One Among Many!

by

“I have turned to a Power greater than myself. Thank God, I am no longer at the center of the universe.”

That line jumped off today’s page of Twenty-Four Hours a Day, and it’s worth reading twice. Thank God! Not “unfortunately.” Not “I finally had to admit it.” Thank God.

Being the center of the universe is exhausting. When everything revolves around me, every look from a stranger is about me, every quiet moment in a room is about me, and every problem is mine to fix. That’s a heavy job, and nobody ever hired us for it.

So today let’s talk about the freedom of getting out of the middle. It sounds like a demotion. It’s actually a promotion!

Only one among many

The reading keeps going: “All the world does not revolve around me any longer. I am only one among many. I have a Father in heaven and I am only one of His children and a small one at that.”

Then comes the good part: “But I can depend on Him to show me what to do and to give me the strength to do it.”

A small one. I love that. Small doesn’t mean worthless. It means I don’t have to carry the whole load by myself. As the page says, “I do not have to depend entirely on myself any longer. With God, I can face anything.”

Small, but infinitely important

Here’s the balance, and Matthew Kelly gives it to us in this morning’s Dynamic Catholic reflection: “God tells you that you are infinitely important, and no one else’s opinion can add to or diminish your worth. You don’t need to prove anything to Him.”

Put those two readings side by side. I’m one among many, and I’m infinitely important. Both are true at the same time!

That’s the sweet spot of recovery. Not “I’m a piece of garbage” and not “I’m the king of the world.” Just a beloved child of God who doesn’t need to win every room to be okay.

Wait, shyness is self-centered too?

Today’s page of A Day at a Time takes a surprising turn. It describes the agony of shyness, the crowded rooms and the trouble making eye contact, and then calls shyness “just another manifestation of self-centered fear.” Specifically, it says, shyness “is fear of what others think or might think about us.”

Ouch. And also, what a relief! If the problem is too much focus on me, the answer is simple. The page closes with it: “A cure for shyness is caring about someone else.”

It also asks a question worth sitting with: “Am I aware that I’m okay as long as I don’t concentrate on me?”

Loud one or quiet one in the corner, the trap is the same spotlight. Turn it around and shine it on somebody else.

Stop asking for the umbrella

Your Daily Reprieve shared a line from John Wu that hits close to home: “When people are on the point of drowning, all they care for is their lives. But as soon as they get ashore, they ask, ‘Where is my umbrella?'”

Isn’t that us? When we were going under, all we wanted was to live. Give us a little time on dry land, and suddenly we’re upset about the parking spot, the slow checkout line, the friend who didn’t text back.

Wu’s answer is short: “Wisdom, in life, consists in not asking for the umbrella.”

Gratitude keeps us remembering the water. I’m alive. I’m sober today. The umbrella can wait.

Look to the interests of others

Scripture says it plainly: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV)

Notice the words “not only.” You still matter. You just aren’t the only one who matters.

In Success-Full, Living Life with Purpose: Recovery Mode, I shared a prayer that flips the spotlight fast: “Lord, please give them everything I want and more!” Try praying that for someone who gets under your skin. It’s hard to stay at the center of the universe while you’re asking God to bless somebody else.

Five ways to step out of the center today

  • Look for the person standing alone. At your next meeting, gathering or job site, find the one on the edge of the room and say hello first.
  • Ask, then listen. In one conversation today, ask a real question and let the other person finish. Skip the urge to top their story.
  • Catch your umbrella moment. When a small annoyance shows up, tell yourself, “I’m ashore,” and name one thing you’re grateful for instead.
  • Pray for someone by name. Use “Lord, please give them everything I want and more!” for one person you love and one you don’t.
  • Leave your worth at home. Before you walk into a room, remember that nobody’s opinion in there can add to or diminish your worth. Then go enjoy the people.

Grateful to be one of many

The Twenty-Four Hours page puts it beautifully: “I am on the Way and the whole power of the universe is behind me when I do the right thing.”

I don’t have to be the universe. I just get to be on the Way, with God behind me and a whole lot of good people beside me. That’s a gift I never want to take for granted. Life is GOOOOOOOD!!!

So here’s my question for you: Who is one person you can turn the spotlight on today, and what will you do for them?

Go, Go, Go… Dan 🙂

Books quoted in this post:

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A note on anonymity: Although I write about Alcoholics Anonymous and its literature here, nothing in this post should be taken to imply my membership in any specific mutual support group, in keeping with Tradition Eleven.

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Reflection note: I wrote this from my own daily readings. Quotes belong to their original authors and sources (Twenty-Four Hours a Day, October 24 / Hazelden Foundation, via Daily Ponderables and Your Daily Reprieve; Matthew Kelly, Feminine Genius, via the Dynamic Catholic Daily Reflection; A Day at a Time, October 24 / Hazelden, via Your Daily Reprieve; John Wu, via Your Daily Reprieve; Philippians 2:3-4, The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV); Success-Full, Living Life with Purpose: Recovery Mode). I used AI to help organize it and reviewed it before posting.