Nothing on earth consumes a man more completely

than the passion of resentment.

-- Friedrich Nietzche

Inspirational Short Story, Female Fantasy Art, Relaxing Music

Our obsession with controlling other people, and our failure to succeed with our attempts, are most likely consistent attempts, the fodder for the resentments that we garner.

It's human to want to control others, to try to control outcomes to favor us.

But the resentment that develops begins controlling us, and this situation leads only to frustration, at times panic, always unhappiness.

If we're feeling resentment toward anyone, or because of any situation, we are not able to recognize the opportunities presenting themselves to us today. And when we don't respond to the invitations for meaningful involvement, our personal growth is jeopardized.

We give our power away when resentment swallows us.

Our identity becomes enmeshed with it.

Responsible action eludes us. Fortunately, we can take back our power just as soon as we decide:

to get free of the resentment...

. . . and just how do we do that?

Inspirational Short Story, Female Fantasy Art, Relaxing Music
If you have a resentment you want to be free of, if you will pray for the person or the thing that you resent, you will be free.

If you will ask in prayer for everything you want for yourself to be given to them, you will be free.

Ask for their health, their prosperity, their happiness, and you will be free.

Even when you don't really want it for them, and your prayers are only words and you don't mean it, go ahead and do it anyway.

Do it every day for two weeks...

...and you will find you have come to mean it and to want it for them,

and you will realize that where you used to feel bitterness and resentment and hatred, you now feel compassionate understanding and love.

__________

-- From the AA Big Book, page 552.

10/18/2024

Inspirational Short Story, Female Fantasy Art, Relaxing Music

Dividers from Ivy's Graphics (dead link 07/05/2011)

( Permission to use the copyrighted images of Jean-Paul Avisse is licensed from Prestige Art Galleries, Inc. )