I was going through one of those periods when I was feeling discouraged by my own lack of progress in my recovery journey.
I also was struggling with doing affirmations. That practice seemed silly to me. I’d often think, “I don’t really believe what I’m saying. No point in just kidding myself.”
These two struggles came together for me during one of my meetings. We were closing with the promises, and as I took my turn reading mine, I again felt discouraged. When were all these wonderful promises supposed to start happening?? I felt like reading mine in the present tense. Hmm. Maybe that would work as an affirmation!
I tried it on for size: "I am discovering my real identity by loving and accepting myself." I felt my spirit lift a little. I went through the next eleven in the same way. I went from zero affirmations to twelve! I wrote them down on bright index cards, and put them in a basket in my bedroom where I would see them first thing in the morning.
The more I read the promises as written in the “Big Red Book” and Strengthening My Recovery, the more I thought, "I wonder if anyone else at this meeting might be feeling impatient and discouraged?" So when it got to be my turn, I asked if I could read them in the present tense. The group agreed, so read the promises as happening now instead of in the future.
Gradually I shared this journey with a couple of my meetings and we have begun to use them. Now we end with, "Gradually, with our Higher Power's help, we are learning to expect the best, and getting it!"
I am grateful to my area group for their willingness to experiment with this, and their feedback that they also like using them as affirmations.
Lisa L