The BB says:"Do not be discouraged." pg 60. Why should we be discouraged? It is in our humanity that we are discouraged, because we have embarked on something new in the spiritual life. If we are growing spiritually, that is to say that we are changing our personality, and praying for change & doing the steps as suggested, then even if our progress is small we should be encouraged. Our interest should be spiritual progress.
I have maintained my sobriety, even in the midst of great challenges because sobriety is first for the alcoholic. All the other things can still be attained through normal channels. If I forget this, then I am heading for trouble.
Life sends some crazy surprises. It will rock me but never should make me stumble & fall. Although the ship has been rocked, sometime uncontrollably, but the anchor has remained firmly embedded on the bedrock of sobriety through the 12 steps for 23 years now.
guy in a meeting once described "stability" in a "physics" definition, he was flopping his hand all around, and he said "stable" just meant, "It doesn't overturn, or explode"
he said, "My sobriety is stable" it flops around but it hasn't over-turned, and as long as it remains "stable" I will be sound as a pound
That matches my experience, as long as -I- didn't over-turn neither did my sobriety and every times the wheels fell off I'm the one that rode them till they fell off, like I had a car break down 2 years ago, it died, it "let me down" after about a year I finally admitted to myself, it didn't "break down" I murdered it by not pulling over fast enough when it over-heated
I've done the same thing to myself a few times, but it was never the program to blame, it was me forgetting my "owners manual" or thinking I knew better then it or going into self will that got me into trouble and caused me to over-turn
So Gonee, you can be an example of how it's done correctly, because I believe you, it shines from every post, and I'll share the bits about what happens when you DO do it wrong lol
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it's not the change that's painful, it's the resistance to change that is painful
