Power! Power! Power!

Power: The ability to control others; authority; sway; influence.

Power is trouble. There are more pitfalls and snares in the belief that we can get, hold, wield, or flaunt power than almost anything else in the recovery process. Power is a troublesome illusion. Believing that we hold power over people, places, or things causes us just about all of the problems that we have. Belief that the possession of power will make us happy is unhappily untrue. We should be prohibited from owning power tools, using electric power generated in power plants, or eating Power Bars. Power is a just a drug for the alcoholic. There's never enough. It's the wrong kind. We always crave more.

Our society helps us feed this addiction to power. It's hard to find a magazine cover featuring some kind soul leading a simple life of service. This week in Rolling Stone: Horseface Steve visits his grandmother. Read the fascinating story of how he learned what she had for breakfast today. On newsstands today! Bonus feature: Horseface Steve tips 25% when he eats out! Horseface Steve abducted by aliens! Horseface Steve rambles 75 yards for the winning touchdown!


I subscribe to the suggestion that whenever I get stuck in any area of my life that I should figure out which Step I'm on, then maneuver backwards through the Steps until I get to the one that is really causing me the problem. And I always end up at Step One. I have always relinquished control over some part of my life and taken up the reins again.

I'm lucky if I have power over my cat today.