Alcoholics Anonymous Blog Video October 6 2014
Yes October all about step ten, at the same time the impact of step six and seven is a lifetime and life changing understanding of how to approach life. I speak for myself of course, not you, like me you are learning what works just for today.
The impact of step six on daily life, where troubling times or even wonderful times can evoke all our defects of character: excessive fear, putting on a brave face as we say in England, "a stiff upper lip." And the horribleness of ego can come to the aid of happy or unhappy situations.
The impact of step seven on daily life, as suggested in the twelve and twelve, like step six, "contingent on the day we ask!" Whatever we are doing, we are probably better facing the truth of now, and step seven: courage to change, facing doing the next right thing and learning what it is to be a human being making mistakes and not knowing the answers, which is all about confidence to explore the world and everything it has to offer.
I was very fortunate this morning to get to a meeting, and being able to listen to step eleven being read out by everyone: "sort through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood him, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out." And prayer is about seeking the question and sharing the truth, meditation is about reflection on our current state, and what is going on. Step six and step seven always impact on step ten and eleven because depending on our current state of mind, step six defects will undermine step ten and step eleven, because we are still angry and resentful about something which brings up fear pride and ego?
Step seven is the lifesaver on a daily basis. And step seven is connected to all the steps and how we approach life. Especially with step ten: if we are willing to have the courage to check reality and see what we need to change in ourselves, faith in being open and honest with the world and ourselves, then we will find confidence growing, until of course we get a setback, make some more mistakes and then gain confidence again by doing something new or different. And the same applies to prayer and meditation, step eleven is not going to really work very well if was still full of defects and feelings which cannot be ignored, because fear, pride and ego are real. At the same time if we contemplate what's going on and how we might approach things differently, the first thing we might want to do is ask for help in whatever practical way we can. Phone a friend, reach out, always get to a meeting if you can, and see what is possible rather than going round in circles about things we are powerless over and cannot control: namely, everything outside our heads.
I love these morning meetings, indeed I like all meetings, even when they bring out my defects of character, because I know I still have them and I can still laugh about it with other people. I am by no means perfect and I don't know what's right half the time for myself let alone anybody else. Which brings humour into the equation always, and there is always a better way than mine if I choose to share my troubles in a level and appropriate way through courage, faith and confidence.
Step Ten Reading 12 & 12
Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, AA is for Alcoholics, AA 12 Steps, Addiction And Recovery, DonInLondon, Don Oddy,
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