March 20

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
One of the features of emotional illness is repression and suppression of emotions. Feelings are considered bad or wrong, and willpower is used to deny and avoid these feelings. This leads to an increasing load of emotional pain and confusion. Identifying and releasing feelings is one of the essential first steps to recovery of emotional health. Feelings are neither good nor bad and not to be judged and condemned. They are to be appropriately experienced and expressed. I need not feel guilty about the way I feel. I am responsible for making the decision to accept my feelings and manage them appropriately. Will I be a friend to my feelings today?

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
God, please help me to let You guide me and strengthen me as I live a new emotional way of life.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
Acceptance, experience, and expression - not condemnation, repression, and suppression.

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September 19

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Short-term relief is all I get when I run away and hide from my problems. Whatever shield or defense mechanism I use to hide behind eventually becomes too burdensome. It becomes greater than the problem. When I turn from pain in a personal relationship, I may lose the chance to cultivate a deep and meaningful friendship. Working at friendship helps me weather the ups and downs of relationships. Running from a problem at work could take away an opportunity to find solutions to problems. Hiding in the back of the room at an EA meeting takes away my opportunity to share. Running from conflict does not produce a winner, just a loser - me.

MEDITATION FOR TODAY
Help me to find the strength to confront whatever I want to run away from.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
To run out is to hide out; to hide out is to lose out.

Emotions Anonymous, Order Today