Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration, and direction from Him who has all knowledge and power. If we have carefully followed directions, we have begun to sense the flow of His Spirit into us. To some extent we have become God-conscious. We have begun to develop this vital sixth sense. But we must go further and that means more action.
- The two commodities we get from God:
- Knowledge of God's will for us, in the form of:
- Inspiration
- Direction
- The power to carry that out
- Strength
- Who is God?
- Him who has all
- Knowledge
- and
- Power
- Promise: God's spirit flows into us when we take the Steps
Step Eleven suggests prayer and meditation. We shouldn’t be shy on this matter of prayer. Better men than we are using it constantly. It works, if we have the proper attitude and work at it. It would be easy to be vague about this matter. Yet, we believe we can make some definite and valuable suggestions.
When we retire at night, we constructively review our day.
- This need not be at night
- Some people do a more effective review at the end of the working day or mid-evening
- Still others do a more effective review first thing in the morning
- This is a brief meditation
- It is not a written review
- It is a communion with God
- If writing down answers helps, do it
- If writing down corrective measures helps, do it
- But don't feel guilty if you don't
- This is a constructive review, not a self-destructive analysis
- The purpose is to learn what to believe, think, and do differently tomorrow
Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid?
- This is not an invitation to analysis but to confession
- If we have resented
- Withdraw the demand
- Forgive the person
- If we have been selfish or dishonest
- Make a plan for how to set the situation right the next day
- If we have been afraid
- Identify what action we need to take in the situation
- Plan to take it
- Withdraw the attachment to the outcome
- Then turn the situation over to God
- Only if something persists for a few days or is particularly novel or grave should more analysis be performed
- If that is the case, set aside separate time to do this
- Use the Step Four instructions for the deeper analysis
- Do not muddy this meditation with laborious self-analysis
Do we owe an apology?
- If so, make a note of whom to apologise to and for what
- Resolve to schedule the conversation
Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once?
- Make a note of the topic
- Resolve to schedule the conversation
Were we kind and loving toward all?
- A simple list of the examples will do
- No analysis necessary
What could we have done better?
- Be specific
Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life?
- Take these questions together
- They contain the ideal:
- Think of what we can do for others
- Think of what we can pack into the stream of life
- Practise doing these two things
But we must be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others. After making our review we ask God’s forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.
- This whole exercise should not take more than a few minutes
- If it takes longer, fine
- But if you get worried or remorseful or start engaging in morbid reflection, stop
- Ask for God's forgiveness
- Make a list of corrective measures
- If you have doubts about any of these corrective measures, ask your sponsor
On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead.
- This can be done when we wake up in the morning ...
- ... or whenever we come to after a bout of bad thinking or behaviour
We consider our plans for the day.
- This is the central activity of meditation
- It is conscious contact with God as the boss
- We act for
- What to do
- How to do it
Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.
- Say these things, literally
Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use.
- We're not supposed to be automata
- We go to God for final decisions on large matters of general policy and finance
- Then we ask for God's help to implement those
- This requires
- Taking the initiative
- Taking active responsibility
- See notes on the Twelve Concepts for more details about one's relationship with God, in specific relation to doing God's will
Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.
- If you need to do other things to raise your thinking to a higher plane, so be it
- E.g.
- Music
- Candles
- Formal prayer
- Nature
- Mindfulness
- Yoga
- Other forms of meditation
- Other forms of contemplation
- Spiritual reading
In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision.
- Note the three levels:
- Inspiration: spirit
- Intuitive thought: mind
- Decision: body
- These match the three levels of decision in the Twelve Concepts:
- Spirit: Conference: Decide
- Mind: The General Service Board: Plan
- Body: The Sub-Committees / Service Corporations: Execute
We relax and take it easy. We don’t struggle.
- These are actual instructions
- Follow them
- Relax
- Take it easy
- Don't resist or attempt to control / manipulate
- Note that the slogan Take it easy has to do with letting things be as they are, not slacking off in terms of action
We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while. What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind. Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration. We come to rely upon it.
- These are Step Eleven promises
We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no request for ourselves only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends. Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn’t work. You can easily see why.
- Pray these prayers literally as indicated
- We pray only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out
- Selfishness has no place in the programme
- The programme is not a selfish programme
- Looking after yourself is not selfish
- Setting reasonable boundaries is not selfish
If circumstances warrant, we ask our wives or friends to join us in morning meditation. If we belong to a religious denomination which requires a definite morning devotion, we attend to that also. If not members of religious bodies, we sometimes select and memorize a few set prayers which emphasize the principles we have been discussing. There are many helpful books also. Suggestions about these may be obtained from one’s priest, minister, or rabbi. Be quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer.
- Follow these instructions exactly as they are stated
- It is wise to find a tradition to follow
- But do not feel bad if no tradition suits you
- Still: see what you can learn from one or more traditions
As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day “Thy will be done.”
- These are the instructions to follow during the day
- Follow these literally and precisely
- Agitation is any emotional disturbance
- Doubt is where I do not know what to do
- There is no problem that does not resolve into one or the other or both
- There is therefore a solution to all problems a person can have, contained in these two lines.
We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves. It works—it really does.
- Here are some more Step Eleven promises
We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined.
- This is general commentary
- It merely indicates that the above process is how spiritual growth happens
But this is not all. There is action and more action. “Faith without works is dead.” The next chapter is entirely devoted to Step Twelve.
Annex 1: Evening checklist
When we retire at night, we constructively review our day.
- Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid?
- Do we owe an apology?
- Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once?
- Were we kind and loving toward all?
- What could we have done better?
- Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time?
- Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life?
But we must be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others.
After making our review we ask God’s forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.
Annex 2: Morning checklist
- On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day.
- Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.
- In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision.
- We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle.
- We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems.
- We ask especially for freedom from self-will.
- We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped.
- If not members of religious bodies, we sometimes select and memorize a few set prayers which emphasize the principles we have been discussing.
- There are many helpful books also. Be quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer.
- So we clean house with the family, asking each morning in meditation that our Creator show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love.
- In meditation, we ask God what we should do about each specific matter. The right answer will come, if we want it.
- Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick.
During the day:
- As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action.
- We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day “Thy will be done.”
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