Melody Beattie
American Author
| Date of Birth | : | 02 Jul, 1948 |
| Place of Birth | : | Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States |
| Profession | : | Author |
| Nationality | : | American |
| Social Profiles | : |
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Melody Beattie is an American author of self-help books on codependent relationships.
Education and career
Born Melody Vaillancourt in Minneapolis, Beattie graduated from high school with honors. She began drinking at age 12, was an alcoholic by age 13, and a drug addict by 18.
Beattie published 18 books including Codependent No More, Beyond Codependency, The Language of Letting Go and Make Miracles in Forty Days: Turning What You Have into What You Want, published in 2010. Several of her books have been published in other languages.
Ideas
Beattie, along with Janet G. Woititz and Robin Norwood, were popularizers of science, helping to digest and explain the work of psychiatrist Timmen L. Cermak, author of Diagnosing and Treating Co-Dependence. Beattie popularized the concept of codependency in 1986 with Codependent No More, which sold eight million copies.
Codependent No More was first published by the Hazelden Foundation. Beattie's early works also served as the first the Big Book for a 12-Step program called Co-Dependents Anonymous. Although "CoDA" now has a conference-approved (official) "the Big Book" of its own, Beattie's works continue to be central texts in some CoDA meetings.
Quotes
Total 35 Quotes
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
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.
I used to spend so much time reacting and responding to everyone else that my life had no direction. Other people's lives, problems, and wants set the course for my life. Once I realized it was okay for me to think about and identify what I wanted, remarkable things began to take place in my life.
We don't just get our choice; we get the consequence that choice creates.
Our strength will continue if we allow ourselves the courage to feel scared, weak, and vulnerable.
Letting go helps us to live in a more peaceful state of mind and helps restore our balance. It allows others to be responsible for themselves and for us to take our hands off situations that do not belong to us. This frees us from unnecessary stress.
Striving for excellence is a positive quality. Striving for perfection is self-defeating.
Today I will stop trying to control my relationships. I will participate at a reasonable level and let the other person do the same. I can let go, knowing that the relationship will find its own life-or not-and that I don't have to do all the work, only my share.
Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people's souls.
Choosing to take responsibility for ourselves and for the consequences our choices create looks like hard work, but it really sets us free.
