12 Steps of Sponsorship
Freedom lies just beyond the archway, of which the Cornerstone, (our belief in an all powerful and loving Creator) is the number one element. Without this Cornerstone, without this belief, and our surrender to it, and dependence in it, will will surely fail, and die spiritually. No life, run on self will, can hardly be a success. There’s only two doors to pass through; 1) self-dependency: a life run on self will. or, God-Dependency: a life run on God dependency.
Some say that there are NO MUSTS in AA… actually, if you are working the Program outlined within the AA Text Book; there are 96 Musts. I heard someone say at a meeting that they were falling short on working the “Spiritual Aspect” of the program. It was quickly pointed out to them that there is NO SPIRITUAL ASPECT of this program - and that this IS a Spiritual Program of Recovery. The entire Program is Spiritual in Nature. There is no “Aspect” to it. (aspect means portion, perspective, section) We must do this work or we will die, of course , unless, you are NOT an alcoholic of the hopeless variety.
“The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.”
Alcoholics are Self Centered to the Extreme and definately the “Center of their own attention” more often than not, everything is or eventually ends up being about them in some way, shape of from. If they are doing a favor for someone, it’s because of what will eventually be in it for them. No alcoholic likes hearing this - I didn’t - but its the truth and delussional thinking is the cause of our troubles, we could never see the truth for exactly what it was.
Fear lays at the heart of every AA, in that they lived, breathed and consumed fear throughout their lives in every aspect of the word. Not having fear is impossible for an alcoholic because they do not believe they can survive without being false, and their falsehood begins within themselves. They do not trust themselves and therefore, do not trust anyone esle, and where there is no trust, in themselves as well as anyone esle, there can be no peace, ever. They fear everything and everyone one, to diffreeing degrees. Knowing this and knowing that any alcoholic can and will recover if they are willing, honest and open minded enough to follow the steps outlined in the Big Book, to best of their ability, and continue to enlarge upon their spiritual lives through the continual completion of steps 10, 11, and 12.