March 16
Keeping the Image
Someone praises us for being dependable, and we enjoy it. Later, when we forget a commitment, the temptation to invent an explanation feels surprisingly strong. We tell ourselves that the detail would only worry them or make too much of a small mistake. Beneath those explanations may be a simpler concern: we want to keep being the person they think we are, even at the expense of being honest with them.
Letting go of that image can feel like losing something earned. Recovery may have brought us trust we once lacked, and admitting a failure seems to put it at risk. Yet concealing the failure asks an old habit to protect a new life. Readiness might mean allowing our reputation to be a little less polished than our story. We can value trust enough to let another person know where we fell short, without deciding in advance what they will think.
What image of myself makes a small admission feel unusually costly?
They deserve an honest answer about the missed commitment.
For the A.A. nerds: Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step Six.