April 5

”The only service a friend can really render is to keep up your courage by holding you up to a mirror in which you can see a noble image of yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

What an apt description of how I view the role of my sponsor. Not only are they my confidant, certainly in terms of the history of my illness, but they are also my B.S. meter. They are able, through their own experience and knowledge of my situation, patterns and stressors, to see well before I do that I am straying off the path. Yet being a boon to my recovery also means that they are able to pull me back when I am being too hard on myself. They are able to help me be gentle and remind me that I am only human. An idea that was presented to me is that in order to give good feedback, I need to be willing to risk a friend to save a life. I find this very applicable in my recovery and it is something I can ask from those who support me. It is important for my helpers to risk telling me when I am going astray to help protect me from myself. I know I cannot always trust the person who stares back at me in the mirror. I have too much practice rationalizing and minimizing my behaviour. I am thankful to have those around me who are not afraid to tell it like it is.

Affirmation If I get feedback today that puts me on the defensive, I will pay attention. There is likely more truth in it that I want to admit.