“We can find the way out by daily study of the Twelve Steps.” (ODAT, 5 April)
I’ve spent a lot of my recovery avoiding discovering or learning what’s in the Basic Text. The Basic Text is not very long, and the operative part is mostly confined to pages 63 to 89, so 26 pages or so of material. One ought to know every line, exactly what context it falls in, and exactly how to implement each instruction. It’s actually not a lot at all: much less material than people have learned for their professional qualifications. Beyond that there are few ideas and few passages that should also be committed to memory (60 to 62, 117 to 118).
I’ve also spent a lot of my recovery avoiding doing the things I know it says. I know it says we should say “Thy will be done” many times each day, but I’m lucky if I say it a few times. I know I am supposed to let go of my old ideas, but I still catch myself thinking that what I want has any relevance to my life. I know I’m supposed to trust God, but I still find myself deciding to worry instead.
The programme does work, but only if I don’t avoid it.