July 8th
"Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs."
Alcoholics Anonymous, Big Book p. 20
The recovery success rate in early AA was over 75%, but the success rate now is less than 5%. There are many reasons they were more successful in the beginning of AA, but one was the utter and complete commitment they had to helping others. In early AA, they would literally go to any lengths to help other alcoholics. Today, we are still committed to helping others, but that dedication is not nearly the same level. We can never minimize or partially ignore that the basic foundation of our program is one alcoholic helping another. All aspects of the program are important, but none is as vital as this basic proposition. Helping others is the key to a happy and serene life, and the benefits far exceed just staying sober. Working with another is the best way to insure our immunity from drinking, but it is also the best way to get out of “the bondage of self.” I feel so blessed to have the honor of helping others, for it has brought me some of the greatest satisfactions in life. I hope I never lose the motivation to reach out to newcomers and others, because I know that my life truly depends on it.
Have a beautiful day in sobriety my friends.