“Next we launched out on a course of vigorous action” (Chapter 5, Big Book)
This means we’re boarding a ship. When I board a ship, none of me remains on the shore. When I take Step Three and adopt the programme, I entirely leave behind the life based on self. One cannot be partly on the shore and partly on the ship. The spiritual life is ‘all in’. This means there is no limit to the amount of time I might spend in a day on service (including carrying the message), prayer, meditation, study, and gratitude. The spiritual life is not a periodic excursion to support my life on shore. It is a way of life that takes the place of the life on shore.