It's All in the Steps ...

steps that lead to the jog-falls
Originally uploaded by purplebeats
The speaker at tonight's meeting is someone for whom I have complete adoration and respect. He lives his program. He is authentic and genuine and kind.

His messages tonight were very simple yet far-reaching.

The most compelling were the words of his 1st sponsor when he stepped into AA from a rehab: You have 3 choices about your alcoholism:
1) You can drink and be an alcoholic who drinks.
2) You can not drink and be an alcoholic who is sober.
3) You can not drink and practice the 12 Steps in all your affairs and be an alcoholic who is living sober.

I absolutely love this. For the first 18.5 years of my not drinking, I was alcoholic #2. For the past 1.5 years, I have gotten a taste of what it's like to be alcoholic # 3.

When our speaker would complain to his sponsor about anything, he was re-directed each and every time as follows: " Look at your part and what Step it pertains to and call me back when you're done."

Something I really loved that he said pertained to a conversation today with a fellow traveler of the rooms about owning my part and how being able to identify my personal transference to others is so powerful in giving me clear sight and being able to view them in a totally different way. Our speaker shared the following: "Whenever I have an issue with another person, particularly strong dislike, annoyance, unpleasant feelings -- I put that person on my Step 8 list; when I'm willing to make amends to them, I can really see the part I play in the relationship. Sometimes I never have to make a formal 9th Step amends, but rather I begin to be a living amends in that relationship and the former difficulty I perceived often disappears."

As a long-timer shared with me a couple of days ago: "AA is a simple program for complicated people."

A solution to any life problem I encounter can easily be found within the 12 & 12. It really is all in the Steps.