Principles Before Personalities – Can’t we all just get along….. lol
No one that I know of decides to change their lives or get clean and sober because they are on a huge winning streak.
We bottom out and then it’s time to finally get clean and sober and we come in with different amounts of baggage. Some of us come in with serious character defects and shortcomings, some of us were liars, cheats and thieves. Many of us come in scared & delusional, extremely selfish and self-centered.
So the odds of meeting people that are still a little restless, irritable and discontent, are great.
I know I was a very sick man for quite a while and still am at times. It’s great to see people getting clean & sober young and old that do not have to hit horrendous bottoms, though sometimes they hear the nightmare stories and begin to wonder if they are in the right place or maybe they are blowing things out of proportion.
In my humble opinion…. It is not always the person who has been abstinent the longest that is the most kind, understanding and loving. I believe it’s the person that has done the most work to help change themselves,
“and have studied exactly what the Principles are, and now practices these principles in all their affairs.”
“Personalities are made up of Principles a person has or has not, in their daily life”
Sadly, most addicts/alcoholics die in active addiction “Believing their case is different”
My personal dream, wrong or right is to have a more consistent way folks can enter recovery, Id like to see the focus be more on what alcohol/drugs did “For Us” not “To Us”. Young or old, black or white, short or tall, rich or poor, spiritual or not. There was a time Alcohol or Dope worked!
It gave us hope or courage, it gave us what we were lacking!
And then it Stopped.
Then it becomes a matter of taking the actions where the principles become a working part of the mind in our daily lives.
They protect the group from ourselves.
And protect the new comer from the old-timers at times.
And consistently take individuals on a journey closer to the Sunlight of the Spirit.
Some call it the 4th dimension.
What are the Principles? Enjoy the journey…..
Kelly Kettle
- Special thanks to Bill W. & Dr. Bob – Jimmy K. & Mike K.
