Many of us who wind up in recovery developed an outsized sense of responsibility along the way, always trying to create the circumstances that will make us okay. That makes it hard to handle the reality that we can’t control much of what goes on around us. The difficult people in our workplace, the vagaries of a business and other people’s moods — there’s a lot that comes our way in a day that we can’t do much about.

Today I will remember that my responsibility does not lie outside of me; I’m only responsible for myself and my actions, not for the outcome. One reading suggests “Show up, be honest, turn it over” as a guiding principle. I will use that phrase today if I feel fear and control creeping into my workday. As I turn things over throughout the day, I may find that my Higher Power has better ideas about taking care of me than I do.