Recovery Radio KMP300 into the content of this episode. I had done uh the same exact content on a podcast greater than yourself and I'm going to play that here and it's about step three and um say a little more leading into it than I did over there as we have been talking about steps one and steps two on this show. So if we were making a cake, steps one and steps two are to my understanding kind of the gathering of ingredients. You're going to need this much flour.
You're going to need this kind of pot. You're going to need this type of pan. You're going to need to heat the oven to this. But you're now we're going to start cooking how it works. It starts with step three. Here in my understanding begin the clear-cut directions given showing how we recovered that they promise on page 29. So to summarize up to this point, there's no directions on how to how to admit to your innermost self that you're an alcoholic. There's no directions per se for step one.
So the authors tell stories and give illustrations and write about their understanding of the alcoholic problem. The problem that the big book says gets removed, disappears, we're ex problem drinkers. It's a problem that the book says gets solved. And according to Dr. Silkworth, there are types of alcoholics entirely normal in every respect except in the effect liquor has upon them. They often possess common sense and willpower concerning everything except alcohol.
But in that respect, they are incredibly dishonest and selfish. It describes the alcoholic problem as a two-fold illness, a spiritual malady. It's gotten very intertwined with with alcoholic problem because to solve the spiritual malady is the alcoholic solution. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically. But we'll get to that.
What they mean by that and our understanding is if you're spiritually fit, the main problem of the alcoholic, the crux of the alcoholic problem, the insanity of the first drink, is in an arrested state, rendering the secondary part of the alcoholic problem, the physical allergy, which is permanent and progressive, irrelevant. I shouldn't say irrelevant because if I start drinking again, my body will react as if I've been drinking continuously.
It's permanent and progressive. Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic, not cured. But so they talk about all that And then they talk about problems for agnostics and atheists and they say, "Are you willing to believe there's a power greater than yourself that can solve this problem that can relieve you of your alcoholism that can restore you to sanity?" If you're willing to, that's enough. That's enough. to get up to step three
into the solution how it works. So now I am going to play the recording that I had made and when it's all done I'll say good night. I am going to go over the clear-cut directions given in the book Alcoholics Anonymous for step three.
I sincerely hope what I'm about to share helps someone as it is the information and understanding that set me free many many years ago and has contributed greatly to the profound incredible experience I've been having starts on page 60 right after the A and C that we read in so many meetings the A and C a summary of steps one and two and a summary of everything in the book. I'll start there. Our description of the alcoholic, meaning they're done describing the alcoholic. They're not
going to do it anymore. They'll touch upon it here and there, but they've already described the alcoholic. The chapter to the agnostic, we agnostics and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas. A, that we are alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. B that probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism and C that God could relieve our alcoholism and would relieve our alcoholism if he were sought.
What it used to say right there in the original manuscript was if you are not convinced of these vital issues, you ought to reread the book up to this point or else throw it away. But they took that out and instead start with the clearcut directions. Being convinced, meaning being convinced of A, B, and C, meaning having done the first two steps, we were at step three, which is that we decided to turn our will and our life over to God as we understood him. Just
what do we mean by that? And just what do we do? How do we do step three? And they're going to give us clear-cut directions on how to do step three. The first requirement requirement. I couldn't read when I got sober. I looked up a lot of words. One of them was requirement because I started to discover when I looked up words, it added so much power to what I was reading. Even though I thought maybe previously I had understood a word already, it made it so much more
intense. Anyways, the first requirement, the first requirement means something necessary in order to proceed. So the first thing necessary in order to proceed is that we be convinced that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success. any life, not just an alcoholic's life, any life. Why? Because on that basis, on the basis of running a life on self-will, we're almost always in collision with something or somebody, even if our motives kick ass. Most people try to live by self-propulsion.
Most people, they're not just talking about alcoholics. Most people, any life, and most people, each person is like an actor who wants to run the whole show is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, the scenery, and the rest of the players in his own way. If his arrangements would only stay put, if only people would do as he wished, the show would be great. Everybody, including himself, would be pleased, and life would kick ass. life would be wonderful.
So they just described the world as a stage, the whole world. Remember our description of the alcoholic? That's done. Now they're just going to talk about the human experience. They're going to describe what it is like for a human being to form a connection with God, which is why the 12 steps work in every program because it's not about alcoholism anymore. So, they describe the whole world as a stage and the people as actors and they're saying most people are wearing director's hats.
Most people are trying to arrange everything even though they're simply actors and if everybody would just stay arranged then the show would be great. And they're saying this is the source of all the problems that there are. This is the source of practically all the trouble that there ever has been and will be. Every squabble, war, divorce, fight, you name it. It's because you got a bunch of actors. They all are playing the role of director in trying to make these arrangements.
Our actor may be sometimes quite virtuous, good, kind, considerate, patient, generous, even modest, and self-sacrificing. On the other hand, he could be mean, egotistical, selfish, and dishonest. But as with most humans, he is more likely to have varied traits. In other words, whatever I have to do to get my way, I'm going to do it. You respond to neness, I'm going to be super nice to you. You respond to somebody being a jerk, I'm going to be a total
dick to you. Whatever I have to do to get things to go my way, I'm going to do it. And they're saying most human beings behave this way. It goes on. What usually happens? The show sucks. The show doesn't come off very well. He begins to think life doesn't treat him right. So, he decides to turn his will over to God. Just kidding. He decides to exert himself more. He becomes on the next occasion still more demanding or gracious, nicer or meaner. Whatever the case may be, still the play
does not suit him. Admitting he may be somewhat at fault, he is sure other people are more to blame. This isn't just basic English. They've established a subject which is any life, most people, most humans. And they're still talking about that. They're not talking exclusively about the alcoholic. And this becomes so important as the steps roll on. Admitting he may be somewhat at fault, he is sure that other people are more to blame. He becomes angry. Indignant was
another word I looked up. It means I'm a victim of something and I'm pissed about it. You ruined it. You hurt me. You harmed me. I've been victimized. It becomes angry, indignant, and self-pittitying. So, I'm pissed. I'm a victim. And I'm feeling sorry for myself. Why so far? Because I'm just an actor playing the role of God and no one else is agreeing to my arrangements. So now I'm angry, indignant, and self-pity. What is his basic trouble?
Is he not really a self-seeker even when trying to be kind? I'll give you an example of that. I'll give you an example of playing God with pristine motives. Well, a quick example is simply wanting somebody else to get sober. Motives are good. They'd be happy. I'd be happy. Everybody would be happy. Problem is, I I'm not God. And they might not get sober and I'm going to be in collision with something or somebody even if my motives are good. Another example is there's my
favorite one. I live right next to a meeting hall. So, you know, here's an example of playing God with good motives. I would love to go there and nobody's on their phones during the meeting and nobody gets up and walks in front of the leader and the newcomers feel free to share whatever their problems are and then feel empowered by the people who offer them help. And it'd be amazing. They'd be happy. I'd be happy. everybody would be happy. But the problem is
that's normally not going to happen. So what will happen is I'll go to a meeting and somebody will say, "How was the meeting?" And I'll say, "Uh, it was okay. I had an idea for how the meeting was supposed to look and sound and go, but somebody ruined it." That is an example of self-propulsion with excellent motives. And they say that kind of life can't be called a success because essentially you're not going to be comfortable.
You're not going to be happy. You're going to be in collision with something or somebody usually. So that's an example of self-seeking even when trying to be kind. The next sentence I love. I could talk about it all day. Is he not a victim of the delusion that he could rest satisfaction and happiness out of this world if he only manages well? I'm going
to break that down. Is he not a victim of the delusion uh belief system based on information that's patently untrue that he could rest which when it's spelled with a W means wrestle force violently ring satisfaction and happiness out of this
world only if he manages things. In other words, what they're saying is most human beings actually believe based on information that's not true at all that the only way they can be happy and satisfied in life is if they control manipulate the things and the people around them to some degree. They actually believe if they don't do that they can't be happy or satisfied. if they actually fuck off about other people's lives, everything will fall apart
and they can't be happy. They're saying most human beings actually believe that. Is it not evident to all the rest of the players that these are the things he wants? Self-explanatory. And do not his actions make each of them wish to retaliate, snatching all they can get out of the show? Is he not even in his best moments a producer of confusion rather than harmony? Before I read on, I want to summarize. How do you do the third step? It asked on the page before.
We're going to tell you exactly how to do the third step. You would imagine that they're going to talk about God. But notice they haven't talked about God. They've talked about exactly what God is not. They've described what's not God's will. They've described the opposite of God and that's enough. I used to think, well, we're going to tell you exactly how to do step three. We're going to describe the man in the clouds with a beard and this and that.
And they don't do that. They say instead, we're just going to tell you what not to do, and from that a path will emerge. And so far, all they've done is tried to help us meet this first requirement, which is that we be convinced that any life run on self propulsion sucks and can't be called a success because that person's going to be usually unhappy, wrestling with something even if their motives are amazing. Okay. Who is this person?
Our actor is selfcentered. Egocentric as people like to call it nowadays. Egocentric. My ego is at the center. I imagine a solar system and my ego is the sun. I'm at the center. What is in this for me? What's in this relationship for me? What's in this job for me? What's in this exchange for me? What am I getting or not getting out of this marriage, friendship, meeting, job, interaction? I'm at the center.
What am I getting or not getting? It's like there's a counter at life and I'm a customer ringing the bell. Hello. Hello. Anybody going to help me? This is about me. I'm the customer here. Ding, ding, ding. Hello. How's this affecting me? And now they're going to describe this actor, this person. And this is fascinating because in describing this person, they're going to give an example of this person from everything in the rainbow,
from a priest to a criminal. They're going to say, "All these people are self-centered." They're about to describe a priest as self-centered. You ready for this? And they're going to throw us in there, too. Our actor is self-centered, egocentric, as people like to call it nowadays. He is like the retired businessman who sits around the Florida sunshine in the winter bitching about the sad state of the nation. He's like the minister whose size over the sins of the 20th century.
Who are they describing? A self-centered actor. Politicians and reformers. Does this sound familiar? Who are sure all would be utopia, heaven on earth, if the rest of the world would only behave. In other words, everything would be fine if everybody else would get their shit together. I don't have to. But they're sure all would be utopia if everyone else would behave. The outlaw safe cracker. Crack on open safes. Crook criminal who thinks society has wronged him. The guy who steals from Wraid.
Fuck Raid. They owe me. and the alcoholic who's lost all and is locked up. Now, they're going to throw us in there, too. So, they said, "Who is this self-centered person?" And then, as I said, they describe this person, and they give examples of everything in the rainbow from a minister to a criminal. And then they throw us in there, too. You're not getting out of this. You guys are
self-centered. Also, whatever our protestations, whatever we're protesting, whatever our gripe is, whatever flag we're waving, whoever we are, think about this. Think about everyone you know, alcoholic, drug addict, non-alcoholic. Think about everyone you know. Are not most of us concerned with ourselves, our resentments, or our self-pity? Think about it. Aren't most people mostly concerned with their own shit? Selfishness, self-centerness, that we think is the root of our troubles.
They're still talking about any life. most people, most humans doesn't say it's the root of our problem. It doesn't say it's the root of our disease. They're talking about the world. They're talking about most human beings and they're saying that's the root of all of our troubles. They describe almost the exact same thing in a later chapter on page 122 in the family afterward. They're not talking about alcoholics, but they're describing the same scenario of a bunch of actors trying to run the
whole show. This is most people. Self-centerness that we think is the root of our troubles driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-d delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity. We step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that sometime in the past, we've made decisions based on self, which later placed us in a position to be hurt. Now, a few things about the before this
next paragraph before I read it. This next paragraph contains a line that people like to hang on to and and wear like a badge of honor. And it's taken out of context in my view big time as are many things in this book. But I had the privilege of going through the book in a nonlinear way where we looked at the subject instead of the step or the chapter. But we went through the whole big book by subject. Been doing it for many years.
And what the book says about this subject is quite the opposite of what it's going to sound like in a second. And uh I'll talk about it more in a minute. So our troubles we think are basically of our own making. Now they're going back to the alcoholic. They arise out of ourselves. And the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-willrun riot. Though he usually doesn't think so. So I hear people with years of sobriety saying I'm extreme example of self-wrun riot. I'm selfish. I'm selfish. I'm
selfish. I'm selfish. forgetting the next two sentences and forgetting what the rest of the book says about that, forgetting that Dr. Silkworth says there are types of alcoholics entirely normal in every respect except in the effect liquor has upon them. They're often able, friendly, intelligent people. And I just want to read one more thing before I go on and talk about it. On page 21, going back, it describes the real alcoholic. What about the real alcoholic?
And what it says is about halfway through the last paragraph, he's often perfectly sensible and well balanced. Remember, this is the real alcoholic. Perfectly sensible and well balanced concerning everything except liquor. But in that respect, he's incredibly dishonest and selfish. In essence, I learned that it might as well have said the practicing alcoholic is an extreme example. An alcoholic who has not yet had a psychic change or a spiritual awakening, but I'll stop there.
So, our troubles we think are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves. And the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-fulrun riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Next, it says these two words. Let's say you disagree with everything I just said. Let's say you think the alcoholic is more fucked up than other people, more selfish than other people. Let's say you believe that. That's fine. It
doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because of the next few sentences and the rest of the book. It doesn't matter. This is the only time the big book uses these words in the first 164 pages side by side above everything. only time in the clear-cut directions. It says above everything. Meaning this is the plot. Meaning there's nothing more important than this. Meaning whatever bullshit you want to put on top of this, it's on top
of that. This is it. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must or it kills us. Above everything, we alcoholics can't be mostly concerned with ourselves, our resentments, or our self-pity. Above everything. Well, I went to a meeting today. Well, who'd you think about the whole time? Well, I reached out to three alcoholics. Well, who'd you talk about? The plot is to not be mostly concerned with ourselves anymore. The alcoholic has to or it kills us. The big book was
written for the lowbottom drinker. And one of the things I learned when I went through the big book by subject is when they talk about killing or dying or death, they're essentially talking about drinking. So, might as well say or could just as easily say above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of selfishness. We must or we will drink. above everything. And here we go. Ready? God makes that possible. God makes getting rid of this selfishness possible. Can you believe it?
I'll read something else real quick and then I'll come back to where I am. It's not the only time it says it, but it's one time. It's kind of amazing. And it's on a page called 71 very top first sentence. We hope you are convinced that God can remove whatever self-will has blocked you off from him. God can remove it. Can you believe it? So, not only can God remove whatever self-will is blocking you, but you have to let him. We must be rid of this selfishness above everything. It's the plot.
And there often seems no way of entirely getting rid of self without his aid. Many of us had moral and philosophical convictions galore, but we could not live up to them even though we would have liked to. Neither could we reduce our self-centerness much by wishing or trying on our own power. We had to have God's help. In other words, I can know that being of service is the answer. I could know that getting out of self is the answer. I could know this and it's not enough.
I need God's help to do this. So, I've got to do my part to get myself unblocked from a higher power. And that is the remaining steps. We had to have God's help. So, right there, I'll stop for a second and summarize. To summarize what I've read so far, just how do we do the third step? What do we mean? What do we do? It sounds like you're going to throw your will into a lake somewhere, but they haven't said anything of the sort. Now, they're going to really get
into what that means. So far, all they've tried to do is show us that self sucks for everyone. Most human beings run on self-propulsion. And that's why most people, you know, are struggling with something, wrestling with something. Look around. Look at people on the road, in the store, in meetings, everywhere you go. Most people a little fidgety. Why? Because they have a plan and it's not going that way. That's the reason. That's it.
Most people are unhappy because they know how things are supposed to look and they're not looking that way. Period. They're actors with director's hats on. Now they're going to get into my perception of the first real clear-cut direction. This is how and why of it. They've tried to help us meet the first requirement. Now they're going to tell us what to do. First of all, we had to quit playing God. Quit playing God. Well, I don't know. I don't understand God. Well, it's not you. Well, I don't
know what to do. Well, don't play God. But I don't know what to do instead. Get out of God's chair. I don't know what else to do. It doesn't matter. So far, all they've said about God is it's not you. And turns out that's enough. So first of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn't work. Next, we decided that hereafter hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to be our director. He's the principal. We are his agents. So the relationship between a principal
and an agent is pretty simple. The agent works for the principal, not the other way around. The agent doesn't tell the principal how things are supposed to go, how things are supposed to look. If I worked for you, for example, if I were the agent, you were the principal, and you told me to do something, and I was like, "No, why should I have to do it? You'd fire me." It's that simple.
And they're asking us to make our relationship with God as we understand God, which at this point we know minimally it's not us like this. God is the principle. We're his agents. In other words, every time I'm in complaining, I have this role reversed. Every time I'm complaining, I'm telling God he doesn't know what he's doing. They're asking us to flip this around. He's the principal. We are his agents. We work for him, not the other way around. He is the father and we are his
children. Most good ideas are simple. And this concept that he's the principle and we are the agents was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we passed to freedom. In the big book, we build a spiritual structure. The first stone we put down is in step two, the cornerstone. important because everything is built relative to it. It's the first stone in construction. And this is the keystone. This idea that I'm not God. I'm I'm an agent.
That idea is the keystone. The keystone is the stone that holds all of it together. Without the keystone, you have rubble. You have pompei. You have nothing. I can do a perfect first step. I can do a perfect fifth step, but if my keystone's not there, I don't have an arch. And it says, "We're going to walk through this arch free of what they're specifically talking about, free of the insanity of the first drink, but turns out we'll be free of essentially everything.
What what the book doesn't say is what happens when we insincerely take this position that God's in charge. But I know what it is, so I'll just tell you. When we insincerely took this position, nothing really happened. The steps seemed like tedious homework assignments. We got more and more intolerant and resentful. Our attendance at meetings started to flicker and eventually we were out.
Or we just continued butting heads with people and things for years, even in sobriety, still usually upset about something because we are still wearing the director's hat. But our motives are good, so it doesn't matter. It does matter. still playing God. Maybe when we insincerely take this position, we just transfer playing God over into the fellowship of Ahei and we start running people's lives, being their director, saying it's all okay because they're allowing me to.
But doesn't say any of that. Instead, it says when we sincerely took such a position. Sincerely, I had looked up sincerely, too. It means with no intent to deceive. When we took this position that God's in charge with no intent to deceive, remarkable things followed. All sorts of remarkable things followed. So we took this position that we were the agents and not the principal without any intent to deceive ourselves, our sponsor, people in the fellowship, our spouses,
our partners, children. No intent to deceive. Things happened that were so amazing they required a remark. Oh my god, you'll never believe what happened to me. We had a new employer. I can talk about that sentence and nothing else for a long time. If I have a new employer that's God, then whoever is signing my checks is a potential customer. Everyone is a potential customer if God is my employer. God doesn't have any office hours. God doesn't lay me off. God doesn't I work for God now.
If I have a new employer and if I sincerely take this position being all powerful, he provided what we needed if we kept close to him and performed his work well. In other words, he will pay our way if we perform his work well. Well, what's his work? We don't know yet, except don't play his part. That's all we know so far. Quit playing God. That's not what I want you to do. I know, but I don't know what you want me to do. So far, don't play God.
Established on such a footing, we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. more and more became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life. Now I'm on the other side of the counter. How can I help you? What can I add to this marriage? What can I add to this relationship? To this exchange, it's not about me getting or not getting something. Now, when we sincerely take this position, we jump on the other side of the counter and we want to help.
as we felt new power flow in. New means I've never experienced it before. And it's this flow in, not trickle in, not when we sincerely take this position, there's a new power we've never felt flowing in. And now it's what can I add to this meeting? What can I add to this relationship? What is your experience like with me? How can I make it better? As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully.
Remember at the beginning it said the first requirement is we be convinced that any life run in self-will can't be a success because that person's going to be usually unhappy in collision with something or somebody. Now they're saying when we sincerely take this position, we can face life successfully. Because their definition of success is being comfortable in your skin and not being in collision with something or somebody usually that is successful. And it doesn't matter what's going on
around you. With this attitude, you don't require anything. You're there to help. So, as we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, we can go through life without being battered around like a pinball by the circumstances and events and the behavior of others. As we became conscious of his presence, we began to lose our fear of everything.
When we sincerely took this position, we started to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter. We were now at step three. Many of us said to our maker as we understood him, now it says that you can have you can use any words you want. What it says in a couple paragraphs is it's important that we express the idea without any reservation, but the wording is up to us. When I first looked at this, there were way too many thy in there. But that's me. So, I had to make
my own. And I'm just going to read you my own. You can have your own, too, because it says you can. We are now at step three. Many of us said to our maker, as we understood him, "God, I offer myself to you so that you could build with me and do with me whatever you want. Relieve me of the bondage of self so that I could do your will even better.
take away my difficulties. Not to not so I can kick my feet up and feel bitching, but take away my difficulties so that my overcoming of my difficulties will be seen and felt by everyone around me. They'll see God's love and God's way of life and that will help them. And hopefully I could do that always. They'll see your power and how I navigate life. We thought well before taking this step, making sure we are ready, that we could at last abandon ourselves utterly to him.
Couple things I want to talk about in there. The word bondage, relieve me of the bondage of self. Bondage is, shackles, jail, prison, slavery, selfishness does not feel good for myself. I know when I'm into self because I'm uncomfortable. Usually I'm as as exactly as uncomfortable as I am into self. In other words, to the extent that I'm playing God, am I in discomfort? Generally speaking, not always, not with things like trauma and grief. There are exceptions, but generally speaking, that's it.
So, it doesn't say, "Relieve me of the jacuzzi of self." It doesn't say, "Relieve me of the beachfront property of self." It's not comfortable. relieve me of the bondage of self. And then I like to take words out and replace them with other words. It adds power to the word that's there. And I want to do that in the last sentence. We thought well before taking the step, making sure we were ready that we could at last abandon ourselves partially to him. No, it says utterly.
that we could at last abandon ourselves somewhat to him in some areas to him. No, we thought well before taking the step making sure we were ready that we could at last abandon ourselves completely. We found it very desirable to take the spiritual step with an understanding person such as our wife, best friend or spiritual adviser. Self-explanatory. But it's better to meet God alone than with one who might misunderstand. The wording was of course
quite optional. Like I said, so long as we express the idea, voicing it without reservation with no intent to deceive. This was only a beginning though if honestly and humbly made this decision. If we honestly made this decision, an effect, sometimes a very great effect was felt at once. Still in step three. Next we launched launched launched launched catapulted forward with great momentum and purpose force. We launched on a course of vigorous vigorous spirited action.
Doesn't say next we lolly gagged. Next, we sat in an inventory for six months. Next, we moved at a snail's pace. No, we launched on a course of vigorous action. And I have to tell you, I got sober, I made this decision decades ago, and I'm still on the course of vigorous action right now. Recording this at this moment is part of that course of vigorous action. I stay on this course of vigorous action. It doesn't end. There's no chapter that says, you know what, that
was a lot. It's enough. Stop. Pause. Now meditate on money. Now get into your own shit. Now concentrate on the stuff that you want to concentrate on. That was a lot of spiritual crap. slow down. It's not there. Right after we make this decision and express it without reservation and decide to quit playing God and make a decision that we are the agents and God is the principle, we launch on a course
of vigorous action. The first part of this course is a personal house cleaning which many of us never attempted. Though our decision step three was a vital necessary for survival and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face and to be rid of the things in ourselves which have been blocking us. Remember, they're not talking about alcoholism anymore. When they say our liquor was but a symptom of what? Of us being blocked
from God. They're talking about the human experience now. So, we had to get down to causes and conditions. Therefore, we started upon a personal inventory. That is the clear-cut directions in step three. So, to summarize what those are beautiful says, how do we do this? How do we do the third step? And then they say, "We're going to tell you exactly how to do it." But there's one thing necessary in order to proceed. And that is that we've got to be convinced that self-propulsion that
playing the role of God doesn't work. If we're not convinced that, the rest is trash. If I'm not convinced that my car needs to go to the mechanic, I'm not going to take the car to the mechanic. It's not going to happen. I'm just not going to do it. So that's the first requirement in my experience to be honest. Meeting this first requirement is rare. It's rare, but that's the first requirement. Then they try to help us meet that requirement by talking about what spiritual sickness looks like for
everyone. Most people any life run on self-will can hardly be a success. Selfishness is the root of all mankind's troubles by and large. And then they say, "Then we quit playing God and we make this decision with no intent to deceive that God is going to be in charge, not us. The only thing that matters now is how can I help God? What can I do? What would God have me do? I know what I want to do, but what would God have me do right here?" That's the only thing to work on now.
says later in the book, this is the proper use of the will. So, we're not really throwing our will in some lake somewhere when it says we're going to turn it over. We're actually trying to align our will with what we think God's will is. And that is where we focus all of our energy. That's where we exert our will. Not trying to change and control and manipulate things around us, but trying to keep it aligned with that. I'm on the other side of the counter now. What can I do to help?
Then we say it. We express it once we thought well about it, making sure we're utterly ready, completely ready. And then we started an inventory right away. right away. And it promises us if we don't at once launch on a course of vigorous action, whatever experience we may have had from step three will dissipate. It will promises that. So if you feel good after step three and you don't launch on a course of vigorous action, the feeling will go away.
Step three is a wedding in a way. Any windup monkey can have a beautiful wedding. That's easy. People do it all the time. But the marriage is the remaining steps. I made vows to my wife, for example, and now I'm backing up those vows with action every day. that is just like this. So quit playing God. Doesn't say describe God. Doesn't say you have to believe anything specific. You have to be open to the idea that there's a God and then you have to get out of his chair and then start writing.
There it is. I hope it helped someone. We will continue next time. I'm going to have a guest on here and then I'm going to continue with this. I'm have a guest next time who's having a real experience from this understanding of the steps.