Hilltoppers-AFG Online Meeting

Danno

From todays 10:30 meeting ...

Expectations are pre-meditated resentments.

Thanks Kathy!

Danno

Talk about the need for acceptance ...

"You can give up all hopes of a better past."

Danno

Thanks for leaving this w/us:

It all works out in the end.
So if it isn't working out ...
It isn't the end.

CalM

This week, I'm having a great week.

This isn't due to anything I'm doing or not doing; it has to do with the fact that the main person whose behavior I work myself up about these days is out of town.

Next week it will be worse.

The week after that it will probably be better again, because we always get along when she isn't going to see and hasn't seen her family in about a week.

(And yes, I have every reason to expect that what this person is doing will not have as much effect on how I'm doing as it does now. That's one of the reasons that I'm here.)

One of the best things about getting older, for me, has been the fact that there's a whole lot of past to look back over, which has enabled me to realize that when things are going well, they always get worse, but when things are going badly, they always get better. Not necessarily according to my idea of when things should get worse or better, but eventually.

That sounds obvious, but there was a time when I didn't get that. A long, loong, looong time. And whenever things were going badly, I despaired that I would be that miserable for the rest of my life. And whenever things were going well, I became increasingly frantic while I tried to stave off the possibility of them ever going less well again. Which never worked, obviously, because that's just now how things work. So, having had this difficult insight, I find that the bad times aren't as bad and that the good times aren't as bad, either.

These days I feel like I'm on a roller coaster that someone else is controlling -- and not someone who has my best interests at heart, either -- but at least I know that sometimes the track goes up and that other times it goes down, and I have at least some ability to see what direction it's going in at any particular moment. (And, yeah, this whole roller coaster feeling is a part of why I'm here. I've felt this way before in my life, and quite a lot, but I haven't felt this way forever.)

I posted yesterday in the "Gratitude" forum, but right now I'm grateful that I know the slogan "This too shall pass" and that I actually get it (or at least I get it to some extent -- obviously I don't always know what I don't know), and that getting it means I can relax and enjoy what's happening right now. So now I'm going to ask the happy, hyper dog whether he wants to go outside, and I'm going to enjoy his wriggly joy for awhile. This is one of my favorite parts of the day. Smile

Danno

Not a slogan. Cross posting if it needs a name.

I -love- the image of playing with a wriggly dog.
Sher & I have many nicknames for our mutt, one is 'Squirmally'.
Max will squirms around on her belly 3-4 feet at a time.
She is soooo cute ... I swear she is smiling too.

Pets ... just can't beat 'em when it comes to finding momentary serenity!

(thanks CalM)

Danno

The question is not," Do I trust my Higher Power?"
But, "Can My Higher Power trust me?"

Thanks 'fortconn'.
This came from one of your posts elsewhere.
Nice enough to be in the slogans ...

There are a lot of good slogans, actual and homegrown, scattered around the site. Nice to have 'em centralized.

Danno

Today this rings a bell ...

"If you are going through Hell, don't stop!"

Reminds me of:

"If you don't change directions, you'll end up where you are going."

"Let go or get dragged"

Not havin' the best of days.
So far ...

Danno

I -love- this one ...

"I don't have to believe everything I think."

[thanks kay]

Danno

And this one ...

"I have to be careful when I start agreeing with the program instead of working it."

[thanks richard]

Danno

AND this one ...

When asked: "How are you doing?"

The answer could be "Better than I think I am."

[thanks again Richard]

Danno

And my favorite ...

"I have 'Vuja Da'; a perfect recollection of things that have never
happened."

[thanks yet again Richard]