The Foundation For Progress

               Alcoholics Anonymous states, "the idea that somehow, someday, the alcoholic will control their drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker.  The persistence of this illusion is astonishing.  Many pursue it to the gates of insanity and death.  We learned, some of us through relapse, that we had to fully concede to our innermost self that we are alcoholic...The delusion that we are like other people has to be smashed."
The "Big Book"
                We learn through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous that we must admit powerlessness over alcohol and that our lives are unmanageable. We must concede to our innermost self that we are alcoholic and, yes, we must admit complete defeat. Once we have done this we have THE FOUNDATION FOR PROGRESS, in the actual program of Alcoholics Anonymous, upon which we can build a real and honest life.  This life of pure contribution allows us to be who we were created to be, thus restoring our self-esteem and allowing others to be themselves around us without any judgement on our part.  Our real and honest life will be ours to live, measured in and by the love we give away.  

Powerlessness Understood

                So much has been accomplished and a good portion of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous has been completed but now the personal relationship with and the dependence on God takes on a much deeper and all encompassing meaning.
               In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous in the chapter How It Works it says, "we are in the world to play the role God assigns."  I have learned through experience that this may be accomplished through the practice of the Twelve Steps and specifically by integrating Step Eleven into my life.   But it is the Tenth Step through daily examination where we uncover that our character defects continue to manifest themselves in our behavior, even though this reaction to life is not what we want.  It is here in the conflict of not wanting to manifest my character defects in my behavior but POWERLESS  not to have this occur that I am thrown back into Step One and I can now clearly see that I am not only powerless over my use of alcohol but I am powerless over every aspect of my life.  I had previously learned, at a cognitive level, that all my life must be given to the care and direction of God but now through personal experience I perceive this with more clarity and at a much deeper level.
               It is in the taking of the daily inventory that we begin to fully understand the power and pervasiveness of our character defects encoded in our human nature.  To overcome the manifestation of our character defects in our behavior we must subrogate our human nature too and we must abandon ourselves utterly to the will of God for it is in the infinite power and love of God that we are healed.

Self Will Or God's Will

             The 12th Step of Alcoholics Anonymous is "having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and practice these principles in all our affairs."  This step clearly places a responsibility upon me as I can't possibly give away that which I don't have.  The Big Book of AA says "we have recovered and been given the power to help others."  The power to help others is a direct result of the spiritual awakening, received in Step Twelve, and until that has occurred for us it is going to be pretty difficult for that to occur for other alcoholics that we may be helping.  But once the spirit has been awakened within us we can"t possibly be in the will of God without helping others.  Once the spirit has been awakened  and we now have the power we are asked to carry this message not only through our words, but also by incorporating the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, the Twelve Steps, into our lives so that our behavior can be an example for others.  Once the spirit has been awakened in them they can then lead a recovered life.  They will then have the power to help others in the sense that is necessary so that others may recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body,  

Self - Centeredness

                 When I become angry or resentful, it is in that moment that I manifest my human SELF -  CENTEREDNESS.  In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it says "that we think is the root of our troubles."  It also goes on to say "It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness.  To the precise point that we permit these do we squander the hours that might have been worthwhile.  But with the alcoholic whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave.  We found it fatal!  For when harboring such thoughts we cut ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit."
                   The solution to our alcoholism is a vital spiritual experience.  We must give life to our relationship with God.  We accomplish this by turning from our human nature and living in the will of God.  We receive God's will through inspiration conditioned by prayer and meditation.  We can't possibly be in the will of God when we are manifesting SELF - CENTEREDNESS in our lives , but by sobrogating our human nature to the will of God we cannot possibly manifest the SELF - CENTEREDNESS of our human nature in our behavior     

The Twelfth Step: Can't Give Away That Which You Don't Have

          The 12th Step of Alcoholics Anonymous is, "Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."  This step clearly places a responsibility upon us - but we cannot give away that which we don't have.  The "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous states, "We have recovered and been given the power to help others."  The power to help others is a direct result of the spiritual awakening received in Step Twelve. Until one such spiritual awakening has occurred it is impossible for it to occur in other alcoholics that we may be helping. Furthermore, once the Spirit has been awakened within us we cannot be in the will of God without helping others.

          We are gifted the power to carry the message to other alcoholics not only through our words but by incorporating the principles of the Alcoholics Anonymous program (the Twelve Steps) right into our lives, displaying them through our behavior.  Once the spirit has been awakened in those we help then they themselves can lead a recovered life.  These recovered alcoholics will then have the power to help others in the way  necessary, so that still others may recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Your gift can be a gift to others.  

Conscious Contact

         For me, the CONSCIOUS CONTACT is a personal relationship with God in this moment and at this time.  I do not look back in regret and I don't look forward in fear, as through the grace of God in this moment I have relinquished my human nature. My human instincts are no longer propelling my thought process but rather my thought process is propelled by the will of God through inspiration.
               The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous says "we may face indecision, we might not be able to determine which course to take.  Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or decision.  We are often surprised how the right answers will come after we have tried this for awhile.  What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind.  We find our thinking will be as time passes more and more on the plane of inspiration.  We come to rely upon it."  The dictionary defines inspiration as "the thoughts of God implanted upon the mind and soul of man."  I don't need to run the thoughts of God through my intellect as I instantaneously perceive them as truth.  The question becomes, will I be obedient.  Is my behavior going to be propelled by the will of God or is my behavior going to be propelled by my human instincts.  The back half of the Eleventh Step says "praying only for the knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out" as my human nature will never do the will of God.
                It is here that a recovered alcoholic lives, in the will of God through a CONSCIOUS CONTACT.

The Real Problem

What a beautiful program Alcoholics Anonymous is. Not only does it relieve our uncontrollable use of alcohol but is applicable to each and every problem in our lives.
           
We come to A A because we desire to stop drinking alcohol and are unable to do so on our own.  Alcohol severely impacts our lives, our minds, and our bodies.  We discover through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous that alcohol, of itself, is not and was not the problem - it is but a symptom of the problem.  The real problem with us as alcoholics (and addicts of any and all types) is self-centered fear. We are afraid we will not get what we want... and afraid to lose what we have.
           
When any of our human instincts are threatened we overreact until we make the decision in the Third Step of the program to turn our thoughts and our actions over to the care of God. Once we do this we are on our way to a serene and peaceful life.  The integration of the remaining steps into our lives leads us to a life in which we are praying and meditating on a daily basis.  When praying we ask only for the knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out. Remaining in that present state of mind, in the will of God, we do not drink. In God's hands all of our problems are solved.

God is the solution to the real problem. Once we are in His will we do not overreact when we think that our human instincts are threatened as we are trusting in His safety and serenity. May you find Him and his comfort now.