step 2
It`s ok to stay sober
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Central NC
Posts: 20,902
step 2
Attitude
"Then I woke up. I had to admit that A.A. showed results, prodigious results. I saw that my attitude regarding these had been anything but scientific. It wasn't A.A. that had the closed mind, it was me. The minute I stopped arguing, I could begin to see and feel. Right there, Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltrate my life. I can't say upon what occasion, or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now. To acquire it, I had only to stop fighting and practice the rest of A.A.'s program as enthusiastically as I could."
1952 AAWS
I remember my problem around step 2.Power Greater than myself reminded me of old ideas about Religion and other stuff. One night a lady leading our beginners meeting told me to set those ideas aside and ask whoever or whatever that may be out there to help me stay sober. I gave it a try, I said thanks at night.
That was my first sincere attempt to try to really believe in a HP.I started blank as I could. Over the next few months the results made a believer out of me. It was small, but it was honest.
how did you come to believe?
thanks!
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 27
"Then I woke up. I had to admit that A.A. showed results, prodigious results. I saw that my attitude regarding these had been anything but scientific. It wasn't A.A. that had the closed mind, it was me. The minute I stopped arguing, I could begin to see and feel. Right there, Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltrate my life. I can't say upon what occasion, or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now. To acquire it, I had only to stop fighting and practice the rest of A.A.'s program as enthusiastically as I could."
1952 AAWS
I remember my problem around step 2.Power Greater than myself reminded me of old ideas about Religion and other stuff. One night a lady leading our beginners meeting told me to set those ideas aside and ask whoever or whatever that may be out there to help me stay sober. I gave it a try, I said thanks at night.
That was my first sincere attempt to try to really believe in a HP.I started blank as I could. Over the next few months the results made a believer out of me. It was small, but it was honest.
how did you come to believe?
thanks!
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 27
~sb
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 15,960
I was desperate. 25 years of walkng in and out of meetings, getting sober, not staying sober, was I sober?, makingreallybadlifedecisions while drinking...
I was desperate to change something. I was scared to death, too. I heard someone share her story at a noon meeting on a Friday afternoon. she and I met on Sunday and Monday working me through those steps--for relief.
Relief came that first night. I had gotten through step 7 in one long day. Lengthy discussions. Good food (thanks to that woman as I was dead broke) and more discussions.
I started to believe in a higher power when I got through step 7 and my obsession and desire to drink was removed. Completely. Gone.
An experience is difficult to explain.
I was desperate to change something. I was scared to death, too. I heard someone share her story at a noon meeting on a Friday afternoon. she and I met on Sunday and Monday working me through those steps--for relief.
Relief came that first night. I had gotten through step 7 in one long day. Lengthy discussions. Good food (thanks to that woman as I was dead broke) and more discussions.
I started to believe in a higher power when I got through step 7 and my obsession and desire to drink was removed. Completely. Gone.
An experience is difficult to explain.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Athens, Georgia
Posts: 962
Step 1 - I finally came to the realization that I could NOT continue, after a long time of face-in-the-asphalt struggling. However, it had become painfully obvious I could NOT fix myself, and I certainly wasn't able to let anyone else fix me.
Step 2 - Thru the long time of struggling, in and out of meetings, I came to realize their was obviously a 'spiritual power' that worked in the AA program. The changed lives of the people in AA that actually 'did the work of the program' was proof that I eventually became aware of. From the absolute hopeless state I was in (Step 1), here was something I came to believe I could have hope (and trust) in.
Step 3 - I made a decision to turn my will and my life over to 'do the work' of the program, because I was told by the people whose lives had been transformed, that the spiritual renewal from God came thru working the program.
Steps 4 thru 12 - the spiritual renewal that came thru working the steps IS a miracle, that I could not have anticipated, and any expectation would have been woefully inadequate of what actually happened to me. Becoming a New Creation. Kinda like a carterpillar becoming a butterfly. The carterpillar does not become a butterfly by 'figuring out how to become a butterfly' - it ONLY happens by going thru the process.
RDBplus3
Step 2 - Thru the long time of struggling, in and out of meetings, I came to realize their was obviously a 'spiritual power' that worked in the AA program. The changed lives of the people in AA that actually 'did the work of the program' was proof that I eventually became aware of. From the absolute hopeless state I was in (Step 1), here was something I came to believe I could have hope (and trust) in.
Step 3 - I made a decision to turn my will and my life over to 'do the work' of the program, because I was told by the people whose lives had been transformed, that the spiritual renewal from God came thru working the program.
Steps 4 thru 12 - the spiritual renewal that came thru working the steps IS a miracle, that I could not have anticipated, and any expectation would have been woefully inadequate of what actually happened to me. Becoming a New Creation. Kinda like a carterpillar becoming a butterfly. The carterpillar does not become a butterfly by 'figuring out how to become a butterfly' - it ONLY happens by going thru the process.
RDBplus3
12-Step Recovered Alkie
Join Date: May 2010
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 5,797
Originally Posted by Tommyh 
how did you come to believe?
Looking for anxiety, fear, frustration, and anger are the easiest areas to consider first. Going a little further, ANY area of my life where I'm disturbed has also proved to be an area where my agnosticism is running in high gear.
As far as deciding to not be fearful, or deciding to just have more trust....... that sounds great but I have had very little success with self-willing my own spiritual maturation. What seems to work is I do the searching, I do the finding and then i openly discuss it - with my sponsor, with friends in AA, and at meetings. From there, I've found God provides the willingness to move past and/or out of those bad habits more often than not.
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
I describe my experience as always believing in God, but I had left Him and gone so, so far away from a spiritual life of any real sort. I grew up in a traditional Christian home that was very positive - and now I don't necessarily "disagree" with that orientation but my development has expanded and grown by leaps and bounds. I find that Fr Richard Rohr of the CAC is one of the best teachers - he also incorporates an incredible array of other wisdom traditions and teaching into his fundamental message of love, non-dual thinking and so on.
I'm more conscious right now, I think, of turning to my God - AND keeping things turned over!- as i work with my current sponsor. I am in a place where there is a lot to apply the "I cannot do this myself" and such truisms too and I feel a greater peace amid all of this than I have in sobriety before.
I'm more conscious right now, I think, of turning to my God - AND keeping things turned over!- as i work with my current sponsor. I am in a place where there is a lot to apply the "I cannot do this myself" and such truisms too and I feel a greater peace amid all of this than I have in sobriety before.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
Posts: 15,281
Originally Posted by Tommyh
how did you come to believe?
ill keep it simple(maybe). i had already been through the steps and sober about 2 years when a young woman of 20 showed up at my HG. she had recently been in rehab.she seemed to be one of very few that used every resource available at rehab and was on the 9th step when she got out of rehab.
anyhoo,step 2 was the topic and she shared what she learned about step 2:
i came to believe in a power greater than me could restore me to sanity
by working the rest of the steps.
came to believe......having had a spiritual awakening..........
Grateful
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NC
Posts: 1,763
Mine was kind of like what tomsteve mentioned above, with some help by my sponsor pointing it out. Once I had made a good start on my amends me and my sponsor went over step 10. He had me read the promises, which had a profound impact on me. The very first one was "And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone-even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned." Then he had me go back and read the 2nd step: “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
When I originally did the 2nd step it was more of a "willing to believe" kind of deal. By working the rest of the steps my HP had indeed restored me to sanity, and the 2nd step had come to fruition during the process.
When I originally did the 2nd step it was more of a "willing to believe" kind of deal. By working the rest of the steps my HP had indeed restored me to sanity, and the 2nd step had come to fruition during the process.
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