Endigar 772
From Courage to Change of February 09;
There was nothing simple about my life before I came to Al-Anon. My work was highly stressful, my time was always short, and my attention was intensely focused on the alcoholic, but I didn’t realize I was under a strain. During the early days in Al-Anon, I shifted my intense focus to the program. As my denial broke, I became aware that I was exhausted all the time. The topic at an Al-Anon meeting, “Keep it Simple,” was just what I needed to hear!
I decided that the top priority for my unmanageable life was to recover from the effects of alcoholism. I had responsibilities and couldn’t eliminate all the stress from my life, but I tried to simplify it wherever possible. In my case, this meant letting go of some social activities temporarily switching to a lower paying but less stressful job, and leaving some household chores undone. It wasn’t a permanent change, just a way to give myself the time I needed for my emotional and spiritual health.
It was such a relief! By the time I returned to my normal schedule, I had a better grasp on keeping I simple, so I was able to handle it more serenely.
Today’s Reminder
If I am overwhelmed, I may be trying to do too much. Today I will try to keep it simple.
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” ~ Hans Hofmann
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“The Gate” by Hans Hofmann
Hofmann believed that abstract art was a way to get at the “important reality.” I remember reading about the important versus urgent demands of life in Steve Covey’s book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It is known as the Eisenhower Decision Principal in time management. Tasks are prioritized into quadrants based on important/not important and urgent/not urgent. I have in my memory the phrase “do not let the urgent eat up the important.” I would attribute it to Covey, but I cannot confirm its origin. The urgent will override the important when we live responsively rather than proactively. Identifying the truly important tasks in my life can only be accomplished when I know myself and, as William Shakespeare said through his character Polonius in the play Hamlet, “To thy own self be true.” Either my connection with my Higher Power is the artistic genius of my life or I become a wall covered in the graffiti of anxious futility.
Daily Reprieve 
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