Dee74

First call...

Please respect the rights of others to hold beliefs and perspectives, which differ from yours. Our Sober Recovery Forum members are of many nationalities, ages, and cultures. Healthy, vigorous debate will further our goals, but only when guided by the tolerance that springs from mutual embrace of mission.

Dee
Moderator
SR

LiveInPeace

And Step 3 is just a decision.

We take the action of Step 3 by doing 4-9.

letitgo

I am halfway through the big book and picked up the 12 traditions book. I have been to several meetings. I have not worked any steps. I do not have a sponsor. I do consider myself still a bit green in AA. However, i always learn something from every meeting I have attended.

Great posts and thanks for clarification.

blueberry2015

Dont worry about the steps and the big book for now just keep going to meetings listen, share and talk to other alcoholics, its helped me loads.... The step thing IS starting to reasonate with me but that was after 4 months going to AA, most important thing is to keep going back it REALLY does help knowing your not alone, and that other people DO get it, the most non- judgemental people I have ever met in my life have all been in them rooms, its amazing really.

X x x

letitgo

Found some good literature. It uses surrender in step 1. Surrender gets a negative definition. But this makes much more sense in how they use and define it.

"""Surrender is understood as such a negative word. Most people think it means that you have lost the whole war. But a good general knows how to surrender when it's to his own advantage and he can come out in a better position. When we see that we are defeated, it opens the door to a thousand other opportunities. When we talk about "a Power greater than ourselves;' we have to be open to what that might be. It could be another person who is more expert in something than we are. It might even be an institution. The point is we can't find a solution that works until we give up on our "solutions" that aren't working."""

SillyHuman

Luke, it sounds like AA is working for you, just the BB is not. Frankly, it is outdated, shamefully misogynist, and a list if other things that don't matter. I have noticed that open meetings tend to be more liberal and, well, open. Shoot for those meetings that really resonate. And don't read that antiquated mess. There are Buddhist interpretations available for the steps. Hugs to you.

Dee74

Just a reminder

Newcomers Forum is set up as a welcoming place for everyone, and we insist on respect for all members, and the beliefs those members hold.

Please don't start 'recovery debates' here.

There are many other forums here, and places elsewhere, to share vigorous discussions about various recovery methods.

Neither Anna or myself wants to start removing posts - we're very pleased that we rarely have to - and we'd really like to keep it that way

But...this is actually the second reminder for this thread.
I tend to start to lose my bonhomie from this point on.

Thanks,

Dee
Moderator
SR

tufty13

Congratulations on your sober time - fantastic!

I struggled with the notion of a higher power when I went to ACoA meetings some years ago.

I don't really ponder it much now.

I don't see God as an entity, I see God as more of a feeling or a way of being. A GOoDness that is in each and everyone of us.

So we're all god.

This is something I concluded when I walked the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella a few years ago. It kind of left me as I fell deeper into alcoholism but as my sobriety grows, so does my faith that this is a truism.

Just my two penneth worth!

Good luck to you on your journey. :-)

letitgo

Dee, i appologize my earlier post was ignorant and could be thought to cause a debate.
I found new information in reading. It reminds me of this post. It makes more sense to me so I just wanted to share it. Thsts all.
No debating here. Pinky promise