Episode #9: Albert Ancel – Business Owner, Volunteer, and Recovering Alcoholic
Celebrate your powerlessness? That’s just crazy talk. I thought. I’d have to relinquish control!
Can giving up control and embracing my pain and feelings of powerlessness really be the key to healing?
It’s hard to imagine, but that’s how it began for my guest today.
Albert Ancel, a grateful recovering alcoholic, says that once he embraced his pain and his fears of feeling powerless, he could celebrate. His whole attitude, outlook and perception changed, and life got better. That was over nineteen years ago.
Devoted to the practice of the twelve step principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, Al spends much of his free time being of service. Volunteering several evenings a week at Hinsdale Hospital in Illinois, he facilitates recovery with men and women who’ve relapsed from drugs and alcohol and also volunteers an afternoon a week facilitating healing for inmates who are awaiting criminal trial and sentencing at Illinois’ Cook County Jail.
Until next time,
Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Daring and take a bite of courage.
And remember:
We’re all recovering from something, so take a deep breath in and a deeper breath out. Relax into the pain. Embrace it. Then, release it, let it go one breath at a time, and celebrate. It’s worth a try. 🙂
Love,
Mo
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Thank you for this. Great stuff. Everyday we are given the gift of life it’s us who choose how we are going to live it. I’m struggling with the gift that I’ve been given. I’m being selfish a lot and I really needed to hear this because I’m powerless over myself right now. I know I just need to except the gift. I’m powerless over myself. I’m not alone. Need to stop fighting myself. Thank you. Feels good to hear view from someone right now.
Hi Ash. Thanks for reaching out! I’m so glad this episode helped. Al is right–Embrace it. This too shall pass. Keep telling yourself that. It will get better and you’re NOT alone. I’m glad you know that. Hang in there. Love, Mo
Hi Mo,
What an interesting conversation with Ancel. Lots of wisdom there from both of you, hard won which is the most deeply realized.
I was struck by his praying for the people he would be meeting during the day. Something that has become activated in my own life is that I have been led to pray for everyone I have ever encountered no matter how briefly: a waiter, a clerk, a delivery person. I don’t get out much anymore so much of the direction is in the past. But even the very briefest encounters are with people who are, as G.K.Chesterton would say, part of my fairy tale. Out of the billions of people living now and in the past, just a very few do we brush shoulders with, within a lifetime.
Fairy tales, of course, can contain dragons and witches. But somehow, within God’s providence, the good, bad, or indifferent are the specific persons who have entered into my tale.
Thank you for the example of your courage in overcoming the temptation you described.
xo
Thomas
Thank you, Thomas. I really appreciate your comments and your encouragement, and am grateful for your valuable insights, as always. Love, Mo