(week 132) 10 July 2014 12 Step Study All Addictions Big Book Workshop

Big Book 4th line of page 61:

‘In trying to make these arrangements our actor may be quite virtuous….

until end of next paragraph:

’Is he not, even in his best moment, a producer of confusion rather than harmony?’

Step 3 commitments:

Stephanie will keep taking Third Step commitments, one before 8am EST for those who can come on conference call a few minutes early and two commitments after the workshop. For those who cannot make the live meeting, you may commit privately by phone. Contact her to set this up. That said, Stephanie encourages whoever can to commit in front of the group as it is a powerful experience for the individual and the group.

stephaniew324@gmail.com or call or preferably text: : 617 774 7916

Trust and Rely meeting noon (EST) on the same number as today’s workshop.

Reading AA Reflections. All are encouraged to attend so we can get to know one another.

Dr Bob and the Good Oldtimers meeting on Tuesdays 8am (EST)

Soulwork

Draw a box around each word you look up in the Big Book.

This is so you will know you have the definition when going through it with a sponsee, so you can either tell them what it means or have them look it up.

Look up:

self-pity

agape

blame

delusion

What usually happens is the show usually doesn’t come off very well.

1a) Can you relate to that?

b) He begins to think life doesn’t treat him right. Can you relate to that?

He becomes angry, indignant, self-pitying.

Q2. Have you ever been self-piteous?

Q3a). Do you agree that: Attitude is 99.9 percent of life and .0.1 percent is what happens? Write about this.

b) Stephanie will go to any lengths to keep her attitude positive and out of the victim mentality. What about you?

Stephanie considers self-pity to be the Cancer of the Soul, the ultimate of selfishness and self-centeredness and teaches us that we must walk away in love, brotherly and sisterly (spiritual) love, also known as AGAPE, from people who have hurt us. This agape comes from God. Say to yourself in such situations where you feel the victim: I don’t have it in me to love _______ at this point. But, with God’s help, I can love them.

Q4. Tell your study buddy or group your story with self-pity.

‘He decides to exert himself more. He becomes on the next occasion, still more demanding or gracious, as the case may be. Still the play does not suit him. Admitting he may be somewhat at fault, he is sure that other people are more to blame.’

Q5a). In the margin next to ‘exert himself’ write control more.

b) Above gracious write “manipulative”.

c) Above ‘play’ write ‘life’.

d) After the word ‘fault’ write ‘but’ (‘but’ cancels out the first part of the sentence).

Q6. Write about how blame and self-pity ruined your life. (Big Book is the direct opposite of allowing yourself victim mentality and blaming someone else.]

Q7. When you live blaming somebody else you become their victim. You put yourself in their jail and they (not you) hold the key. We become angry, indignant and self-pitying. Look at these words in turn. Do they apply to you? Yes or No.

Is he not a victim of the delusion that he can wrest satisfaction and happiness out of this world if he only manages well?

Q8. Write as much as you can on your experience of playing God.

This is the key to your fourth step: looking at your delusion of trying to control people, places, things and yourself.

Do you know you are powerless and that no human power can change the situation?

[Stephanie: “I tried everything to try to play God and get my life the way I wanted it. And my life became an absolutely train wreck. People were not speaking to me, really disliking me. They owned me emotionally. My delusion ended up with my being physically, emotionally and spiritually bankrupt. And it was all a delusion. But I did not know that. I could not come up with something in this world to change the situation however much I kept trying and going to diets, people, professionals. And then I came to the end of myself. I came to the end of human intervention. I finally came to the end of knowing I could find an answer. I knew I could not. And that was my white light experience. I started really seeking God as the dying seek life preservers. That is my message as your sponsor and above all as a human being: the a) b) and c) of page 60:

I am powerless, no human power could relieve me and God could and would if He were sought.â€

Ends