I’m frequently reminded of this, but a couple of things today brought it back into the light again. What is it? The easiest thought in the world for most of us. It’s the First Step!
What about that First Step? Never forget it. Never.
Conversations after and something that happened at our meeting today, a chip meeting celebrating anniversaries, brought that to my attention big time. A couple of people, who were in the process of attaining a lot of what they always wanted, from what they said, found themselves drifting away from the program. How many times I’ve seen this before. And it often leads back to a drink again.
I was reminded that we forget what it is that gave us the opportunity to have these blessings in our lives. The reason we do have them is that very thing. We got sober. Sobriety is what gave us the opportunity to regain much of what we have often lost. It also opens the door to new and better things. It wasn’t alcohol.
Although I often think about my last day drinking and my bottom, what got me here, it is an eye opener to hear this from others. Of course I need to remember that I’m powerless over alcohol and that my life was unmanageable. I need to remember to surrender to this truth on a frequent, if not daily basis. Lest I forget.
A number of people, receiving chips today, talked about how they lost their way. Drifted from the program. Forgot that First Step and got drunk again. It’s that thing about complacency, self satisfaction, self centered thinking. The idea comes to mind that I can stay sober by myself. Really? The evidence I saw and heard today said that very thing.
This is always a reminder to me to continue to come to meetings. A reminder of what I learned in here from my sponsor and others. I can’t stay sober by myself. If I forget any of this, I’m probably doomed to repeat what it was before I got here. The insanity of picking up a drink again.
I spoke to one man about an old timer, who used to talk about the First Step at every meeting. He continually emphasized the idea of being powerless. What that meant. And how many times I would hear from others, who had been sober a while, say that one day listening to him, they suddenly realized what it meant to be powerless over alcohol. Like it was a new revelation to them. And it probably was. I think he saved a lot of people with his reminder.
Anyway, just thinking about this made me sit down and meditate on that First Step. I thought, just what I needed.