NON-DOMINANT HAND
June 19, from “Strengthening My Recovery” daily reader
“After introducing ourselves to the child within, we can ask other questions. We write out the question with our dominant hand and write the reply with the other hand.” BRB p. 305
“We used to be afraid of our feelings. We thought we knew how we felt. We knew all about how others felt at all times, but we never developed the discipline of listening to ourselves because we were punished in our families for doing so. Some of us recreated that same punishing silence within ourselves in our work and romantic relationships.
When the hurt becomes too great, we are willing to go to any lengths to recover. We do things that are scary because we are building trust with our sponsor, fellow travelers, and our Higher Power. We seek the answers to our past, however we can find them. Non-dominant handwriting is an important tool in getting to early memories. We try answering questions by writing in crayon with our non-dominant hand. It has worked for others before us.
Most importantly, we are building trust with those voices inside us that have needed to speak for longer than long. They want to contact us and discharge the poison they have been holding back to save us from pain. We start to feel safer as we begin to heal and become ready to hear “our history.”
On this day I will trust the messages I get doing non-dominant handwriting, because what is said is true for that part of me. I will listen without trying to push the feelings back down. I will give the words inside me a space to breathe.”
My Experience:
Interestingly this works. I was skeptical in the beginning, but it is a go to now especially if I am really struggling. This helps me get in touch with my inner child and identify issues that need to be addressed. It then takes courage and trust to voice these issues to whoever they need to be addressed and to feel the feelings associated with them, without responding in a way in which I historically responded, which for me was with anger. I stay humble and vulnerable while I seek to express myself and heal. This has been and continues to be a wonderful tool for me, perhaps it will be for you.
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