Readiness to Serve Others

 Service to others is a Higher Calling. We all know people, either close to us or from the media, who give of themselves, just as we know or know of people who are self-serving. We all get to choose for ourselves which end of the parameters we choose to operate from.

I have the opportunity, every day, to assist others who want to find their way to sobriety. What a gift! If I am open to these chances, I get to help those who have been stuck in the mire of alcoholism find their way to freedom. 

Many folks within the rooms of AA have observed, I think correctly, that we wish all people could avail themselves of a 12-Step map to serenity. Experience tells us repeatedly, though, that it is a gift of desperation, complete honesty being the least favored and most avoided way of life. Long before alcoholism took hold in me, I had a copy of the 12 Steps on my fridge (courtesy of advice columnists), because they struck me as a good way to navigate life. They’re like the long version of The Four Agreements, by don Miguel Ruiz: Be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best. Or, the more deeply explained ‘golden rule’: treat others the way you’d like to be treated yourself.

Our steps are perfect for building the archway to freedom from self, from alcohol, and toward a spiritual oneness with the Divine. May I always be willing to share my own experience, strength, and hope, so that others may also benefit from the gift of sobriety.