"Our experience shows that the opposites [of the Laundry List] are just as damaging as the counterpart." BRB p. 8

Realizing the damaging effects of the Other Laundry List gives many of us our early sense of frustration with the ACA program. Once the elation of finally finding a group of people who get that we were affected by our childhoods eventually fades, we start the slow process of admitting that we may have unconsciously done the very same things to those around us that were done to us. This is a hard reality to accept, but it is the necessary ground breaking that allows our spiritual foundation to be poured on honest footing. With time, we realize we were in denial about our actions. The behaviors that served as a protective way of getting through our traumatic childhoods did not serve us well as adults. We had become used to beating ourselves up and acting out.

ACA suggests that we reparent ourselves and break the harmful cycle we've found ourselves in. With the support of our meetings and fellow traveler, the work we do helps us feel embraced by our inner loving parent and our Higher Power. We can now allow the process of coming out of denial and into spiritual consciousness to slowly and gently unfold as we recover buried feelings and memories that drove our True Self into hiding.

On this day I admit that not only was I affected by the dysfunction, but that I also affected those around me. And I will practice being gentle and loving of my True Self as I continue to awaken spiritually.