Step 7 and the Horseshoe Forged in Fire — Sandy B.

About This Speaker Tape

The speaker provides an introductory guide to the AA program, specifically focusing on Step Seven. He emphasizes that the 12 steps are a spiritual game plan rather than an intellectual exercise, arguing that alcoholics must act on faith before they can believe in the results. He explains the paradoxical nature of the program, where the solution often seems counterintuitive or invisible to the newcomer until it is experienced firsthand.

Much of the talk is dedicated to the concept of powerlessness and the mental obsession that drives alcoholics to drink. The speaker distinguishes between the physical allergy to alcohol and the spiritual malady of sobriety, noting that the real struggle occurs when there is no alcohol in the system. He posits that the first step is the essential doorway and must be accepted 100% for the rest of the program to function.

Regarding Step Seven, the speaker explores the deep distinction between simply asking for the removal of shortcomings and humbly asking. He defines humility as the total absence of pride and the removal of self-centeredness, comparing the process of spiritual change to a horseshoe being forged in fire. He concludes by explaining that pride is a dangerous substitute for a Higher Power, as it convinces the individual they can solve their problems alone.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Welcome to the Saturday morning live group and advice for newcomers
• 7:10 Analogy of dancing lessons in a glass of vodka and the nature of spiritual solutions
• 12:40 The necessity of 100% surrender in Step One and the danger of the almost syndrome
• 16:15 The difference between a physical allergy and the mental obsession with sobriety
• 21:20 Discussion on character defects acting as blockages to a Higher Power
• 27:30 Analysis of pride versus humility and the limitations of the human ego
• 32:45 The metaphor of the forged horseshoe as a representation of spiritual change