Decoding the Big Book - How it Works

sober. The 12 steps, as Bill first wrote them, were far more direct, and the 12 steps that ended up in the book the way he wrote them caused an immediate backlash in a way that almost ended the book project and broke up the fellowship. Joe and Charlie from their big book study group, go through the original writing of the steps.

They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a way of life which demands a rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those 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're like now. Therefore, you've decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any

length to get it. Then you are ready to follow directions that some of these you may balk. You may think you can find an easier, softer way. We doubt if you can, with all the honors is 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 resources now 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 care with complete abandon. Now we think you can take it. Here. The steps we took, which I suggested as your program of recovery. One He admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. Two came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us

to sanity. Three made a decision to turn our well in our lives over the care and direction of God as we understood Him over. To the care and direction of God as we understood Him. Remember that we will refer to it later on. Four made a searching and perilous moral inventory of ourselves. Five Admitted to God and to ourselves and another human being the exact nature of our roles. Six were entirely willing that God remove all these defects of character.

Seven humbly on our knees. Ask him to remove our shortcomings, holding nothing back. Eight made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make complete amends to them all. Nine made direct demand to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Ten Continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. 11 Start through 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. 12. Having had a spiritual experience as a result of this course of action, we tried to carry this message to others, especially alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all of our affairs. Now, you may explain why an order. I can't go through with it. Do not be discouraged. No one among us have been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We're not

saints. The point is that we're willing to go along spiritual lines. The principle set our regards to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. Now, our description of the alcoholic. That's the doctor's opinion, the whole story. Some of it in chapter two and three. The Chapter two, the agnostic. Chapter four. And our personal adventures before and after the. Whole story. And those in the back of the. Book have been designed to sell you three

pertinent ideas. Well, Bill was a salesman. You know that you are alcoholic and cannot manage your own life. Step one Be that probably no human power can relieve your alcoholism. Step two. See that God can and will. The rest of step two. Now, if you're not convinced of these vital issues, you ought to reread the book to this point, or else just throw it away.

the New York group. Jim Burwell consistently claimed it was the trio of Bill Wilson, Hank Parkhurst and Fitz Mayo, who ran AA in the early days. And Ruth's observation about these arguments lends credibility to this theory. William Sheinberg, author of the source material of this series, writing The Big Book, explains the type of book Fitz Mayo wanted and how Hank Parkhurst steamrolled him.

big time. And I again, I got to be a fly on the wall here, there, all over and Dealer's Ruth is there, Bill's there, actually, Fitz is there, and they're arguing about this thing. And I go, was a guy who really didn't want to argue and fight over things. And I can just imagine him standing back and letting Hank just bulldoze right over Ismail. I mean, Harper is, you know, he's a high pressure salesman, and this mayor is kind of a milquetoast kind of guy, was a really, really nice guy.

But he isn't the kind of guy who is going to stand up to Bill Wilson or even stand up to Hank Parker's. I'm sure he just got steamrolled completely. Bill, however, did not want to change anything. He really, really hated the things he had already written, but he did finally agree to adopt some of Parker's most important suggestions. Tone the God down a higher power. Hold it down to power greater than ourselves, and added God as we understand the Irish and Italian. So again, a big shout

out. Thank you, Hank.

religious approach. Specifically because it was almost. Universally. Recognized by AA. Members as the very thing. That had. Thwarted. The missions of. All their past efforts. To save potential recruits. Bill was with the largest contingent of New York members. The group had no problem with the use of the term God. Throughout the book. But were dead. Set. Against a

religious doctrine. and recognize that a specifically Christian emphasis would sabotage any hope they might have of successfully reaching out to agnostics, atheist Catholics and non-Christians. After winning the battle with Fitz Mayo. Hank Parkhurst then. Attacked Bill Wilson for. The explicit reference to. God in both the. Steps and throughout

the. Book. Though the book was almost complete at this point, Hank had not given up hope that the final draft of the book would be a psychological one, and that would lure the alcoholic in. Once in, the prospect could take God or leave him alone as he wished. Bill was shocked by this proposal. Bill cited his. Own experience with God. The flash of light at town's hospital. The bill was in agreement that the big book should not be. A Christian work. He referred to. Himself as pious.

It made sense to Bill to heavily use. The word. God in the steps based on his. Personal experience. Hank would not back down. And Bill Wilson. Referred to these arguments as perfectly ferocious. Bill Wilson himself was pretty stubborn, and Hank deciding he was not going to win his argument with Bill moved to a different stance. Would Bill at least tone things down? Could he get rid of the demand that people get down on their knees in the seventh step? Could Bill use less theological. Words

for. God like using. Higher power and a power greater than. Ourselves as open ended substitutes? Hank thought that Bill should. Follow the word God with the phrase. As we understood it. Him. Though Hank was arguing. For an entry. Point for the agnostic and atheist, he used Bill's own. Words. Against him. Bill had already used the phrase power greater than. Myself and God as I understood him in his own story. If these beliefs were so essential to Bill's own recovery,

why shouldn't they. Be offered to new. People trying to. Get sober? Bill did not like it and was not. Very. Gracious in defeat. But agreed with. Many of Hank's revisions. It would take a long time before Bill realized and acknowledged. How important these changes were. To the success of. The program, especially. Hank's insistence on adding, as we understood him to the. Third. Step. Over and how it works. And into action. Bill outlines in detail the two central. Chapters of. The big

book. These chapters go into detail about how. To work. Each step and in how. It works. Bill outlines. The first four. Into action outline steps five through 11 with Step 12 getting its own. Chapter with working with others. Bill discusses how important the steps are. Promising that.If the drinker is. Dedicated and conscientiously follows them, he almost surely will succeed. There are a host of barriers that. Keep the. Alcoholic from

sobriety. The bill keeps it simple and focuses on just one the ability to be honest, especially with oneself. Bill states that any attempt to take a shortcut without. Rigorous. Honesty, especially self honesty. Will doomed the reader to failure. Bill gives another requirement. In this. Chapter, and that's courage and preservations. The reader has. To go to any length to get sober at this point. Bill moves to

step three. He asks. Just what did we mean when we told you to turn your life and will over to the. Care and direction. Of God? And just how did we accomplish this ourselves? Bill uses the analogy of the actor who wants to run the whole show. He's using. A story to illustrate. The thought that one can't run on self-will. That selfishness is the heart of every alcoholics problem. In the actor. Story, he talks about this person who. Wants to control everything and

be. The director, too. Bill says this is wrongheaded thinking and that God is the answer. That the key to sobriety. Is to turn your will over to the. Care of God. Who is the true director? What do you have to. Do to turn your will over to God? You have to get down on your knees and tell God you will. Which is the third step prayer members of Alcoholics Anonymous are very familiar with. Next, Bill moves us to step four, which is the act of. Taking personal. Inventory. The rest of Chapter

five. Is all about how to write in an inventory. Needed to complete the step. Bill takes special focus on resentments. Bill says it's. The number one offender and. The thing that destroys more alcoholics than anything else. The reason? Resentments are infinite. Lee Grave. Bill writes. They're like poison that cuts us off from the sunlight. Of the spirit. To live fruitful, happy lives. We must be. Free of anger. And the only hope of doing that is through the maintenance and. Growth of a

spiritual experience. The first step. Of becoming. Anger free. Is to make a list of our resentments and put them down. On paper. Bill provides a template for doing so. The use of a. Simple three. Column layout the name of. The person you are resentful. Goes in the leftmost column, the clause in the middle column, and what it's affecting in the right hand column. Bill then suggests. That resentments can be relieved. By taking the focus off the offender and looking at. Your

own contribution. To the situation. Bill moves into. Fear, saying Fear touches. All aspects of our lives. The final step to eliminating fears is to take another inventory. Writing a list of all. Fears clarifies. The magnitude. and pervasiveness. Of fear. Which almost unnoticed. Drives our behavior. But how can. We be free of fear? Bill has an answer to this question. It involves putting your trust in the infinite God. Rather. Than the finite self. Again, the. Author is encouraged to pray.

Saying Ask. Him to remove your fear and direct your attention. To what he would have you be at once. You will commence to outgrow fear. Bill has a. Little fear himself. That he will alienate. The reader with more talk. Of God. Bill makes a plea. For understanding. The issue. Bill writes.

Bill immediately moves into sexual behavior. He suggests the reader could use an overhaul in this area. And before moving into the subject, he prefaces this with a paragraph, distancing himself from the conflicting options surrounding the subject. He labels both the Puritan and modern psychological approaches as extreme, saying one school would allow a man no flavor for his fare and at the other would have us on a straight pepper diet. Bill makes no judgment, just asks What can

we do about these problems? The approach is the same as it was to the last problems in inventory. Where were you selfish? Wher were you dishonest? Where you inconsiderate? Whom did you hurt? What should you have done instead? It's the same solution as with fears and resentments. Write them down on paper in the three column format as listed previously now as sex continues to be a problem, Bill has a solution for this work with another alcoholic where all else fails, Helping others takes

you out of the problem. It forces you to think of the other person and not your own problems. Bill ends the chapter congratulating the reader on having made a good beginning by becoming more honest with themselves. He draws the reader in next in a prelude to the next chapter. Having come this far, are you willing to go on?

Chapter five. How it works. Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to the simple program. Usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. They 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 manner of living which demands rigorous

honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those two who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover. 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're like now. If you've decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any lengths to get it, then you're ready to take certain steps. At

some of these, we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way, but we could not. 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, we deal with alcohol, cunning, baffling, powerful. Without help, it is too much for us. But there is one who has all power that one is God. May you find him now. Half measures have

failed us. Nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked his protection and care with complete abandon. Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery. Step one We admitted we were powerless over alcohol. That our lives had become unmanageable. Step two came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Step three made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of

God as we understood Him. Step four made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Step five admitted to God to ourselves into another human being. The exact nature of our wrongs. Step six were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Step seven humbly asked him to remove a shortcomings. Step eight made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to

make amends to them all. Step nine made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Step ten Continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. Step 11 Sort through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him. Praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Step 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics. And to practice these principles in all our affairs. Many of us exclaimed. 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 we 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, the chapter two, the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after may clear three pertinent ideas. A That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. B That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. C That God could and would if he were sort being convinced 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? The first requirement is that we be convinced that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success. On that basis, we are almost always in collision with something or somebody, even though our motives are good. Most people try to live by self propulsion. 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 people would do as he wished, the show would be great. Everybody, including himself, would be pleased. Life would be wonderful in trying to make these arrangements or actor may sometimes be quite virtuous. He may be kind, considerate, patient and generous, even modest in self-sacrificing. On the other hand, he may be mean, egotistical, selfish and dishonest. But as with most humans, he is more likely to

have varied traits. What usually happens is the show doesn't come off very well. He begins to think life doesn't treat him right. He decides to exert himself more. He becomes, on the next occasion, still more demanding or gracious as the case may be. Still, the play does not suit him. Admitting he may be somewhat at fault, he is sure that other people are more to blame. He becomes angry, indignant, self-pitying. What is his basic trouble? Is he not really a self seeker even when

trying to be kind? Is he not a victim of the delusion that he can rest satisfaction and happiness out of this world? If he only manages well, is it not evident to all the rest of the players that these are the things he wants 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 or actor is self-centered, egocentric as people like to call it nowadays.

He is like the retired businessman who lulls in the Florida sunshine in the winter, complaining of the sad state of the nation. The minister, who sighs over the sins of the 20th century politicians and reformers who are sure all would be utopia if the rest of the world would only behave. The outlaw safecracker who thinks society has wronged him, and the alcoholic who has lost all and

is locked up. Whatever our protestations are, not most of us concerned with ourselves, our resentments, or our self-pity, self, self-centeredness that we think is the root of our troubles, driven by one forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity. We step on the toes of our fellows. They retaliate.Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without

provocation. But we invariably find that at some point in the past we have made decisions based on self, which later placed us in a position to be hurt. 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-will run riot. Though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything else, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us. God makes that

possible. 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-centeredness much by wishing or trying on our own power. We had to have God's help. This is the how and why of it. First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn't work. N, we decided that hereafter our in this drama of life, God was

going to be our director. He is the principal. We are his agents. He is the father. And we are his children. Most good ideas are simple. In this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we passed to freedom. When we sincerely took such a position, all sorts of remarkable things followed. We had a new employer being all powerful. He provided what we needed if we kept close to him and performed his work well established on such a footing. We became less and less

interested in ourselves. Our little plans and designs. More and more, we became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life as we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind. As we discovered, we could face life successfully as we became conscious of his presence. We began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter. We were reborn. We were now at step three. Many of

us said to our maker as we understood him, God, I offer myself to thee to build with me and to do with me is thou wilt Relieve me of the bondage of self. That I may better do that I will take away my difficulties. That victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of thy power they love and thy way of life. May I do? They will always. W thought well before taking this step, making sure we were ready, that we could at last abandon ourselves utterly

to him. We found it very desirable to take this spiritual step with an understanding person such as our wife, best friend or spiritual adviser. But it is better to meet God alone than with one who might misunderstand. The wording was, of course, quite optional, so long as we express the idea voicing it without reservation. This was only a beginning, though, with honestly and humbly made an effect. Sometimes a very

great one was felt at once. Next, we launched out on a course of vigorous action, the first step of which is a personal housecleaning, which many of us never attempted. Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face and be rid of the things in ourselves which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom. We had to get down to the causes and conditions. Therefore, we started upon a

personal inventory. This was

step four, a business which takes no regular inventory, usually goes broke. Taking a commercial inventory is a fact finding and fact facing process. It is an effort to discover the truth about the stock and trade. One object is to disclose damaged or unsaleable goods. To get rid of them promptly without regret. If the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values. We did exactly the same thing in our lives. We took stock,

honestly. First, we searched out the flaws in our makeup, which caused our failure. being convinced that self manifested in various ways was what had defeated us. We considered its common manifestations. Resentment is the number one offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else from it, stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been

spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically in dealing with resentments. We set them on paper. We listed people, institutions, or principals with whom we were angry. We asked ourselves why we were angry. In most cases, it was found that our self-esteem, ou pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships, in sex, were hurt or threatened. So we were sore, We were burned up. on our grudge list. We sat opposite each name.

Our injuries was that our self-esteem, our security, our ambitions, our personnel or sex relations, which had been interfered with, We were usually as definite as this example. I'm resentful at Mr. Brown. The

cause his attention to my wife told my wife of my mistress Brown. I get my job at the office. Affects my sex relations self, self-esteem, fear. I'm resentful that Mr. Brown, the cause. His attention to my wife affects my sex relations. Se esteem. Fear. Told my wife about my mistress. Affects my sex relations. Self esteem, fear. Brown may get my job at the office. Affects security, self-esteem, fear. I'm resentful at Mrs. Jones. The cause. She's

a nut. She snubbed me. She committed her husband for drinking. He's my friend. She's a gossip affects my personal relationship. Self-esteem, theme, fear. I'm resentful at my employer. The cause, unreasonable, unjust, overbearing, threatens to fire me for drinking and padding. My expense account affects my self-esteem, fear, security. I'm resentful that my wife, the cause misunderstands and nags likes brown wants house put in. Her name affects my pride. Personal sex relations, security,

fear. We went back through our lives. Nothing counted the thoroughness and honesty. When we were finished, we considered it carefully. the first thing a parent was that this world and its people were often quite wrong. To conclude that others were wrong was as far as most of us ever got. The usual outcome was that people continued to wrong us and we stayed sore. Sometimes it was remorse and then we were sore at ourselves. But the more we fought and tried to have our own way, the worse

matters got. As in war. The victor only seemed to win. Our moments of triumph were short lived. It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. To the precise extent that we permit these, do we squander the hours that might have been made worthwhile? But with the alcoholic, our hope is the maintenance and growth of our spiritual experience. This business of resentment is infinitely grave. We found that

it is fatal. Or when harboring such feelings, we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit. The insanity of alcohol returns. And we drink again. And with us to drink is to die. If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The Grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men. But for alcoholics, these things are poison. We turned back to the list, for it held the key to the future. We were prepared to look at it from an entirely different

angle. We began to see that the world and its people really dominated us in that state. The wrongdoing of others fancied or real had power to actually kill. How could we escape? We saw that these resentments must be mastered. But how We could not wish them away any more than alcohol. This was our course. We realised that the people who wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick, that we did not like their symptoms and the way they disturbed us. They,

like ourselves, were sick to. We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. when a person offended, we said to ourselves, This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done. We avoid retaliation or argument. We wouldn't treat sick people that way. If we do, we destroy our chance of being helpful. We cannot be helpful to all people.

But at least God will show us how to take a kindly, intolerant view of each and every one. Referring to our list again, put our minds, the wrongs of others had done. We resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking, and frightened? The situation had not been entirely our fault. We tried to disregard the other person involved entirely. Where were we to blame? The inventory was ours, not the other man's. When we saw

our faults, we listed them. We placed them before us in black and white. We admitted our wrongs honestly and were willing to set those matters straight. Notice the word fear is bracketed alongside the difficulties with Mr. Brown, Mrs. Jones, the employer and the wife. This short word somehow touches about every aspect of our lives. It was an evil and corroding thread. The fabric of our existence was shot through with it. It set in motion trains of circumstances which brought

us misfortune. We felt we didn't deserve, but did not. We ourselves set the ball rolling. Sometimes we think fear ought to be classed with stealing. It seems to cause more trouble. We reviewed our fears thoroughly. We put them on paper even though we had no resentment in connection to them. Wasn't it because self-reliance failed us? Self-Reliance was good as far as it went, but it didn't go far

enough. Some of us once had great self-confidence, but it didn't fully solve the fear problem or any other when it made us cocky. It was worse. Perhaps there is a better way. We think so. But we are now on a different basis. The basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in a world to play a role. He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as we think would have us and humbly rely upon him, does he enable us to match calamity

with serenity? We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness. Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust their God. We never apologize for God. Instead, we let them demonstrate through us what He can do. We ask him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what he would have us be at once. We commenced to

outgrow fear now. About sex.

Many of us needed an overhauling there. But above all, we tried to be sensible on this question. It's so easy to get way off track. Here we find human opinions running to the extremes. Absurd extremes. Perhaps one set of voices cry that sex is a lust for our lower nature, a bare necessity of procreation. Then we have the voices who cry for sex. And more sex who wail the institution of marriage, who think that most of the troubles of the race are traceable to sex

causes. They think we do not have enough of it, or that it isn't the right kind. They see it significa lence everywhere. One school would allow a man no flavor for his fare and the other would have us all on a straight pepper diet. We want to stay out of this controversy. do not want to be the arbiter of anyone's sex conduct. We all have sex problems. We'd hardly be human if we didn't. What can we do about them? We reviewed our own conduct over the years past. Where had we been selfish,

dishonest or inconsiderate? Whom we hurt? Did we unjustifiably arouse jealousy, suspicion, or bitterness? Where were we at fall? W should we have done instead? We got this all down on paper and looked at it in this way. We tried to shape a sane and sound ideal for our future sex life. We subjected each relation to this test. Was it selfish or not? We asked God to mould our ideals and help us to

live up to them. We remembered always that our sex powers were God given and therefore good, neither to be used lightly or selfishly, Nor to be despised and loathed. whatever our ideal turns out to be. We must be willing to grow toward it. We must be willing to make amends where we have done harm. Provided that we do not bring about still more harm in doing so. In other words, we treat sex as we would any other problem. In meditation, we ask God what we should do about each specific

matter. The right answer will come if we want it. God alone can judge our sex situation. Counsel with persons is often desirable, but we let God be the final judge. We realize that some people are as fanatical about sex as others are loose. We avoid hysterical thinking or advice. Suppose we fall short of the chosen ideal and stumble. Does this mean we're going to get drunk? Some people tell us so. But this is only a half truth. It depends on us and our

motives. If we are sorry for what we have done and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, our conduct continues to harm others. We are quite sure to drink. You're not theorizing. These are facts out of our experience. To sum up sacks earnestly, pray for the right ideal for guidance in each questionable situation, for sanity, and for the strength to

do the right thing. If sex is very troublesome, we throw ourselves the harder into helping others. We think there needs and work for them. This takes us out of ourselves. It quiets our imperious urge when to yields would mean heartache. If we have been thorough about our personal inventory. We have written a lot down. We have listed and analyzed our resentments. We have begun to comprehend their futility and their fatality. We have commenced to see their terrible

destructiveness. We have begun to learn tolerance, patience and goodwill towards all men. Even our enemies. For we look on them as sick people. We have listed the people we have hurt by our conduct and are willing to straighten out the past if we can. In this book you read again and again that faith did for us what we could not do for ourselves. We hope you are convinced now that God can remove whatever self-will has

blocked you off from Him. If you have already made a decision and an inventory of your grosser handicaps, you have made a good beginning that being so. You have swallowed and digested some big chunks of truth about yourself.