Alcoholics Anonymous | July 11 | DonInLondon | Step 7 "Courage To Change"

Life has been difficult! The last five days: rebuilding my computer from scratch. How so? Well, if we are enthusiastic about new innovations and like to be at the sharp edge, we can be bamboozled into thinking it's a good idea to upgrade to Windows 8.1. As it happens, it was a very bad idea indeed. Sending emails to different software providers who offer their deepest sympathy was not very helpful.

Always go back to the source, even when you're guarantee is up because they probably can do something to help you. All you need to do is find acceptance, that your computer does not work and you need to spend some money. There can be negotiation around the money, but the end of all this is less money in your bank account. Five days later, I have less money and now have a computer which works again. Step six the argument in my head, all about the unfairness, step seven: courage and faith in being able to rebuild my computer to a place where I can understand it again. I had to accept help, or no computer and a lot of frustration. The service agents we deal with, they do not make the systems and procedures and there is no point to being angry with them. We can be angry at big companies who take advantage of their monopoly position when it comes to service and over charging their customers.

Where would we be without the tools of life? The tools we learn, how we feel about what is going on, our attitude to endeavours in the face of not only good experiences, also the bad and ugly experiences which are going to happen whatever we do. We cannot choose good all the time, because we do not know what is going to happen from one moment to the next. Yes we can have a positive attitude and still be angry and upset, at the same time we do not need to make other people upset and angry because ultimately it probably was not their fault either for the predicament we face.

Always better to see the big picture, what we find disabling in our personal day-to-day activities is probably something to do with something we have missed along the way. And in my case being over enthusiastic about trying out new things without considering the consequences has caused a steep learning curve. I have learned how to do some new things, and I have expended a great deal of effort. And it is taken away a chunk of money out of the blue. Bugger…