EXPECTATIONS vs. DEMANDS

 God grant me the Serenity

to accept the things

I cannot change;

Courage to change

the things I can;

and Wisdom

 to know the difference.

Thy will, not mine, be done.

 

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*

 

February 14, 2024

 

EXPECTATIONS vs. DEMANDS

 

Burn the idea into the consciousness

of every man that he can get well

regardless of anyone.

The only condition is that

he trust in God and clean house.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 98

 

Dealing with expectations is a frequent topic at meetings.

It isn’t wrong to expect progress of myself,

good things from life, or decent treatment from others.

Where I get into trouble

is when my expectations become demands.

I will fall short of what I wish to be

and situations will go in ways I do not like,

because people will let me down sometimes.

The only question is: “What am I going to about it?”

Wallow in self-pity or anger;

retaliate and make a bad situation worse;

or will I trust in God’s power to bring blessings

on the messes in which I find myself?

Will I ask Him what I should be learning;

do I keep on doing the right things

I know how to do, no matter what;

do I take the time to share my faith

and blessings with others?

 

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Self-Confidence and Will Power

 

When first challenged to admit defeat,

most of us revolted.

We had approached A.A.

expecting to be taught self-confidence.

Then we had been told

 that so far as alcohol was concerned,

self-confidence was no good whatever;

in fact, it was a total liability.

There was no such thing as personal conquest

of the alcoholic compulsion by the unaided will.

It is when we try to make our will conform

with God’s that we begin to use it rightly.

To all of us, this was a most wonderful revelation.

Our whole trouble had been the misuse of willpower.

We had tried to bombard our problems with it

instead of attempting to bring it

 into agreement with God’s intention for us.

To make this increasingly possible

 is the purpose of A.A.’s Twelve Steps.

12 & 12 - 1. p. 22 - 2. p. 40