[10] I planned for my future
The heart of the suggested steps to Peace & Acceptance is contained in these steps describing the experience of grieving widows and widowers.
Meetings focus on working through the steps, often in a repeating pattern as more learning is revealed to us on our journey. There is often no linear progression.
Planning for our future can seem a tough one, but remember, we have recognized that we have a future, we have accepted that we have a future, and acceptance means stopping the fight… it doesn’t mean the emotions go away!
When we think about our future without our loved one, acceptance just means we stop the fight with how we feel.
So once we’ve done that, we can then start to look at the future – accepting ‘I’ and ‘You’ are a unique individual, and we can plan for that future, even though our loved one isn’t with us.
And what can we plan to do?
We can plan to live the life exactly the way ‘I’ choose, because ‘I’ am a unique individual.
Thinking prompts for this step
If you wish you may find it helpful to use these as prompts to guide your thinking when it’s your turn to share during any group meeting.
- How do you feel about planning for the future. (This is separate from, “how do you feel about the future without your loved one”!)
- What plans are you going to make for your future that are for you and you alone?