Steps........

[Tazman53]

You know I was going to throw these thoughts/ponderings on to another thread and then decided since these thoughts/ponderings were not really keeping with the topic in the thread I would give them a seperate thread because it really is a seperate topic.

Steps..... my experience in my path to sobriety has been like a combination of very small and very large steps, even leaps of faith at times.

My very first and largest step was a moment of clarity where I saw death in my future if I continued to drink! (Bottom)

The next one was taking the action to get the ball rolling by making a doctors appointment.

I kept the appointment and made a major step and for the first time was perfectly honest with someone (the doctor) about how much I drank, for how long, and the hell I was going through due to my drinking.

Another huge step for me was following advice given to me, I went into detox.

Another huge step for me was following the suggestions in detox of going to at least 90 AA meetings in 90 days and getting a sponsor after I got out.

Getting a sponsor was a big step because for the first time in many years I was able to humble myself and ask someone for help and guidance.

Goint to meetings has been an accumulation of small steps, some of them resulting leaps of faith.

At about 2 months I quit taking steps, I was spinning my wheels and in danger of convincing myself that a drink may be okay!

At that point I took a huge leap in faith, I listened to the old timers when thay said thier experience had shown them that the key to long term happy sobriety was working the steps with a sponsor and told my sponsor I wanted to get to work on the steps and I did.

The Steps them selfs were a combination of small and large steps with a good sprinkling of leaps of faith.

My spiritual awakening has been a combination of small steps and sudden moments of clarity rocketing me further forward into that 4th dimension spoken of in the BB.

I continue on that journey today, working on taking steps forward into my sobriety, some small, some large, I sometimes get in a rut and feel as though I am spinning my wheels, then something happens and I start to take steps in the right direction again.

My spiritual awakening continues as time goes by, I did have a burning bush type of experience, but I had been awakening before that and as I continue to take daily steps even after that big moment I still continue to have more revealed to me.

Does you all experience in your walk into spiritual sobriety seem like little steps, mixed in with big steps and the occasional leap of faith?

Maybe I am just typing to read what I am thinking, kind of like talking to just hear myself talk! LOL

[tkdan]

I've never thought of it that way until now. It is true steps are part of the process before we ever start working the steps. For me the most important step I have ever made was that first step through the doors of an AA meeting. I never realized how hugh of a step that would be.. Because if it I have a meaningful life. Not a perfect life but a life in the pursuit of spiritual progress.

[Barto]

Those and even some backward steps here!

[Gutterdrunk]

Originally Posted by Tazman53

Steps..... my experience in my path to sobriety has been like a combination of very small and very large steps, even leaps of faith at times.

Very much so Taz. My big black book tells me that if I have the faith of a mustard seed, I can move a mountain. But the reality for me is that sometimes I only have enough faith to move one shovel full at a time, but that gets me to the next....

Originally Posted by Tazman53

Getting a sponsor was a big step because for the first time in many years I was able to humble myself and ask someone for help and guidance

For many of us too. My first time around 10.5 years ago, I tried it alone, "God was my sponsor". The problem was that I was lying to God and myself for many years.

Originally Posted by Tazman53

Does you all experience in your walk into spiritual sobriety seem like little steps, mixed in with big steps and the occasional leap of faith?

absolutely! Thanks Taz. I think it would be nice if it was all big spectacular leaps, but that isn't how life really is, is it?

[sugErspun]

Steps other than THE steps?

absolutely - most of them involved drinking when I really didn't want to.

But some more 'positive' steps I took.

Called a recovered alcoholic when I was drunk again.
Asked for help.
Drove/drive a long way to meet with him
Got honest with my doctor
Looked at the possibility that maybe I am not alcoholic (that was scary)
Called phone numbers that my sponsor gave me, even though I didn't know who was on the other end (if he was out of town or wouldn't be available to talk) - if he gives me a phone number, I call it whether I think I need to or not.
Show up when I say I am going to show up

it goes on and on..

[Cathy31]

OMG it's so HUGE getting sober - and staying it! It's wonderful and inspiring and happy making but it's huge as well! Every day I take steps that are healthy/healthier I make better choices and I basically am living nothing like I used to. And the consequences are great - although life also still 'happens' and I don't get what I want but I always get what I need. Every day is a learning experience and every day I am, by God's grace, given the option to take the RIGHT step.

Great post, Taz!

Cathy31
x

[GlassPrisoner]

Yup, doing the next indicated right thing.

When I'm working my program (even before, when I was granted Grace), all I have to do is watch for opportunites and do the next right thing. It's always in front of me, and usually pretty obvious. It's also usually something I don't want to do