IF THE ONLY PRAYER YOU SAID IN YOUR LIFE WAS "THANK YOU", THAT WOULD SUFFICE. ~Meister Eckhart

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

02.03.10

Shame is a spell others put on us to control us, to keep us playing our part in dysfunctional systems. It is a spell many of us have learned to put on ourselves. ~The Language of Letting Go

Today I am grateful…

  • for yesterday’s gratitude meeting. It’s my favorite topic.
  • for this mornings rustling of the wind and the soft tinkle of wind chimes
  • for all the fears that have fallen to the wayside since I got into a program of recovery. I used to hold them so close to my chest I couldn’t even see them anymore, but the effects were drastic.
  • for the art of Norman Rockwell. Today is the anniversary of his birth. He was a meticulous American illustrator, whom I am convinced saw the world through the eyes of the ordinary man.
  • that I am allowed my own human-ness

rockwel

Learning to reject shame can change the quality of our life. It's okay to be who we are. We are good enough. Our feelings are okay. Our past is okay. It's okay to have problems, make mistakes, and struggle to find our path. It's okay to be human and cherish our humanness.
Accepting ourselves is the first step toward recovery. Letting go of shame about who we are is the next important step.
Today, I will watch for signs that I have fallen into shame's trap. If I get hooked into shame, I will get myself out by accepting myself and affirming that it's okay to be who I am. ~LOLG

11 comments:

dAAve said...

I have no shame. On Wednesday, or any other day.

Syd said...

I understand this today as I wrote about something similar. I think that I imposed a lot of shame on myself later in life. Accepting and loving myself have definitely been vital to my recovery.

S. Susan Deborah said...

I liked the art piece. Wonderful.

Shame has its own way of meandering into our lives and we seldom realise that. I can easily fall prey to it. Your everyday thoughts enable me to look into myself and ponder.

The reading of your post is like a quiet time where I can dialogue with myself. Thanks.

Joy, courage and peace always,
Susan

MeAgain said...

You don't know me but you just spoke to my heart. You are my non-chemical mood stabalizer for today. Thank you.

Lou said...

I've never seen that picture. Shame on me;) I love it!

Bill said...

What a lovely post. It made my eyes moist. Maybe it's PMS.

Shannon said...

1. I love Norman Rockwell, not everyone does
2. I love the language of letting go
3 I totally dig ya! ♥

Mary Christine said...

That painting was on the cover of one of my textbooks in college. I spent lots of time gazing at it.

Pammie said...

I love that picture. How different things feel today.

Garykfc said...

Norm was ahead of his time.

Unknown said...

I love Norman Rockwell.

Shame kept me locked away. I refuse to be locked away any more.

Namaste