When a setback hits me at work–a lost promotion, an earnings shortfall–disappointment can hit hard. I can quickly turn into a resentful mess, feeling victimized and fretful about the future, inwardly harboring anger at everyone I feel is keeping me down.

But these automatic thoughts are usually what cause the most pain. Fortunately, they can be redirected. A prayer from the Big Book asks for a change in our thinking, that it may be “divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives” (p. 86).

It’s true that some disappointments are genuinely unjust. But by asking for help with my thoughts, I may see that I played a role in what happened, or I may see that everyone hits a roadblock from time to time, that I am not exempt from struggle. Today, I will remember that my Higher Power is willing and able to help me with my thoughts. And when I change my thoughts, I usually change my world in the process.