This is another one of the promises. Imagine a life of peace and serenity! We are not thinking many thoughts at a time, we are not ruminating on the future or the past. We are living in the present moment which is peaceful and serene. How do we get to this place of inner peace? We get there by working the steps and the rest of the program.
By working the steps, we clear away the wreckage of our past and establish a relationship with God. We build a firm foundation on which to rest. This foundation consists of all twelve steps completed in their entirety. Without the knowledge gained in working the steps we can’t be as effective as we need to be when working with others. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous states that we need to “fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and others.” This maximum service includes being able to take others through the steps as outlined in the book.
When we are in a place of peace and serenity working with others becomes a joyful task. It is a humbling experience to be asked to help someone through the steps. We come from a place of uselessness and utter despair to a place of being of service to God and others. This in itself is a miracle of the steps. In the case of alcohol, the book states that “the problem has been removed.” The problem has been our thinking or lack of thinking which led us to the drink. Once we straighten out our thinking in regard to alcohol, we are free from its lash. Possibly that is the biggest miracle of all!
When drinking we could only imagine a life of peace. After working the program and applying it in our lives this peace has become a reality. Imagine a life free from alcohol and filled with peace and serenity! For those of us who have worked the program and applied it in our lives, we can bear witness to the fact that this is true. We are able to go through life in a peaceful manner rather than on a frenzied run. We learn how to handle situations that use to baffle us. We are able to be a part of our families and society. Some of us find returning to our religion to be a good thing to do but not all of us find this necessary. That is perfectly OK if someone chooses to bypass religion. All of the above is lived experience by others. They can attest to the validity of living a life of peace and serenity. All one has to do is work the steps and apply the program in their lives. It works, it really does!
