All feelings are OK. I used to believe there were good and bad feelings that the bad feelings needed to go away and were unacceptable. As I grow in program, I realize more and more that ALL feelings are OK. I can wake up happy, sad, frustrated or angry just as I can wake up tired, energized, not feeling well or full of life. All feelings are a part of me and a part of my growth. Can I accept that for today that whatever I'm feeling is exactly where God wants me to be? I answer yes, embrace the feelings, get in touch with my feelings and then move forward one day at a time.
The opinions expressed here are those of the individual OA member and do no represent OA as a whole.
Feelings are tricky. Without them, my life "felt" empty and unfulfilled. Now, feeling my feelings can be a challenge. Today I feel blue, a little scared facing a new position, in between things as I wait for a big event in a few weeks, and waiting for some cash to do repairs that really need to be done. For some reason, I seem to experience many of my feelings sideways first. Have you ever seen a kitten tip toe across a room when she is learning to stalk? Face riveted in one direction, her body goes off to an angle behind her, kattywhumpuss. You will see her flank and all four legs moving sideways and forward–there's no other way to describe it. That's how feeling blue is for me. I feel blue, and it really means I'm scared about one thing, not present about another, and impatient about a third thing. I feel blue, and certain food solutions creep into my thoughts. I feel blue, and I easily become overwhelmed because feeling blue isn't really the feeling, and food isn't really the solution.
I learned what to do in OA when food thoughts strike. Today, while I'm learning that feeling blue is a signal and not direct feedback, I'm learning to do whatever it takes to get across the room even though I'm sideways. I'm stalking abstinence and peace.