Aa Promises by Seth Goodman.
It was summertime and the novelty of no school had worn off on Alice as she quickly became bored. She thought of all the places she’s rather be, people she wished she was with, when she happened to click on a link to a website called “Aa Promises.” The site claimed to be able to grant any three wishes that the user desired.
Of course, Alice didn’t believe it for a second but what harm could it do to make a few wishes? After all, it’s not like they would come true.
Seth Goodman’s Aa Promises is a touching, thought-provoking book about the power of Alcoholics Anonymous. Through the stories of people who have turned their lives around with AA, Goodman shows how this program can work for anyone who is willing to give it a try. He also busts some myths about AA, such as that it’s only for people with serious drinking problems or that it’s a religious organization.
This book is inspiring and eye-opening, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about AA or recovery in general.
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What are the Promises in the Aa Book?
The promises in the AA book are simple yet profound. They offer hope to those who are struggling with addiction and provide a path to recovery. The first promise is that “we will come to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.”
This is the foundation of AA’s program of recovery, and it is what gives members the strength to stay sober. The second promise is that “we will come to accept responsibility for our own lives.” This means taking ownership of our choices and actions, and making amends for the harm we have caused.
The third promise is that “we will make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him.” This is a commitment to change, and it requires humility and willingness to let go of control. The fourth promise is that “we will take a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves.”
This step helps us identify our character defects and work on changing them. The fifth promise is that “we will admit these wrongs” – this step allows us to confront our past mistakes head-on and make amends for them. The sixth promise is that “we will be entirely ready to have these defects removed from us.”
This means being willing to change, even if it’s difficult. Seventh, we must “humbly ask God (as we understand Him) remove these shortcomings from us.” Eighth, we must make a list of all persons we have harmed by telling them about our wrongs, except when doing so would injure them or others.
How Many Promises are There in Aa?
There are twelve promises in Alcoholics Anonymous:
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8 .
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all .
9 . Made direct amends To such people wherever possible, except when To do so would injure them or others
10 .Continued To take personal inventory And when we were wrong promptly Admitted it
11 .
Sought 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
What is the Miracle of Aa?
The miracle of Alcoholics Anonymous is that it is a program of recovery from alcoholism that is based on the Twelve Steps, which were originally outlined by its co-founder, Bill W., in the book Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism. The program has since been adapted for use by other twelve-step programs, such as Narcotics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous.
The Twelve Steps are a set of principles that outline a path to recovery from addiction.
They are designed to be used as a guide for personal reflection and change. The steps are not meant to be taken literally, but rather serve as a framework for understanding and working through the process of recovery.
The first step is admitting that you have a problem with alcohol and need help to stop drinking.
This can be a difficult step for many people, as it requires acknowledging that you have lost control over your drinking. However, it is an essential part of the process and allows you to start taking responsibility for your recovery.
The second step is recognizing that there is a power greater than yourself that can help you overcome your addiction.
For some people, this may be God or a higher power; for others, it may be the support of family and friends. Whatever form this power takes, acknowledging its existence is an important part of the journey towards sobriety.
The third step is making the decision to turn your life over to this power and surrendering yourself to its care.
This means letting go of your old ways of thinking and living and trusting that this new way will lead you to a better life. It requires faith and courage, but it is an essential step in recovering from alcoholism.
The fourth step involves taking inventory of your life and identifying the areas in which you need to make changes.
This includes looking at your past mistakes and hurts, as well as any current behaviors or thought patterns that are contributing to your addiction. Once you have identified these areas, you can begin work on making changes in Step Five.
Step Five involves admitting these defects openly to another human being who can offer empathy and understanding without judgment.
This person could be a therapist, counselor, sponsor, or trusted friend; whoever you choose should ideally be someone with whom you feel safe sharing vulnerable details about your life. Working through these admissions can be difficult but ultimately leads to greater insight into yourself and how your addiction has affected those around you.
It also helps build accountability within yourself so that you are more likely (Step Six) To become entirely ready To humbly ask God/Higher Power/etc…to remove all these defects . After asking , really believing ,that these character flaws have been removed , we take inventory again(Step Seven) And when we’re wrong we promptly admit it (defectsOfCharacter). We continue practicing these principles in all our affairs . As we doe we try reach out(through service )to other addicts who still suffer (NA principle 12). By doing so our lives become happy , joyous ,and free .
What Aa Says About Hope?
It is said that hope is a spiritual quality. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has, from its earliest days, emphasized the importance of hope in the recovery process. Hope is seen as being essential to recovery from alcoholism, and AA’s literature discusses it at length.
The Big Book, AA’s main text, includes a section called “We Agnostics” which discusses the role of hope in recovery for those who may have lost faith in a higher power.
In AA, hope is understood to be more than just wishful thinking – it is seen as a powerful force that can help individuals recover from addiction. In fact, one of AA’s key slogans is “ Hope Springs Eternal .”
This slogan encapsulates the idea that no matter how dire someone’s situation may seem, there is always reason to hope for a better future.
Hope plays an important role in AA because it helps people to stay motivated on their journey of recovery. When things get tough, and relapse seems like a real possibility, having hope can make all the difference.
It can give people the strength to keep going when they feel like giving up.
If you are struggling with alcoholism and are feeling hopeless, know that you are not alone. Many others have been in your shoes and have found sobriety through AA.
There is reason to believe that you can achieve sobriety too – so don’t give up hope!
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Conclusion
Seth Goodman’s blog post “Aa Promises” discusses the promises made by Alcoholics Anonymous and how they can help people in recovery. He states that while AA is not for everyone, it can be a helpful tool for those who are struggling with addiction. He lists some of the promises made by AA, such as sobriety, a better way of life, and support from others in recovery.
Goodman argues that these promises can be beneficial for those who are willing to put in the work to recover from addiction.
