The Life of the Self Propelled

Page: 60

Step we are on: Three

Chapter: 5 - "How It Works"

Subject: Spiritual growth, Progress, Our description of the alcoholic, ABCs

Good morning. The answer to yesterdays 'first 'question will be found beginning on this page and continuing through page 62. The answer to the second question begins on page 63 and ends at the bottom of page 164.

• What is the first requirement in answering the “first question?”

The first requirement is that we be convinced that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success.

This is contrary to the way we have been brought up. We have been taught we must set our goals in life and go after them, go for the gusto, make things happen, etc. We are now being informed that we can not survive with that philosophy. 

• Why is that?

On that basis we are almost always in collision with something or somebody, even though our motives are good.

• Everybody is like what?  Two sentences

Most people try to live by self-propulsion. Each person is like an actor who wants to run the whole show; is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, the scenery and the rest of the players in his own way.

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Page 61

• What do we want regarding our plans and people’s actions?

If his arrangements would only stay put, if only people would do as he wished,

• If everyone played his part, how would our life be?

the show would be great.

Peace and  Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://stepelevencomesalive.blogspot.com/

Convinced Yet?

Page: 60

Step we are on: Three

Chapter: 5 - "How It Works"

Subject: Spiritual growth, Progress, Our description of the alcoholic, ABCs

Good morning. The co-authors are giving us a quick review of what was covered in the first two steps and then they bring us right up to Step Three.

The co-authors now condense the first two steps they have just covered in the preceding chapters into three pertinent ideas:

•  What is the First 'idea"?

(a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives.

This is the second part of step One (Hang on we’ll get to the first part in a second)

• What is the Second "idea"?

(b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism.

Now, this is the first part of Step One. Powerlessness. Yes, they did it backward. So what?

• What is the Third idea?

(c) That God could and would if He were sought.

Comment:  This is where Bill wrote in the Original Manuscript, “If you are not convinced on these vital issues, you ought to re-read the book to this point or else throw it away!”

In other words, if you do not take the first two steps there is not much point in proceeding onto step three. That may be true, (And if you have worked with others even a short while as is laid out in this book, then you have discovered just how true it is)  -  but the statement did not make it past the ‘committee’ of alkies writing the book; the one hundred co-authors. (Bill Wilson is not the sole author of this book, contrary to what you may have been told.)

• If we are convinced of these vital issues, the (a), (b), (c)’s, where in the 'program' are we?

Being convinced, we were at Step Three,

 

• What have we decided to do?

which is that we decided to turn our will and our life over to God as we understood Him.

• Which two questions need to be answered at this point?

Just what do we mean by that, and just what do we do?

Peace and  Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://stepelevencomesalive.blogspot.com/

Guides To Spiritual Progress

Page: 60

Step we are on: Three

Chapter: 5 - "How It Works"

Subject: Spiritual growth, Progress, Our description of the alcoholic

• What are the principles they have set down designed to do?

are guides to progress.

• What do we gain as the result of following these principles?

We claim spiritual progress

The path to God is a journey and growth means progress. We get better and better when we move toward God on that path.

• But we will never achieve what?

rather than spiritual perfection.

Now the co-authors refer to three sections of this book:

1) “Our description of the alcoholic,” that description is covered across Chapters One, Two and Three) 

You mean AA has a ‘description of the alcoholic?” – Sure does. Right in its book, and you had better have it down cold if you expect to help others using the method presented in it.

(How many people in AA meetings, who call themselves members of Alcoholics Anonymous, have no idea what “our description of the alcoholic” actually is? Does this laxity keep with Primary Purpose?)

2) “the chapter to the agnostic” Chapter Four

3)“and our personal adventures before and after . . . .

Question: Before and after what?

Answer: Before and after the spiritual awakening.

Page 60 - continued

• What do these make clear?

 . . . . make clear three pertinent ideas:

And we shall look at those ideas tomorrow.

Peace and  Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://stepelevencomesalive.blogspot.com/