January 14

”Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't.” Erica Jong

I think we all have moments like this, where we know what it is we are supposed to do, but because it is a hard decision and it makes us uncomfortable, we ask someone else’s opinion, hoping for an easier way out. I find myself in spots like this all the time, certainly in trying to deal with the repercussions of my acting out behaviour. Repairing bridges and broken relationships is hard, unpleasant work most of the time. It is not easy accepting my part in what went wrong, even if I wasn’t really myself at the time. But part of the healing process requires that I accept the consequences of my behaviours, that I start becoming a living amends for the way things used to be and accept the responsibilities that are part of the life I lead right now. Taking the easy road might work, in the short term, but I have usually found that it just delays me until I come back to the same tough choice. Eventually, if I really want to make things different and move in a new direction, I have to find the courage to jump through the burning hoop of fire, and pray that I don’t get burned too badly. While it is a good idea to double-check my decisions with someone else, hoping for the easy way out is not something that usually is in my best interest. The goal is most often worth the struggle and effort that I need to exert to attain it.

Affirmation I am learning to accept the hard choices which are the right ones and to not to shy away because they require work. My Higher Power is always there to support me.