“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.”
Unemployability, dereliction and destruction are easily seen as characteristics of an
unmanageable life. Our families generally are disappointed, baffled and confused by our actions and often desert or disown us. Becoming employed, socially acceptable and reunited with our families does not make our lives manageable. Social acceptability does not equal recovery.
We have found that we had no choice except to completely change our old ways of thinking or go back to drinking. When we give our best, it works for us as it has worked for others. When we could no longer stand our old ways, we began to change. From that point forward, we began to see that every sober day is a successful day, no matter what happens. Surrender means not having to fight anymore. We accept our alcoholism and life the way it is. We become willing to do whatever is necessary to stay sober, even the things we don’t like doing.
Until we took Step One, we were full of fear and doubt. At this point, many of us felt lost and confused. We felt different. Upon working this step, we affirmed our surrender to the principles of step one. Only after surrender are we able to overcome the alienation of alcoholism. Help for alcoholics begins only when we are able to admit complete defeat. This can be frightening, but it is the foundation upon which we built our lives.
Step One means we do not have to drink, and this is a great freedom. It took a while for some of us to realize that our lives had become unmanageable. For others, the unmanageability of their lives was the only thing that was clear. We knew in our hearts that alcohol had the power to change us into someone that we didn’t want to be.
Being sober and working this step, we are released from our chains. However, none of the steps work by magic. We do not just say the words of this step; we learn to live them. We see for ourselves that this step has something to offer us.
We have found hope. We can learn to function in the world in which we live. We can find meaning and purpose in life and be rescued from insanity, depravity, and death.
When we admit our powerlessness and inability to manage our own lives, we open the door to a different idea to help us.
“It is not where we were that counts, but where we are going.”
