my sponsor is very big on service work. his dedication to the program taught me to be the same way. early on, he told me that i had thought too much about myself, makin sure that i was taken care of. he told me it was time for me to stop bein so self-servin and start thinkin of others. therefore, right away, he had me get involved in small bits of service work. chairin meetins, bein a greeter at meetins, cleanin ashtrays, goin on 12 step calls, makin coffee, or readin at meetins. it was those little bits that laid the foundation for me to become a sponsor myself. it also laid the groundwork for other areas of service. bein a board member at a halfway house, speakin at meetins, workshops, or panel discussions, and bein on various committees for local and area conventions. today i try to be as active in recovery as possible and do as much as i can each day for the person who is still sick. my recovery has made it perfectly clear that self-driven desires and fear can cause me problems that, not only have the potential to hurt me, but have the potential to hurt others. it is a character asset today to want, and need, to think of others. this understandin provides me an opportunity to practice the spiritual principle of humility by steppin aside from self-delusional thoughts of ego and false pride, bein the catalyst for change within by helpin another. its not only the mere thought of another that helps me, it is more the behavior and action of helpin another, that provides me with the forgiveness, hope, and love my HP has for me. sharin this forgiveness, hope, and love with another gives me, for that moment, peace, and serenity within. all of these moments add up to a day of rightful and wholesome livin. 1 day @ a time...
Author
bjsrer
corn fed not inbred michigan white trash...
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Service (helping others): the original Step Two
Long before “you have to have it to give it away; the Steps are in an order for a reason,” talk there were AA members getting sober – no book, no Steps. 28 AA members wrote stories that were published in the big book. 14 of them never drank again after writing their story. 7 returned to drinking but made it back and died sober, 7 went back out and never returned, not to stay, anyway. If I had the link here, I would add it; I read some research on AA History Lovers with biographies of all 28 AA members in the first edition. We know how all of these stories ended. The point about these founders is they had never seen 12 steps when they came to AA or until the book was published, after they got sober, after their storied had been written.
We know the story of Bill, thirsty in Akron, on the verge of relapse could think of only one thing to keep him sober – help another alcoholic. He did that and here we are “In The Rooms.” This 2-step program Bill used to get sober was admit he was an alcoholic and talk to another sufferer with the sincere desire to help each other.
Bill Schaberg wrote WRITING THE BIG BOOK: The Creation of AA. He gave a talk about Dr. Silkworth who was encouraging of Bill’s efforts to help other drunks to help them and to keep him sober. Silkworth called this moral psychology. Just as you’ve written, getting away from our own ruminations by distracting (or devoting) our attention upon the needs of another (or others).
Here’s a William Schaberg talk about Silkworth’s ideas about moral psychology as an aid to alcoholics.
https://secularaa.buzzsprout.com/1536487/11613612-dr-silkworth-s-solution-to-alcoholism-fellowship-by-bill-schaberg-icsaa-2022
thanks for posting…
Joe C