Product Description

Melody Beattie integrates her own life experiences and fundamental recovery reflections in this unique daily meditation book written especially for those of us who struggle with the issue of codependency.

Problems are made to be solved, Melody reminds us, and the best thing we can do is take responsibility for our own pain and self-care. In this daily inspirational book, Melody provides us with a thought to guide us through the day and she encourages us to remember that each day is an opportunity for growth and renewal.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1036 in Books
• Published on: 1990-07-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 390 pages

About the Author
Beattie was a struggling single parent of two children and freelance author and journalist cranking out stories for a small-town daily newspaper in 1986 when she came up with a book idea. She wanted to write a book about what happens to people when they love someone who is addicted to alcohol and other drugs."'There were many books out there about how to help an addict or alcoholic. Nobody was talking about how an addict impacts the lives of the people around him or her, and how crazy you can become when you love someone who is addicted,"' Beattie said. "'Even though I was sober, I didn't know how crazy I could get until it happened to me."' Twenty publishers turned down Beattie's book proposal. "'It's a good idea, but we don't think there's that many codependents out there,"' they wrote back.Hazelden, however, a treatment center and recovery publisher based in Minnesota, saw a need for the book. The publisher understood how families of alcoholics suffer and believed Beattie's book idea would help people. Beattie marched to the welfare department, asked for enough financial help to make it through the three months it would take her to write the book, then locked herself in a basement office and cranked out Codependent No More. Codependent No More has now sold 3.5 million copies. Beattie has since written nine more books, five for major publishing houses on the east and west coasts. She relocated from Minnesota to California, and she has long-since paid back the welfare department. Beattie has appeared in the pages of Newsweek and People and has been a regular guest on Geraldo and Oprah. Playing It By Heart is Beattie's first original book for Hazelden since 1990' the book is a return to her recovery roots that first brought her national recognition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The Language of Letting Go Melody Beattie January 1 The New Year Make New Year's goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you're interested in fully living life in the year to come. Goals give us direction. They put a powerful force into play on a universal, conscious, and subconscious level. Goals give our life direction. What would you like to have happen in your life this year? What would you like to do, to accomplish? What good would you like to attract into your life? What particular areas of growth would you like to have happen to you? What blocks, or character defects, would you like to have removed? What would you like to attain? Little things and big things? Where would you like to go? What would you like to have happen in friendship and love? What would you like to have happen in your family life? Remember, we aren't controlling others with our goals we are trying to give direction to our life. What problems would you like to see solved? What decisions would you like to make? What would you like to happen in your career? What would you like to see happen inside and around you? Write it down. Take a piece of paper, a few hours of your time, and write it all down as an affirmation of you, your life, and your ability to choose. Then let it go. Certainly, things happen that are out of our control. Sometimes, these events are pleasant surprises; sometimes, they are of another nature. But they are all part of the chapter that will be this year in our life and will lead us forward in the story. The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals. Today, I will remember that there is a powerful force motivated by writing down goals. I will do that now, for the year to come, and regularly as needed. I will do it not to control but to do my part in living my life. January 2 Healthy Limits Boundaries are vital to recovery. Having and setting healthy limits is connected to all phases of recovery: growing in self-esteem, dealing with feelings, and learning to really love and value ourselves. Boundaries emerge from deep within. They are connected to letting go of guilt and shame, and to changing our beliefs about what we deserve. As our thinking about this becomes clearer, so will our boundaries. Boundaries are also connected to a Higher Timing than our own. We'll set a limit when we're ready, and not a moment before. So will others. There's something magical about reaching that point of becoming ready to set a limit. We know we mean what we say; others take us seriously too. Things change, not because we're controlling others, but because we've changed. Today I will trust that I will learn, grow, and set the limits I need in my life at my own pace. This timing need only be right for me. January 3 Nurturing Self-Care . . . there isn't a guideboo

Customer Reviews

Taking Care of Ourselves
A decade or so ago a friend who was going through a rough patch in her life had a therapist who highly recommended this book of meditations. I happened to be in Barnes and Noble with her when she bought Melody Beattie's book, and after perusing a few of the passages, I bought one for myself. What a difference reading The Language of Letting Go made (and continues to make) in my life.

I've bought and given away several copies of Letting Go since that night in the bookstore in the hope that my friends will benefit as much as I have from these sage words of "gentle" advice and reminders that we deserve "the best that life and love have to offer." A few of my personal favorites are the reminders to be patient and realize that timing is perfect, that it's okay to say "no" sometimes and equally okay to say yes to what feels right and good, and that we are responsible for taking care of ourselves.

The realization that we are being divinely led and that we need to trust our Higher Power is reinforced throughout the book. Anyone interested in growth and self-care will benefit from reading it.

wonderfull
as a recovering addict I found ther were other areas in my life that needed work.
This little daily reader has hit home on many fronts and although the language of letting go is directed towards co-dependency I found a lot of answers between it's pages that help me daily. I recomend this to anyone just for an up lifting way to live.

LANGUAGE OF LETTING GO
I HAVE HAD THIS BOOK FOR MANY YEARS AND HAVE ALWAYS FOUND IT VERY USEFUL.
I NOW GIVE IT AS A GIFT TO NEW WOMEN I WORK WITH IN A 12 STEP PROGRAM.