Today's Gift:

[evile]

Today's thought from Hazelden is:

No human creature can give orders to love.
--George Sand

If we're trying to get others to love us, all we're really doing is trying to be in control. Trying to control others can be a powerful drug. Remember, we can't control others. We can't make others love us. Our Higher Power has control, not us.

So, what do we need to do? Turn things over to our Higher Power and just be ourselves. Sure, it can scare us to just be ourselves. The truth is, not everyone will love us. But if we're honest about who we are, others will respect us. We'll like ourselves better. And we'll have a better chance of loving others and being loved.

Prayer for the Day

I pray to have my need for control lifted from me. I pray to be rid of self-will.

Action for the Day

Today, I'll list five ways my self-will - my need to control - has gotten me in trouble.

You are reading from the book:

Keep It Simple by Anonymous

Keep It Simple © 1989 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden.

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Comments

[bramblekite.livejournal.com]

I don't really do a belief in a "higher power" but other than that, this is spot-on. A tamed/trained mate is not the same thing as a loving partner. A free, strong, intelligent individual person who chooses to give him/her self to you is a wonderful gift. Putting conditions and controls on it is a waste and a desecration of that gift. It also cheats you out of experiencing a loving partnership of equals.