Listen to your feelings. They tell you when you need to take care of yourself, like finding a friend if you feel lonely, crying if you feel sad, singing and smiling if you feel happy, and acting frisky if you feel good. --Pat Palmer
When we get too much of anything--too much fun or too much work--we may feel really crummy when it's over.
One way to listen to our crummy feelings is to say, "Here comes the letdown after all that fun." We can imagine a spaceship falling to earth, floating on the ocean. Coming down to earth is as much a part of the adventure as the countdown and blastoff.
A letdown for us means we need to let our bodies and minds rest, just like the spaceship, bobbing around without any special direction. We need to take it easy, do nothing, put off making plans.
Then we can ask God to help us let go of the crummy feelings that come along with a letdown. We can ask the spirit within us to guide us through this time of change. Then we will let down and let go.
What are some things I can do to take it easy the next time I feel down?
One of the defects most of us share is procrastination. It may be a part of our affliction, or it may be a universal trait. We seem to be unable to attack a problem actively. We can think and talk about it endlessly but do not open the door to action. There is a motto for us: Utilize, don't analyze. Don't "review" the Twelve Steps; work them. Too much self-evaluation can drive away the incentive for action. Am I thinking too much and doing too little?
MEDITATION FOR THE DAY
Today I will look up to God, not down at myself. I will look away from the unpleasant past, the ugliness, and the imperfections in the world. In my unrest I will see God's calmness. With God's help my spirit will grow and my aspirations will soar skyward. I will be able to do what seemed too hard for me before.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
I pray that I may keep my eyes trained on God, above the horizon of myself. I pray that this new vision of life will heal my troubled memory and strengthen my will to act.
In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.
