"And we have ceased fighting anyone or anything - even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned. It is easy to let up on our spiritual program and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition."
I've always liked this section of the Big Book. Sometimes these few paragraphs that we read after finishing our discussion of Step Nine are termed the Tenth Step Promises. It's explained to us that alcohol has lost most of its power over us. We don't avoid it and we aren't drawn to it. We are placed in a position of neutrality.
I spent most of my first two years of sobriety hyper-aware of alcohol. I knew who was drinking it and how much they had consumed. I couldn't go to bars to listen to music or to rock concerts and even sporting events were painful at times. These were all excuses to drink. I went to the baseball stadium to get drunk. The fact that there was a diverting game simultaneously happening was so much background hiss. If they didn't serve beer I would have stayed home and watched it on TV.
Fit: Suitable; proper; in good shape; physically well.
"This is how we react as long as we keep in fit spiritual condition."
Tolerance: An acceptance of or patience with the beliefs, opinions, or practices of others.
"Love and tolerance of others is our code."
No comments:
Post a Comment