As I feel better about myself, I reach out to others who feel stuck.
Original wording (AA & others):
Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we tried
to carry this message to other (alcoholics, codependents, people who
feel stuck...); and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
A different outlook on life
In the original wording of the Step, the expression "spiritual
awakening" conveys that something very powerful is happening. It
implies that, for all intents and purposes, you are asleep until such
a time as you have this awakening. When you're asleep, you may not notice
what's happening around you. But you certainly notice the alarm clock
that's waking you up.
The world outside doesn't change. What changes is the way you experience
it. From feeling powerless and victimized, you now feel more at peace
with the world. This is a different perspective, a much broader one.
There are still many things you'll feel powerless about. But you'll
have less of a tendency to take the things you are powerless about as
a personal insult. You'll tend to get less mired into what frustrates
you. And you'll direct more of your energy in directions where you have
some power to get what you want.
In other words, you feel better about yourself.
Staying on course
Implicit in the idea of feeling better about yourself is the notion
that this will motivate you to stay on course.
Let’s say you start a program of physical exercise "to get
fit". You won't stay fit unless you keep exercising. And chances
are you'll keep exercising if you actually enjoy the exercising itself,
as opposed to feeling it's something you have to do only as a means
to an end.
This process is not about acquiring anything, other than habits. It's
about practicing these habits, one day at a time.
Reaching out
You reach out to others out of altruism... but there is a benefit to
yourself as well. Sharing your experience is not about dealing with
others from a one-up position ("I know all the answers, and I have
to educate others who are less fortunate than I am"). It makes
you feel more connected when you to associate with other people who
experience similar problems.
|
