Step 12a Carry This Message
“To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book.” (Pg.xiii-¶1,L4,LP.ix). Service gets me out of myself and usefully into our community of suffering alcoholic/addicts. I don’t just help other alcoholic/addicts because they’re sick, it’s because I’m sick too. “You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail” (Pg.89,¶1,L5). Helping others keeps me in Active Recovery, and so my, “Life takes on new meaning” (Pg.89,¶1,L6).
Working with Others, (Pgs.89-103), offers a clear-cut, precise approach and many useful insights. These paraphrases might be entire paragraphs, please refer to the (Citation), for extra context.
- Am I trying to discover new prospects and, “find out all I can about them, if they don’t not want to stop drinking, I don’t waste time trying to persuade them, just wait for a later opportunity?” (Pg.90,¶1)
- Do I meet prospects away from family and, “engage in general conversation, then turn the talk to some phase of my drinking/using habits, experiences and symptoms to encourage them to speak freely about theirs, so I understand how to proceed?” (Pg.91,¶3)
- Can I wait until I suspect, “he is a real alcoholic before discussing the hopeless feature of our malady by explaining my experience with the queer mental blank spot, (obsession), surrounding that first drink/hit that cancels my will power?” (Pg.92,¶2,L7)
- Do I let them, “draw their own conclusions and if they think they can control their drinking, say; ‘maybe if they’re not too alcoholic/addicted,’ but if they’re severely afflicted there’s little chance they can recover by themselves?” (Pg.92,¶2,L14)
- Will I, “continue to speak of alcoholism/addiction as an illness, a fatal malady, explaining the conditions of body and mind that accompany it, by focusing on my own experience, and how many are doomed who don’t realize their predicament?” (Pg.92,¶3).
- a) Can I make them, “curious to know how I got well and get them to ask me that question?” b) Then, “tell them exactly what happened to me, stressing the spiritual feature freely?“ (Pg.93,Top¶)
- a) Can I emphasize, “they do not have to agree with my conception of God, they can choose any conception they like, provided it makes sense to them?” b) Always assuring, “the main point is being willing to believe in a Power greater than their self and live by spiritual principles?” (Pg.93,Top¶)
- Do I, “use everyday language to describe spiritual principles to avoid arousing any prejudice they may have against theological terms, no matter what my convictions are?” (Pg.93,¶1).
- a) Am I ready to, “outline this program of action, explaining how I made a self-appraisal, how I straightened out my past and that trying to be help others is vital to my own recovery?” b) Will I admit they, “may be helping me more than you are helping them?” (Pg.94,¶1).
- a) Can I sympathize if they, “rebel at the thought of a drastic housecleaning which requires discussion with other people?” b) Will I, “not contradict such views and confess I once felt the same way, but doubt I’d have made progress without taking all the action steps?" (Pg.94,¶2).
- Will I avoid, “talking down to any alcoholic from a moral or spiritual hilltop and simply lay out the kit of spiritual tools for them to consider?” (Pg.95,¶1,L9).
- a) Can I understand if they, “think they can do the job some other way, or prefer some other spiritual approach and encourage them to follow their own conscience, just explaining what worked for me?” b) Kindly, “pointing out as alcoholic/addicts we have much in common and should remain friendly, then letting it go at that?” (Pg.95,¶3).
- Can I make sure to, “burn the idea into the consciousness of every person they can get well regardless of anyone, the only condition is that they trust in God and clean house?” (Pg.98,¶2).
There’s many more 12 step insights in chapters 8 through 11; Each chapter outlines different perspectives so I will see our program from another’s point of view.
• In ‘To Wives,’ the roles may be reversed, or consider To the Partner instead.
• In ‘The Family Afterward,’ there’s advice for Group Spiritual Awareness.
• In ‘To Employers,’ it’s insightful to imagine the Employee as Sponsee.
• ‘A Vision for You,’ details some of our Fellowship’s Benefits.
Step 12a Carry This Message