It always amazes me how this program works. Not only did it get me sober, but it changed me. It was an inside out job.
Putting those 12 Steps into my life changed everything about me. It first changed me inside of me and that changed everything outside of me. I became a different kind of man than the one who came through the doors. From negative thinking to the positive. From ingratitude to gratitude. From non spiritual to spiritual. From resentful to the point I stopped fighting everything and everyone.
And that got me to acting differently toward others. I began to care about others. Willing to help others. To love others. To stop wrecking peoples lives and trying to repair the damage I did others. To share what I had found with other alcoholics.
The “God hole” within me began to fill up from the inside. I got hope and then I got faith. I became willing to surrender and accept God’s will for me. God as I understand God. My higher power. I started to trust, where before I wouldn’t trust anyone.
As I was thinking about sobriety today and listening to others talk about their history in getting sober and staying sober I was filled with gratitude that in spite of myself I had found this program. It has given me not only life, but a way of life.
Anyway, talking to alcoholics like me after the meeting, I had to sit down and think about all of this. I am so thankful to my higher power and the men and women whose examples helped me along the way.