Alcoholics Anonymous | Step 3 | March 11

Alcoholics Anonymous | Step 3 | March 11 |

"After Eights" last night. Lovely chair and sharing about issues of later sobriety. Several AA birthdays and newcomers too. All about sharing honestly, be it women’s issues or men’s issues... We all have hormones or we would have no feelings at all! Truth is best as each person sees it, how else can we relate or not to the similarities even when there may be differences?

GOOD ORDERLY DIRECTION MARCH 11 It is when we try to make our will conform with God’s that we begin to use it rightly. To all of us, this was a most wonderful revelation. Our whole trouble had been the misuse of willpower. We had tried to bombard our problems with it instead of attempting to bring it into agreement with God’s intention for us. To make this increasingly possible is the purpose of A.A.’s Twelve Steps, and Step Three opens the door. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 40

All I have to do is look back at my past to see where self-will has led me. I just don’t know what’s best for me and I believe my Higher Power does. G.O.D., which I define as “Good Orderly Direction,” has never let me down, but I have let myself down quite often. Using my self-will in a situation usually has the same result as forcing the wrong piece into a jigsaw puzzle–exhaustion and frustration. Step Three opens the door to the rest of the program. When I ask God for guidance I know that whatever happens is the best possible situation, things are exactly as they are supposed to be, even if they aren’t what I want or expect. God does for me what I cannot do for myself, if I let Him.

Fellowship, we are included and united by a simple desire to be to be sober today ~ Arthur Schopenhauer "Will power is to the mind like a strong blind man who carries on his shoulders a lame man who can see." -/- Sharing experience strength and hope, our spiritual journey is informed with new choices, wisdom and acceptance of now..

Interdependent, needs met, choices open, striving to the good of living, balance found in the moment ~ George A. Sheehan "We may think there is willpower involved, but more likely... change is due to want power. Wanting the new addiction more than the old one. Wanting the new me in preference to the person I am now." -/- Change is good, progress as life affords, no fixing required as wants and wanting are forgotten..

We have the potential to live the life we have, the key is inside us ~ Dan Millman "Everything you'll ever need to know is within you; the secrets of the universe are imprinted on the cells of your body." -/- With help, support and good orderly direction, action makes for wisdom, acceptance of change and serenity in endeavour, just for today..

Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity service and recovery.

Step 3 "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him" Practicing Step Three is like the opening of a door which to all appearances is still closed and locked. All we need is a key, and the decision to swing the door open. There is only one key, and it is called willingness. Once unlocked by willingness, the door opens almost of itself, and looking through it, we shall see a pathway beside which is an inscription. It reads: "This is the way to a faith that works." We find faith in doing the next right action, based on truth, love and wisdom we learn as life unfolds.

Open To Truth, Love And Wisdom of Others [we let go having to be right, self-obsessed and self-medicating our lives away into oblivion and harm’s way]

We find it amazing that the newcomer can start the A.A. program without any specific beliefs or, for that matter, without any beliefs whatsoever. All a person needs is the open-mindedness and the willingness to believe that WE BELIEVE this program works...

"God [it is what I understand to be God or a "Higher Power," always a personal understanding we have for ourselves, there is no AA or common understanding, simply what you believe] God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference" God is often understood to be: Truth, Love and Wisdom in the moment of now... your faith, your understanding.

Alcoholics Anonymous, DonInLondon, Life Works In Recovery, Addiction And Recovery, Alcoholic, Alcoholism

Alcoholics Anonymous | DonInLondon | Life Works In Recovery |