The Dark Side – Day 5

March 31, 2017


Honesty is the best policy.

Action: You are not your behaviors. You are not your emotions. Your behaviors are what you do; your emotions are what you feel. Each day, pause for a moment. Ask yourself what you’re really feeling. If you’re not sure, listen to the tone of your voice and your thoughts. Those are good clues. Many people find it helpful to write about what they’re feeling in a journal or diary. Make sure no one has access to your journal, then have at it. Write it all out. Or tell another person what you’re feeling, thinking, having a hard time with. Sometimes sharing what we’re going through with one other person takes the pressure off.

If you’re in a Twelve Step program, do the Fourth and Fifth Steps. If you’re having a lot of guilt or an unusually hard time with some aspects of yourself, you might want either to get professional help or to talk to a clergy person. Tell your Higher Power who you really are. Sometimes honest awareness, acknowledgment, and acceptance are all that’s required. There may be parts of yourself that you want to change, but honest acceptance is how change begins.

From the book: 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact

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About the author

In addiction and recovery circles, Melody Beattie is a household name. She is the best-selling author of numerous books.

One of Melody's more recent titles is The Grief Club, which was published in 2006. This inspirational book gives the reader an inside look at the miraculous phenomenon that occurs after loss--the being welcomed into a new "club" of sorts, a circle of people who have lived through similar grief and pain, whether it be the loss of a child, a spouse, a career, or even one's youth.

For more information about Melody and her books, visit the author's official website