Fight or Flight
We all have the primitive instincts in the face of what we fear, whether positive or negative, which is either to retreat or aggressively react to what threatens us. This is the natural “fight or flight” instinct. But if I limit myself to these choices, I rend myself truly powerless to find the serenity of acceptance, or the courage to change.
So I’ve found that before I decide to accept or change my circumstances, I need to settle down enough to see them as they are, not better or worse than they are. I need to find clarity, wisdom, and love in the face of them.
But the amazing thing about working a program of recovery is I have learned that I don’t have to give in to these wild swings of emotion. I can see them come up, feel them in all their intensity, and not let them take me down the wrong path. As long as I do a few simple things in response to the feeling of “fight or flight” life goes alright:
Calm my mind.
Be willing to consider alternative options and points of view.
Be more interested in reaching an understanding than in insisting upon agreement.