Anytime's a good time for a First Step

Nine months ago I  found myself getting upset and obsessed with the news. Politics can be deadly if you allow it. So, with the beginning of this new year I decided to review and repost what helped me last year. . .(See how Step One can be useful to you during this January, and in February we will review using Step Two)

             Are you a political animal? I have always watched political shenanigans from afar, voting when asked and then getting on with my life. But, I have to admit these political times are addictively fascinating – sort of like a train wreck.

            When I found myself checking CNN as it rehashes every detail and opinion possible, or even impossible about the ongoing hoo haa in Washington, I realized I was doing the same thing I needed to go to Alanon meetings for – I was obsessed with what the other guys were doing. And in my humble opinion they were doing it annoyingly and scarily bad, bad, bad.
           Doesn’t matter which political party you are devoted to, that obsession is probably sucking you in, just like it was doing to me.  
            So I went back to my Alanon training and decided to start with the first step and admitted I was powerless for the moment over Washington. Take a look at what I wrote in ‘Side by Side – the Twelve Steps and A Course in Miracles’ and see if it helps you, too. (See the left column for this book) 

 Step One - We admitted we were powerless over alcohol (or in this case the idiots in Washington) —that our lives had become unmanageable (with fussing, worrying and bouts of anger).”

         “All of us eventually way “Enough!” We recognize that all the pathways we followed before, all the attempts to control our lives (or others!), all the manipulation of relationships, all the anger dumped and guilt accepted hasn’t brought us any real release. Eventually all of us say, “There’s got to be a better way.”          

            Until this point is reached we will continue to try out methods based on pain, which promise relief. Not until the pain becomes too great to ignore, or too great to rationalize will we look for another way to lead our lives.   
            At this point we are willing to gamble on anything that will help. Let there be one spark of hope that the old methods will still work, let there be one shred of doubt as to the efficacy of gambling on the new, and the bottom hasn’t been reached. For each of us that bottom is uniquely our own. No one can decide for you when you have had enough pain and no particular incident will be the motivator — we each choose our own limit. But the experience will be the same: We no longer feel we are able to control any aspect of our lives without disaster and so we desperately try ANYTHING else to find release. 
            After all, we reason, what have we got to lose?” 

This first step spoke eloquently to me at once. I had let my opinions get the best of me and now I must practice letting everyone do and be just the way they are without worrying about them. I do this by going to the second and third steps and give the whole mess to the Holy Spirit to sort out. If H.S. wants me to participate in some way, I will be told. 

          So, with a deep breath I now watch the news with careful discrimination and take the attitude it is one huge comedy, have a really good laugh and get some solid shuteye.