Steps 10 and 11
This thought brings us to Step Ten, which
suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any
new mistakes as we go along. We vigorously commenced this way of living as we
cleaned up the past. We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function
is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter.
It should continue for our lifetime. Continue to watch for selfishness,
dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to
remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if
we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can
help. Love and tolerance of others is our code.
And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone - even alcohol. For by this time
sanity will have returned. We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted,
we recoil from it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally, and we will
find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new attitude
toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It
just comes! That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we
avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been placed in a position of
neutrality - safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the
problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are
we afraid. That is our experience. That is how we react so long as we keep in
fit spiritual condition.
It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels.
We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not
cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the
maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry
the vision of God's will into all of our activities. "How can I best serve Thee
- Thy will (not mine) be done." These are thoughts which must go with us
constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is
the proper use of the will.
Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration, and direction
from Him who has all knowledge and power. If we have carefully followed
directions, we have begun to sense the flow of His Spirit into us. To some
extent we have become God-conscious. We have begun to develop this vital sixth
sense. But we must go further and that means more action.
Step Eleven suggests prayer and meditation. We shouldn't be shy on this matter
of prayer. Better men than we are using it constantly. It works, if we have the
proper attitude and work at it. It would be easy to be vague about this matter.
Yet, we believe we can make some definite and valuable suggestions.
When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful,
selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to
ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind
and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of
ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others,
of what we could pack into the stream of life? But we must be careful not to
drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our
usefulness to others. After making our review we ask God's forgiveness and
inquire what corrective measures should be taken.
On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our
plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking,
especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking
motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with
assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be
placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.
In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to
determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive
thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle. We are
often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.
What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a
working part of the mind. Being still inexperienced and having just made
conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired
at all times. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions
and ideas. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more
and more on the plane of inspiration. We come to rely upon it.
We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown
all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we
need to take care of such problems. We ask especially for freedom from
self-will, and are careful to make no request for ourselves only. We may ask for
ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are careful never to pray for
our own selfish ends. Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it
doesn't work. You can easily see why.
If circumstances warrant, we ask our wives or friends to join us in morning
meditation. If we belong to a religious denomination which requires a definite
morning devotion, we attend to that also. If not members of religious bodies, we
sometimes select and memorize a few set prayers which emphasize the principles
we have been discussing. There are many helpful books also. Suggestions about
these may be obtained from one's priest, minister, or rabbi. Be quick to see
where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer.
As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for
the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer
running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be
done." We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry,
self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire
so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were
trying to arrange life to suit ourselves.
It works - it really does.
We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way
we have just outlined.
But this is not all. There is action and more action. "Faith without works is
dead." The next chapter is entirely devoted to Step Twelve.
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Carry this message to other alcoholics!