elizabrary
Well-Known Member
This is an excerpt from Living Long, Living Passionately written by Karen Casey, who happens to be a lifelong friend of my mother's. She is a recovered alcoholic and shares her experiences to inspire others. I felt these words were particularly fitting for all of us here.
"The title of this essay is "I can choose peace instead of this..." You might be wondering what that means. Here's my take: no one is in charge of my thoughts but me. NO ONE! No one is in charge of my actions either...Knowing that we have the power, the total power, to decide who we will be every instant, makes choosing to be peaceful, rather than controlled by the ugliness of others, a delicious choice.
When I choose to sit on the sidelines, watching a drama rather than trying to manage it, particularly one that doesn't concern me, my heart isn't elevated. My mind doesn't race. I experience a sense of warm, loving detachment and know immediately that I want more of that feeling. And now I know where to get it.
Enough about my feelings, my choices, and my development. It's time to explore who you are, what you feel, how you choose what you will do or say or think or feel in the myriad circumstances that fly in your direction."
"The title of this essay is "I can choose peace instead of this..." You might be wondering what that means. Here's my take: no one is in charge of my thoughts but me. NO ONE! No one is in charge of my actions either...Knowing that we have the power, the total power, to decide who we will be every instant, makes choosing to be peaceful, rather than controlled by the ugliness of others, a delicious choice.
When I choose to sit on the sidelines, watching a drama rather than trying to manage it, particularly one that doesn't concern me, my heart isn't elevated. My mind doesn't race. I experience a sense of warm, loving detachment and know immediately that I want more of that feeling. And now I know where to get it.
Enough about my feelings, my choices, and my development. It's time to explore who you are, what you feel, how you choose what you will do or say or think or feel in the myriad circumstances that fly in your direction."
