The Tablemate – Discussion No. 4 Active Work

As a reminder;

The Tablemate was an early A.A. set of beginners lessons entitled ‘Alcoholics Anonymous: An Interpretation of the Twelve Steps,’ put out in the form of a little pamphlet. It was (and still is) the most successful set of A.A. beginners lessons ever devised.

And I’m drawing content from the Hindsfoot site, laboriously prepared by Glenn C. and others… We moved into Discussion No. 3: Inventory and Restitution Part I then Inventory and Restitution Part II, Inventory and Restitution Part III, and now, Discussion No. 4 – Active Work.

***************************************

Step No. 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.

This step logically separates into three parts:

1. The Spiritual Experience

The terms “spiritual experience” and “spiritual awakening” used here and in the book Alcoholics Anonymous mean (upon careful reading)

that the personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism has manifested itself among us in many forms.

Do NOT get the impression that these personality changes or spiritual experiences must be in the nature of sudden and spectacular upheavals. Happily for everyone, this conclusion is erroneous. Among our rapidly growing membership of thousands of alcoholics such transformations, though frequent, are by no means the rule.

Most of our experiences are what psychologist William James calls “the educational variety” because they develop slowly over a period of time.

Quite often friends of the newcomer are aware of the difference long before he is himself. The new man gradually realizes that he has undergone a profound alteration in his reaction to life – - that such a change could hardly have been brought about by himself alone. What often takes place in a few months could seldom have been accomplished by years of self-discipline. With few exceptions our members find that they have tapped an unsuspected inner resource which they presently identify with their own conception of a Power greater than themselves.

Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problem in the light of our experience can recover provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts. He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial.

We find that no one need have difficulty with the spiritual side of the program. Willingness, Honesty, and Open-Mindedness are the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable.

2. Carry the Message to Others

This means exactly what it says. Carry the message actively. Bring it to the man who needs it. We do it in many ways:

1. By attending every meeting of our own group.
2. By making calls when asked.
3. By speaking at group meetings when asked.
4. By supporting our group financially to make group meetings possible.
5. By assisting at meetings when asked.
6. By setting a good example of complete sobriety.
7. By owning, and loaning to new men, our own copy of the Big A.A. Book.
8. By encouraging those who find the way difficult.
9. By serving as an officer or on group committees or special assignments when asked.
10. By doing all of the foregoing cheerfully and willingly.
11. We do any or all of the foregoing at some sacrifice to ourselves with definite thought of developing unselfishness in our own character.

3. We Practice These Principles in All Our Affairs

This last part of the Twelfth Step is the real purpose that all of the twelve steps lead to – - a new way of life, a design for living. It shows how to live rightly, think rightly and to achieve happiness. How do we go about it?

1. We resolve to live our life one day at a time – - just twenty-four hours.
2. We pray each day for guidance that day.
3. We pray each night – - thanks for that day.
4. We resolve to keep our heads and to forego any anger, no matter what situation arises.
5. We are patient.
6. We keep calm, relaxed.
7. Now and most important: whatever little ordinary situations as well as big situations arise, we look at them calmly and fairly, with an open mind, then act on them in exact accordance with the simple true principles that A.A. has taught and will teach us.

In other words, our sobriety is only a correction of our worst and most evident faults. Our living each day according to the principles of A.A. will also correct all of our other lesser faults and will gradually eliminate, one by one, all of the defects in our character that cause frictions, discontents, and unhappy rebellious moods that lead right back to our very chief fault of drinking.