LFC= Love, Forgive , and Create. A reflection on the gift of living at my fullest capacity.

One of the most loving things we can do for others & ourselves in this lifetime is to practice forgiveness. The term “practice forgiveness”, is to do it in the best way we know how. We may not do it “perfectly” hence the word practice. Yet to try brings value to not just the other person, but to ourselves, for it is a scrubbing of our spirit that washes us clean of negative emotions. When we feel injured or find fault with another persons actions or decisions, judgements can form, and resentments can grow. These can cloud our vision and quite literally take up space in both our minds and our bodies. The injury we feel can cause anger, and the negative emotions can make our jaw clench & tighten, and our blood boil. These negative emotions can move into the body, much like a person moves into a house, and not leave. They act up, behaving like the very worst tenants ever, wrecking havoc in the home that is our body. This can result in “dis-ease” of the body and soul, a...

One of the first pieces of literature I took from a meeting was the blue & white Alanon book-mark, “Just for Today”. Packed with good suggestions, in an easy to read format, this bookmark has helped me through many tough days, and the St Francis prayer at the bottom became one of my favorites.  Despite this tiny powerful bookmark, there were times in my life that felt so dark, I had a hard time picking it up. “ Not for Today” , I would think to myself, at times I momentarily forgot my program and all the tools that recovery offers.  As I continue to grow in my Alanon program, I have slips and days of falling off my “wagon of recovery”. Sometimes, when negative feelings surface so strongly, I resort to isolation and despair. These are coping mechanisms I learned long before coming into program. I momentarily forget about the Spiritual power of the Fellowship. The Do’s & Don’ts tell us “Not to wallow in Self-Pity”, yet sometimes I find that If I engage in a “Pity ...

 I have to forgive myself today, I am not a "super-human"anymore, the way I was ten years ago & running the shop business and having what I thought was a big life. And even that wasn't enough for me, I felt that I had more in me, I had to do more & show more. I took all kinds of work-shops directed toward helping the business succeed and then went to work & tried to apply it. At the Apple stores, both Old Pasadena & Glendale, I signed up for 2-3 workshops a week. iPhoto, Pages, and the old favorite, iWeb. I went to classes almost anywhere & everywhere, attending workshops on Wilshire Blvd at the "Small Business Association", while attending Trade Technical College.  In the end, I was exhausted & I am still tired, yet refusing to admit it. Like a fighter going down in the 5th round, I keep getting back up  despite the fact that I'm so done.  And after the combination of my fathers suicide & onset of menopause, ( and leaving a busin...