AA and Love Detector Phone App
There’s a ‘Love Detector’ application for my smart phone. It took 20 seconds to have it downloaded and ready to use. A red screen appears and asks, “Are you in love?”
Moments later, two white heart-shaped icons appear on a background of blood-red hearts. Slowly images of very different looking fingers coming from opposite sides of the phone and touch the icons, showing me how to discover if I’m in love.
Right now I’m all alone, so…I used my left and right index fingers from opposite sides of the screen and… Yup! I’m in love with myself.
I don’t take that lightly. It’s healthy. It took years of work in AA to move me from the dark into the light. I do love myself–many addicts don’t. When I was very sick with my disease of alcoholism, I loathed myself.
Cling to the thought that, in God’s hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have– the key to life and happiness for others. ~ Alcoholics Anonymous, 2011 p 124
If you don’t really love yourself now, today can be the start of a new phase. When my younger siblings did irritating things my mom would say, It’s just a phase! I never thought that this little explanation would make sense, but it does. We all go through phases as we age. Is it time to leave the unhealthy phase of your life?
How to Love Yourself with the Twelve Steps
- Work the 12 Steps
- Discover your Unique Self
- Give God your character defects and ask Him to remove them
- Nurture your mind and spirit by reading 12 Step material daily
- Develop relationships with others who support your journey
- Commit to more than one weekly group
Loving yourself means investing in personal growth instead of staying stuck. My guess is that I really didn’t need to use the new phone app. Those around me could probably have told me if I love myself now. My friends have been saying that they enjoy the healthy me. They thank me for being helpful to them, for staying in touch with them and for listening to them.
That’s the real surprise to me. When I hated myself all I had to share came from a negative heart. Now I have a more balanced life and a full heart. When I touch others, they know that I care.
A huge benefit from the program is that I have the chance to help others and give to them what was so freely given to me.
We have recovered, and have been given the power to help others. ~ Alcoholics Anonymous, 2011 p 132
PS: What would the Love Detector app say about you? Share with us.
Becky–Yes! To life! To love! And to many more years of happiness, thanks to not drinking! I couldn’t agree more. I hope you find a safe place to try the Steps. They are so healing!
My love detector would say, “It’s about time you appreciated yourself and stopped drinking.” A few months ago, I would have said I could never stop drinking without going into rehab. Yet, my husband was the only one who knew how much I was drinking. It feels wonderful to wake up without a hangover, and to stop watching the clock to make sure it’s after 5 and a suitable hour to have a drink.
To life! To love! To many more years of happiness, thanks to not drinking!
Becky
You have such a generous heart, Heidi! You help me everyday in countless ways.
As for my own Love App – I suppose it would read More or Less, or Kind of Except When I Don’t
Working on that.
Great post!
Cyndi–Ahh. Balance. Yes, wouldn’t it be fun to have an app track our day and give us the results? Well… maybe not!
Mine would say I love myself but I think I need to love the addict in my life more but I’m working on an app ( balance ) for that .