Emotional Sobriety as the Ability to be Usefully Whole — Michael M.
About This Speaker Tape
The speaker discusses the transition from a life of self-centeredness and powerlessness to a spiritual life rooted in the steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. He emphasizes that while the physical inability to control drinking is the immediate crisis, the underlying problem is a spiritual malady characterized by fear, resentment, and a false sense of self (the ego). He describes the steps not merely as a way to stop drinking, but as a method to remove the internal blockages that prevent a person from accessing a Higher Power.
Central to the talk is a deep dive into Step 10 and the 'Recovered Promises' found on page 84 of the Big Book. The speaker argues that emotional sobriety is achieved through a continuous, minute-by-minute inventory of one's thinking. He shares personal anecdotes about managing irritability in everyday situations, such as waiting in line at Walgreens or a refrigerator filter pickup, illustrating how a shift in perspective from self-centeredness to empathy can maintain one's spiritual fitness.
He concludes by discussing the 'spiritual axiom' from the 12 and 12, asserting that whenever one is disturbed, regardless of the cause, there is something wrong with their own spiritual condition. He warns against the trap of 'justifiable anger,' arguing that alcoholics are uniquely victimized by resentments and must rely on a Higher Power to remain in a state of neutrality and peace.
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