Sober Reflections on Encountering Others

May today’s Sober Reflections on Encountering Others make both our day and others’ day who we encounter a pleasant surprise. This post includes quotes and photos from Recovered Reading suggestions – Daily Reflections and Each Day A New Beginning. Keep reading for an introduction to today’s, December 12th, sober reflections on encountering others.

When our intuitive direction tells us to help our fellows, we are also helping ourselves, the world we live in, and the people we encounter. Being of service to others when opportunities arise in turn creates a place for the next person to come along and help you. All who we encounter during our days are sure to not all be having a bad day on the same day.

However, bad days or tough moments are sure to come for all of us having a human experience and you never know when or where you will need someone to be patient, helpful, kind, or tolerant to you and your loved ones. We are not created to do this thing called life alone and therefore could all consider how we can be of service when encountering others. 

To begin with today’s sober reflections on encountering others, up next is Alcoholics Anonymous’ Daily Reflections for today, December 12th. as an illustration of Twelve Step service work with others. Following that will be Each Day A New Beginning’s reflection for today on our mutual experiences with others.

Sober reflections on encountering others are also shared in Karen Casey’s Each Day A New Beginning, as can be seen below.

For those in sobriety or any form of Recovery, encountering others can be especially trying for various reasons. Fear can often be an underlying cause of our disproportionate reacting rather than responding which can cause us to make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances or feelings. 

A suggestion I have witnessed work for many during trying moments in the day is to remind oneself that you can always go back and say what you did not say or do what you did not  do. However, you can’t go back and undo actions or take back words said. Considering the progress not perfection principle, we are all only doing the best we can. I believe if most could do and be better, then we would. See the following suggestion from the program of Alcoholics Anonymous for the end of the day reflections.

“When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest, or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life?

But we must be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others. After making our review we ask God’s forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.”

– Alcoholics Anonymous, 1st edition p. 98