12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. To utilize this step is to really feel Happy, Joyous, and Free!
You have worked your way through 11 Steps of AA in the order suggested and to the best of your ability! Congratulations! Now, you are at the point where Step 12 advises us how to continue living your program. This is a 3 part step containing 3 separate but equally important messages in how to utilize a life filled with Happiness, Joy, and Freedom. This, by no means, advises us to be happy about misfortunes we or another have. Being in the Human Condition, tragedies, pain, aggravation do occur. The important thing is how we act with these problems occurring.
How can you be Happy, Joyous, and Free when there is so much tragedy going on? Pain and illness in your own body? The Serenity Prayer directs us in a manner that helps greatly to utilize this! If it is not me, I can not change it! If it is not you, you can not change it either. Listening to the news broadcasts about war, pandemics, shootings, disease, despair, gloom and doom! The networks and other media are not non profit organizations. To make, grow, and keep a profit, they must get and keep listeners, readers, watchers. They would go into instant bankruptcy if they only reported “Good news.”
Step 12 tells us that we have had a Spiritual Awakening. What does this mean? We now are more aware of what our Higher Power can and will do if we only ask him for guidance. He has shown us that we no longer crave alcohol. Think about it! When you started this amazing program, did you ever believe that the craving would disappear? I didn’t! Now the craving has been replaced with good feelings about yourself and others. You actually look forward to the days now with high expectations. Then you look back on the past without dread. This is because you are not the same person that you were when the dreaded happening occurred. This makes you HAPPY that you have found a way out of despair and dread.
Next, you tried to carry this message to other alcoholics. You felt like your new found sobriety is just like love. You can’t keep it unless you give it away. The more you give away, the more comfort, peace, and serenity you receive in return. This makes you JOYOUS because you are realizing that you are witnessing yourself as a miracle. You truly are!
Finally, we practice these principles in all our affairs. Notice, this says “In all our affairs!” Not just in meetings when we are more concerned about what we will say when called on than on what others are actually saying. Or church! At work! Or…….. When we continue practicing these principals we see how we can be HAPPY, and JOYOUS. To know all of this is possible because we are working our programs means that we are FREE! Free to continue growth and even more Happiness and Joy. That is a promise! God bless you!
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