WAIT and THINK

My Tuesday night Al-Anon meeting is a literature meeting, meaning we read a section from a specific conference-approved book and our personal sharing revolves around the themes said reading evokes. A couple weeks ago the reading was from the section on slogans, specifically a section called "Think."

We joke about this slogan because one of the biggest reasons we are in Al-Anon for help is because we've spent our lives thinking too much. We try to "fix, manage, and control" and tend to over-think and over-analyze. As it says in the suggested opening, "Our thinking becomes distorted and we become irritable and unreasonable without even knowing it." But what the slogan "Think" is trying to help us remember is that 1. we can STOP and THINK when we're about to react, and 2. we have choices in how we allow our thoughts to manifest themselves in words and actions. "Think" from a program perspective becomes about allowing our higher power to enter into our space, and help us take a step back to think through our choices and find the best response before we offer a knee-jerk reaction that we will in all likelihood have to apologize for later.

A friend who shared at this meeting gave two great acronyms to help us remember to WAIT and THINK before acting and speaking. Here's my personal summary of what I heard: When tempted to act/react without thinking, ask if your word or action is Thoughtful, Honest, Intelligent, Necessary, and Kind (THINK). Then think about whether to say or do. Also, consider "Why Am I Talking?" (WAIT) Sometimes it is better to be quiet and listen.

I'm so grateful for this reminder. I hope it's helpful for others as well!