I was an avid reader of self help books for most of my adult
years, especially toward the end of my drinking. I had a bookcase full of them.
I'd pour myself a tumbler of wine, crack open a book and search for the
solution to my life. I was convinced that somewhere within the pages of one of
these books I'd discover why I didn't have the energy to look for work, why I
couldn't hold a relationship together; why my life held no interest or
enthusiasm. At that point the only thing I had to look forward to was the next
drink.
One of the books I read was called "Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People." Maybe you've heard of it. One of the habits the
author suggests is to "Live a God-centered life." I thought this
sounded like the answer for me, but I quickly realized I had no idea what God
was and no clue about how to coax God into the center of my life. I certainly
wasn't ready to quit drinking if that was one of the requirements.
Finally I received the gift of desperation and crawled into
the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. You told me early on if I really wanted to
stay sober I might want to follow some suggestions: go to meetings, read the
literature, be of service, take the steps. In the beginning I did these things
because I feared what might happen if I didn't, but soon I began to enjoy the
AA way of life. I fell into the habit of sobriety -- meetings, steps, service.
This habit has served me well for almost 20 years. I continue to do all the
things you suggested in my first couple of weeks and my life continues to get better
and better.
My message of recovery is simple. Get into the habit of
sobriety. Do what's suggested regardless of what else is going on in your life.
Make AA the first item on your to-do list. Work the steps to take yourself out
of the center of your life and make space in your consciousness for your HP.
Sooner or later you will begin to live a God-centered life. Just like the book
says!