The problem with Alcoholics Anonymous is that it has little sayings that always, always, always turn out to be absolutely correct.
Today's example is: "Do the next right thing."
This one can ruin all KINDS of bad intentions. Especially when you reduce it to real-time decision making... like when I wanted to leave the meeting early today, I thought "the next right thing is to sit your ass in the chair for another half an hour."
Shit.
Do the next right thing often means: "Don't do anything."
As in: "Don't make that smarmy comment to your wife."
As in: "Don't talk to that woman. You're married."
Other times, it means "Do it NOW."
As in: "Raise your hand and tell this meeting you're sick of AA."
As in: "Call a dude you don't know and invite him to lunch."
I can say that, for the most part, I did the next right thing today.
Love to all. Even you, the lady who put all her crap on the seats, and gave another lady guff for putting *her* bag on the floor.
8 comments:
1. Live and Let Live
2. Easy Does it
3. But for the grace of God
4. Think, Think, Think
5. Forst things First
6. Don't sweat the small stuff
7. Do the next right thing
8. Stick around till the miracle occurs
9. Stick with the winners
10. Expectations are prepackaged resentments
11. There are no justified resentments
12....
there are always 12
12. When in doubt, talk to someone first.
Do the next right thing. That tells me that if I am not sure what to do next, or I am about to open mouth and insert foot, that I am mindful of what the Next Right Thing really IS.
Mindfulness comes with time in the practice of meditation. I don't think D-T-N-R-T means do nothing, I think it means THINK about what your next decision is before you do something you might regret or want to forget.
Creat memories you will want to remember, don't create memories you will spend the rst of your life trying to FORGET.
Cheers
Jeremy
wow. My cousin used to always say that, and now I know where she got it from. Its a great little piece of wisdom.
Wow, good for you for living the talk! Very inspiring.
sorry to be the the jerk but I just find things like "do the next right thing" quite full of crap. Of course everyone will try to do the right thing - but what is right? What's right to me may not be right to you. Maybe leaving the meeting early would have been right if it was a complete waste of time (just an example).
uhm... I am the above anonymous.
Jeremy - One PHRASE at a time.
:-)
Lisa - simple but true, right?
Katherine - Not sure how well I succeed, but thanks.
Shqipo - heh.
Oh! And shqipo - I respectfully disagree. "Do the next right thing" just means "take a moment to think about it."
So, yeah... if the meeting was a complete waste of time, leaving would be fine. But the expression serves to have you examine your motives before DECIDING that it's a complete waste of time.
See what I'm saying?
Lot a truth in all of that. I like it, do the next right thing.
Watch this movie, The Secret it goes along with all that and is amazing for life...
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