In the big book, it says we can become restless, irritable, and discontented. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. If somebody cheats us, arent we entitled to be mad. We believe in being active participants in our own spiritual experience. If somebody hurts us and we are sore, we are in the wrong also.
It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed. The idea of spirituality encompasses a few intertwining concepts. It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is. I engaged her in the telling her of what she find on. The hazelden betty ford foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Having had a spiritual awakening as the only result of these steps, we try to immediately show the next person how to have a spiritual awakening so that there it is. Alcoholics anonymous spirituality, philosophy, and religion. On my first reading of the big book, i remember being struck by this line, and my thought was, thats a load of rubbish. So then the next person may say, good, maybe ill read the book and get a spiritual awakening. Jun 22, 2012 he went on to tell me the answer and i never have forgot it.
Living the twelve steps hazelden betty ford foundation. The big book says the driving force in the life of most alcoholics is the selfcentered fear that we will lose something we have. Dec 08, 2007 it is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us. It is a spiritual axiom that every time i am disturbed there is something wrong with me.
It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, there is something wrong with us. It is a spiritual axiom that acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. Axiom in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. The 164 and more book, ebook, and web site are all concordances which display passages from the big book alcoholics anonymous, the twelve steps and twelve. The big book says the main purpose of the book and the program is find a power greater than ourselves that will solve our problems. I never truly understood the tenth steps spiritual axiom until i had the following experience. Last spring i learned of drop the rock, a great book on steps 6 and 7. The twelve and twelve reminds us, it is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us. Independence of the axiom of choice from the zf axioms. The big book comes alive handout material introduction we don.
The terms spiritual experience and spiritual awaken ing are used many times in this book which, upon careful reading, shows that the personality change suf. The fundamental purpose of life is emotional and spiritual growth. I was sitting in my bedroom, reading into the wee hours, when suddenly i heard my dogs barking in the back yard. If somebody hurts us and we are angry, we are in the wrong also. If anyone asks me about it i point them to references in the big book and the 12.
If anyone asks me about it i point them to references in the big book and the 12 and 12 and also share examples of my own experience. Most of us spent a good deal of time and effort in writing the searching and fearless moral inventory of step four. Its why the big book implores us to help another alcoholic when all else fails. Coronavirus closings akron area intergroup council of. Some thoughts on wilsons spiritual axiom when they tell you to. Fellowship and treatment truths seriously examined in light of the message of the big book. The traditions of alcoholics anonymous in relationships. When these crop up, we ask god at once to remove them. If somebody hurts us and we are sore, we are in the wrong, too. Im thinking about that spiritual axiom, the one about being disturbed, and i know that all these feelings have to do with my idea of how my life should look. While it is the mood or emotional state a person might experience at a given moment. The terms spiritual experience and spiritual awakening are used many times in this book which, upon careful reading, shows that the personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism has manifested itself among us in many different forms. But, now with nearly twoyears sobriety, this line in the big book to me is probably the most profound line in the whole of the 164 pages.
Though its referred to as a spiritual axiom, one can think of it without the. Spiritual axiom 10 09 15 it is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us. It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with. When i am disturbed i am in danger because i am back in self and separated from god. So, like it says it the big book, service is the key. The book was initially released on may 10, 2016 by dutton. Consequently, i was eager to read the latest book from bill hybels, one of the most gifted leaders ive ever met. Well, this statement certainly disturbed me the first time i heard it read out at an aa step meeting about 17 years ago, and it still does.
Individual 12 step big book meeting with staff concentrating on personal, life experiences. Before we ask what a spotcheck inventory is, lets look at the kind of setting in which such an inventory can do its work. Twelve steps and twelve traditions quotes by alcoholics. Fellowship and treatment truths seriously examined in light of. At almost every meeting, my internal rolodex of aa wisdom gets updated with cool stuff like this rolodex metaphor. If we look at ourselves, when it comes to the spiritual axiom, it really does depend on knowing how we feel about things right now and how we can cope with what is going on in our lives. Sponsorpants, in my step study meeting we were reading step 10, and we came across the part that said that its a spiritual axiom. Thanks to the 12 steps of recovery described in the big book of alcoholics anonymous, i truly live a life beyond my wildest. An unofficial guide to the twelve steps, edited by dr. Amen to that vote for lifelong learning, also affirmed in the book bucket one of 20 buckets in my book, mastering the management buckets.
Alcoholics anonymous quotes author of alcoholics anonymous. It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us. Contrast that with the attitude suggested by step 10. An unofficial guide to the twelve steps written by a. When the spiritual malady is overcome we straighten out mentally and physically. Nobody ever forgets where they buried the spiritual axiom. It is pointless to become angry, or to get hurt by people who, like us, are suffering from the pains of growing up. When i am disturbed, it is because i find some person, place, thing, or situation some fact of my life unacceptable to me, and i can find no serenity until i accept that person, place. Alcoholics anonymous october 9 doninlondon step 10. Keeping an open mind is a virtue, but not so open that your brains fall out. Its an idea or a principle, a simple truth to remember. Well, this statement certainly disturbed me the first time i heard it read out at an aa step meeting about 17. It says on page 64 that i suffer from a spiritual disease.
The real miracle of aa is that through a mysterious and wonderful grace, we alcoholics. Oct 09, 2009 the spiritual axiom referred to in the tenth stepevery time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with usalso tells me that there are no exceptions to it. According to the big book, there is no justification for remaining angry about anything. Axiom in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12 traditions. An axiom is a proposition that commends itself to general acceptance, in mathlogic its a premise accepted as true without controversy and without being deduced from logic its a starting point that you build other deductions from. He went on to tell me the answer and i never have forgot it. James oberg in the big book, alcoholics anonymous, in the chapter the family afterward. Powerful leadership proverbs is a poorly named, but otherwise good book. Experience the big book aa meetings available online. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. In aa we treat the spiritual axiom described above as a principle a. Letting go of anger and emotional disturbances blogger. Spirituality the missing definition axiom books on.
These meetings can be accessed go to thought and click on read more for how to accessfor free via computer, tablets and mobile devices, and also by telephone by calling the teleconference line. Sep 12, 2017 today i look further at the disease of alcoholism focusing on it as a spiritual malady. Service work is the cornerstone of the 12step program, and it also happens to be the cornerstone of spiritual growth. For we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. Jung used the latin expression, spiritus contra spiritum, to further explain that my alcoholic obsession is really a low grade attempt to obtain a spiritual experience. Often we justify the anger so we dont have to look at ourselves and our own part in creating it. The aa book clearly compares this step with the confession of sins in. It is pointless to become angry, or to get hurt by people who, like us, are suffering from the pains of. Spiritual axiom building up what has been torn down. Jan 20, 2008 when they tell you to keep coming back, run for your life. There is more of our literature in meetings and sponsorship is more active. For example, being found out, being recognized for who we are. I find few things in the big book more offensive than this passage. There is so much in the big book and other aa literature, that gives us information on selfexamination about our spiritual condition.
Apr 30, 2018 it is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us. It is a spiritual axiom that without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all. It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the. Big book reminds us that we are not cured of alcoholism. Not that it is pretty fucking incredible when i give myself to get out of my myopic world view, because it is. I cant stop drinking, thats the real cause of my problems. This goes further into model theory and describes the basic cohen model m1 and the second cohen model. He explained that, my job is to try and if i cant do something it is no longer my job then it is gods job. The spiritual axiom part 2 12 steps and 12 traditions pages 9091. When i get upset about anything whatsoever, theres something wrong with me. The 164 and more book, ebook, and web site are all concordances which display passages from the big book alcoholics anonymous, the twelve steps and twelve traditions, and the a. Thats a big change for someone who used to come to in the morning feeling sentenced to. But what i should do is recognize that im disturbed, address it, and move on. Page 85 step ten is part of this daily maintenance.
Jokes and facts and games and stories about monsters and witches and ghouls. It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us, writes bill wilson on page 92 of twelve steps and twelve traditions. Some thoughts on wilsons spiritual axiom when they. Oct 01, 2009 it is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us. The big book points out that staying sore was as far as most of us ever got 66. It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong. As the nations leading nonprofit provider of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient treatment for adults and youth, the foundation has 17 locations nationwide and collaborates with an expansive network throughout health care. Spiritual principles are essentially universal truths relating to the deepest values and meanings by which people live in order to achieve genuine inner peace. When they tell you to keep coming back, run for your life.
People still take what they want and leave the rest. In the famous passage on acceptance at page 417 of the big book of. Spiritual in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and. The numbers in parentheses are my guess of the model number in the comprehensive book of zf models, consequences of the axiom of choice by howard and rubin. Philip leon, philosopher and oxford group member, published this work in 1939, when the aa big book was first printed. It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what. Nov, 2012 nobody ever forgets where they buried the spiritual axiom. She was initially intrigued to receive it as big book sponsorship information. I suggest that maybe the reason youre upset is because the socalled big book ranter has just poked you in the i. Leons take on oxford group ideas is helpful in understanding both what aa took from the oxford group, and what we left behind. I wouldve posted it in that thread but last time i did, the poster got angry go figure. Makes my circle of friends bigger, even if some of them dont get me.
It is a spiritual axiom that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. I was sitting in my bedroom, reading into the wee hours. Due to the covid19 pandemic, the experience the big book meetings will be accessible online as zoom video conferences, starting sunday, march 22, 2020 at 6pm central time. The big book says the main purpose of the book and the program is find a power greater. A month ago i heard the excellent term awfulizer for that part of my mind that. If we define this as, working all 12 steps including big book sponsorship of newcomers without any halfmeasures and a willingness of faith with works coupled with rigorously working with the disciplines and practices of steps ten and eleven selfexamination, meditation and prayer consistently everyday, then, in my experience 50. No matter how unreasonable others may seem, i am responsible for not reacting negatively. The big books suggestion for daily work on this step is to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. Aaa view on dealing with anger alcoholics anonymous. Of course, people turned away from us, bored or hurt. Oct 09, 2015 it is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us. Every monday through friday, ecr offers 35 hours of structure to help our clients get acclimated to a positive routine culminating in a feeling of self worth and purpose. Jul, 2011 letting go of anger and emotional disturbances it is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us.
Oct 01, 2017 it is a spiritual axiom that every time i am disturbed there is something wrong with me. Ii spiritual experience the terms spiritual experience and spiritual awakening are used many times in this book which, upon careful reading, shows that the personality change suf. Recovery table spiritual awakening, alcoholism and. If you are brand new to aa you may think there are exceptions but if you start working the steps, especially when you have worked step 4 to 9, you will see the spiritual truth of this statement. The gradual process of working the steps, moving bit by bit from ignorance to awakening, from being lost to being. I have found that the process of discovering who i really am begins with knowing who i really dont want to be. It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us, notes the author of twelve steps for twelve traditions another core text for people in recovery.
I am disturbed and therein lies the rub and the relief. On the origins of life, meaning, and the universe itself is a nonfiction book by american theoretical physicist sean m. Some thoughts on wilsons spiritual axiom the big book does not offer a plan of. If anything, it disturbs it, stirring up the silt at the bottom of the stream and making things murky. In the big book, that step is introduced right after the promises. Spiritual in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. I take the focus off the other person and place it on me.