Endigar 681 ~ Freedom from Guilt
From the Daily Reflections of January 27;
Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word “blame” from our speech and thought. (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 47).
When I become willing to accept my own powerlessness, I begin to realize that blaming myself for all the trouble in my life can be an ego trip back into hopelessness. Asking for help and listening deeply to the messages inherent in the Steps and Traditions of the program make it possible to change those attitudes which delay my recovery. Before joining A.A., I had such a desire for approval from people in powerful positions that I was willing to sacrifice myself, and others, to gain a foothold in the world. I invariably came to grief. In the program I find true friends who love, understand, and care to help me learn the truth about myself. With the help of the Twelve Steps, I am able to build a better life, free of guilt and the need for self-justification.
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What happens when my guilt-o-meter is broken? What if I take responsibility for situations I have no control over? I can see two possible strategies for coping with this self-manufactured burden. I can try to intervene and fix people’s lives or I can develop a reflexive tendency to blame others to distract from my personal feelings of being inadequate. I will usually do a combination of the two.
The main quest in AA for me is to know the truth about myself and address my short-comings. I must become honest and accept only what I am responsible for and what guilt is actually my burden. I cannot be responsible for the way someone responds to my transgressions, only the transgressions themselves. Likewise I am responsible for how I respond to the offenses I suffer from others. It is my goal to make guilt and blame events to address and not lifestyle burdens to carry.
Image Source: Still from 1986 movie, The Mission.
Daily Reprieve 
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