How it Works (Continued)
 
C: I think if we see Bill's original How It Works, we're going to be able to see some very important key things that ties this whole thing together in our minds. I'm going to try by changing the tone of my voice to indicate the differences here. (That difference will be
indicated by all capitals in print.) We'll read it and then we'll take a little break.
He said: 'Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our DIRECTIONS. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a WAY OF LIFE which demands rigorous honestly. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest.'
'Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to
any length to get it--then you are ready to FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.'
'At some of these YOU MAY BALK. YOU MAY THINK YOU CAN find an easier, softer way. But WE DOUBT IF YOU CAN. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely.'
'Remember that YOU ARE DEALING with alcohol -- cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for YOU. But there is One who has all power--that One is God. YOU MUST find Him now!'
'Half measures WILL AVAIL YOU nothing. YOU STAND at the turning point. THROW YOURSELF UNDER his protection and care with complete abandon. NOW WE THINK YOU CAN TAKE IT.'
'Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as YOUR program of recovery:
- 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.
- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care AND DIRECTION of God, as we understood Him.
- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our
wrongs.
- Were entirely WILLING THAT God remove all these defects of character.
- Humbly ON OUR KNEES asked Him to remove our shortcomings-HOLDING NOTHING BACK. '
- Made a COMPLETE list of all persona we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
- Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
- Sought though prayer and meditation to improve our CONTACT WITH GOD, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
- Having had a spiritual EXPERIENCE as the result of this COURSE OF ACTION, we tried to carry this message to OTHERS, ESPECIALLY alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.'
YOU MAY EXCLAIM, "What an order! I can't go through with it." Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is, that were are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.'
'Our description of the alcoholic'
J: That's The Doctor's Opinion'
C: '... the chapter to the agnostic'
J: Chapter Four.
C: '... and our personal adventures before and after'
J: This is Bill's Story, and More About Alcoholism.
C: '... HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO SELL YOU three pertinent ideas: ' (laughter) That YOU ARE alcoholic and CAN NOT manage YOUR own LIFE.'
J: Step One.
C: '( b) That probably no human power CAN RELIEVE YOUR alcoholism.'
J: Step Two.
C: '( c) That God CAN AND WILL. '
J: That's still Step Two.
C: 'IF YOU ARE NOT CONVINCED ON THESE VITAL ISSUES, YOU OUGHT TO REREAD THE BOOK TO THIS POINT, OR ELSE THROW IT AWAY. ' (laughter)
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