avoid feelings such as sorrow, anger, rage, or despair. One way to begin working through difficult feelings is to reach out to people with a phone call or by attending a meeting. Other ways are to write, have a good cry, or plan a healing ritual, such as a couple of days alone thinking. We can also remember to turn to our Higher Power for the spiritual help we need.
The inner release that comes from expressing our feelings will help ease the pain. We can’t let go of the past all at once, but we can let go of a little piece today.
If I’m hurting today, I can reach out for the healing of the program. I will give myself the same compassion I would give another person who is suffering.
Hazelden Foundation
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