Today the subject of easy does it, but do it came up. Good advice for lazy alcoholics like so many of us. Especially, when it comes to working this program into our lives. But there’s one piece of advice my sponsor would throw in with this slogan. That was, when in doubt, don’t.
How many times this last “slogan” has saved me from disaster. I say “slogan”, because it’s rarely brought into the “public” eye. At least I don’t hear it talked about much. However my sponsor and a lot of those old timers I knew, when I came in, would emphasize this.
It is one thing to help us keep doing the task we face in doing what’s necessary to stay sober, but another to learn, when to back off. When not to take unnecessary risks. I learned from them, if I’m not sure about something, I’m to step back, take a deep breath, and wait. More than that, though. To pick up the phone and call my sponsor or another alcoholic and talk it over with them. And then listen to what they had to say to me. Listen to learn. And learn to listen.
We talked about how so many of us always wanted to do things our way. We wanted to run things. Then we had to learn how to back off and turn things over to our Higher Power. Second and Third Steps of this program. That’s where easy does it comes in. I’m not in charge. As one of our friends always reminds us, to get out of the driver’s seat and move to the back of the bus. And that’s where my sponsor and all these sober people I have found in these rooms come in. I can learn from them how this program works in my life. Doesn’t happen overnight. But I know, if I hang in, my life will change for the better.
The good new is for me is that I don’t have to rush things like I used to. I can take my time, but to remember not to stall. Whatever it is I have to do, I must learn to proceed and do it. Like the Twelve Steps. There’s no rush, in terms of time. I’m not going to get ten years of sobriety overnight. It’s still a day at a time. I need to stay committed to that First Step each and everyday. And, as I work these Steps into my life, just because I have done them doesn’t mean I don’t have to live by the principles they bring into my life. That’s was one of the most difficult things for me. I had to learn to live by these principles. And, as I did, my life began to change.
One of the hardest things for me to do was to learn not to rush into things. I had to learn when and how to step back. Sometimes I had to really take a deep breath, stop from acting or reacting, and step back and wait before I spoke or acted. I never used to do that, especially, when I was drinking. I would tend to rush into everything without thinking. Then I would find myself in arguments and fights and causing all kinds of troubles to myself and the people around me. I had to learn to stop doing that. It could definitely be not just negative, but sometimes dangerous. How many jobs I lost, as a result.
Anyway, I did learn easy does it but do it. And I also learned, when in doubt don’t. I had to learn to ask for help. I had to learn I’m not in charge. I’m here to learn how to learn to live a spiritual life and stay sober a day at a time. To ask for help from others. Not always easy for an egotistical alcoholic like myself. Having to put my pride aside and to humble myself. It’s called surrender and acceptance. Something I had to learn the hard way in here, after making a lot of mistakes. That’s where my sponsor and those old timers came in.
Just thinking about staying sober.