Working Step 12

Working Step 12

From the Original Manuscript -
Step 12. Having had a spiritual experience as the result of this course of action, we tried to carry this message to others, especially alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

As it has been printed since the Second Printing of the First Edition -

Step 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

At the bottom of page 88 it says, "The next chapter is entirely devoted to Step Twelve."
That does NOT mean that ALL the information on Step Twelve can be found in this chapter, but that this chapter is only going to talk about Step Twelve. As a matter of fact, this chapter, which is called "Working With Others", gives us the part of Step Twelve that deals ONLY with ways to carrying this message to other alcoholics.

Chapter 8 "To Wives", chapter 9 "The Family Afterward", and chapter 10 "To Employers" give us MORE information about working with a new person, as well as what to keep in mind when trying to practice these principles in ALL our affairs. This attachment has all the principles to practice mentioned in chapters 8 & 9: Principles in To Wives & The Family Afterwards

And this attachment has ALL the 12th Stepping tips & sponsorship references mentioned in the Big Book (including chapters 8, 9 & 10): Twelfth Stepping Tips & Sponsorship Tools in the Big Book

If you really look at the last three Steps, you'll notice that the Tenth Step talks about, "continuing," the Eleventh Step talks about, "seeking and improving," and the Twelfth Step talks about "in ALL our affairs," so our Program leaves no room for complacency or coasting. And besides, the only way you can coast is down hill. The Steps are kinda like walking up a down escalator. IF you keep moving you CAN get to the next level, but if you slow down or stop moving, it brings you right back down to where you came from. I don't know about you, but I DESPERATELY do not want to go back to where I came from.

Now that we've made conscious contact with the God of our understanding, we have received that greatest gift of this program - a spiritual awakening. God is now guiding us in such a way that it is indeed miraculous. This life changing experience comes suddenly to some (as in a spiritual experience), and gradually to others (as in a spiritual awakening). Let's see what else we can learn about this miraculous event.

Please turn once again to Appendix II on page 569 in the Third Edition or page 567 in the Fourth Edition.

This appendix was written AFTER the publication of the first printing of the "Big Book" in April of 1939. In the first printing, the Twelfth Step read:
"Having had a spiritual EXPERIENCE as the result of these steps,..."

In the two years between the first and second printings, the word "experience" in the Twelfth Step was discussed at length. As time went by, letters from alcoholics started to come in to the main office from people who did the work out of the Big Book and did NOT have the "White Light" spiritual experience that Bill Wilson had. They were writing to see if the more gradual spiritual awakening that they were having meant that they could not recover from alcoholism. This was the reason for adding Appendix II. Eventually the word "experience" was replaced with the word "awakening" in the Twelfth Step. The Big Book authors made this modification in order to include those whose lives had truly changed, but more slowly over a period of time.

Many of you will find this to be the case also. Your life has changed, but gradually rather than suddenly. You may not be able to point to a specific experience that brought about the change, but the spiritual awakening has occurred nonetheless.

At the top of page 569 or 567 in the Fourth Edition, the authors define the term "spiritual awakening":

"The terms 'spiritual experience', 'spiritual awakening' (and of course Dr. Silkworth in the Doctor's Opinion calls it 'a psychic change') are used many times in this book which, upon careful reading, shows that the personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism has manifested itself among us in many different forms."

"Yet it is true that our first printing gave many readers the impression that these personality changes, or religious experiences, must be in the nature of sudden and spectacular upheavals. Happily for everyone, this conclusion is erroneous" (which means incorrect).

A spiritual awakening is nothing more than a psychic change that, among other things, eliminates our obsession to drink.

So Bill Wilson's rapid conversion experience at Town's Hospital, although it is similar to other experiences in our fellowship, is the exception rather than the rule. Further down on page 569 or 567 in the Fourth Edition in paragraph 4, we find the description of a more gradual spiritual experience:

"Among our rapidly growing membership of thousands of alcoholics such transformations, though frequent, are by no means the rule. Most of our experiences are what the psychologist William James calls the 'educational variety' because they develop slowly over a period of time. Quite often friends of the newcomer are aware of the difference long before he is himself. He finally realizes that he has undergone a profound alteration in his reaction to life; that such a change could hardly have been brought about by himself alone. What often takes place in a few months could seldom have been accomplished by years of self discipline. With few exceptions our members find that they have tapped an unsuspected inner resource which they presently identify with their own conception of a Power greater than themselves."

As we read the next lines of page 570 or 568 in the Fourth Edition, we learn just how easy it is to have a spiritual awakening:

"Most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves is the essence of spiritual experience. Our more religious members call it 'God-consciousness'."

That's all there is to it. If you've made contact with the God of your understanding and try to follow your Higher Power's guidance, you have in fact, already had the spiritual awakening.

Congratulations. You are now living in the "sunlight of the Spirit."

But, the spiritual awakening is just the first part of the Twelfth Step. Let's look at what we have to do to sustain this spiritual transformation.

Please turn back to the top of page 89. Chapter 7, in its entirety is devoted to carrying the message of Alcoholics Anonymous to others. The "Big Book" authors tell us what we MUST do to enlarge our new God-consciousness. The top of page 89 says:

"Practical experience shows that NOTHING will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail. This is our twelfth suggestion: Carry THIS message to other alcoholics! You can help when NO ONE else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail."

When WE work with others, OUR lives change. Like it was said before, we don't help another alcoholic because THEIR sick, we help another alcoholic because WE are sick, and part of our program of recovery is that we need to be helping others. In the second paragraph on page 89, the authors give us SOME of the results of working Step 12 otherwise known as some of the Twelfth Step Promises. The second paragraph on page 89:

"Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends - this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. FREQUENT contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives."

On pages 80 through 103, the authors provide us with specific instructions on how to carry our lifesaving message of recovery to others. They offer many valuable suggestions on these pages. For now, we are only going to highlight a few of them.

At the top of page 90, they start with the following advice:

"When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous, find out all you can about him. If he does not want to stop drinking (in other words, if he is NOT willing to go to any lengths), don't waste time trying to persuade him. You may spoil a later opportunity."

In the middle of page 91, the "Big Book" authors even provide us with specifics on what to say. First we tell the prospect our story:

"See your man alone, if possible. (They are not suggesting that we do Twelfth Step work by ourselves. They are suggesting that the A.A.'s should be alone in the room with the new person so that they are not distracted by the alcoholic's friends or family. The book continues.) At first engage in general conversation. After a while, turn the talk to some phase of drinking. Tell him enough about your drinking habits, symptoms, and experiences to encourage him to speak of himself. If he wishes to talk, let him do so. You will thus get a better idea of how you ought to proceed."

Then on page 92, paragraph 1, it says:

"If you are satisfied that he is a real alcoholic, begin to dwell on the hopeless feature of the malady. Show him, from your own experience, how the queer mental condition (or mental blank spot) surrounding that first drink prevents normal functioning of the will power." (In other words, that his best thinking CANNOT keep him away from the next drink.)

Please turn to the bottom of page 94. Here it says:

"Your candidate may give reasons why he need not follow ALL of the program. He may rebel at the thought of a drastic housecleaning which requires discussion with other people. Do not contradict such views. Tell him you ONCE felt as he does, BUT you DOUBT whether you would have made much progress had you NOT taken action."

See how easy it is? For the next several pages we are provided additional suggestions on what to say and what not to say, what to do and what not to do, during our Twelfth Step calls.
Then on the top of page 96, the authors tell us not to give up if we are unsuccessful at getting through to the prospect. Basically, they tell us to plant the seed and move on. Top of page 96:

"Do not be discouraged if your prospect does not respond at once. Search out another alcoholic and try again. You are sure to find someone desperate enough to accept with eagerness what you offer. We find it a waste of time to keep chasing a man who cannot or will not work with you. If you leave such a person alone, he may soon become convinced that he cannot recover by himself. To spend too much time on any one situation is to deny some other alcoholic an opportunity to live and be happy."

In the middle of the first full paragraph on page 98, they tell us what to do about the person who makes one excuse after another about why he or she can't stop drinking:

"...He clamors for this or that, claiming he cannot master alcohol until his material needs are cared for. Nonsense. Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: Job or no job - wife or no wife - we simply do NOT stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon other people ahead of dependence on God."

"Burn the idea into the consciousness of every man that he can get well regardless of ANYONE. The ONLY condition is that he trust in God and clean house."

How much simpler can it get? Like Dr. Bob said in his last major talk, "Trust God, clean house, and help others!"

In the first paragraph on page 100, the "Big Book" authors tell us WE grow spiritually when we "sponsor" someone else into the fellowship:

"Both you and the new man MUST walk DAY BY DAY in the path of spiritual progress. If you persist, remarkable things WILL happen. (Please notice the rest of this paragraph because it contains what some consider the greatest promise in this book) When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God's hands were better than ANYTHING we could have planned. Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will PRESENTLY (not some far off time and place, but here and now) you will PRESENTLY live in a new and wonderful world, NO MATTER WHAT your present circumstances!"

Starting at the bottom of page 100, there are a few statements that may not be very popular to some in our fellowship. You will rarely hear this part of the "Big Book" brought up at meetings. Follow along with me as I read how the authors describe the true freedom and serenity that thoroughly working this entire Program brings us.

"Assuming we are SPIRITUALLY fit, we can do all sorts of things alcoholics are not supposed to do. People have said we must not go where liquor is served; we must not have it in our homes; we must shun friends who drink; we must avoid moving pictures which show drinking scenes; we must not go into bars; our friends must hide their bottles if we go to their houses; we mustn't think or be reminded about alcohol at all. Our experience shows that this is not necessarily so.

"We meet these conditions EVERY day. An alcoholic who cannot meet them, STILL has an alcoholic mind; THERE IS SOMETHING THE MATTER WITH HIS SPIRITUAL STATUS. His only chance for sobriety would be some place like the Greenland Ice Cap, and even there an Eskimo might turn up with a bottle of scotch and ruin everything! Ask any woman who has sent her husband to distant places on the theory he would escape the alcohol problem."

"In our belief ANY scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure. If the alcoholic tries to shield himself he MAY succeed for a time, but he USUALLY winds up with a bigger explosion than ever. We have tried these methods. These attempts to do the impossible have always failed.

"So our rule is not to avoid a place where there is drinking, IF WE HAVE A LEGITIMATE REASON FOR BEING THERE. That includes bars, nightclubs, dances, receptions, weddings, even plain ordinary whoopee parties. To a person who has had experience with an alcoholic, this may seem like tempting Providence, but it isn't.

"You will note that we made and important qualification. Therefore, ask yourself on EACH occasion,

"Have I ANY good social, business, or personal reason for going to this place? Or am I expecting to steal a little vicarious pleasure from the atmosphere of such places?" IF you answer these questions satisfactorily, you need have no apprehension. Go or stay away, whichever seems best. But be SURE you are on SOLID SPIRITUAL ground before you start AND that your motive in going is THOROUGHLY good. Do not think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can bring to it. But IF you are shaky, you had better work with another alcoholic instead!

"Why sit with a long face in places where there is drinking, sighing about the good old days. If it is a happy occasion, try to increase the pleasure of those there; if a business occasion, go and attend to your business enthusiastically. If you are with a person who wants to eat in a bar, by all means go along. Let your friends know they are not to change their habits on your account. At a proper time and place explain to all your friends why alcohol disagrees with you. If you do this thoroughly, few people will ask you to drink. While you were drinking, you were withdrawing from life little by little.

Now you are getting back into the social life of this world. Don't start to withdraw again just because your friends drink liquor."

If I cannot go to a wedding because alcohol will be served there, then alcohol is STILL telling me what I can and cannot do. That does not sound much like freedom to me. It is important to keep in mind that the authors bring this up ONLY after presenting ALL of the Steps, and assume that the reader has worked them ALL and is spiritually fit as THE result.

God is now our "new Employer." In the last full paragraph on page 102, the Book gives us a new job description:

"Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of MAXIMUM helpfulness to others, so NEVER hesitate to go anywhere if you can be helpful. You should not hesitate to visit the most sordid (which means "morally degraded") spot on earth on such an errand. Keep on the firing line of life with THESE motives and GOD will keep you unharmed."

This completes Chapter 7. Like it was said at the beginning of Step Twelve, Chapter 8 "To Wives", Chapter 9 "The Family Afterwards", and Chapter 10 "To Employers" ALSO contain MANY tips on how to practice these principles in ALL our affairs, and these chapters contain other points on how to be most effective in dealing with a new member of AA. If what is mentioned in these three chapters works for our family and friends, it can certainly work for us in dealing with people we sponsor. Due to time restraints, we will be unable to highlight these three chapters, so please make yourselves familiar with them.
Just so we can highlight just one point out of these three chapters, please turn to page 120 in the chapter "To Wives". The "Big Book" authors even tell us what to do if we relapse. The middle of the first full paragraph on page 120 says:

"Though it is infinitely better that he have no relapse at all, as has been true with many of our men, it is by NO means a bad thing IN SOME CASES. Your husband will see at once that he MUST REDOUBLE his SPIRITUAL activities IF he expects to survive."

Being of service to others is CRITICAL to the continued growth and the maintenance of our sobriety. Keep in mind that one of the PRIMARY services we can perform is to take prospective members through the Twelve Steps, just like we did during these Beginners' Meetings. Each time we do this, we learn more about this lifesaving program and gain additional insight into the Divine inspiration that is the heart of our new way of life.

Who knows, maybe in a short time, some of you will be back to LEAD these sessions. As we have discovered, conducting these Beginners' Meetings is a real test of how well we are beginning to know and live the AA program, which is found in the "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Now all that's left is to practice these principles in ALL our affairs. What principles? - The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous! They are the principles we practice DAILY for the rest of our lives.

Please turn to page 164. The "Big Book" authors conclude with yet one more statement concerning the importance of Divine guidance and the necessity of working with others. On page 164, starting with the first full paragraph, the Book says:

"Still you may say: 'But I will not have the benefit of contact with you who write this book.' We cannot be sure. God will determine that, so you MUST remember that your REAL reliance is ALWAYS upon Him. HE will show you how to create the fellowship you crave."

"Our book is meant to be suggestive only. We realize we know only a little. God will CONSTANTLY disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. (Of course, we CAN'T do this if we DON'T have a morning meditation practice.) The answers will come, IF your OWN house is in order. But OBVIOUSLY you CANNOT transmit something you haven't got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. THIS is the Great FACT for us."

"Abandon yourself to God as you understand God (Steps One, Two, and Three). Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows (Steps Four through Seven). Clear away the wreckage of your past (Steps Eight and Nine). Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge (which means "to walk with purpose and effort") the Road of Happy Destiny." (Steps Ten, Eleven, and Twelve)

"May God bless you and keep you - until then."

We are going to close this session by reading part of page 25. We have waited until now to share this page with you because back when we started this journey, you may not have FULLY understood the significance of what is written here. Having completed the Twelve Steps and having had the spiritual awakening, you are now in a position to see these words from an ENTIRELY new perspective. Your life HAS changed. You now realize, "There Is A Solution."
Page 25, starting with the first full paragraph:

"...Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process REQUIRES for its SUCCESSFUL consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it. When, therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet. We have found MUCH of heaven and we have been ROCKETED into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed."

"The great FACT is this, and NOTHING less: That we have DEEP AND EFFECTIVE spiritual experiences which have REVOLUTIONIZED our WHOLE attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God's universe. The CENTRAL fact of our lives today is the ABSOLUTE

CERTAINTY that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could NEVER do by ourselves."

"If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no middle-of-the-road solution. We were in a position where life was becoming impossible, and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through HUMAN aid, we had but two alternatives: One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could, and the other, to accept spiritual help. [continuing on to page 26] This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were willing to make the effort."

We want to welcome each of you who have completed these weekly sessions to the "Sunlight of the Spirit" and "fourth dimension of existence." We are committed to supporting and encouraging each of you as you move toward working the life-changing design for daily living that is the Twelve Steps. We thank you for providing us with the opportunity to participate in our own recovery, and to be a part of your miraculous spiritual journey.

Working Steps 10 and 11

Working Steps 10 and 11

Those of you who have done the work up to this point have chosen to let God direct your lives. Let's see what we need to do in order to expand this new God-consciousness. We need to live the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Steps, on a DAILY basis. Let's start with Step Ten.

Step 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong PROMPTLY admitted it.

Notice that the Tenth Step says that when we were wrong we promptly ADMIT it. It doesn't say that when we were wrong we promptly JUSTIFY it. The first three Steps are designed to bring us to the point where we become WILLING to turn our will and our lives over to the care of a Higher Power, Steps Four through Nine are HOW we turn our will and our lives over by removing what blocks us from actually doing so, and the last three Steps are how we KEEP our will and our lives turned over to God indefinitely.

A large part of Step Ten is a summary of Steps Four through Nine, to be used quickly on a moment-by-moment basis throughout each day. Step Eleven shows us how to deepen and broaden our conscious contact with the God of our understanding. And Step Twelve gives us the goal of the Steps - which is a spiritual awakening, tells us how to carry our life-changing message to others, and gives us many tips on how to practice these principles in ALL our affairs.

Please turn to the middle of page 84. The key to Step Ten are the words, "continue to take personal inventory." The "Big Book" emphasizes the importance of continuing to take the Steps. The middle of Page 84 says:

"This...brings us to Step Ten, which suggests we CONTINUE to take personal inventory and CONTINUE to set right ANY new mistakes AS WE GO ALONG. We VIGOROUSLY commenced this way of living AS we cleaned up the past (so the book tells us when to start vigorously using the tools of Steps Ten and Eleven. These two Steps should be practiced as we start cleaning up the past by making our Step Nine amends. The book continues:) We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to GROW in understanding and effectiveness." (Grow in understanding and effectiveness of what? Of being in AND inspired by the world of the Spirit. The book continues:) This is NOT an overnight matter. It SHOULD continue for our LIFETIME."

In this paragraph the authors tell us how to live, one day at a time. We call this our twenty-four-hour plan. We CONTINUE to take inventory, CONTINUE to make amends and CONTINUE to help others, EVERY day.

Let's look at the third sentence in this paragraph again. It is VERY important. It reads, "We have entered the world of the Spirit." This sentence contains an amazing revelation. Basically, the "Big Book" has just informed us that our lives have already changed as a result of taking Steps One through Nine. They state that we have already had a spiritual awakening.

How could that be? Well, it's very simple. There is no way a newcomer can get through these Steps alone. You have not only developed a belief in a God of your understanding, but you have come to rely upon this Power to help you through the inventory and restitution process. You are now living in the solution. Some of you may not realize it yet, but the "psychic change" that Dr. Silkworth mentioned in "The Doctor's Opinion" as being ESSENTIAL, has now occurred.

Further down on page 84, the authors tell us PRECISELY how to take a Tenth Step, moment by moment, inventory.

"...Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. (We first did this in Step 4.) When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them." (This is referring to Steps 6 and 7, and it's not suggesting that we ask our Higher Power to "at once remove them," it's saying that we "at once ASK God to remove them." Also, notice that this line says, "WHEN these crop up," not, "IF these crop up," so we need to stay aware of when selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear are resurfacing throughout our life. And Step Ten is NOT to be taken ONLY at night, as it is sometimes suggested in our fellowship, the book says that it's to be taken ALL through the day, WHENEVER these things crop up, moment by moment, as soon as we become aware of them. The book continues.) "We discuss them with someone immediately (Step 5) and make amends QUICKLY if we have harmed anyone (Steps 8 and 9). Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we CAN help (Not just anybody, but someone we CAN help, Step 12.). Love and tolerance of others is our code."

The next line can ALSO be considered as part of the directions for taking this Step:

"And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone - even alcohol."

This part of Step Ten is certainly easier said than done, but it's important for us to make it a priority and to start moving in the direction of no longer fighting with anything or anyone.

So the "Big Book' provides us with specific instructions on how to rid ourselves of these self-centered behaviors. First we MUST continue realizing (as we did in Step Three) that self-centered behaviors are NOT consistent with God's plan for our lives and they will ONLY lead us back to drinking. Next, we MUST continue taking the actions necessary to move away from self-will toward God's Will. We ask God to remove these shortcomings, we discuss them with our "sponsor" or spiritual advisor, and if necessary, we set right (to the best of our ability) any wrong WE have done. Then, we try to focus on someone we can help.

So it's: "watch, ask, discuss, amend, and turn".

The "Big Book" affirms that if we do the work of Steps One through Nine and apply the Tenth Step on a DAILY basis, God WILL remove the obsession to drink. This is another of the many promises we find throughout the Steps in this book. They are the Tenth Step Promises, and they are sometimes called "The Forgotten Promises" because we usually only refer to the Ninth Step ones. As a matter of fact, MOST of the Steps in this book have specific promises associated with them. At the bottom of page 84 they write:

"And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone - even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned. We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally and we will find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It just comes! That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality - safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead the problem has been removed (and the problem they are talking about here is the mental obsession and the spiritual malady). It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid. That is our experience. (Now here a warning.) That is how we react so long as (or IF) we keep in FIT spiritual condition."

What is part of keeping fit spiritually? Taking a daily inventory. What is our reward? A daily reprieve.

There is an expression that describes the Tenth Step perfectly. It goes something like this: If we remove our garbage promptly, our house doesn't stink. I'm sure if you think about it, everyone here can relate.
The "Big Book" describes this daily reprieve in the middle of page 85:

"It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. (Our laurels are our past victories. The book continues with a warning.) We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we REALLY have is a daily reprieve CONTINGENT (or dependent) on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. (Now please notice these next few sentences.) EVERY day is a day when we MUST carry the vision of GOD'S WILL into ALL of our activities. 'How can I BEST serve Thee - THY Will (not mine) be done.' These are thoughts which MUST go with us CONSTANTLY. We can exercise our will power along THIS line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will."

Another reward is God-consciousness - direct contact with our Higher Power. In the next paragraph on page 85, the "Big Book" tells us:

"Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration, and direction from Him who has ALL knowledge and power. If we CAREFULLY followed direction, we have begun to sense the flow of His Spirit into us. To some extent we have become God-conscious. We have begun to develop this VITAL sixth sense. But we MUST go further and that means MORE action."

Once again, the authors declare that our lives have changed - we've already had the spiritual awakening.

They say we have become conscious of the Spirit of the Universe, and we are now receiving strength, inspiration and direction from this Spirit. Not only that, but they say that this sixth sense is VITAL or ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.

Now, it's time to proceed. The directions for taking the Tenth Step are found in the second paragraph on page 84. Starting with line two, the "Big Book" writes:

"...we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes AS WE GO ALONG."

This is the Tenth Step question:
Will you continue to take personal inventory on a moment by moment basis, as you have seen just outlined on page 84, and continue to set right any new mistakes AS YOU GO ALONG?
Please answer yes or no.

All of you who answered yes to this question are ready and willing to practice Step Ten, which is the striving to carry the vision of God's Will into all of our activities, but when we fall short practicing Steps Four through Nine, to be used quickly on a moment-by-moment basis throughout each day, one day at a time. This linked document that you can print out can help with Step 10 and 11: Step 11 Morning and Evening Review Worksheet
Now let's move on to the Eleventh Step.

The following attachment has all the prayers in the Big Book prior to the stories section: Prayers in the Big Book

Step 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying ONLY for knowledge for His will for us and the power to carry that out.

The Eleventh Step starts at the bottom of page 85 and extends through page 88. It's a good idea to read Steps Ten and Eleven out of the "Big Book" each day for a few months, as part of your morning time with God, until you internalize the incredibly effective way of life these two Steps offer. There is a lot contained in these four pages. As we have already seen, the Big Book has been writing about prayer and meditation throughout the Book.

At the bottom of page 85, we find:

"Step Eleven suggests prayer and meditation. We shouldn't be shy on this matter of prayer. Better men than we are using it CONSTANTLY. It works, IF we [1-] have the proper attitude AND [2-] work at it."

So for it to work, we need to use action and attitude.

What does the Big Book mean when it says, "it works"? In essence it is telling us that self-examination, meditation and prayer puts us in contact with our Creator. Hopefully that's what we've been doing these past weeks - making conscious contact with the God of our understanding.

Then at the top of page 86, they make the statement:

"...It would be easy to be vague about this matter. Yet, we believe we can make some definite and valuable suggestions."

At night, they suggest we review the day's activities. Once again, they ask us to use the A.A. self-will test to judge our actions. Page 86, paragraph 1:

"When we retire at night, we CONSTRUCTIVELY review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? (Step 4 again) Do we owe and apology? (Steps 8 and 9) Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? (Step 5) Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life? But we MUST be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others. After making our review, we ask God's forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken." (Steps 6 and 7. So our basic text is once again basically describing the process of Steps 4 through 9 being used in a quick way to review our day when we retire at night. The book continues.) "ON AWAKENING (not on our way to work, or after we've showered and eaten, or at some point in the morning, but as soon as we wake up,) let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. (ANOTHER reference back to the Third Step.) Under THESE conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane WHEN our thinking is cleared of wrong motives."

So the book tells us to meditate first thing in the morning. Let's look at the sentence beginning with, "Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking..." Please notice these words, they are VERY important. "Before we begin..." - Before we begin what? Before we begin considering our plans for THIS day, and before listening to our Inner Voice. How do we know we're supposed to listen to God? Because, right afterward, it says we ask God to direct our thinking. If we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonesty or self-seeking motives, doesn't it stand to reason that our next thoughts are possibly going to be from our Higher Power? What do we call these thoughts from God? We call these thoughts guidance.

The Big Book tells us that our Creator will provide us with the answers to all of our issues. They even disclose how the Spirit of the Universe is going to answer our request for help. At the bottom of page 86, they write:

"In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. (Now some prayer.) Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while."

So, God is going to tell us His plan for our lives in the form of inspiration, an intuitive thought or an intuitive decision.

The Big Book tells us to test our thoughts. Not all of them come from God. But, with time and practice we begin to rely upon this insight. On the top of page 87, they write:

"What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind. (That's a promise, but here's a warning.) Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times. We may pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking WILL, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration. We come to rely upon it." (That's another promise.)

To protect ourselves from absurd actions and ideas, we MUST test our thoughts to separate self-will from God's Will. Our identifying God's Will needs time to grow, so it is important to discuss these inspirations or thoughts with a sponsor or spiritual advisor. In the 12 and 12 on page 60, it also says, "Going it alone in spiritual matters is dangerous. How many times we have heard well-intentioned people claim the guidance of God when it was all to plain they were sorely mistaken."

The Big Book continues on page 87, paragraph 1:

"We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown ALL through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make NO request for ourselves ONLY. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are careful NEVER to pray for our own selfish ends. Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why."

The Book is giving us information to create a healthy prayer life. First thing is that we pray for freedom from self-will. And the second is NEVER to request for ourselves ONLY. But we can request for ourselves IF others will be helped.

Paragraph two talks about including friends and family in our daily morning spiritual activities, as well as taking advantage of the spiritual literature that religion and spiritual sources outside of A.A. have to offer.

There are many powerful things that can help improve our conscious contact. Perhaps ask others what influenced them on THEIR spiritual path.
Page 87, paragraph 3:

"As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action." (Please notice that agitation comes WELL before anger or rage, and being doubtful comes WELL before being in deep trouble.)

Starting with the last line on page 87, the Big Book tells us we MUST get out of self-will in order to learn God's plan for our lives. In other words, here is ANOTHER reminder of the commitment we made in Step Three:

"We CONSTANTLY remind ourselves we are NO longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves, MANY times EACH day "Thy will be done." (Now here's the results of working Step 11, otherwise known as the rest of the 11th Step Promises) We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves.

It works - it really does."

This is an ironclad guarantee. It works! From first hand experience we can state that guidance has been working in our lives ever since we began this daily practice.

But, what if we don't receive any God-given thoughts or guidance? Let us assure you, this can happen from time to time. Remember, "All we really have is a daily reprieve contingent upon the maintenance of our spiritual condition." If we don't receive any guidance, it means we might still be blocked off from our Higher Power in some way, and simply have some work to do to clear it away. God's guidance is as freely available as the air we breathe. If I am not receiving inspired thoughts when I try to listen, the fault is not God's.

Usually it is because there is something I will not do. Something wrong in my life that I will not face and make right, a habit or indulgence I will not give up, a person I will not forgive, a wrong relationship in my life I will not give up, maybe we've taken back our will in some area of our lives, or maybe we haven't done something we know our Higher Power wants us to do. Check these points and be honest. If this is the case, we need to take the actions necessary to re-establish our connection with our Creator. Then try listening again.

In the second paragraph on page 88 they tell us that, once again, we need God's help:

"We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined. But this is not all. There is action and more action. Faith without works is dead."

Self-examination, meditation and prayer take dedication and practice. If we do the work, we will receive the rewards - a life filled with health, happiness and peace of mind beyond our wildest dreams. In the 12 and 12, during the commentary about the Eleventh Step on page 98, it says the following: "There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an UNSHAKABLE foundation for life. Now and then we may be granted a glimpse of that ultimate reality which is God's Kingdom. And we will be comforted and assured that our own destiny in that realm will be secure for so long as we try, however falteringly, to find and do the Will of our own Creator."

We will conclude our discussion of the Eleventh Step with a moment of silence so each of us can make contact with the God of our understanding and see if we receive Guidance RIGHT NOW.

As we go into this meditation time, please try to be quiet and still. Remember to ask God to direct your thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives, and let's see what happens when we try to experience conscious contact. These attachments provide powerful ways to seek guidance from our Higher Power: How To Listen To God and St. Francis Prayer Meditation (12 and 2)

Say to yourself silently something like this: "God, I now ask You to direct my thinking. I especially ask that these thoughts be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives." Or, you could simply say this: "Lord, what would you have me do, where would you have me go, what would you have me say and to whom?"

Please spend the next 3 or 4 minutes in uninterrupted silence, relaxing your mind and perhaps waiting for guidance from your Higher Power.
Thank you.

If something came to you during this meditation, you may want to write it down and then share it with someone later to see if the two of you think that it may be God-inspired thoughts. Then, go out and do whatever you were guided to do - it's that simple!

---

Page:Paragraph	Prayers in the Big Book Prior to the Stories
12:6	For a brief moment, I had needed and wanted God. There had been a humble willingness to have Him with me - and He came.
13:2	There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then understood Him, to do with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was lost.
13:4	I was to sit quietly when in doubt, asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as He would have me. Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others.
63:2	God, I offer myself to thee - to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!
67:0	We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, "This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done."
68:3	We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be.
69:2	We ask God to mold our (sex) ideals and help us to live up to them.
69:3	In meditation, we ask God what we should do about each specific matter (sex harms).
70:2	We earnestly pray for the right (sex) ideal, for guidance in each questionable situation, for sanity and for the strength to do the right thing.
75:3	We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better.
75:3	Carefully reading the first five proposals we ask if we have omitted anything, for we are building an arch through which we shall walk a free man at last. Is our work solid so far? Are the stones properly in place? Have we skimped on the cement put into the foundation? Have we tried to make mortar without sand?
76:1	If we still cling to something we will not let go (shortcomings), we ask God to help us be willing.
76:2	My Creator, I am now willing that You should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that You now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to You and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do Your bidding. Amen.
76:3	We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run the show ourselves. If we haven't the will to do this, we ask until it comes (making amends).
79:1	Reminding ourselves that we have decided to go to any lengths to find a spiritual experience, we ask that we be given strength and direction to do the right thing, no matter what the personal consequences may be (making amends).
82:1	It may be that both (you & you significant other) will decide that the way of good sense and loving kindness is to let bygones be bygones (no direct amends). Each might pray about it, having the other one's happiness uppermost in mind.
83:1	So we clean house with the family, asking each morning in meditation that our Creator show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindness and love.
84:2	When these crop up (selfishness, dishonesty, resentment and fear), we ask God at once to remove them.
85:1	How can I best serve Thee - Thy will (not mine) be done.
86:1	After making our (nightly) review we ask God's forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.
86:2	Before we begin (meditation), we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.
86:3	(Facing indecision) Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle.
87:1	We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no request for ourselves only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends.
87:3	As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves may times each day, "Thy will be done."
158:2	On the third day the lawyer gave his life to the care and direction of his Creator, and said he was perfectly willing to do anything necessary.
164:2	Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick.

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"How To Listen To God"
By John E. Batterson
(An Oxford Group pamphlet/technique used by early A.A. members)

These are a few simple suggestions for people who are willing to make an experiment. You can discover for yourself the most important and practical thing any human being can ever learn - how to be in touch with God. All that is needed is the willingness to try it honestly. Every person who has done this consistently and sincerely has found that it really works.
Before you begin, look over these fundamental points. They are true and are based on the experience of thousands of people.

1. God is alive. He always has been and He always will be.
2. God knows everything.
3. God can do anything.
4. God can be everywhere - all at the same time. (These are the important differences between God and us human beings).
5. God is invisible - we can't see Him or touch Him - but, God is here. He is with you now. He is beside you. He surrounds you. He fills the room or the whole place where you are right now. He is in you now. He is in your heart.
6. God cares very much for you. He is interested in you. He has a plan for your life. He has an answer for every need and problem you face.
7. God will tell you all that you need to know. He will not always tell you all that you want to know.
8. God will help you do anything that He asks you to do.
9. Anyone can be in touch with God, anywhere and at any time, if the conditions are obeyed.

These are the conditions:

• To be quiet and still
• To listen
• To be honest about every thought that comes
• To test the thoughts to be sure that they come from God
• To obey

So, with these basic elements as a background, here are specific suggestions on How to Listen to God:

1. TAKE TIME
   Find some place and time where you can be alone, quiet and undisturbed. Most people have found that the early morning is the best time. Have with you some paper and pen or pencil.
2. RELAX
   Sit in a comfortable position. Consciously relax all your muscles. Be loose. There is no hurry. There needs to be no strain during these minutes. God cannot get through to us if we are tense and anxious about later responsibilities.
3. TUNE IN
   Open your heart to God. Either silently or aloud, just say to God in a natural way that you would like to find His plan for your life - you want His answer to the problem or situation that you are facing just now. Be definite and specific in your request.
4. LISTEN
   Just be still, quiet, relaxed and open. Let your mind go "loose." Let God do the talking. Thoughts, ideas and impressions will begin to come into your mind and heart. Be alert and aware and open to every one.
5. WRITE!
   Here is the important key to the whole process. Write down everything that comes into your mind. Everything. Writing is simply a means of recording so that you can remember later. Don't sort out or edit your thoughts at this point.

Don't say to yourself:
	This thought isn't important
	This is just an ordinary thought
	This can't be guidance
	This isn't nice
	This can't be from God
	This is just me thinking..., etc.
Write down everything that passes through your mind:
	Names of people
	Things to do
	Things to say
	Things that are wrong and need to be made right
Write down everything:
	Good thoughts - bad thoughts
	Comfortable thoughts - uncomfortable thoughts
	"Holy" thoughts - "unholy" thoughts
	Sensible thoughts - "crazy" thoughts
Be honest! Write down everything! A thought comes quickly, and it escapes even more quickly unless it is captured and put down.

6. TEST
   When the flow of thoughts slows down, stop. Take a good look at what you have written. Not every thought we have comes from God. So we need to test our thoughts. Here is where the written record helps us to be able to look at them. a) Are these thoughts completely honest, pure, unselfish and loving? b) Are these thoughts in line with our duties to our family - to our country? c) Are these thoughts in line with our understanding of the teachings found in our spiritual literature?
7. CHECK
   When in doubt and when it is important, what does another person who is living two-way prayer think about this thought or action? More light comes in through two windows than one. Someone else who also wants God's plan for our lives may help us to see more clearly. Talk over together what you have written. Many people do this. They tell each other what guidance has come. This is the secret of unity. There are always three sides to every question - your side, my side, and the right side. Guidance shows us which is the right side - not who is right, but what is right.
8. OBEY
   Carry out the thoughts that have come. You will only be sure of guidance as you go through with it. A rudder will not guide a boat until the boat is moving. As you obey, very often the results will convince you that you are on the right track.
9. BLOCKS?
   "What if I don't seem to get any definite thought?" God's guidance is as freely available as the air we breathe. If I am not receiving thoughts when I listen, the fault is not God's. Usually it is because there is something I will not do: Something wrong in my life that I will not face and make right A habit or indulgence I will not give up A person I will not forgive A wrong relationship in my life I will not give up A restitution I will not make Something God has already told me to do that I will not obey Check these points and be honest. Then try listening again.
10. MISTAKES
    "Supposing I make a mistake and do something in the name of God that isn't right?" Of course we make mistakes. We are humans with many faults. However, God will always honor our sincerity. He will work around and through every honest mistake we make. He will help us make it right. But, remember this! Sometimes when we do obey God, someone else may not like it or agree with it. So when there is opposition, it doesn't always mean you have made a mistake. It can mean that the other person doesn't want to know or to do what is right.

"Supposing I fail to do something that I have been told and the opportunity to do it passes?" There is only one thing to do. Put it right with God. Tell Him you're sorry. Ask Him to forgive you, then accept His forgiveness and begin again. God is our Father - He is not an impersonal computer. He understands us far better than we do.

11. RESULTS?
    We never know what swimming is like until we get down into the water and try. We will never know what this is like until we sincerely try it.

Every person who has tried this honestly finds that a wisdom, not their own, comes into their minds and that a Power greater than human power begins to operate in their lives. It is an endless adventure.

There is a way of life, for everyone, everywhere. Anyone can be in touch with the living God, anywhere, anytime, if we fulfill His conditions.

When man listens, God speaks.
When man obeys, God acts.
This is the law of prayer.

God's plan for this world goes forward through the lives of ordinary people who are willing to be governed by Him.

---

St. Francis Prayer Meditation
A.A. 12 & 12 - pages 98 - 102

We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of us, to flower and to grow. Most certainly we shall need bracing air and an abundance of food. But first of all we shall want sunlight; nothing much can grow in the dark. Meditation is our step out into the sun. How, then, shall we meditate?

The actual experience of meditation and prayer across the centuries is, of course, immense. The world's libraries and places of worship are a treasure trove for all seekers.

It is to be hoped that every A.A. who has a religious connection which emphasizes meditation will return to the practice of that devotion as never before. But what about the rest of us who, less fortunate, don't even know how to begin?

Well, we might start like this. First let's look at a really good prayer. We won't have far to seek; the great men and women of all religions have left us a wonderful supply. Here let us consider one that is a classic.

Its author was a man who for several hundred years now has been rated as a saint. We won't be biased or scared off by that fact, because although he was not an alcoholic he did, like us, go through the emotional wringer. And as he came out the other side of that painful experience, this prayer was his expression of what he could then see, feel, and wish to become:

"Lord, make me a channel of thy peace - that where there is hatred, I may bring love - that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness - that where there is discord, I may bring harmony - that where there is error, I may bring truth - that where there is doubt, I may bring faith - that where there is despair, I may bring hope - that where there are shadows, I may bring light - that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted - to understand, than to be understood - to love, than to be loved. For it is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life. Amen."

As beginners in meditation, we might now reread this prayer several times very slowly, savoring every word and trying to take in the deep meaning of each phrase and idea. It will help if we can drop all resistance to what our friend says. For in meditation, debate has no place. We rest quietly with the thoughts of someone who knows, so that we may experience and learn.

As though lying upon a sunlit beach, let us relax and breathe deeply of the spiritual atmosphere with which the grace of this prayer surrounds us. Let us become willing to partake and be strengthened and lifted up by the sheer spiritual power, beauty, and love of which these magnificent words are the carriers. Let us look now upon the sea and ponder what its mystery is; and let us lift our eyes to the far horizon, beyond which we shall seek all those wonders still unseen.

"Shucks!" says somebody. "This is nonsense. It isn't practical."
When such thoughts break in, we might recall, a little ruefully, how much store we used to set by imagination as it tried to create reality out of bottles. Yes, we reveled in that sort of thinking, didn't we? And though sober nowadays, don't we often try to do much the same thing? Perhaps our trouble was not that we used our imagination. Perhaps the real trouble was our almost total inability to point imagination toward the right objectives. There's nothing the matter with constructive imagination; all sound achievement rests upon it. After all, no man can build a house until he first envisions a plan for it. Well, meditation is like that, too; it helps to envision our spiritual objective before we try to move toward it. So let's get back to that sunlit beach - or to the plains or to the mountains, if you prefer.

When, by such simple devices, we have placed ourselves in a mood in which we can focus undisturbed on constructive imagination, we might proceed like this:

Once more we read our prayer, and again try to see what its inner essence is. We'll think now about the man who first uttered the prayer. First of all, he wanted to become a "channel." Then he asked for the grace to bring love, forgiveness, harmony, truth, faith, hope, light, and joy to every human being he could.

Next came the expression of an aspiration and a hope for himself. He hoped, God willing, that he might be able to find some of these treasures, too. This he would try to do by what he called self-forgetting. What did he mean by "self-forgetting," and how did he propose to accomplish that?

He thought it better to give comfort than to receive it; better to understand than to be understood; better to forgive than to be forgiven.

This much could be a fragment of what is called meditation, perhaps our very first attempt at a mood, a flier into the realm of spirit, if you like. It ought to be followed by a good look at where we stand now, and a further look at what might happen in our lives were we able to move closer to the ideal we have been trying to glimpse.

Meditation is something which can always be further developed. It has no boundaries, either of width or height. Aided by such instruction and example as we can find, it is essentially an individual adventure, something which each one of us works out in his own way. But its object is always the same: to improve our conscious contact with God, with His grace, wisdom, and love. And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of its first fruits is emotional balance. With it we can broaden and deepen the channel between ourselves and God as we understand Him.

Working Steps 8 and 9

Working Steps 8 and 9

Step 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Something that you may not have noticed about the Eighth Step is that the word ALL is mentioned twice.

At this point in our work we will need to refer back to our Fourth Step inventories. From the lists of names on our inventories we are able to compile our Eighth Step amends list. We examine our sheets for the people we have harmed by our conduct and whom we owe amends. On page 76 in the third paragraph, the "Big Book" states:

"Now we need more action, without which we find that "Faith without works is dead." Let's look at Steps Eight and Nine. We have a list of ALL persons we have harmed and to whom we are willing to make amends. We made it when we took inventory. We subjected ourselves to a drastic self-appraisal. NOW we go out to our fellows and repair the damage done in the past. (So we are NOT going out to fix relationships. We go out to repair the damage done, to set right the wrongs we have done. The book continues.) We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out of OUR effort to live on self-will and run the show ourselves. If we haven't the will to do this, we ask until it comes. (So here's a little prayer for when we are NOT willing to make an amend. Just like in the Sixth Step, if we are unwilling, we pray for the willingness until it comes. The book continues.) Remember it was agreed at the beginning we would go to ANY LENGTHS for victory over alcohol."

We make a separate list of names even though they're already listed in our inventories. By having a separate list of names, we're able to see more clearly those people we will go to, to make our amends.

The 12 & 12 suggests we redouble the efforts we made while writing inventory when making our Eighth Step list. On page 77 of the 12 & 12, Bill writes:

"Every A.A. has found that he can make LITTLE headway in this new adventure of living until he FIRST backtracks and REALLY makes an accurate and unsparing survey of the human wreckage he has left in his wake. To a degree, he has already done this when taking moral inventory, but now the time has come when he ought to REDOUBLE his efforts to see how many people he has hurt, and in what ways."

Aside from the list of names of those we owe amends, there's a second part to this step that we don't want to overlook. Some people we will be willing to go to right away. With others, we'll have to pray for the willingness to do this. The book suggests we pray daily for the willingness until it comes. In the meantime, we can begin to make those amends that we are ALREADY willing to do. We have found when we begin the restitution process in conjunction with praying for the willingness to do the seemingly more difficult amends, we start to ALSO become willing to make the amends that we never thought we'd be willing to face. We become more willing when we commence to get results from making other amends. When making the Eighth Step list, it is sometimes suggested to break the names into two categories: amends I am willing to make NOW, and amends I am NOT willing to make now. Also, the word "amend" has a second definition besides "setting right the wrong". To amend a document is to make a permanent change to it. So in making amends, not only are we to "right all such matters to the best of our ability", but we must ALSO change and stop doing the behavior that brought about the harm to begin with. You cannot make amends for things you still do. We can't call it OLD behavior if we are STILL doing it. We must move away from our old habit of apologizing for something but then doing it again. Our changed actions will speak louder than our words.  

The following Headings can be put on a form to fill out and will help you put together your Eighth Step list. Please pay attention to each of the headings:

• Person who has been harmed...
• Memories of harm done...
• Thoughts about the harm...
• Feelings about the harm...
• Intentions you now have...
• Amends you can make for the harm caused...

Let's move on to Step Nine.
Step 9. - Made direct amends to such people, wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

On the fourth paragraph on page 76, the "Big Book" provides us with some insight as to how to approach some of those to whom we owe amends. Page 76, paragraph four:

"Probably there are still some misgivings. As we look over the list of business acquaintances and friends we have hurt, we may feel diffident (which means lacking confidence) about going to some of them on a spiritual basis. Let us be reassured. To some people we need not, and probably should not emphasize the spiritual feature on our first approach. We might prejudice them. At the moment we are trying to put our lives in order. But this is NOT an end in itself. Our REAL PURPOSE is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us."

In the last sentence of this paragraph, the "Big Book" clearly states our purpose for living. It tells us why we are here -- to serve God and the people about us.

In Step Seven it says: "I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to You and my fellows." Now in Step Nine it says: "At the moment we are trying to put our lives in order. BUT THIS IS NOT AN END IN ITSELF. Our REAL purpose is to FIT OURSELVES to be of MAXIMUM service to God and the people about us." So our making amends is part of how God brings fulfillment to what we're praying for in Step 7!

The book continues by asking us to let our actions, rather than our words, demonstrate to others that we have changed. Walking the walk is more important than just talking the talk. Starting with line four of page 77, the book states:

"It is SELDOM WISE to approach an individual, who still smarts from our injustice to him, and announce that we have gone religious. In the prize ring, this would be called leading with the chin. Why lay ourselves open to being branded fanatics or religious bores? We may kill a future opportunity to carry a beneficial message. But our man is SURE to be impressed with a sincere desire to set right the wrong. (So again, it says that we are there to set right the wrong, NOT to fix the relationship. The book continues.) He is going to be MORE interested in a demonstration of good will than in our talk of spiritual discoveries.

We don't use this as an excuse for shying away from the subject of God. When it will serve any good purpose, we are willing to announce our convictions with tact and common sense."

One of the most difficult amends to make is to someone we genuinely do not like. But, whether we like them or not, we MUST proceed. The text continues:

"The question of how to approach the man we hated will arise (they're talking here about someone on our resentment list). It may be he has done us MORE harm than we have done HIM and, though we may have acquired a better attitude toward him, we are still not too keen about admitting our faults. (The reason why we probably have a better attitude toward our enemies is because back in the Fourth Step we were asked to forgive and pray for those we felt had harmed us since they LIKE OURSELVES are spiritually blocked off whenever anyone brings about harm. The book continues.) Nevertheless, with a person we dislike, we take the bit in our teeth. It is harder to go to an enemy than to a friend, but we find it much more beneficial to us. WE GO TO HIM in a helpful and forgiving spirit, confessing OUR former ill feeling and expressing OUR regret."

So the book gives us an important attitude we should have when going to make amends to someone we do not like. Our attitude needs to have a helpful and forgiving spirit, and in a few sentences it says that our manner needs to be calm, frank, and open.

In the next paragraph, the text even provides us with instructions on what to say and what NOT to say:

"Under NO condition do we criticize such a person or argue. Simply tell him that we will NEVER get over drinking until we have done our UTMOST to straighten out the past. (This last line speaks directly to those of you who will be or have in the past made a beginning but lost interest halfway through the amends process. If that be the case, we need to ask ourselves this simple question: Does my lack of willingness to move forward with making amends have anything to do with whether I drink again or not? It's an important consideration to make. The book continues.) We are there to sweep off OUR side of the street, realizing that NOTHING worthwhile can be accomplished UNTIL we do so, NEVER trying to tell him what HE should do. HIS faults are NOT discussed. We stick to OUR OWN. If our manner is calm, frank, and open, we will be gratified with the result.

In nine cases out of ten the unexpected happens. (That's 90% of the time.) Sometimes the man we are calling upon admits his own fault, so feuds of years' standing melt away in an hour. RARELY do we fail to make satisfactory progress. Our former enemies sometimes praise what we are doing and wish us well. Occasionally, they will offer assistance. It should NOT matter, however, if someone does throw us out of his office. We have made our demonstration, done our part. It's water over the dam."

The "Big Book" explains what to do about our debts. We may not like the sacrifice required to make good on our bills, but sacrifice we must. The process forces us to rely on God for guidance, which takes us out of self-will, and into God's Will. Under God's direction, we find it MUCH easier to make restitution than we EVER thought possible. In the middle of page 78, the book states:

"Most alcoholics owe money. (Of course, that's an understatement and should say, "ALL alcoholics owe money!) We do NOT dodge our creditors. Telling them what we are trying to do, we make no bones about our drinking; they usually know it anyway, whether we think so or not. Nor are we afraid of disclosing our alcoholism on the theory it may cause financial harm. Approached in this way, the most ruthless creditor will sometimes surprise us. Arranging the best deal we can (and I'd like to add that we need to follow through with this plan) we let these people know we are sorry. Our drinking has made us slow to pay. (Now here's a warning.) We MUST lose our fear of creditors NO MATTER HOW FAR WE HAVE TO GO, for we are liable to drink IF we are afraid to face them."

The next paragraph deals with criminal offenses:

"Perhaps we have committed a criminal offense which might land us in jail if it were known to the authorities. We may be short in our accounts and unable to make good. We have already admitted this in confidence to another person, but we are sure we would be imprisoned or lose our job if it were known. Maybe it's only a petty offense such as padding the expense account. Most of us have done that sort of thing. Maybe we are divorced, and have remarried but haven't kept up the alimony to number one. She is indignant about it, and has a warrant out for our arrest. That's a common form of trouble too."

Next the book instructs us again to ask God for guidance. This reliance upon God is ESSENTIAL if we are to outgrow the fears that have separated us from our true selves, our Creator, and others. The book continues:

"Although these reparations (or amends) take innumerable forms, there are some general principles which we find guiding. Reminding ourselves that we have decided to go to ANY lengths to find a spiritual experience (which of course is AA's solution to alcoholism), (now here's a little prayer) we ask that we be given strength and direction to do the right thing, NO MATTER WHAT the personal consequences may be. We may lose our position or reputation or face jail, but we are willing. We HAVE to be. We MUST not shrink at ANYTHING."

Next is an example of how to proceed when OTHER people may be affected. Here, EXTREME caution needs to be taken:

"Usually, however, other people are involved. (Here's a warning) Therefore, we are not to be the hasty and foolish martyr who would needlessly sacrifice others to save himself from the alcoholic pit. A man we know had remarried. Because of resentment and drinking, he had not paid alimony to his first wife. She was furious. She went to court and got an order for his arrest. He had commenced our way of life, had secured a position, and was getting his head above water. It would have been impressive heroics if he had walked up to the Judge and said, "Here I am."

"We thought he ought to be willing to do that if necessary, but if he were in jail he could provide nothing for either family. We suggested he write his first wife admitting his faults and asking forgiveness. He did, and also sent a small amount of money. He told her what he would try to do in the future. He said he was perfectly willing to go to jail is she insisted. Of course she did not, and the whole situation has long since been adjusted."

The "Big Book" suggests we ask others for help before we make some of our more difficult amends. We need direction, preferably from someone who understands and has experienced the inventory and restitution process. We MUST make SURE we do not create further harm to others as we clean up OUR side of the street. At the top of page 80, notice the directions of what to do, and please notice the five specific points the book now makes:

"Before taking drastic action which might implicate other people we (1) secure their consent. If we have obtained permission, have (2) consulted with others, (3) asked God to help and (4) the drastic step is indicated we (5) MUST not shrink."

(There you have it, in two places above, we must stay dry throughout the entire 12 step process, we must not get wet, WE MUST NOT SHRINK.)

So it says that we need to (1) ask the people who will be affected (like a business partner or our family) if it is OK with them that we make this amend, (2) talked with our support group and others that may have made a similar amend, (3) pray to ask God to help us decide what to do, and (4) the amend still seems like it is the right thing to do, we then (5) MUST not balk at going through with setting right the wrong.

Next is a story of a man who used this formula before proceeding to make amends:

"This brings to mind a story about one of our friends. While drinking, he accepted a sum of money from a bitterly-hated business rival, giving him no receipt for it. He subsequently denied having received the money and used the incident as a basis for discrediting the man. He thus used his own wrong-doing as a means of destroying the reputation of another. In fact, his rival was ruined.

He felt that he had done a wrong he could not possibly make right. If he opened that old affair, he was afraid it would destroy the reputation of his partner, disgrace his family and take away his means of livelihood. What right had he to involve those dependent upon him? How could he possibly make a public statement exonerating his rival?

After consulting with his wife and partner he came to the conclusion that it was better to take those risks than to stand before his Creator guilty of such ruinous slander. (This next line is important.) He saw that he HAD to place the outcome in God's hands or he would soon start drinking again, and all would be lost anyhow. He attended church for the first time in many years. After the sermon, he quietly got up and made an explanation. His action met widespread approval, and today he is one of the most trusted citizens of his town. This all happened years ago."

The next page or so deals with domestic troubles like sex outside of a relationship. Starting with the second line from the bottom of page 80, we find:

"The chances are that we have domestic troubles. Perhaps we are mixed up with women in a fashion we wouldn't care to have advertised. We doubt if, in this respect, alcoholics are fundamentally much worse that other people. But drinking does complicate sex relations in the home. After a few years with an alcoholic, a wife gets worn out, resentful and uncommunicative. How could she be anything else? The husband begins to feel lonely, sorry for himself. He commences to look around in the night clubs, or their equivalent, for something besides liquor. Perhaps he is having a secret and exciting affair with "the girl who understands." In fairness we must say that she may understand, but what are we going to do about a thing like that? A man so involved often feels very remorseful at times, especially if he is married to a loyal and courageous girl who has literally gone through hell for him.

Whatever the situation, we usually HAVE to do something about it. If we are sure our wife does not know, should we tell her? Not always, we think. If she knows in a general way that we have been wild, should we tell her in detail? Undoubtedly we should admit our fault. She may insist on knowing all the particulars. She will want to know WHO the woman is and WHERE she is. We feel we ought to say to her that we have NO right to involve another person. We are sorry for what we have done and, God willing, it shall NOT be repeated. MORE than that we CANNOT do; we have NO right to go further. Though there may be justifiable exceptions, and though we wish to lay down no rule of any sort, we have often found this the best course to take.

Our design for living is not a one-way street. It is as good for the wife as for the husband. If we can forget, so can she. It is BETTER, however, that one does NOT needlessly name a person upon whom she can vent jealousy."

In the first paragraph on page 82, we are yet again instructed to ask God for guidance as we make good on our past misdeeds:

"Perhaps there are some cases where the utmost frankness is demanded. No outsider can appraise such an intimate situation. It may be that both will decide that the way of good sense and loving kindness is to let bygones be bygones. Each might pray about it, having the other one's happiness uppermost in mind. Keep it ALWAYS in sight that we are dealing with that most terrible human emotion-jealousy. Good generalship may decide that the problem be attacked on the flank rather than risk a face-to-face combat."

This is an example of how we must be tactful and considerate of others as we make our amends. Nobody said it would be easy - it just has to be done. Remember to ALWAYS use your Higher Power as your CONSTANT Guide. By following His direction, the most difficult situations can have a positive outcome.

In the next several paragraphs, the "Big Book" authors state quite emphatically that stopping drinking is ONLY a BEGINNING. We MUST take additional action if we are to recover from alcoholism:

"If we have NO such complication (the complication they are talking about here is sex outside of a relationship. The book continues), there is PLENTY we should do at home. Sometimes we hear an alcoholic say that the only thing he needs to do is to keep sober. Certainly he must keep sober, for there will be no home if he doesn't. But he is yet a LONG WAY from making good to the wife or parents whom for years he has so shockingly treated. Passing all understanding is the patience mothers and wives have had with alcoholics. Had this not been so, many of us would have no homes today, would perhaps be dead.

The alcoholic is like a tornado roaring his way through the lives of others. (What a perfect analogy.) Hearts are broken. Sweet relationships are dead. Affections have been uprooted. Selfish and inconsiderate habits have kept the home in turmoil. We feel a man is UNTHINKING when he says that sobriety is enough. He is like the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar to find his home ruined. To his wife, he remarked, "Don't see anything the matter here, Ma. Ain't it grand the wind stopped blowin'?"

So just not drinking is NOT enough. The "Big Book" makes that VERY clear. The reconstruction that will need to take place in most homes may at times seem difficult. But, once again, we rely heavily on prayer and guidance from our Higher Power, sponsor and support group. At the top of page 83, our text states:

"Yes, there is a long period of reconstruction ahead. We MUST take the lead. A remorseful mumbling that we are sorry WON'T fill the bill at all. We ought to sit down with the family and frankly analyze the past as we now see it, being VERY careful NOT to criticize THEM. THEIR defects may be glaring, but the chances are that OUR OWN actions are partly responsible. So we clean house with the family, (now here's a Ninth Step prayer) asking each morning in meditation that our Creator show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love.

The spiritual life is NOT a theory. We HAVE to LIVE it (Again, the book is saying that our program needs to be more than some mental idea. It MUST be a motivating and growing positive way of life. The book continues). Unless one's family expresses a desire to live upon spiritual principles we think we ought NOT to urge them. We should NOT talk incessantly to them about spiritual matters. They will change in time. Our BEHAVIOR will convince them MORE than our words. (One of Dr. Bob's most popular quotes is, "Carry the message, and if you must - use words." Walking the walk is so much more important than just talking the talk. The book continues.) We must remember that ten or twenty years of drunkenness would make a skeptic out of anyone."

Here we're told that in order to achieve the vital psychic change, we HAVE to LIVE the A.A. program. So, we don't just TAKE the Steps. We practice these principles on a DAILY basis. The first nine Steps, or 3/4 of the program, basically deal with the past. Next week we will be providing you with the information for AA's way of life, or AA's way of spiritual growth one day at a time, through the process of Step Ten, Eleven, and Twelve.

The next paragraph on page 83 gives us directions on what to do if we can't make amends to someone face-to-face. Notice that they saved this for last:

"There may be some wrongs we can never fully right. We don't worry about them IF we can HONESTLY say to ourselves that we would right them IF we could. Some people cannot be seen - we send them an honest letter. And there may be a valid reason for postponement in some cases. But we DON'T delay IF it can be avoided. We should be sensible, tactful, considerate and humble without being servile (which means submissive) or scraping (which means harsh). As God's people we stand on our feet; we don't crawl before anyone."

Please notice that this last paragraph mentions writing an honest letter to people we cannot see. This ALSO includes if the person we harmed or hated has passed away. A letter written and read to a substitute listener can bring about much relief and freedom from guilt and remorse we never thought we could get rid of.

The "Big Book" concludes the Ninth Step with another list of results. Starting at the bottom of page 83, it tells us precisely what is going to happen once we commence to clear away the wreckage of our past. It describes these results as promises. The "Big Book" is filled with promises. These are just a few more of them:

"If we are painstaking (which means showing care) about THIS phase (the amends phase) of our development, we will be AMAZED before we are half way through. We are going to know a NEW freedom and a NEW happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace (to comprehend serenity and to know peace, we must experience it). No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our WHOLE attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly (as in a spiritual experience), sometimes slowly (as in a spiritual awakening). They will ALWAYS materialize IF we work for them."

What a message of hope! It is almost beyond comprehension that all of these wonderful events WILL occur IF we just make our amends to those whom we have harmed. But, they WILL happen - that's a guarantee.

Please turn to page 155. We would like to give you an example of someone who could not stay sober until
he became willing to complete all his amends. This man is our Akron co-founder, Dr. Bob. Dr. Bob had been involved with MOST of AA's solution for alcoholism but he still drank every day because he refused to work with others and he refused to make amends for harms done. After being introduced to Bill Wilson, and relapsing one last time, he finally decided to work the ENTIRE program, instead of HIS program. With this new motivation, he accomplished making all his amends quickly and never drank again. He also started working with other alcoholics to the point where Bill Wilson referred to him as "the Prince of the Twelve-Steppers". We can read about Dr. Bob's Ninth Step in the second paragraph on page 155:

"When our friend related his experience, the man agreed that no amount of will power he might muster could stop his drinking for long. A spiritual experience, he conceded, was ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, but the price seemed high upon the basis suggested. He told how he lived in CONSTANT worry about those who might find out about his alcoholism. He had, of course, the familiar alcoholic obsession that few knew of his drinking. Why, he argued, should he lose the remainder of his business, only to bring still more suffering to his family by foolishly admitting his plight to people from whom he made his livelihood? He would do anything, he said, but that.

Being intrigued, however, he invited our friend to his home. Some time later, and just as he thought he was getting control of his liquor situation, he went on a roaring bender. For him, this was the spree that ended all sprees. He saw that he would HAVE to face his problems squarely that God might give him mastery.

One morning he took the bull by the horns and set out to tell those he feared what his trouble had been. He found himself surprisingly well received, and learned that many knew of his drinking. 

Stepping into his car, he made the rounds of people he had hurt. He trembled as he went about, for this might mean ruin, particularly to a person in his line of business.

At midnight he came home exhausted, but very happy. He has not had a drink since. As we shall see, he now means a great deal to his community, and the major liabilities of thirty years of hard drinking have been repaired in four."