*August 26th*

How often we think that the trials we have to face were caused by outside forces, by fate, by others by uncaring circumstances. We're only too ready to look outside ourselves for the reasons for our afflictions, when the real enemy is self-deception. We may be poor, deprived of the necessities of life, frustrated in the things we think we want to do. It is only too easy to blame all these things on our spouse or angry irresponsible children. Yet however difficult one or all of these people we love might make our lives, we could do a great deal to offset the damage of their actions by turning our examination and criticism on ourselves, and taking energetic steps to correct what we ourselves think and do.

Today's Reminder
I will examine my own attitudes and activities and face the fact that much of what I do - or leave undone - contributes to my distress. Like sometimes other people around me, I, too, have an unrecognized sense of guilt which I could overcome by correcting what I find wrong with me. My first job is to stop fooling myself, stop excusing my own shortcomings.

"If we say that we have no fault, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1st Epistle of John)

[Taken and fashioned from "One Day At A Time In Alinon" in the interest of family relationships, by Jim Hogue, MA, MFTI, (2-4)]