Although we never hardly agreed on anything, I miss SaTiT. He and I would go back and forth on this topic and I could tell He was getting mad at me. LOL!! Oh well...
I don't know about anyone else, but some things that are simple for some are complicated for others (and the reverse). What I often found interesting was listening to people share about cheating, stealing or lying and they'd describe these actions as their shortcomings. They'd share about praying to have those behaviors removed and down the road I'd hear those same members sharing about their broken relationships, going to jail clean and getting caught in their lies. I suppose it never dawned on them that the underlying causes of their actions (dishonesty, lust, greed, etc...) would always allow the reoccurrence of the acting out. Just like our 5th step tells us that we must be exact, I contend that I must also be exact regarding prayer for the exact nature of my wrongs to be removed. And you're right, Sugah...for some of us being exact can be complicated, especially if we're not shown how.
Do you know how if your short comings had been removed ?
You work step #8 and #9. No short cuts.
You can read and write about it and fall short everytime.
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Actions speak louder than words.
If you have the power to destroy lives, surely you have to power
to set things right. There's nothing mystical about it.
There's dramma in AA/NA. There's truama in Al-anon , ACOA, CoDA.
For me, working steps 8 & 9 weren't a guarantee...no matter how thorough I was. Becoming "entirely ready" can often be a lifelong process, and my HP never removes self-will. For many of us (myself included), some of the shortcomings we have are so deeply ingrained that we struggle to let them go because they still work for us. Reading and writing isn't a guarantee either, but through that process we become self-aware and knowledgeable...we can no longer use ignorance as an excuse to be irresponsible to ourselves or others.
I also beg to differ. Just because we have the power to destroy lives doesn't mean we have the power to "set things right." Making our list in step 8 and direct amends in step 9, for me, isn't really about repairing the lives of others...it's about repairing my own. Some people we have harmed will refuse to accept our amends, and we can't force them to. And as far as the drama goes... that's everywhere: Wal-Mart, Friendly's, at work, the airport...you name it. The question I ask myself is, "What am I doing to avoid being caught up in the drama?" I can be a part of the solution or the problem.
Keep coming back.
Oh yeah... Ivan. I know you're joking, but thanks. I take that as a compliment. :ghug3