Foundation Stone

[nandm]

Never avoid these responsibilities, but be sure you are doing the right thing if you assume them. Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery. A kindly act once in a while is'nt enough. You have to act the Good Samaritan every day, if need be. It may mean the loss of many nights sleep, great interference with your pleasures, interruptions to your business.........(Quoted from the chapter "Workign With Others" in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous)

What is a foundation stone? Foundation stones make up the foundation of a structure. The concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

A foundations stone is also a concept which provides the basic tools for understanding a larger intellectual edifice.

Each time we help others we place another stone in the foundation of our recovery. We shore up our faith from the stormy waters of self-centeredness by selfless action. Helping others reinforces our faith by continually providing spiritual experience. Helping others is evidence of our gratefulness for the gift we have been given.

Building a foundation of stone is essential to our recovery. A foundation built on shifting sands will only fail with time. How do I develop and maintain a firm foundation? I develop this through working with other alcoholics, applying the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions to all areas of life, and maintaining and developing a spiritual connection. Through these things I continue to learn, develop faith and trust in our Higher Power, and grow in gratitude and selflessness.

What is your foundation built upon?
How do you maintain and build your foundation?

[navysteve]

Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery

Powerful statement. How do I help others???? How would you define that?

[lizw]

Originally Posted by navysteve

Powerful statement. How do I help others???? How would you define that?

That prayer that goes, Lord make me an instrument of your peace ...etc...springs to my mind.

[barb dwyer]

I remember when I came back to AA this last time a couple of years ago, that kept running in my head as well.
I wanted a REAL foundation this time.
I wanted to do it for real.
every little piece of the program.

Because skimping or pretending
wasn't going to make a true foundation for me.
I was going to have to do the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous for real
or I wasn't going to live.

I dunno.
I just remember that continually in my mind.

[navysteve]

An interesting site dedicated to helping others:

Help Others.org: Acts of Kindness

[Dean62]

I had an unusually hard time accepting both the problem and the solution. As has been said here many times, "You can't give away what you don't have".

I was unable for years to stay sober with self knowledge because truth had little power without acceptance. Acceptance of thy will be done is the doorway to a new way of life for me and my new way of life is now filled with the peace that comes with accepting truth.

Until somebody pisses me off.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

For me, the foundation was going to a meeting every night or close to it at the beginning
I always ask someone coming back around the tables after they went back out what happened. I get the same answer, they quit going to meetings.

Not to say, someone can't leave a rehab and go on about their lives by not attending meetings I had to build up a different thought process for my foundation. My thinking process was skewed. My best thinking put me around the tables.

I also believe, my foundation remains strong by going to a rehab center on Friday nights and reaching out to help others.

We build ourselves up by lifting others up with us!