The significance of my grasping the entire implications of Step 1 is directly proportionate to my serenity level…
What does that mean? It means that if I remember, more than forget, that I am powerless over another person, situation or circumstance in my life then I actually have a chance at a serene today regardless of what that person, situation or circumstance may bring my way.
Take a quick look at the concept of Step 1 of the 12 Steps of Recovery and see how this principle is the jumping off point to a happy and productive life. Please be open minded (if you are in recovery or not) as life is hard and all people can use tools to successfully negotiate our world today. The application of these life changing principles of the recovery movement brought to mankind in their inception of 1935 (the anniversary year of the birth of Alcoholics Anonymous, the first of all 12 steps programs) has allowed those lost in their various addictions to successfully face life when it shows up. In the case of this recovering alcoholic I used to drink my way through life’s issues (e.g., employers, significant others not doing it my way, vehicle breakdowns, illnesses, etc.). As I embrace the mental life saving principle of powerlessness I have an attitude adjustment. However to the first sentence of this blog what value is ‘the entire implication’ of powerlessness? The key to it is found in the second half of the first step, in the un-manageability of our life which makes the powerless pill much easier to swallow…
An unappreciative employer, a dispute with your significant other that lands you on the couch, the heartbreak of children not doing it correctly, long term chronic pain or illness, or making a monumental mistake that is pain producing are consequences that all mankind faces, not just those in recovery. I was blown away after 23 years of being a blackout party animal to learn that my alcohol (drugs, sexually acting out, overeating, gambling, etc. – insert your drug of choice or escape behavior here) was a symptom of my problem(s) and that intact I suffered from a living problem…
We of Joy of the Lord Ministries (JOTL) have a format now to help ease human suffering through the principles of recovery that we call Truth Teaching. The audio format on the website will allow you to go to any of the 12 steps and hear a brilliant teaching on the principles to serenity pertaining to that particular step. The teacher, Chris S. is a man with more than 30 years of continuous sobriety. We meet every Monday night in Cupertino, and the first Monday of the month is our Truth Teaching. Come join us as we share and enjoy the new freedom we have found hidden in the scriptural truth of “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise…” If it doesn’t work (oh yeah – it is on you to do the footwork) your misery will accompany you wherever you go! Just my experience… which brings me to my title line of these thoughts… Do I want to be right, or do I want to be happy?