It really is quite simple!
When I was new to the AA Program, I often wondered why I seemed to have more emotions than I had before. Whenever someone close, even only fairly close, was ill or made their transition, I became very emotional.
Before, I didn’t get emotionally involved in hardly anything or anyone. I discovered I had emotions and responses that I never knew about before I started working on becoming sober.
I really wondered what was wrong with me. “If sobriety makes a blubbering idiot of me, I don’t want any part of it!”
I was heartily advised that the reason that I was feeling this way now and not before was that, whenever these trigger situations arose before, I sedated them and therefore also my emotions with alcohol.
Without alcohol, I was actually feeling these emotions without the sedative of alcohol and/or drugs. Now, I was put into the position of actually dealing with situations as they occurred, not adding the fogging element of alcohol to try to cope.
When I was in the madness and the situation would arise, I would sedate myself, and, when the high wore off, the situation still had to be dealt with, by someone.
Now that I did not have the sedation, I was feeling the emotions and having to deal with them for the 1st time in my life. And, as far as whatever had to be done, JUST DID IT!!!
Now, after being in the program for a while, I actually like my emotions and no longer try to hide them. I use the word Love a lot because I think of Love a lot. When I am around someone who I love, I also want to touch them.
I have turned into the “dreaded hugger” of the family. It has spread like a good disease among my children and grandchildren. I even have a 30-year-old grandson who is as tall as I am coming across a room when I enter to give me a big hug.
I wouldn’t trade the feelings that I get from this for anything. Good friends, I want to at least touch as I walk by or they walk by me. I NEVER felt this good about contact with others before.
How did I get to this point? I first discovered that I was part and parcel of my Higher Power, who I now choose to call God. He was lovingly inside my secret place, which others may call the heart, not sitting on a throne judging, testing, and punishing me.
He was and is there working through, not only me but also all others. Since He works through others, it is on me to watch and listen to what is going on around me. He is there and working, whether I see Him or not.
HOW TO DO IT This was not something that was easy at first but, really, how much simpler could it be? Watch, look, and listen and then JUST DO IT, whatever IT is. Because of the simplicity, it did become easier as time and practice occurred.
Let’s make it even more simple. Just say the shortened version of the 3rd Step, “God Help Me,” and it is done. This is a very simple method of how to have a life full of Happiness, Joy, and Freedom.
Do you want it too? If so, just try “God Help Me” and then JUST DO IT, whatever IT is, and you will have it. Thank you, God!
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