USEFULLY WHOLE

I believe there is a correlation between my peace of mind and my efforts at Step Twelve. If peace and serenity are what I am seeking, what is it I am willing to do? The destruction of self comes at a price. I have to participate in my own recovery through prayer, through self-sacrifice and through service to others. Perhaps the heart of Step Twelve is the word "tried." For nearly each problem presented in the Big Book, a solution is also given. Trust God. Clean house. Help others. These are our mantras. Repeatedly in my sobriety, when I have tried to carry the message of AA to another suffering alcoholic, sober or drunk, I have been amazingly lifted up. Perhaps it is because I am aligning myself with a mission of service or purpose, as outlined by those who came before me. Early on in my sobriety, I was sponsored into service. What was made clear to me was that my wanting to do what was being asked was not required. These actions of AA saved me numerous times when the demons of my mind began to attack me, to tear me down and keep me small.