HOW IMPORTANT IS HUMILITY IN OUR RECOVERY?
Without some degree of humility, no alcoholic or addict can stay sober. Nearly all of us have found that unless we were willing to develop - much more - of this precious quality than what was required just for sobriety, we still didn’t stand much chance of becoming truly happy. Without humility, it’s difficult to find a useful purpose for our lives, or, in adversity, be able to summon the faith that can meet any emergency.” (12&12 P 70)
Where humility had formerly stood for a forced feeding of humble pie, as we began to learn more about this step, and the true meaning of humility, we began to see it as the - nourishing ingredient - which could give us SERENITY. This improved perception of humility started another “revolutionary change” in our outlook. Our eyes began to open to the immense values which come straight out of - painful ego puncturing. We began to “see.” We began to “listen.” Everywhere we looked, we saw failure and misery transformed, by humility, into priceless assets. We heard story after story of how - humility - brought strength out of weakness, courage out of fear, and gratitude out of self-pity. In every case - pain - had been the price of admission into a new life. But this “admission price” purchased more than we expected. It brought a measure of humility, which we soon discovered to be - a healer of pain. We began to fear pain less, and desire humility more. (12&12 - P 74, 75)
During this process of learning more about humility, the most profound result of all was - the change in our attitude toward God… We began to get over the idea that the Higher Power was a sort of “major league pinch hitter” to be called upon - only in emergencies. Many of us who thought ourselves “religious” woke up to the limitations of this - self-serving and self-centered attitude. The notion that we could still live our own lives, God helping a little now and then, as we went from crisis to crisis, began to evaporate.” (12&12 Page 75)
“As we explore our attitude toward humility, it might be well if we inquire, once more, just what our deeper objectives are. Each of us would like to live at peace with ourselves, with our loved ones, with our neighbors, etc. We would like to be assured that the grace of God can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We have seen that character defects - based upon short sighted or unworthy desires - are the obstacles that block our path toward these objectives. We now clearly see that we have been making - unreasonable demands - upon:
· Ourselves
· Others, and
· God
And the “chief activator” of our defects had been - self-centered fear:
FEAR that we would lose something we already possessed, or
FEAR that we would fail to get something we demanded.” (12&12 Page 76)
“Fear – it was an evil and corroding thread; the entire fabric of our lives - was shot through with it.” (A.A. P 67)
“We were driven by a hundred forms of fear…”
WE HAD TO ASK OURSELVES “WHY” WE HAD ALL THESE FEARS.
Wasn’t it because self-reliance failed us?
Self-reliance was good, as far as it went, but - it didn’t go far enough.
Some of us had great self-confidence, but it didn’t fully solve the fear problem - or any other.
When it made us cocky, it was worse. 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’s guidance and direction. We - trust - God’s infinite wisdom rather than our own finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we think, feel, or act as we think He would have us think, feel, or act, does He enable us to - match calamity with serenity.
Namaste, (The light in me “honors” the light in you.)
Jack Kelly
G And G Holistic Drug Rehab Center
