skg

I started to reply to Beccybean's questions in the D.R. thread for today, and realized that it probably was off topic there. Hate to let a good obsessive thread go to waste, so...

There's some discussion on 'good Vs best' in the 12 and 12, Step 10. We are to continue the pursuit of spiritual growth and keep our eyes on Perfection, realizing that we will never attain it in this life, but that we should continue to grow towards is. In fact, the phrase, "Progress Not Perfection" is mentioned in there, and addressed. I think in mathematics, the term "limit" means to grow infinitesimally nearer, but never actually achieve a particular number.

Well, many members of groups are willing to say, "It says, 'progress not perfection' and cease growing towards that goal. It's used as an excuse rather than a measure of improvement. Or, "At least we ain't drunk today," and continue to act out in their disease, eventually to get loaded again. You have heard them in the meetings, citing the same 5-minute diatribe on particular topics? (trapdoor here, please...)

It's been my experience that if I am not growing spiritually, I'm dying slowly in recovery. That isn't sobriety--it's something, but it's not sobriety. If I am working my 11th Step (Awareness) on a daily basis and continue to see how I can contribute to the stream of life instead of whizzing in it, I'm going to grow. Practicing the principles in all our affairs should continue for a lifetime.

Peaceness...

Boleo

I don't know who said it first, but Abe Lincoln used to say "Sometimes the good is the enemy of the best" long before Bill W borrowed the phrase. IMO what that means is that we can aim at being the best or we can settle for "pretty good recovery". I myself am in it for the long run so "pretty good" anything is not my idea of acceptable. Not to mention, recovery is a life or death matter for me so even second best recovery looks foolish from my perspective.

I am well aware that any time we mention "Quality" in recovery it generates a lot of resentments in some people. At least the ones who believe that anyone who is sober today is 100% successful... but the sad truth is, ODAAT sobriety is really another way of saying barely-marginal-recovery", and for all practical purposes, barely-marginal-recover is unreliable recovery.

In my case, it's been a long time since I have thought about drinkin or not-drinkin. So how do I know if I am moving forwards, backwards or standing still in recovery? The only yardstick that I really have is emotional equanimity. So long as I have that, nothing disturbs me enough that I feel like I need a drink. And much to my surprise, as long as I have that, I don't feel as if I am suffering either. I have to guess that if I work a end-of suffering program in place of a end-of-drinking program, I am somehow ahead of the game so to speak. The bottom line is that when it comes to "Quality" of recovery, I can always relate it to the story I was taught as a child:

"Once apon a time there were three little pigs. The first little pig build himself a house of straw..."