Alcoholics Anonymous

by Alcoholics Anonymous

Is he not, even in his best moments, a producer of confusion rather than harmony?

self-centered—ego-centric,

most of us concerned with ourselves, our resentments, or our self-pity? Selfishness—self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate.

we have made decisions based on

self which later placed us in a position to be hurt. So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn’t think so.

must be rid of this selfishness. We must, ...

how and why

First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn’t work. Next, we decided that hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to be our Director. He is the Principal; we are His agents. He is the Father,

and we are His children. Most good ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch t...

We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well.

less and less interested in ourselves,

our little plans and...

interested in seeing what we could contr...

We were now at Step Three. Many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him: “God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!” We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we could at last abandon ourselves utterly to Him.

Step 3 Instructions

expressed the idea, voicing it without reservation.

honestly and humbly made, an effect, sometimes a very great one, was felt at once.

Next we launched out on a course of vi...

the first step of which is a personal ...

Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the t...

liquor was but a symptom. So we had to get down to caus...

fact-finding and a fact-facing process.

If the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values.

flaws in our make-up which caused our failure. Being convinced that self, manifested in various ways, was what had defeated us, we considered its common manifestations. Resentment is the “number one” offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is

overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.

we set them o...

Nothing counted but thoroughness and honesty.

But the more we fought and tried to have our own way, the worse

matters got. As in war, the victor only seemed to win. Our moments of triumph were short-lived.

deep resentment leads only to futility an...

resentment is infinitely grave. We found that it is fatal.

such feelings we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit.

free of anger.

these things are poison.

back to the list, for it held the key to the future.

We began to see that the world and its people rea...

We avoid retaliation or argument.

God will show us how to take a kindly and tolerant view of each and every one.

selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened?

When we saw our faults we listed them. We placed them before us in black and white. We admitted our wrongs honestly and were willing to set these matters straight.

“fear”

This short word somehow touches about ever...

lives. It was an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence was shot through with it. It set in motion trains of circumstances which brough...

we, ourselves, set the ba...

fear ought to be classed with stealing. It seems to c...

reviewed our fears th...

why we had them. Wasn’t it because self-reliance failed us?

Perhaps there is a better way—we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity.

we let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do. We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once, we commence to outgrow fear.

selfish, dishonest, or inconsiderate?

In this way we tried to shape a sane and sound ideal for our future sex life. We subjected each relation to this test—was it selfish or not? We asked God to mold our ideals and help us to live up to them. We remembered always that our sex powers were God-given and therefore good, neither to be used lightly or selfishly nor to be despised and loathed.