Step 11 Is Not Mouthing Words at a Meeting — It Is the Daily Practice That Improves with Practice – Getting P.
About This Speaker Tape
This is a short reflective talk from a member with 50 years of sobriety on what it means to truly 'get the program.' He frames AA as a spiritual rather than religious path, leaning on page 60 of the Big Book and the reminder that we aim for spiritual progress, not perfection. The speakers he has watched live the most serene lives are the ones who understood spirituality the deepest, not those who collected the most meetings.
He walks through the three-fold nature of alcoholism — physical, mental, and spiritual — and warns that many members stop after they put down the drink and never develop the spiritual side. Sobriety, he says quoting Bill W., is only a bare beginning. From the moment of spiritual awakening, the real work is to keep growing in conscious contact through prayer and meditation, and to keep fostering the relationship with a Higher Power.
He describes the fruits of that growth in plain terms: improved family life, better work and finances, and most importantly, the ability to handle any problem that comes. He recommends bookending each day with prayer — starting with a morning quiet time and ending with gratitude to a Heavenly Father — and using brief silent prayers throughout the day when decisions or troubles hit.
He closes with a personal note about an old country song he has played thousands of times that reminds him to walk close to Higher Power. He believes Higher Power was with him in the bar the night he tried to take his last drink, and that staying close through AA has carried him ever since. His final message: take the giant step, live the spiritual life, and the program will work for you too.
Discussion
Be the first to share your thoughts on this tape.