CD pretty much summed it up for me HTL, "you get what your hand calls for". I wanted to get and stay sober. All those excuses I could have used to avoid doing so were there. Work, daughter, hated God, didn't like uncomfortable. But any less than a whole-hearted effort would put my life at risk anyway. A guy said to me once something along the lines of, you do this half assed, and you'll live a half assed life, if your lucky. If I relapsed, it'd be because 'I' failed to do whatever is necessary to avoid that first drink. Willing? You betcha!

Yes!! "I like" , I heard , am I willing to trust and have faith that through recovery, I can be led to life , far better than I imagined ..Yes!! i said , "show me" leave a trail, I'll follow your lead:)
good post,
Billy

For me, I have no choice but to go to any lengths. That means getting out of my comfort zone, facing things I would normally run away from, going to a meeting when I don't feel like going, and getting off my butt to take commitments.

Working with the Big Book has been most enlightening for me. A lot of "Wows"!

Yes, the solution is certainly doable and necessary to attain that happy, joyous and free life that is promised. It's really quite simple.

Love you! Keep it up. And thank you always for your thought provoking posts!

xoxo
~Chris

In early recovery, I had a tough sponsor. Every time I didnt want to do something, (with a excellent excuse of course), she would state "Ohhhhhh, I thought you wanted to stay sober"....so I gladly pass this along to my sponcees :)

In the chapter, How it works, the big book states half measures will avail us nothing....and....the result was nil until we let go absolutely. I dont get what I put in this program.....half measures avail me NOTHING.....If Im half assed, I dont even get half an ass!

You know what is so interesting to me: People in their addiction (myself included) would go to ANY length to get their drug/drink of choice. Hell-the things we will do to coordinate our lives to boozing are nothing short of heroic-but not really. I am just saying it is amazing how resourceful we become in getting and hiding our "elixir."

When I heard people spout out excuse in rehab for why they could not do something that was clearly good for them-I sadly knew where they were headed after they left the facility. Myself included-when start finding a way out of doing what I need to do to stay sober and healthy I am doomed.

Nanc, was your sponsors name Heather? You remind me of someone from other online groups (AA newcomers and RF).

Asking someone if they are willing to go to any lengths to stay sober will almost invariably result in the affirmative because they are only thinking about the Steps and what they might have to do when they make amends etc.

What catches people out is the sacrifices that have to be made in order to ensure continued sobriety. Things like having to pull back from a family that is too damaged to be around, leaving a job because it prevents you from attending meetings, or provides way too much temptation in the early days, or having to end a relationship because it is unhealthy and unspiritual.

'A manner of living which demands rigorous honesty':

Repaying debts
Not making private calls while at work
Having an extra 10 mins lunch break
Pretending an expected parcel has not arrived when it has.
Shoplifting
Stealing bits of stuff from work (including pens)
Not getting a job when there is nothing to stop you from doing so (this is really self-supporting)
Lying in order to continue to get benefits.

We could all add hundreds of other little things which can seem so trivial and not worth worrying about - yet we said we would go to any lengths and then continue to live an unspiritual life, that's when relapse happens because the maintenance and growth of our spiritual condition keeps us in the light of our HP and the other stuff drags us into the darkness of alcoholism - eventually!

Very true, Nicky. Works in progress, for sure. I don't think people new in recovery should beat themselves up, though, for not achieving this rigorous honesty overnight. This is a lifelong deal.

I've known people who said F*** It and never came back because they felt they "couldn't get it" right away. This is by no means an excuse to continue dishonest or unsavory behavior, though.

When working the steps in our lives, we do tend to live better, more productive, and more honest lives.

~Chris