Meetings*

You might ask, “What goes on in those recovery meetings?”  An example:  you walk in, sit and listen.  Listening is basic.  You hear someone speak about their pain and you have a response.  One response is “observation of the heart.”  You then have a sense of compassion, “com passio,” you feel with the person’s pain.  You identify with the speaker.  You respond.  How?  One of two ways.  You reach out to the person to give them some sense they are not alone.  You offer your time and energy if they might want it.  You do not focus on yourself.  But there is a second kind of response.  You jam up your compassion.  How?  You feel insecure,  You have self-doubt as to your ability to be helpful.  Or you have a bout of selfishness.  So you hesitate, and the opportunity is gone.  Someone called this second non-response, “incurving.”  You curve in on yourself and get all swallowed up.  I find that “the meeting after the meeting” is where a lot of my growth happens.  All of us have something to offer one another.  Are you “incurving” today?