~SUCCESS ~
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I have begun everything with the idea
that I could succeed, and I never had
much patience with the multitudes of
people who are always ready to explain
why one cannot succeed. I have always
had a high regard for the man who could
tell me how to succeed.
Booker T. Washington
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The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is
my main source of inspiration when it
comes to recovery issues. It's proven to
be a valuable asset to my program.
I've learned from the Big Book that
recovery from any compulsive disease is
possible. We are given Twelve Steps to
follow, and told that if we do what our
predecessors did, then we WILL recover.
We have to be willing to go to any
length to succeed. We have to do the
footwork. The people who don't succeed
in this program are the ones who don't
avail themselves of all the help that's
available to them. They don't read the
literature, they don't go to meetings,
they don't do service ... they don't do
what those who have gone before have
done. So they wallow in their disease
instead of recovering.
There's a reason why we're told, "Rarely
have we seen a person fail who has
thoroughly followed our path." That
means the program works IF you work
it. Those who don't work the program
don't recover. That's a pretty powerful
statement, but it's true, and for some
reason, a lot of compulsive people just
don't get it. They keep doing the same
old things and getting the same old
results. In the process, they remain
fully in the grip of their
disease. Sure, recovery is a miracle,
but it won't fall into your lap. You
need to work for it, and by the grace of
the God of your understanding, you'll
receive the miracle.
ONE DAY AT A TIME . . .
I remember that it's not enough to talk
the talk; I need to walk the walk if I
want to recover.