Courage to Change—One Day at a Time in Al‑Anon II

by Al-Anon Family Groups

I don’t have to like everybody, but I want to look deeper to find the spirit that we share in common. Perhaps I can find peace with each person by reminding myself of those things that draw us together—a common interest, a common belief, a common goal. I will then have a resource for strength rather than a target for negative thinking. I will have placed principles above personalities.

“The open door to helpful answers is communication based on love. Such communication depends on awareness of and respect for each other’s well-being and willingness to accept in another what may not measure up to our own standards and

expectations.” The Dilemma of the Alcoholic Marriage

“There is a price that is too great to pay for peace. . . . One cannot pay the price of self-respect.” Woodrow Wilson

through constant criticism and expectations of others, I isolate myself and act like a victim.

Do I really think I can fully reap the benefits of the program by practicing unconditional love for a single hour two or three times a week? It may be a start, but only a start.

“We must alter our lives in order to alter our hearts, for it is impossible to live one way and pray another.” William Law

“Our very life depends on everything’s Recurring till we answer from within.” Robert Frost

than ever before. “Experience is not what happens to you, it is what you do with what happens to you.” Aldous Huxley

By taking a fresh look at what I thought of as just a bad habit, I can free my life of some clutter today. I can consider hidden motives for that habit without condemning myself or my family. Clutter doesn’t have to be physical; I may also find areas of my mental, spiritual, or emotional life that are in disarray. I can heal without making moral judgments about myself or others.