From Courage to Change of Jul 27:
I take to heart the words in the Suggested Closing that say, ” . . . let there be no gossip or criticism of one another.” I try to leave my judgmental attitude at the door. Unfortunately, I pick it up again the instant I get into my car after the meeting.
Nobody drives well enough to suit me. The car ahead of me goes too slowly, and I am forced to get very close and push it along. The driver behind me does the same to me. Not to be intimidated, I swear at him and rive even slower. Don’t they know my rules of the road? In other words, through constant criticism and expectations of others, I isolate myself and act like a victim.
Whatever happened to practicing the Al-Anon principles in all my affairs? D I really think I can fully reap the benefits of the program by practicing unconditional love for a single hour two or three times a week? It may be a start, but only a start.
Today’s Reminder
I can’t keep thoughts from coming into my head, but I have a choice about whether or not to entertain those thoughts for the next hour. Am I making the choices I want to make, or is habit making my choices for me? A change of attitude means a change in my thinking. I will look at the principles I am practicing today.
“We must alter our lives in order to alter our hearts, for it is impossible to live one way and pray another.” ~ William Law
END OF QUOTE—————————————
Sometimes, ritualized words become mental wallpaper. “Let there be no gossip or criticism of one another.” Is it possible that these words or more than protective role playing to make the meetings a safe place, a v training ground of vulnerability? Could this actually be a spiritual invitation? A compass of sorts. Can the connective words in this circle of overcomers be transformed into daily living? I indeed have difficulty with those who hinder my momentum while I seek to become one with my vehicle’s internal combustion engine. The machine mind pushes me forward. The oracle that is sensitive to the spiritual quest is tucked away. Death becomes my god. The merciless clock becomes an angelic enforcer of “productive” isolation.
The truth is, these aren’t random acts of frustration—they’re patterns of isolation disguised as righteousness. They’re me choosing indignation over serenity. They’re me handing the steering wheel over to habit instead of principle. I say I want recovery. But how do I expect to receive the promises if I only practice the program when it’s easy—inside a meeting room, for a single protected hour? This work isn’t about performance; it’s about transformation. And transformation requires more than nodding along when the readings are comforting. It requires gut-level honesty when my defects show up at 45 mph with the blinker still on.
I can pause and intelligently ask: Am I willing to grow past the hour-long serenity? Can I bring the same grace I show a trembling newcomer into my interactions with strangers who don’t follow “my rules”? My mind will think what it thinks—but I have agency over what I dwell on, what I feed, and what I choose to let go.
I wish to release my apish grunts. I pause. I look at my thoughts. I ask if they’re rooted in love or in fear, in connection or in control. And if they’re not the thoughts I want to live by, I don’t have to follow them down the road.
Recovery is available in every lane—if I’m willing to yield to it.
Daily Reprieve 
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