A reading from... Grateful Not Smug

By Mike L.

Friday, November 27th, 2009 | Originally published in the MeadowLark Fall/Winter 2009 Newsletter

There is a saying that floats around AA that goes: "A non-alcoholic changes his behavior to meet his goals. An alcoholic changes his goals to match his behavior." These contrasting quotes show what alcohol does to us and what AA does for us. A few simple words describe a metamorphosis so vast as to make the word "miraculous" seem inadequate.

Remember how you said you would never sink so low as to do...? When you did it, out came another "I'll never..." These "nevers" can accumulate over decades, while we sink lower and lower into our own self-disgust.

On the other hand, in doing AA, my look into my soul has shown positive traits I had not thought I possessed. While I was doing my "nevers" I was covering up and hiding my actual, God-given abilities and desires. So, as I found these things out, it was like finding a new me, not just the hidden me.

To get away from concepts, ask yourself how many sober AA's you know who have changed careers. Each has seen a sparkle in his or her soul, a personal truth that must be honored. They then found the strength to honor that truth by putting it into effect. ∞