Back in our day, we spent a lot of time in fantasy. In retrospect, we were so far from what was the reality that we might as well have been on another planet or distant universe. Our heads were in the clouds, and our hearts were bent toward the next selfish desire. Our feet were in quicksand, and our hands were on a bottle.
Today's post focuses on how we successfully re-grounded. The point of fact is that we did not do this on our own. We did not recreate the wheel or invent the source for sobriety. We followed a path that was pioneered in the early parts of the 20th century. A perfect combination of spirituality and sane living was just what the doctor ordered for our restitution.
We credit our healing to the God of our understanding and the teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Our commitment to the curriculum and our relentless pursuit of a healthy (physical, mental, and spiritual) lifestyle has produced a profound change that screams miraculous.
We acknowledge that our solution may not work for everybody. Our podcast and writings explore many reasons for success and failure. We are a success story as of today, and we hope that many more will apply the practices and principles to gain a level of living that is unmatched and near-unimaginable.
Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:
From day one, we became the spearhead of our recovery. We approached this new lifestyle with the same energy we applied to our addiction.
We listened with an open mind and acted with a willing body. We studied as a student whose pass/failure equaled life/death.
We were fearless and thorough as we aggressively worked (and re-worked) the steps as laid out and as taught in the first 164 pages of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.
We came to believe that no human power could relieve us of our alcoholism and that relying on that omnipotent, all-powerful source for our sobriety was the linchpin of our recovery.
As soon as we could teach, we taught. We made it our life work to carry this message to alcoholics everywhere.
Simply stated, we put the words of the program into action.
It is important to note that none of this was completed to perfection. Yet, the joy of the journey proved magnificently incredible – and isn’t that where value in life is found?
If the reader of this post is freshly pained, we beg you to embrace this design for living. Find a sponsor who leads from the written letters. Get comfortable with a concept of a Higher Power that you can entirely rely on and strap in for the ride of your life.
Transformation awaits you!
For the reader feeling stale and acting complacent, we beg you to recommit. After the first year, the 5th year has the second-highest relapse rate, and many sad stories lie between (and after) those two benchmarks. We focus on continued study and constant service as we find ourselves in these categories.
We have made our past and present our purpose.
CLOSING COMMENTARY AND SUGGESTION: Wherever one may find themselves on the path to recovery, please find a sponsor who can guide you through the program as laid out in the first 164 pages. Good sponsors are not counselors, financial advisors, health coaches, or relationship specialists; they should be a straightforward guide led by the words in the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Support through meetings, fellowship, and sober friends can be beneficial, yet a solid sponsor will provide the best possibilities for long-term success. As your lighthouse, they should know exactly where the rocks are and how to navigate through them safely.
God can and will bring healing to the hurt if He is sought! We hang on that hope as we have seen it plainly played out in our lives and the lives of countless others.
There IS a difference between ordinary recovery and extraordinary recovery, so we strive for excellence and reap the rewards of a life transformed.
Thoughts and ideas for this blog post were taken and built upon from a sober.coffee podcast #27 Big Book Diligence - Don't Just Read It... Diligently Study It !! the episode dropped on 10/6/2021 Click here to hear the podcast.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
BLOG DISCLAIMER:
Alcoholics Anonymous and AA are registered trademarks of Alcoholics World Service. Inc. References to AA, the 12 steps, and 12 traditions does not mean that AA has reviewed or approved the contents of this publication nor that AA agrees with the views expressed herein. This publication is intended to support personal growth and should not be considered a substitute for healthcare professionals' advice. The author’s advice and viewpoints are their own.
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