43395

"I am powerless over people, places or institutions, I cannot make anyone like me, let alone love me."

These words echo in my mind everyday, first heard some years ago at an AA meeting, uttered by a longstanding and much respected member of the Fellowship when sharing about the end of a relationship and how he accepted it so that it didn't threaten his sobriety, which as far as I am aware exists today.

This reflects the opposite view to my previousthread, 'Power without responsibility' and in my view firmly strengthensmy own sobriety, for I was not when I first heard it, although strangely enough the person who said it was instrumental in becoming my ,'sponser' for it was he that handed me 10cd's, recording a ,'Big Book Study' held at , Huyton, not to far from me addressed by,'Charlie and Joe' which provided the answers and explanations I had been seeking for so many years.

Acceptanceand understanding of these words also acts as an antidote to ,'self will' an emotion that I consider the biggest adversary of all alcoholics, wether in recovery or not! Mike W.

least

Another member here says to picture yourself standing inside a hula hoop. You only have power over what's inside of that circle: yourself. Everything else is out of your control. Makes sense to me.

kiki5711

are you lonely?

43395

I don't quite understand either the question or what it's doing on this forum,care to elaborate?

kiki5711

I was referring to this.

43395

The part of the quote you refer to refers to the fact that as a recovering alcoholic I have to accept that my biggest adversary is ,'self will', referred to in the,'Big Book' see p.60, ,'How it works' 4th Ed. as, being like the director of a stage show, always wanting everything to be perfect, the lights, the set, the actors costumes and lights etc., etc., of course it never is just quite right, but I've got to run the show.

In recovery then it relates to the firsttwo of the12 suggested Steps, more specifically to Step 2, ,'Came to believe that a Power....etc., then to Step 3,' Made a decision ,...etc.

So when I say ,'I am powereless...etc., I am reinforcing the fact that I am no longer ,'running the show', I have handed my life and will over to the god of my understanding, eradicating ,'self will' and with whom I'm never, in a spiritual sense alone, albeit I may be in practical terms, I mean ley's fave it you can be alone just about anywhere.

Anyway, your question helped to remind me of a few things, for which I thank you, Mike W.

43395

'ley' should read ,'hey'
'fave' should read,'face' , sorry.

kiki5711

I'm sorry. Didn't mean to sound it like an attack or hurt your feelings. It just reminded me of me.

43395

That's good, we identify with each other, all of us! that way we can all help and support eachother,whichis what SRC and all who partakeon it, is all about to me.

There are only 2 sins in recovery, to interfere with the recovery of another, and to interfere with your own recovery. ,'As Bill Sees It'. (might not have got the words exactly right, it's not a direct quote.)