"For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through service and self sacrifice for others, he would not survuve the certain trials and low spots ahead."
"Selfishness, self centeredness! That we think is the root of our problem"
"Nothing will so much insure immunity from alcohol as intensive work with another alcoholic. It works when all other activities fail"
"We alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must or it kills us"
(Big book quotes from the first edition)
Sometimes I forget that my life depends on me helping others. My self centeredness will kill me if id fail to work with others. When my life seems to be in the dumps, I usually find it is due to my prayer and meditation lacking or, more often my lack of 12th step work. I gotta be careful with this. I start getting selfish and I very gradually start getting uncomfortable with the world around me. I fall back into my old way of thinking and suddenly a drink seems like a good idea. A subtle foe indeed! I can be completely blind to it.
Working with others is the pay off of the whole deal. If I'm not doing it, its like working for two weeks at a job and then not going to pick up my paycheck!