It is amazing to me how critical, how extremely important, just one sentence in the AA Big Book has become for me personally.
You will find this important sentence on page xxviii (28) in the front of the 4th Edition of the AA Big Book in The Doctor's Opinion:
Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol.
My personal translation of the above sentence is:
Men and women drink TO CHANGE HOW THEY FEEL.
In my opinion, the purpose of our 12 Steps of Recovery is to make us feel better about ourselves. If we feel good about ourselves then we don't need to use a substance to change how we feel.
Don't ask me why, because I am not able to answer this question: Why on earth do some alcoholics drink alcohol to celebrate their team winning the Super Bowl?
For we alcoholics, that first drink will set up a desire for "just one more" and you all know what happens then!
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Thank you so very much Cindy 86403 for sharing with us the below amazing advice about helping us to feel better about ourselves.
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It's amazing how peaceful your life becomes when you realize it's not your responsibility to regulate other people's emotions, manage their insecurities, pacify their inner wars, heal their wounds, do their inner work, and be the version of you in their minds.
At some point, you have to realize that people will only change when they're ready. No amount of love, effort, or convincing can make them see what they're not willing to face.
You can support, inspire, and encourage but their growth is their responsibility.
Release the need to fix others and focus on your own inner peace.
