Things I learned (or was reminded of) this week. An ongoing series. "I do not"

 

 

I do not use my will (that is, my mind, my willpower, my thought, my determination) to "not drink."  I use my will to choose to do the work (that is, the 12 Steps, and in general AA's suggestions for how to live) so that a spiritual experience is created (a "psychic upheaval" as Jung called it) so that I am free from the desire/obsession/compulsion to drink.  More simply put:  I use my will to say "yes" to AA, which is not really the same as using it to say "no" to drinking -- that's just the result of my AA yes. 

 

I do not use faith as a way to understand the world.  I use faith as a way to accept the world as it is -- which is not the same as agreeing with something I don't like, or deciding not to do something about it.  Acceptance does not necessarily equal passivity for me -- it is the way I can stop railing in my mind about how things should be and get clear and calm (or at least, more calm) so that if need be I can actually take action.

 

I do not tell stories about my drinking when I speak at a meeting so that there is glorification -- I tell stories about what it was like when I drank so that there is identification.

 

I do not sponsor people so that they stay sober.  I sponsor people so that I stay sober.

 

 

Comments

[Robert Givens]

I do not like green eggs and ham...but i do really love your blog. Thanks for today entry.

[The Subversive Librarian]

Great post, and I love the photograph. Beautiful!