Our attitudes are usually conveyed to other people by what we say and do, - and how, "if the attitudes really reflect what we feel". Gentle actions and soft, courteous words may only pretend to hide our true feelings. We may even "think" we have overcome angry resentment, self-righteousness and self-pity, but if they are still there inside us, they will in some mysterious way emanate from us and deny what we try to convey by our play-acting."How can he tell?" asks one family member to another. "I never raise my voice, never argue, try to do what he expects, and yet he's always challenging me!"
Today's Reminder
Merely to change my behavior, and what I say and do, does not prove a change of inward attitude. I am deceiving myself if I imagine I can completely disguise my real feelings. They will somehow come through, and prolong the hostility in my family. I must root out entirely the troublesome emotions I've been trying to hide.
[ Taken and fashioned from "One Day At A Time In Al-Anon"
for general family relationships by Jim Hogue, MA, MFTI /
Supervisor: Peter Mosgofian, MA, MFT ]
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