How many times have I heard that phrase, “Nothings worth a drink today”? Someone brought that up as a topic for the group today and almost everyone gave and got a lot out of this. I know I did and a fairly new man I talked to afterward.
That and anger combined to bring the hazards of drinking once again to mind.
Of course the result of anger has been one of the hurdles alcoholics have had to deal with while drinking and then learn to avoid while getting sober and fulfilling the requirements of this program which lead to changes in our personalities.
After the meeting I had the privilege of listening to this new man and his thinking. The interesting thing was that we both could identify with one another. His thoughts and his mind matched mine when I came into the program. And this is what we talked about. Not taking a drink today. He told me that he had heard a lot of good things, but that his mind wanted to run things.
He said he had heard what I said my sponsor said to me, that I didn’t know that I didn’t know. I only thought I did. He said that fit him almost perfectly. He said that he kept thinking he knew everything and that warning my sponsor gave to me fit him. And that led to us talking about anger and resentments and the consequences of falling into that alcoholic trap within us. I told him about my first sponsor and another friend, who fulfilled the warning in the BB. Both drank on resentments and both died shortly after. I told him that was a wake up call for this alcoholic.
Of course that led to talking about the Second Step, accepting a Power greater than ourselves and coming to believe and depend on a Higher Power in our lives. And that led us back to needing such a source of courage, strength, and power to deal with our emotions, which lead us into anger and resentments and a host of other problems in our lives. Learning to hope and depend on this Higher Power to help us to change and become more peaceful and dependable sober alcoholics and live good and wholesome lives in this program.
Nothing is worth a drink today. But everything is worth staying sober and achieving all this program has to offer us. The new man said he could see the benefits in his relatives, two of whom were present today, as well as his assessment of those he had listened to and watched at the meeting today.
He also had picked up on the fact that our sobriety is for only one day at a time. I know that I have had the thought that I never want to drink ever again. I wanted sobriety to be for the rest of my life. However I had to learn from the experience of others and my coming to realize the reality of this program, that I have only one day at a time I can deal with every facet of my being able to stay sober. The fact is that it simplified what I am required to do. I just have to do it right now. Today. We did talk about that.
Anyway I was grateful for the meeting and for the opportunity to spend some time passing along the message of this program onto a person who seemed to be presenting himself to be open and listen to what sober alcoholics offered him today. Twelfth Step.
This of course was a great reminder to me of why I am here. I am here to stay sober today. And I’m grateful to all those who shared their thoughts on all of this today and the gift I was given to be able to hopefully help some like myself when I was new. I attribute this to my Higher Power and all those from way back then and right up until this moment. Thanks.