Acceptance is NOT the answer to all my problems today. (the commonly-used acceptance phrase comes from a story in the back; therefore, is not part of the Program) Seeking God’s guidance and dealing with my self-centeredness, dishonesty, resentments, and re-forming ego IS the answer according to our clear-cut directions. AA is a Simple Program with Simple Steps, Simple Rules and Directions, and a Simple Kit of Spiritual Tools.
Struggling for acceptance it is not necessary and does not offer serenity. Acceptance and tolerance come as a result of living this Program and God doing for me what I couldn’t do by myself. Even the Serenity Prayer reminds me of this. I try not to waste time trying to accept things that CAN and should be changed (and a lot of things that go on in this world are hideous and may need your help to be changed—if that is part of your path with God).
BB pg 139, it is suggested that we accept the principles and procedures that had helped them (the first 100) recover. Then we are undoubtedly on the road to recovery.
Bill Wilson (1962 Grapevine) from “A Pair of Acceptances”
“On entering AA, we become the beneficiaries of a very different experience. Our new way of staying sober is literally founded upon the proposition that ‘Of ourselves, we are nothing, the Father doeth the works.’ In Steps One and Two of our recovery program, these ideas are specifically spelled out: ‘We admitted we were powerless over alcohol that our lives had become unmanageable’—’Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.’ We couldn’t lick alcohol with our own remaining resources and so we accepted the further fact that dependence upon a higher power (if only our AA group) could do this hitherto impossible job. The moment we were able to fully accept these facts, our release from the alcohol compulsion had begun.
For most of us this pair of acceptances had required a lot of exertion to achieve. Our whole treasured philosophy of self-sufficiency had to be cast aside. This had not been done with old-fashioned willpower; it was instead a matter of developing the willingness to accept these new facts of living. We neither ran nor fought. But accept we did. And then we were free. There had been no irretrievable disaster.
This kind of acceptance and faith is capable of producing 100 percent sobriety. In fact it usually does; and it must, else we could have no life at all.”
Awesome—yes, accept that we CAN and DO recover if we live on a spiritual basis!
