Will power worked for losing a few pounds and a few other things but never to stop drinking. I could stop now & then to prove to myself that I wasn't an alcoholic (longest racked up was 3 days in a 10 yr period) but nothing, absolutely nothing allowed me to stay stopped until I walked into Alcoholics Anonymous. It was suggested I ask "something, as long as it was a greater power than I" to remove the compulsion to drink. It did. In order to stay stopped and have any quality of life, I had to become willing to take these steps with a sponsor and do the ego smashing required for God to start over on a blank canvas and through honesty,openmindedness, and willingness, my HP intervened in my life and I was readied to help others.

I was so afraid I wouldn't get the "God deal" when I got here. It's been my experience that I've never met an alcoholic too dumb to recover, however, I have met 1 or 2 that were too "smart" to get it.

Through years of trial by fire, I've learned to go with the flow. Today, God is as real to me as you are. He is ever present in my life, especially when I'm grateful for all the gifts and grace He has given me. For me, the only solution to my spiritual malady had to be spiritual. I could not have accomplished any of this alone or on a computer. Nothing replaces face to face.

That damn self-will always got me trouble, Grateful today I can turn it over to my HP.
There are times I take it back but can identify when i do and correct it.

It was a spiritual battle at times, but I remained willing to hand it over, and did so to varying HP's. My foundation for spiritual growth came from the twelve steps of AA. Over time, my faith grew at it's pace, and today I'm grateful for a renewed relationship with God. Each hurdle that's placed in my path, I do the work required, and have faith, because I know I'm not alone. CM xxx

glad2b you just reminded me of something my therapist said to me years ago - no one is too "stupid" too recover but some people are too "smart", luckily for you you are not one of them!!!

My life completely changed when I understood that nothing I could do on my own power could reliably keep me from picking up the first drink and that I needed another way. That opened the door to a solution that really works. At the beginning I had no idea what the spiritual power was but I was willing and open minded to spiritual matters and that was enough to begin a spiritual journey. My beliefs are very different from many other people's but they are deep and meaningful to me, they grow constantly. The mental obsession to drink has been removed from me which is a miracle in itself and life is so much easier when I am not relying on myself to control something over which I have no power.