12 Steps of Sponsorship
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.”
“God please direct my thinking today and keeping it divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Father, Please help me to employ my mental faculties, that my thought life might be placed on a higher plane of inspiration and help me pay attention to this vital sixth sense.”
As a bonified alcoholic, I know first hand that my ego is cunning, baffling and powerful. It doesn’t want to die and will do anything to stay alive and kicking. It manipulates me through my mind and drags me down by suplanting delussional thoughts into my head about anything good that is in my life. And if I do catch on to its game, it changes its mask so I only think its gone, as it resumes it assalt from an alternate angle.
Simple Guides to Help you Complete the 1st Action Step of the 12 Step Process. These forms outline an organized way for you to complete your personal inventory without difficulty or question. Everything is laid out in easy to understand format with explenation.<
Battles we’ve won or lost
Even the continuous recovery we’re enjoying is no shield from traps we seem to set for ourselves. At times, we can find ourselves in the foolish game of continuing to fight battles we’ve won or lost.
One losing battle is the attempt to win the approval of someone who has always disliked us. That person may be gone, but we still fight - and lose - the same battle when we find ourselves in a similar situation.
We also may have won some battles without knowing it. This can happen when we’ve set our goals unrealistically high. We may be fairly successful in our work, for example, but still feel that we have failed because a high goal we set eluded us. That goal, however, may have been all but impossible to attain, and while we mourn our perceived failure, we ignore the successes we may have achieved in the meantime. Consequently, we should never let any of these battles interfere with our plan for sobriety. We must stay sober at all costs.
This day, I’ll not strive to impress people who may always disapprove of me. I will also accept my successes even if they fall short of my highest dreams.
The Doctors Opinion tells us exactly what we’re up against. A fatal spiritual maledy that only a vital spiritual awakening can releave us from. We are selfish, self-centered to the extreme and egocentrics with inferiority complexes, thus, without the necessary spiritual work, our outcome bleak and our recovery hopeless. If you can learn anything from studying the Big Book, learn this vital first step to recovery, our utter hopelessness after tryingit our way for countless years vanishes in the process of surrender. This is not stepping down, this is a step up to a new way of life that is greater than you’ve ever drwam possible, but it takes time. Give yourself ONE YEAR (says it in the Big Book) of not drinking, and doing the steps in the big book, and see for yourself.
The worksheets were created by using the precise instructions in the Big Book to make taking the Fourth Step as easy and simple as possible. All page numbers in this Fourth Step Inventory Workshop, refer to the third edition of the book - Alcoholics Anonymous. If you are using the fourth edition — make sure you are on the correct page.
By practicing the spiritual principals set forth throughout the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, we have the option of recovering from a hopeless state of mind and body. I recently had a group member go out after a year and a half of sobriety and working the steps, working with sponcess and everything. A man I am sponcering got pissed because he now “thinks everyone is full of poop”. I had to explain that this disease is cunning and baffling, it’ll wait till you let your guard down and strike during a strange mental blank spot. Suddenly, you’ll have the great idea, senseing you’re not being all too smart, of putting whiskey in your milk. We must be diligant on this. We must not skimp on these steps, daily inventory, prayer and meditation and helping others.