I am powerless over alcohol . On page 62 and 63, my book tells me that once i stopped playing God I took the position whereas I was now able to say that God is my director. He is the Father and i am the child. That was the keystone of my new triumphant arch i walked through. I now had His power flowing in me. In that simplicity its His power I am given to use now. I have been reborn. I am not powerless over people places and things.

When i was a day programme they used this powerless over people, places and things has trigger's for people i think it's the biggest load of BS ive ever heard.

When i stopped drinking i would see loads of beer can's on the floor in the street more ofen than i would normally. So if i than went into the pub would that of meant i was powerless over that can or would that of meant the untreated alcoholism that took my sorry arse in there in the first place?

This is an interesting topic I too have heard this said in meetings and wonder what they mean.

I accecpt that I have no power over what another does but I do have power over how I allow that to impact on me ie I can not stop others from drinking but I can stop their behaviour making me drink. As WBN said I have that power through my HP. The same goes for the places and things.

We admitted we WERE powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.

This by the tense WERE powerless now suggests after doing the steps we do have power over alcohol through our HP and thus our lives have become manageable.

Even accepting the things I can not change gives me power over them because by accepting them for what they are, these "things" do not cause me harm.

This is bit rambly (new word?) as I am trying to articulate what I have always believed, hope it makes some sort of sense lol.

G8

pg 417 When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation -- some fact of my life unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity untill I accept that person , place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. I consider the fact that this so called powerlessness in that saying is realy me turning it all over to my higher power. I have to or go crazy.

If I had my way I would remove that story form the Big Book!! It has spawned all kinds of bs about powerlessness which is in direct opposition to what the first 164 pages actually tell us.

Check out page 132: 'We have recovered and have been given the power to help others.' - if that statement isn't true then why bother with 12 stepping? Why bother with sponsorship? It's just so much hogwash.

We use the 'powerless over people places and things' idea in the same meeting as we use the serenity prayer.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to CHANGE the THINGS i can and wisdom to know the difference. if we can change things we are not powerless over them are we?

Powerless over places?? What kind of sense does that actually make??

Why bother making amends? We are apparently unable to make a difference with people!

Half of the problem is that the powerlessness spoken of in the first step and how we recover is so misunderstood that it's hardly surprising that we accept that saying without actually considering what it would mean if it were true.

I do not believe that everything is the way it is supposed to be at the moment. I accept that the world is as it is today but that is entirely different. If everything is as it is supposed to be then that renders us impotent to be able to have autonomy and decision making in our lives. Why get treatment for cancer if things are as they are supposed to be? Why even work the programme if things are as they are supposed to be, it's just nonsense!

I don't know Serenity...Nicky, it may very well be misunderstood. How I understand it is that I cannot put a drink into my body without beginning the cycle of physical craving, mental obsession. And without an entire pychic change I was doomed to repeat this cycle over and over again.

There may be many words in the BB that are misunderstood, taken out of context, or by applying the wrong definition. The BB book was first printed in 1939. That is one reason...my sponsor insisted that I look up words in an old dictionary. I only thought I knew them.

For me it is about relinquishing control or the need for it. I really don't know how the God/Spiritual/HP thing works...but it works for me. I don't talk much about my concept of God...because it isn't the norm for most and I don't want anyone to think that they need to believe what I or anyone else believes.

That whole Power Greater than ourselves is a personal thing, that each person developes within themselves. imo of course. Perhaps the willingness to believe is where the psychic change occurs? It remains a mystery to me and that is ok for me. I just know that by following the steps outlined in the BB...I have emerged a different person and I like me!

I have a difficult time with the word acceptance, much more than the word powerless. So I just apply the words cautiously and thoughtfully. I believe some create miserable lifes with misuse of either word.

yea now you mention it it is a strange and preety meaningless statement, i usually say it when people are not doing what i would like them to do and they are exorcising there own free will and it dosent suit me.

but places?
things?

It dont really make sense, i think it should just say , "people will not always do what we expect or want them to do and ruin all our plans!!"

Yes Alice, that's very true but it still doesn't make us powerless over people because sometimes we will actually be able influence them and they might change their mind!

The thing is Angel that we are not talking about words here, we are talking about believing something that is so obviously untrue and ridiculous in places. It makes us sound like idiots when we say we are powerless over people places and things. I have turned my life over to the care of God as much as anyone, but the statement simply doesn't add up is all I'm saying here

I also dislike the powerless over people, places and things statement. It makes no sense whatsoever, it is just another one liner that gets taken up as a mantra.

Once we have had a spiritual awakening God gives us a lot of power to help others and see the truth in our lives. As the BB says, it is the proper use of the will. Don't kid yourself that an alcoholic cannot exercise will in all his/her affairs. It can either be devastating (as in active alcoholism) or healing (as in spiritual principles).

New people in AA hear this statement a lot. If put in context it makes sense. Why worry over things you cannot change. Worry is a mental mind killer. Why rent space in your head??? The things you can influence or change in a positive way do it. But don't beat your head against a wall.

I'm not sure what every person thinks about the statement, Powerless over people, places and things. Perhaps...it's just a way of letting go of the idea that one can change anyone else. We know that we can assist others but ultimately it is up to them to do the work. We can be examples. We can share insight. We can do many things.

It is our attitude about life that shines through to others that may create a shift for others. So by taking care of ourselves and being available to others is....to do the next right thing.

Each will come to their own understanding through experience. Although they may scoff, I would hope they remain to pray.

ahhhhhhhhh interesting to read more here about this topic. ok here we go .. this is my personal belief about that statement about being powerless over people places and things.

THINGS :
For me, long ago... I 'worshiped' the material things I had on an alter; I had fashioned, in my private home.. If one of things were gone, be it someone moved; it took it etc.. I was disturbed into a state of anger that i could not perform this private ritual I used to do. Therefore, to me those material things (props ) had power over me. Wouldn't that be idolatry ? YES! I had let those PROPS / THINGS have power over me whereas i didn't think i could get on in life without them. (pre AA steps)

PLACES:
As a child, I knew of various places I had to go where "negative" things happened, we'll say. As an adult, those negative memories carried with me. I was no longer able to visit those 'places. ( parks / buildings such as theaters, specific roadways, camps, etc) Due directly to the fact of past negative experiences there, I allowed those places to control where I went and did not go to; whether that be going to a museum where I would avoid a road in which something negative happened on once or go to a park that something negative once happened at for me personally and such like that. So, for me, those places had power over me at that time. (pre-AA steps)

PEOPLE:
I am familiar with folks who are demanding, manipulating, controlling, etc. At one time i bowed down to what they each asked of me no matter what it was. They had power over me as a child yes, however as an adult, some of those folks were still in my life doing the same things as well as meeting others (even here in AA) who tried using that same tactic with me. My inability to understand what they were doing when I was a child, carried into my adulthood, still not quite understanding it, however i was still bowing down to them. I allowed the world and it's people dominate me. (pre AA steps)

Alright, after I took step four and five specifically I was better able to understand this for myself.

good answer wild.
love Alicex

powerlessness is a blessing sometimes Tom