[nandm]

How often have we heard the Promises read at a meeting? When they are read almost everyone in the room, from the newcomer to the oldtimer, nod their heads as if they have experienced the promises but I often have wondered how many people have actually found them in their lives.

The following is just my opinion and experience but I wanted to share and get some feedback of others experiences.

The famous A.A. promises are brought about by the application of spiritual principles in our lives. They are not the result of merely quitting drinking and attending A.A. meetings. A spiritual awakening results in a change in the way we act and perceive the world around us. This new way of life addresses the problems of the past and prevents new problems from arising. We have a new way of dealing even with the seeming hardships and tragedies that are a part of life.

I have broken down the Promises to better express my thoughts on them.

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before half through.

When we start applying the Steps to every aspect of our lives, we learn the theory and techniques that make up our new way of life. By practicing repeatedly the application of these spiritual principles in every area of our lives, we build spiritual experience. Our experience enables us to rely upon God.

We are going to know a new freedom and happiness.

We begin to experience freedom from the hundreds of forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity that are the root cause of our failed outlook, attitudes, emotions, and actions.

We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.

Our regrets are addressed in Steps Four through Nine. In the Steps Four and Five we reinterpret our past. In Steps Six and Seven we position ourselves for the removal of those character defects that have caused our problems. In Steps Eight and Nine we repair the damage we have done. These Steps transform our painful past into a useful spiritual tool.

We will comprehend the word serenity and know peace.

The peace and serenity we experience comes as the result of conforming our will to that of God's.

No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.

Our past becomes an asset that we can use to help other people. Our past helps new people identify with us and shows them that new lives are also possible for them.

That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.

Adopting this new way of life gives us a new direction and purpose for living.

We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
Self-seeking will slip away.

As we are restored to sanity, we see the rewards of selflessness greatly exceed the illusory benefits of self-seeking.

Our whole attitude and outlook on life will change.

Our attitude towards life and our view of the world based on self-centered fear are changed as a result of practicing these spiritual principles. We live our way into a new way of thinking.

Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.

When we focus on what we can give rather than what we can take, we lose our fear that we will not get what we want. We are no longer afraid that our own resources are all that we have to draw upon. We find that conscious contact with God is all we really need to be happy in life.

We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

We practice the application of spiritual principles as a way of addressing our problems and find the guidance of God is available to us when we seek it.

We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

The truth is that if we could have stopped drinking, addressed our defects of character, and righted our past wrongs on our own power we would have done so long ago. By seeking in earnest, we have accessed a Power greater than ourselves. All we need to do for proof is to examine the results.

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us---sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

The key is that we must work to build sufficient spiritual experience so that we may draw upon it when we are challenged or tempted. These profound changes in our lives come about as the result of the repeated application of spiritual principles in all areas of our lives. It works for everyone who honestly tries.