Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the act. --William James
Step Two speaks of believing. For many years, we had given up believing in ourselves, in a Higher Power, and in others. Now our program tells us to believe in love. We are lovable, and we can love others without hurting them.
Of course, believing is an important part of recovery. To believe means to put aside our doubts. To believe means to have hope. Believing makes the road a little smoother. So, believing lets the healing happen a little faster.
All of this is how we get ready to let in the care of our Higher Power.
Prayer for the Day
I pray for the courage to believe. I'll not let doubt into my heart. I can recover. I can give myself totally to this simple program.
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it. When, therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet. We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed.
BB pg 25
I believe that kit of spiritual tools that they talk about....Was the Big Book. At least it was for me. When I saw that it worked for others....I came to believe.
I see a belief is an agreement. I agree that what I believe is true.
As a drunk, I lived a life of fear and doubt. Full of disagreement and irresponsibility... I did not have much belief in anything, not even myself.
My life was full of broken promises, lies, deception, exaggeration, ... self-will run riot.
In recovery, all these things needed to change. I had to start believing in things again. I had to believe that AA works, in a power greater than myself, etc.
I started to make agreements with others and myself to get a sponsor, follow the suggested things, and do the steps.
From keeping to my agreements, my belief system changed from one that supported alcoholism to one that supports sobriety. Thank God.
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"... unless this person can experience an entire psychic change there is very little hope of recovery." Dr. Silkworth. (Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Ed. p.xxix)
"For many years, we had given up believing in ourselves, in a Higher Power, and in others."
And when this is a person's reality, how can we NOT want to be numb all the time? It all makes so much sense when you step away from it.
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When every situation which life can offer is turned to the profit of spiritual growth, no situation can really be a bad one.-Paul Brunton
