Expansion - Opening To Life
12 Step recovery let's us step fully into life
When we're in the grip of our addiction, whether it's to a substance or
a behavior, our world is narrow. We're focused on our own needs almost
exclusively.
As we move into Recovery, our world expands. First
it grows to include our 12 Step group. If we're smart, we begin to do
service.
Service starts with simple things like setting up
or cleaning up meetings. When we begin to get our feet on the ground,
service probably involves 12 Step calls and may include taking some
Trusted Service position in our group.
The Promises (p. 83-84 of the Big Book) include:
We will loose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our
fellows. Self-seeking will slip away.
That is, I believe, an invitation to expansion.
Tempting to stay small
Even when our recovery is
firm, there is a temptation to stay small and limit our activities to
those associated with 12 Step work. There certainly is safety that way.
And most of us need to stick close to 12 Step work some of the time;
some of us need to stick close most of the time.
But for many of us, recovery
also allows our dreams to surface. Everyone wants to make a positive
contribution to the world and everyone has within them the means to make
such a contribution. We can't if we stay small and safe.
Expansion
Recovery allows us not only
to get in touch with our dreams, but gives us a way to make them happen.
Of course we have to be careful to separate our Vision from delusions of
grandeur. By asking for guidance from the God of our understanding, and
by consulting with our sponsor or other trusted advisor we can, however,
begin to know what's real and what's not.
Then we can begin to live our
life more largely; we can accept our dream and go for it, step into it,
letting go of the fears and the other voices that would keep us small and
pinchy.
The world needs our unique
contribution; it's what we are meant to do and be.
Love, peace and
abundance,
You may also want to read Getting Back To
Life.
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