My
Thoughts on Step Twelve
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these
steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these
principles in all our affairs.
Step twelve is about carrying the message from one alcoholic
talking to another alcoholic it is how the program started has grown and how
most of us came to recovery Twelve Step work can be exciting and rewarding and
it's easier to talk about and experience than the rest of the 12th Step.
A spiritual awakening as a result of practicing the Steps simple
but it requires all the steps that's what as a result of these steps means
there's nothing in this step that calls for delay or getting ready for an
inventory or hedging on amends an awakening is the result of all the Steps
Practicing the principles is simply the continuing use of the steps
to keep us right sized and attuned to Gods will for us on a daily basis It's is
a daily practice formal and informal over time it becomes a part of us acting
as our ground to living one day at a time
It is with this awakening and practice that gives us not only
freedom from our alcoholism but the serenity to accept things as they are it is
this awakening and practice that let's us move in our world with confidence
knowing that our skin fits and we can deal with all that life hands us
Carrying the message of recovery to others is what the program is
all about back in the early days the program grew mostly by word of mouth one
drunk talking to another in those days there was much more shame associated
with alcoholism even admitting the disease was a stigma on the recovering
It was also recognized that a recovered alcoholic often got much
better results working with another practicing drunk than did the professional
people when I tell my story to a fellow drunk it is easer for him to identify
with me they can believe me easer than with a counselor
The secret is telling the truth about what it was like and being
willing to listen to what they are saying or answering question that are on
their minds being new to recovery I wanted to get everyone sober I was
convinced that anyone who asked for my help really wanted it.
Sadly this wasn't true some come and just aren't ready to let go of
their addiction It took me time and almost getting drunk to realize that my job
was to carry the message as best I could but not get caught up in the mess the
results belonged to the other person and their God
There are lots of ways to get involved with this type of 12 Step
work. We can reach out to a new comer volunteer to help them or take a meeting
into a jail or other institution or give our name to the Central Office or
Intergroup that field’s calls for help. We can also let others know a bit of
our story
Carrying the message and being willing to carry the message means
we have a message to carry a that message is
"God can do for us what we can not do for ourselves if only we let
Him" before we can give it back we have to learn how to thru all 12 steps
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