Willingness. Willingness is the key to getting sober. I tried willpower countless times. It NEVER worked. I would promise myself one night that I would not drink the next day, and I always ended up drinking. The willingness just wasn’t there. I thought I was smart enough to quit on my own. It NEVER worked. I had to be willing to say that my life was unmanageable, and I was powerless over alcohol. I was very willing to do that because I was so miserable. The alcohol thing was not working for me anymore. I tried drinking only beer, or only wine. I tried drinking only every other night or on only weekends. I just couldn’t outsmart alcohol. Once I was willing then I came to believe there was a power greater than myself. I choose to call that power God. Lastly and most important to me I turn things over to God  every day and trust Him to take care of ALL of my problems. All I have to do is be willing. It works. It works every time.

Daily Reflections

WE CAN’T THINK OUR WAY SOBER

To the intellectually self-sufficient man or woman,
many A.A.’s can say, “Yes, we were like you–far too
smart for our own good…. Secretly, we felt we could
float above the rest of the folks on our brain power
alone.”
                                                         AS BILL SEES IT, p. 60

Even the most brilliant mind is no defense against the
disease of alcoholism. I can’t think my way sober. I
try to remember that intelligence is a God-given
attribute that I may use, a joy–like having a talent
for dancing or drawing or carpentry. It does not make
me better than anyone else, and it is not a particularly
reliable tool for recovery, for it is a power greater
than myself who will restore me to sanity–not a high
IQ or a college degree.