{Answered on Quora.com by Earth Angel]
One day I dropped a friend of mine off in front of a grocery store. She ran in to pick up a few things. While I waited, I noticed a homeless man who was obviously struggling, standing in front of the store.
Along came a young man who looked to be in his mid 20s. He stood a few feet from the homeless man and occasionally looked at him but did nothing. At one point, a loud, attention seeking older man, 40s, approached the homeless man and in a condescending tone, told him to get a job. While the older man and the homeless man *conversed, the younger man did one of the most beautiful and unexpected things I’ve ever seen. He’d been waiting for the homeless man to be distracted so he could throw a wad of cash into his jar. The older man eventually left and when the homeless man noticed how much more cash he now had, called out his gratitude to the older man. The younger man walked away smiling to himself. If I hadn’t seen this with my own eyes, I would have found it hard to believe. He gave without the expectation of being rewarded, and he allowed someone else to be credited for his selfless act -That is the definition of character
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Monday, April 28, 2025
Daft Punk "Get Lucky"
I must seize happiness. I heard this song right before I started a pleasant hike. I took its hearing as a good omen.
Willpower (from daily ACA email)
"We must shatter the illusion that we can reason out a painless solution."
Adult children do not lack willpower. We have relied on our iron willpower to carry us through the most difficult of times. Sometimes, we may convince ourselves that in order to heal, we simply need more inner resolve. Even after we're in ACA, some of us try to will our Laundry List Traits away, thinking if we only had greater determination to get better, we could make different, healthier choices. Our desire is in the right place, seeking healing and recovery, but the method falls short. We may think we can read or learn about an easier solution and get better on our own, but we need the Twelve Steps of recovery and the fellowship to truly heal. There is no painless solution to our problem.
Throughout recovery, we will feel emotions and pain we may have suppressed. Grief over our childhood will surface, but it will not consume us. Our inner strength, once relied on for survival, will now give us the courage we need. We turn our determination not toward fixing ourselves in isolation, but to committing to our recovery in a supportive group setting.
On this day I accept the emotions that arise during my recovery journey, knowing any pain is temporary, and joy is possible as I continue to heal.
Adult children do not lack willpower. We have relied on our iron willpower to carry us through the most difficult of times. Sometimes, we may convince ourselves that in order to heal, we simply need more inner resolve. Even after we're in ACA, some of us try to will our Laundry List Traits away, thinking if we only had greater determination to get better, we could make different, healthier choices. Our desire is in the right place, seeking healing and recovery, but the method falls short. We may think we can read or learn about an easier solution and get better on our own, but we need the Twelve Steps of recovery and the fellowship to truly heal. There is no painless solution to our problem.
Throughout recovery, we will feel emotions and pain we may have suppressed. Grief over our childhood will surface, but it will not consume us. Our inner strength, once relied on for survival, will now give us the courage we need. We turn our determination not toward fixing ourselves in isolation, but to committing to our recovery in a supportive group setting.
On this day I accept the emotions that arise during my recovery journey, knowing any pain is temporary, and joy is possible as I continue to heal.
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