Today I got to go to the noon meeting. I sat down in a position that was next in line to read. I knew that I would called on next and it came immediately. The chairperson gave me the option to pass and I turned the decision back to him creating an awkward moment. It was not a big deal but I just thought that I did this out of fear and selfishness.

I did read and God blessed me with words to share from my experience, the principles of 12 step recovery, and the spiritual life.

This afternoon I had to answer an email that placed the cause of a problem with a customer on my actions. It took me a long time to draft a reply that stated the truth but wasn't too defensive. I managed to be somewhat understanding of my accuser and even helpful. In the end I received support from my boss and another co-worker and I may have come out ok. But I couldn't help feeling that I was too reactionary and defensive. I think that my response was the responsible thing to do as immediate feedback is teh culture of my company. Afterward I realized that I could have applied the principle of "seek first to understand" more thoroughly. In so doing I could have been less defensive and more constructive.

I got a phone call from a customer about a subject in which we had exchanged emails on a similar testy subject. This was another situation where I had to address a difficult subject diplomatically. I wrote a reply stating the facts and then I rewrote it from the perspective of empathy for her situation first, then a statement of facts with a pleasant and helpful tone. In her phone call my customer was concilliatory and willing to listen.

This afternoon I got a call from a good friend who is a fellow recovering addict. He needed to speak to another addict in recovery. This was just what I needed to help me meet my recovery fellowship needs because I needed to speak to another addict in recovery as I did not get to go to those meetings this weekend. I got to share my recent inventory and I got to hear his. In the end I felt like the student. A crazy thing happened when he quoted me that "I don't take my will back, it just comes". I remembered saying that but it was as if I were hearing it for the first time.

Thanks be to God for all His graces and blessingws, may I do better with them tomorrow.