We all gained a lot from reading Chapter 1 - Bill's Story in the Big Book (or should we say, "We read OUR Story?")
How familiar are we all with Bill's high and lows and his self centered belief that he was in control? Fortunately for Bill (and hopefully for us), he came to terms with his powerlessness and realized that his only choice was to turn it over to his Higher Power. Through this, Bill found recovery and tranquility - even "under pressure and difficulty."
I wanted to respond to the calls/emails I've been getting where I'm hearing how hard it is to accept the Program's message that we need to trust and "let go" and be willing to step into the unknown.
Of course it's hard to come to terms with this request. We've spent the better part of our lives leading what seems to be mostly successful lives - in our minds thinking that our success in life comes from how hard we try and how much effort we put into it.
Unfortunately for those of us with this mind set, we have to learn a new design for living. At the foundation of our Recovery is learning to surrender and let go.
I actually have had first hand experience with the necessity - yes, the necessity of letting go - not just as a good attitude in life - but in fact to save my life!!
I'm referring to the experience I had when I was trained to be a private pilot and learned to fly airplanes. This experience was not only thrilling but something that I will remember the rest of my life.
Over the course of my training, the flight instructor had to teach me how to respond in "emergency situations." The instructor would intentionally force the plane into a "stall" and into a "spin." This means that he tilted the nose up and we lost airspeed until the plane lost its "lift" and starting falling straight down towards the earth. Then the plane started twisting like a corkscrew plunging over 2,000 feet in seconds!! (Prior to this training, the instructor told me that if we didn't regain control of the plane within four spins, we would crash nose first into the ground!!)
You can imagine that when we entered the spin, my instinct (besides yelling at the top of my lungs) was to grab the control stick and hold on for dear life!
But guess what the instructor demanded of me - not just to test my ability to listen to him - but to literally save my life? THE INSTRUCTION I HAD TO LEARN WAS TO LET GO OF THE STICK.
The plane was designed in such a way that if you allow it, the plane will literally self-correct itself back into a safe position to continue flight. BUT, if you fight it, the plane will over-respond and lose all control until it plummets to the ground! You just simply have to let go of the stick.
So too with our addiction, our instinct tells us that when our life starts to stall or spin out of control - we need to grab hold and use all our might and will power to regain control. But as we all know, this never had - and never will - work.
Stay tuned to our Program and join us in the reading and Group Call and learn how to let go of the stick!! (Click here for information on joining the calls).
Looking FORWARD,
Duvid Chaim