What’s going to keep me sober today? What I have done in the past? Hardly. A momentary flash of anger, rage, jealousy, loss, hatred, and any number of fear based emotions can bring all this to a crashing halt, no matter how well I might think I’m doing. How do I know this? Because I’ve seen it happen before to any number of individuals over the years.
A friend of mine always says that he rarely learns from his own mistakes, but he sure does learn from the mistakes of others.
No, the things which are going to keep me sober today is based on what I do today and don’t do. I know I cannot allow myself to slip into the coma of complacency. Where I fall asleep and am sleep walking and unaware. I know that I need to pay attention. How I can best do this is to go to a meeting and be reminded that I need to be awake and aware. Awareness is what the spiritual life is all about. It’s the key, which opens the door in the 3rd Step and allows my Higher Power to enter into my heart and direct my day in the 11th Step.
I am reminded in meetings, through the grace of others, that there is One Who has all power. I’m told that I need to find Him now. It doesn ‘t say later, but now. Right this moment.
Talking to another man today, I learned how much we alcoholics want others to do for us that which we can only do for ourselves. He was talking about seeking a job and having all these forms to fill out. He said that he almost got upset, because the spaces were not filled out and ready for his signature. Another friend was talking about a man he had sponsored, who died from alcoholism, because he didn’t want to do what needed to be done. He said the man complained because he was required to take some action. He just wanted to sit there and have sobriety handed to him on a silver plate. He was so used to being enabled by his family, that he returned to them and was supplied with what he wanted; alcohol.
There are all kinds of opportunities available to us each day to go down the path to a drink. In balance, there are as many or more opportunities offered to us to stay sober. We may be less aware of one or the other. But that’s what we need to know. Not out of fear or panic that we will drink again, but in using our God given common sense. The BB tells us that when we rest on our laurels in this spiritual program of action, we are soon headed for trouble.
Action is the name of the game. I know that I am grateful for all of those, who got my attention and directed me to take action. I owe them my sobriety and my life.