A New State of Consciousness and Being

From The 12 & 12:  "Maybe there are as many definitions of spiritual awakening as there are people who have had them.  But certainly each genuine one has something in common with all the others .  . . When a man or a woman has a spiritual awakening, the most important meaning of it is that he has now become able to do, feel, and believe that which he could not do before on his unaided strength and resources alone.  He has been granted a gift which amounts to a new state of consciousness and being.  He has been set on a path which tells him he is really going somewhere, that life is not a dead end, not something  to be endured or mastered.  In a very real sense he has been transformed, because he has laid hold of a source of strength which, in one way or another, he had hitherto denied himself."

"A new state of consciousness and being.  Whew."  Not bad.  Who wouldn't want that?  I like the implication that we will see a commonality with others, that this fact will allow us to tap into strength and resources that we couldn't access before.  And that we'll no longer look at life as a long slog through misery unless we can exert our will and bend it to our liking.  Both sound like a recipe for misery to me.

But then in 1955, Bill W wrote this: "There are those who predict that A.A. may well become a new spearhead for a spiritual awakening throughout the world.  When our friends say these things, they are both generous and sincere.  But we of A.A. must reflect that such a tribute and such a prophecy could well prove to be a heady drink for most of us - that is, if we really came to believe this to be the real purpose of A.A., and if we commenced to behave accordingly."

Also whew.  I used to promote Alcoholics Anonymous as THE solution to alcoholism.  Oh, callow youth!  I no longer do this.  I'm appreciative of anyone who comes into The Rooms and gives us a look.  I often say that, for the alcoholic, we have A solution to the problem of alcoholism.  It's not for every one.  If you don't like it or you think you can do better elsewhere I say: "Good for you.  Godspeed.  No hard feelings on our part and good luck to you."  But isn't this typical of our kind?  We've found something that works for us - finally found something - and now we're going to ram it down the throats of everyone within spitting distance.  This is my newish attitude about sponsorship, too.  I can help you?  Great.  I can't help you.  Great.  Go find someone who can.