July 12, 2017 - Readings in Recovery: Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:

Harmony

Did you ever go to a concert? The musicians all play the same song, but each one has a different part in creating the music. Whether they're creating somber minor chords or cheerful major chords, the band is working together in harmony.

I had a difficult time with harmony when I first became introduced to it. I thought owning my power meant crashing like a cymbal wherever I went. It took a while to learn that I could own my power more effectively by harmonizing than by being a discordant note.

Harmony isn't just a value to apply in our relationships with other people. We all go through changes in our lives. At one point, we may be going through a time of discipline, keeping our nose to the grindstone. Then it may be time to play. Then we may move into a time where we have a lot of emotions to deal with, and we're moving slowly. Other times we're sailing through in high gear. Instead of expecting situations to change, we can learn to harmonize with them.

If we really aren't compatible with certain situations, it may be time to leave. But a lot of the time we can make sweet or at least interesting music by harmonizing - or by being flexible enough to meet the situation halfway.

Harmonizing is more than just a musical phrase. It's more than live and let live. It's living together. It's compatibility, being on the same page. It involves enough self-awareness to be ourselves, and enough adaptability and flexibility to fit that self into different situations. Harmonizing means opening up, listening, letting go of self-will, practicing nonresistance, and extending tolerance.
You are reading from the book:
52 Weeks of Conscious Contact © 2003 by Melody Beattie

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