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keithj · 10-07-2009, 08:17 AM

Mark,

This is a really good point. In my experience, continued happiness and contentment depends on practicing these principles in all my affairs.

Getting sober, in that first year or so, I was willing to turn my alcoholism over to a higher power of my understanding. It was obvious to me that I lacked the power to stay sober, and I turned to the 12 Steps to bring a power in to my life. And it worked great. Way better than I could have expected.

But I still had fears, indecisiveness, confusion, in other areas of my life. These were areas where I was still trying to run the show. It's easy to apply the spiritual principles when it comes to drinking. I could not manage that well. But other areas of life, where I still could manage, or thought I could, I tried to hang on to.

Family, money, job, sex, recreation, working with others, etc, are all areas where I think I can manage. What I learned was that fear remained as long as I was in charge of those areas. But, as I more and more practiced the principles in those areas, I learned to deal with those areas on a different basis.

I turn my will and my life over by practice of the Steps. That means all of my will and all of my life, not just my alcoholism. With that practice, I find the courage to deal with the rest of my life. I'm not tied to the outcome of it. I'm tied to doing the right thing, and sometimes it sucks, but I do it anyway. The courage to do the hard thing, because it's the right thing.

10-07-2009, 08:17 AM	#2 (permalink)
keithj Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,659	Mark, This is a really good point. In my experience, continued happiness and contentment depends on practicing these principles in all my affairs. Getting sober, in that first year or so, I was willing to turn my alcoholism over to a higher power of my understanding. It was obvious to me that I lacked the power to stay sober, and I turned to the 12 Steps to bring a power in to my life. And it worked great. Way better than I could have expected. But I still had fears, indecisiveness, confusion, in other areas of my life. These were areas where I was still trying to run the show. It's easy to apply the spiritual principles when it comes to drinking. I could not manage that well. But other areas of life, where I still could manage, or thought I could, I tried to hang on to. Family, money, job, sex, recreation, working with others, etc, are all areas where I think I can manage. What I learned was that fear remained as long as I was in charge of those areas. But, as I more and more practiced the principles in those areas, I learned to deal with those areas on a different basis. I turn my will and my life over by practice of the Steps. That means all of my will and all of my life, not just my alcoholism. With that practice, I find the courage to deal with the rest of my life. I'm not tied to the outcome of it. I'm tied to doing the right thing, and sometimes it sucks, but I do it anyway. The courage to do the hard thing, because it's the right thing.