Step 7 and the Willingness to Convert Defects into Assets – Howard E.

About This Speaker Tape

Page 111 of the Big Book. Howard E. doesn't start with a theory; he starts with a hunt. He combed through the wreckage of the later chapters to find the "secrets of success," arriving at a gritty realization: the difference between getting angry and being angry. For Howard, the program is a shift from being a "taker" to a contributor, moving from the self-centeredness of a "spiritual gas station" to a life of service.

He speaks of the "dark past" not as a trophy to showcase, but as a tool to avert death and misery for others. He warns against the "polite character assassination" of gossip and the trap of being a reformer. To Howard, recovery is a "deflation of ego," where the skeletons in the closet are dragged into the light to become assets. It is a disciplined practice of the "three Ps"—priorities, patience, and persistence—designed to move a man from mere happiness to a deep, internal joy.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Introduction to the Big Book Comes Alive Step Study Workshop.
• 2:45 Discussion on the 12th Step: the promise, the charge, and the challenge.
• 8:15 The first 'principle of success': the distinction between getting angry and being angry.
• 12:30 Exploring the Greek roots of 'enthusiasm' as being enwrapped in a Higher Power.
• 16:45 Analysis of 'spiritual deficiencies' and why people relapse despite attending meetings.
• 20:10 The value of the 'dark past' and bringing skeletons out of the closet to serve others.
• 24:30 The 'Three P's of Recovery' (Priorities, Patience, Persistence) and the meaning of 'Easy Does It'.
• 28:15 Closing reading of page 164 and the Lord's Prayer.