What others think of me – is none of my business. What others say about me – is none of my business. My business is to follow the will of my Higher Power, God. As long as I do that, it does not matter who thinks what – I will know that I am on the right path. Being true to myself is a big part of that. If I am constantly changing my behavior, so that it will look like the behavior I think others strive for, I am not being true to me.
Sometimes, it is a fine line between self-approval and self-glorification. Humility is the great leveler of my overstated ego. My need for approval has been tempered with the knowledge that I am but a human being, never perfect, always endeavoring to improve, to grow and change. I no longer freak out when I make a mistake, I no longer go into a long rant about what went wrong, and who’s fault it was. I can “own” my errors today. I don’t have to beat myself up over them, I can simply “own” them as mine, and move on. For every error in my behavior, there is a corrective behavior. These “life lessons” are what have enabled me to embrace myself for the imperfect person I am. I don’t look to others for approval, I look to myself and I look to my Higher Power, God.
THIS24 
SEPTEMBER 29
EXACTLY ALIKE
Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is
the bright spot of our lives.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 89
As I was getting familiar with the AA program of recovery and was discussing with a wise counselor the process of selecting a sponsor, his comment was, “You might try choosing someone who you think is most unlike yourself”.
I put out my Eagle Eye and listened carefully to people’s words and a roughneck former oilman from the hinterlands of Louisiana and out of the dust fields of Oklahoma and one who said he stepped over a dead man in the doorway of a bar one morning to go in and then ask the bartender what was wrong with the fella to be told, “Oh, he’s dead”.
True or false or embellished, this was to be ‘my man’! 🙂
Several months and several steps later I introduced him at a speaker meeting and declared after I told this little story that ‘We are just alike’!
We remained together until his death 22 years later and believe it or not we are still together! 🙂
I don’t look to others for approval, I look to myself and I look to my Higher Power, God.
Kt here, I cannot say for sure i dont look for others for approval ,I am more aware I do not need to as much. & when the what ifs start in I begin to see it more easily & remember the serenity prayer. Thanks everyone, we r traveling again & I so enjoy the stability of this web site. Kt
Nice shares.
What a relief to turn it all over to The Spirit of the Universe. My job is to take care of me as directed. You have shown me how this is done. So I come into frequent contact with you as the Spirit may direct. Sometimes to be shown, sometimes perhaps to show. Sometimes to be silent witness. Sometimes for the simple warmth of each other. All I need do is Ask and then Listen from my heart, safe in the knowledge I will be taken care of so long as I rely on His Will for me today. What gifts I receive when, after asking direction and listening for the answer many times each day, I do as bid. How confused and weak I am when I ignore this direction, don’t seek it and rely upon myself, at the whim of my fears and fleeting feelings.
Gratefully,
Tom
Polonius:
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!
Laertes:
Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.
Good morning all. It is a wet cold morning here in the southern Cascades!
SMB mentioned being true to herself.
The injunction to “Thine own self be true” is on the back of our coins. For years I just thought that line had something or other to do with being honest with myself and you, and it does.
But means a whole lot more. It means that I will not knowingly or intentionally do anything to harm myself physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.
It also means that I will not do anything knowingly or intentionally do anything to harm you physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.
A lot said in that short line.