Blog entry for:

Sun, Jun 3, 2007 08:00:10 AM


δ i make direct amends by repairing the damage i do. Δ
posted: Sun, Jun 3, 2007 08:00:10 AM

 

i make indirect amends by repairing the attitudes that cause me to do damage in the first place, helping insure i will not cause further damage in the future.
so at first reading, this particular passage seems to be about the ninth step, and of course it is, but me, i have to complicate things and i also see it as part of living the program. you know tenth and twelfth step stuff. although that is unimportant, it does help me to focus on the task at hand, finishing my list of defects of character in fact....
... had to add a few more to the list and draw the line....
anyhow, amending my behavior to prevent myself from doing damage in the future is an interesting concept, and the loophole i see in that is that this is a just for today program, why should i be concerned about how i will act tomorrow, if i am living in the here and now. the truth is that i need not worry about tomorrow’s behaviors, if i am doing the footwork to amend my behavior today. that action in the here and now, will help me behave in a more appropriate manner in the future, and i need not be concerned about how i will act tomorrow. yes i can make indirect amends by living the program, i do have a tenth step inventory that i do on a daily basis to look at what i did over the day today. since i absolutely despise adding anything to that list in the evening, i can be cognizant of my behavior in the here and now. being aware of my behavior allows me to continue to follow-up on my indirect amends and as a result i will have fewer direct amends to make in the future. kind of cool how all of that works. well off to the lnadscaping projects i have to do today!

∞ DT ∞

 

djtConsulting Brand
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.

Another Look!

∞ indirectly repairing the damage done ∞ 146 words ➥ Friday, June 3, 2005 by: donnot
↔ i seek to repair my broken attitudes as well ! ↔ 462 words ➥ Saturday, June 3, 2006 by: donnot
δ my experience tells me to follow up direct amends … 248 words ➥ Tuesday, June 3, 2008 by: donnot
↔ if i have acted out on our anger, i examine the patterns of my behavior … 497 words ➥ Wednesday, June 3, 2009 by: donnot
⋅ for me the amends process starts with **mending** the actual damage i have done ⋅ 533 words ➥ Thursday, June 3, 2010 by: donnot
¿ i make my amends to the best of my ability ¿ 943 words ➥ Friday, June 3, 2011 by: donnot
↵ i make indirect amends, **mending my ways,** ↵ 732 words ➥ Sunday, June 3, 2012 by: donnot
¹ by repairing the attitudes that cause me to do damage ¹ 638 words ➥ Monday, June 3, 2013 by: donnot
≈ looking soulfully into the eyes of the person i have harmed ≈ 493 words ➥ Tuesday, June 3, 2014 by: donnot
‰ changing my attitudes ‰ 512 words ➥ Wednesday, June 3, 2015 by: donnot
℧ amends, ℧ 596 words ➥ Friday, June 3, 2016 by: donnot
🍦 on making amends, 🍨 758 words ➥ Saturday, June 3, 2017 by: donnot
🏅 implementing changes 👿 553 words ➥ Sunday, June 3, 2018 by: donnot
“ mending my ways ” 504 words ➥ Monday, June 3, 2019 by: donnot
🌤 the damage 🌥 433 words ➥ Wednesday, June 3, 2020 by: donnot
🎯 making a 👮 316 words ➥ Thursday, June 3, 2021 by: donnot
🤨 being willing 🤨 601 words ➥ Friday, June 3, 2022 by: donnot
🎈 the simplicity 🎈 521 words ➥ Saturday, June 3, 2023 by: donnot
Spacer Image

☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯

THE TAO TEH KING, OR THE TAO AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge

Book 1

5) Thus it was that when the Tao was lost, its attributes appeared;
when its attributes were lost, benevolence appeared; when benevolence
was lost, righteousness appeared; and when righteousness was lost,
the proprieties appeared.