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Big Book Promies - Favorite that has come true As a person new to recovery - today is day 80, I have steeped myself in meetings and literature. Each meeting concludes with the promises being read. These are the promises listed in the chapter Into Action on pages 83-84. I recently discovered(through the Twelve Steps companion app) neatly listed all the step promises. For example, step four - page 64(one of 10 4th step promises) When the spiritual malady is overcome, we start to straighten out mentally and physically. There are promises listed for each step EXCEPT steps 6,7 and 8. A couple questions I have; Why are there no promises for these steps ( or am I misinterpreting)? And - I am wondering about fulfilled promises in others lives. Also, just general comments about Big Book promises. What is your favorite promise that has come true??? Thanks, all replies greatly appreciated!!! |
I love the promises and all have come true for me at one time or another. my favorite? hard to narrow it down to one at this time but heres a few: A new life has been given us we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters consciousness of the Presence of God is today the most important fact of their lives God restored us all to our right minds. plus I have ceased fighting alcohol as sanity has returned. pretty weird how no promises int he BB for step 6,7. but there is in the 12&12. step 8: we will be gratified with the result. feuds of years' standing melt away Rarely do we fail to make satisfactory progress former enemies sometimes praise what we are doing and wish us well. Occasionally, they will offer assistance. |
My experience has been that all of the promises in the BB have come true for me to some degree, if not completely. The 10th step promises coming true has had the most profound effect on my recovery. Having read them many times in the past I always thought that if only those promises came true I could live without the others. When I finally became willing to do the work and reached step 10 I could honestly say that the promises on pages 84-85 were coming true. And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone-even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned. We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally, and we will find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It just comes! That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality—safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid. That is how we react so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition. |
Originally Posted by tomsteve
(Post 4863039)
I love the promises and all have come true for me at one time or another. my favorite? hard to narrow it down to one at this time but heres a few: A new life has been given us we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters consciousness of the Presence of God is today the most important fact of their lives God restored us all to our right minds. plus I have ceased fighting alcohol as sanity has returned. pretty weird how no promises int he BB for step 6,7. but there is in the 12&12. step 8: we will be gratified with the result. feuds of years' standing melt away Rarely do we fail to make satisfactory progress former enemies sometimes praise what we are doing and wish us well. Occasionally, they will offer assistance. Thanks for reminding me ....I will dig into it deeper. I greatly appreciate the response! |
Originally Posted by Grungehead
(Post 4863052)
My experience has been that all of the promises in the BB have come true for me to some degree, if not completely. The 10th step promises coming true has had the most profound effect on my recovery. Having read them many times in the past I always thought that if only those promises came true I could live without the others. When I finally became willing to do the work and reached step 10 I could honestly say that the promises on pages 84-85 were coming true. Alcoholics Anonymous pp. 84-85 Yes, I am looking forward to realizing/getting to the 10th step. Still at the foot of the hill. But, the immediate grace even in short term sobriety is so precious to me. Working 5th step with my sponsor.... I really like ....."And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone - even alcohol". The idea of surrender and losing to win is gestating in me daily. Best Regards, FlynBuy |
Originally Posted by Flynbuy
(Post 4863073)
Great response - Thanks! Yes, I am looking forward to realizing/getting to the 10th step. Still at the foot of the hill. But, the immediate grace even in short term sobriety is so precious to me. Working 5th step with my sponsor.... I really like ....."And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone - even alcohol". The idea of surrender and losing to win is gestating in me daily. Best Regards, FlynBuy |
Originally Posted by Grungehead
(Post 4863096)
Having sanity return is nice too. :D When I took step 2 it was more about willingness to believe that a higher power could restore me to sanity. By the time I got to step 10 I had solid proof that my HP could -- and did. Man, it took me a really, really long time to get here....but, I am not leaving - TODAY! Thanks |
Returning home we find a place where we can be quiet for an hour, carefully reviewing what we have done. We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better. Taking this book down from our shelf we turn to the page which contains the twelve steps. Carefully reading the first five proposals we ask if we have omitted anything, for we are building an arch through which we shall walk a free man at last. Is our work solid so far? Are the stones properly in place? Have we skimped on the cement put into the foundation? Have we tried to make mortar without sand? If we can answer to our satisfaction, we then look at Step Six. We have emphasized willingness as being indispensable. Are we now ready to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable? Can He now take them all—everyone? If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing. When ready, we say something like this: “My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.” We have then completed Step Seven. this is what my big book step study uses for steps 6 & 7.If I have done the best I can and withheld nothing at this point,these several promises I underlined have came true for me on steps 6 and 7. step 8 promises our man is sure to be impressed with a sincere desire to set right the wrong. If our manner is calm, frank, and open, we will be gratified with the result. In nine cases out of ten the unexpected happens Rarely do we fail to make satisfactory progress. Our former enemies sometimes praise what we are doing and wish us well. Occasionally, they will offer assistance. They will change in time. Our behavior will convince them more than our words. |
you`re onto something about those promises,if you will also look for warnings,and then directions they will lead to those promises coming true to a certain degree |
Originally Posted by Tommyh
(Post 4863267)
Returning home we find a place where we can be quiet for an hour, carefully reviewing what we have done. We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better. Taking this book down from our shelf we turn to the page which contains the twelve steps. Carefully reading the first five proposals we ask if we have omitted anything, for we are building an arch through which we shall walk a free man at last. Is our work solid so far? Are the stones properly in place? Have we skimped on the cement put into the foundation? Have we tried to make mortar without sand? If we can answer to our satisfaction, we then look at Step Six. We have emphasized willingness as being indispensable. Are we now ready to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable? Can He now take them all—everyone? If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing. When ready, we say something like this: “My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.” We have then completed Step Seven. this is what my big book step study uses for steps 6 & 7.If I have done the best I can and withheld nothing at this point,these several promises I underlined have came true for me on steps 6 and 7. step 8 promises our man is sure to be impressed with a sincere desire to set right the wrong. If our manner is calm, frank, and open, we will be gratified with the result. In nine cases out of ten the unexpected happens Rarely do we fail to make satisfactory progress. Our former enemies sometimes praise what we are doing and wish us well. Occasionally, they will offer assistance. They will change in time. Our behavior will convince them more than our words. Thanks for showing me this - really appreciate the response Best Regards |
thanks, Tommyh!! I just learned sumthin new today! and them came true. I know Him better and am a free man! |
All of them are happening for me. Well, except for #12, as I'm agnostic/atheist. But I can interpret #12 for myself as: "Things I'd thought impossible before are no longer impossible. There is hope." |
What is your favorite promise that has come true??? (PAGE 100) |
Originally Posted by SoberJennie
(Post 4863392)
All of them are happening for me. Well, except for #12, as I'm agnostic/atheist. But I can interpret #12 for myself as: "Things I'd thought impossible before are no longer impossible. There is hope." Regardless of belief, are there some of the 12 step promises that have come true for you? Several don't mention God at all - just curious?? Thank you for taking the time to respond. Warm wishes..... |
Yes, like I said, I can see that each one of them are coming true. Every single one :) I am reading the same 12 step promises you are reading. The very last one was quite God specific, so I had to think of how it made sense within the context of my life, being non-theistic. |
Originally Posted by SoberJennie
(Post 4863594)
Yes, like I said, I can see that each one of them are coming true. Every single one :) I am reading the same 12 step promises you are reading. The very last one was quite God specific, so I had to think of how it made sense within the context of my life, being non-theistic. I am sometimes sharp as a marble...... |
#11 is probably my favorite... and I see it as intertwined with #12 If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through . . . We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity. We will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. 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. |
"And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone-even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned. We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally, and we will find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It just comes! That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality—safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid. That is how we react so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition." ("and pink unicorns will come down from the sky and give me a ride to work" My friend A... quote from a recent Sunday morning meeting after we read the 10th Step promise. Sometimes ya just need a laugh :)) "are these extravagant promises? Hell yes!" - Me (see above and Rule 62) I think my trickster self is coming out today. BB quote from Alcoholics Anonymous 1st Edition -allan |
Originally Posted by CousinA
(Post 4863796)
("and pink unicorns will come down from the sky and give me a ride to work" My friend A... quote from a recent Sunday morning meeting after we read the 10th Step promise. Sometimes ya just need a laugh :)) "are these extravagant promises? Hell yes!" - Me (see above and Rule 62) I think my trickster self is coming out today. |
a friend spoke at the home group last weekend.He has been sober some 28 years.He said,I `m a agnostic,I can`t prove or disprove God exists but I have tapped into a source of Power greater then I am.... "are these extravagant promises? Hell yes!" I agree,I never say I think not |
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