I am powerless over:
— in childhood —
• being born unwanted
• the generational violence which created my parents
• daddy-Monster’s hatred, violence, immaturity, and drunkenness
• mom’s bitterness and excessive drinking
• my reckless brother’s violence, foolish choices, and early death
• my lost brother’s hopelessness
• the educational system which failed me in many ways
— in early adulthood —
• the religious deception which I fell into as a young man
• the toxic theologians who judged and slandered me
• the toxic theologians who threatened me with a gun and ran me out of the church
• my best not being good enough for the toxic theologians
• the police officers who refused to arrest the guy who mugged me
— in the workplace —
• all the double standards
• being blindsided by unspoken expectations
• the few who talked down to me
• the engineer who sabotaged my work
• the delayed promise of promotion
— in midlife —
• my lost brother’s final decision to end his life
• those who insist on comparing and analyzing and judging me
• the aging process in my body
• the past
• the future
• the social awkwardness I often feel
• other’s choices
• my mother’s refusal/inability to listen
— in the world —
• the political insanity and hatred which divides our nation
• the senseless violence and mass shootings
• the violence against innocent children in the world
• those who don’t want to be enlightened
I have power to:
• work my own recovery and healing and life management
• take one step forward today
• become my own loving parent
• eat healthy today
• respond rather than react
• come to my own conclusions about religion and politics
• learn from bad choices made by myself and others
• be grateful for people who’ve treated me well and who have helped me succeed and grow
• exercise to benefit my body and mind and soul
• respectfully disagree with others in a manner which upholds their dignity
• support those who are fighting against domestic violence and child trafficking and other social evils
• stand up for my truth, whether it makes sense to anyone else or not
• seek input from others and make up my own mind
• change my mind after further consideration and/or experience
• courageously act as the C.E.O. of my life
• write to a politician about my local or national concerns and offer my input
• choose peace within
• choose courage
• choose humility
• choose my friends
• choose who to trust
• stand up to perpetrators and set my boundaries
• go outside my comfort zone
• risk mistakes
• embrace the gift of life
• listen
• speak up
• be silent
• catch someone doing something good
• embrace progress and growth
• accept imperfection in myself and others
• accept responsibility, without blame, for my life
• write for my own healing and wholeness
• walk away from toxic relationships
• search for healthy ways to process my anger
• practice patience in traffic
• offer personal amnesty to road ragers
• be okay with another seeing me as wrong
• do better than what’s been done to me
• delay gratification
• ask for what I need or want
• procrastinate tomorrow
• breathe – deeply
• surrender to reality
Tom M