Recovery Meditations ~ Honesty ~ One Day at a Time ~ June 13, 2010

~ HONESTY ~
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"Our lives improve only when we take chances ~ and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be
honest with ourselves."

Walter Anderson

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After the initial shock and realization that I am a compulsive overeater, it transpired that in order to recover, I
had to get honest. This was -- and still is -- a painful process for me, yet it is an essential step towards my
recovery.
First I had to admit that I wasn't in control of my life and that recovery couldn't be achieved unaided. As with
most revelations, this was an uncomfortable truth to behold. I was also prompted, through honesty, to stop blaming everyone else for my unwillingness to help myself. I had to find conviction in my actions and not
just emptiness in my words.
I conceded that I am not as perfect as I would like to think. I make mistakes and sometimes slip from the path of recovery, but with honesty comes acceptance that I am only human.
This disease would deceive me into thinking that I am a failure, when in fact it's my actions that have failed
me. Like a magician who performs illusions for the crowd, this disease would have me think I  have committed unforgivable sins.
Honesty is the key to my recovery; it unlocks the chains, which have imprisoned me for so long. It allows me
to recognize my weaknesses and turn them into strengths. It turns simple existence into life ~ and inner
conflicts into outward serenity.

ONE DAY AT A TIME . . .


I will be honest with myself.