Do
not meddle with anything that does not belong to you, but mind your own
business. Tenskwatawa Shawnee Putting out of our minds the wrongs others had done, we resolutely
looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest,
self-seeking and frightened? Though a situation had not been entirely our
fault, we tried to disregard the other person entirely. Where were we to
blame? The inventory was ours, not the other
man's. Big Book pg. 67 Every time a person imposes his instincts unreasonably upon others,
unhappiness follows. If the pursuit of wealth tramples upon people who
happen to be in the way, then anger, jealousy, and revenge are likely to
be aroused. If sex runs riot, there is a similar uproar. Demands made upon
other people for too much attention, protection, and love can only invite
domination or revulsion in the protectors themselves--two emotions quite
as unhealthy as the demands which evoked them. When an individual's desire
for prestige becomes uncontrollable, whether in the sewing circle or at
the international conference table, other people suffer and often revolt.
This collision of instincts can produce anything from a cold snub to a
blazing revolution. In these ways we are set in conflict not only with
ourselves, but with other people who have instincts,
too. Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions pg. 44
Creator help me to keep my feet on my
path. |