Service is My Responsibility

When I was young, my dad used to quote Winston Churchill: "The price of greatness is responsibility." As you can imagine, it drove me crazy because it was usually used as a way to get me to do something I didn't want to do.  As an adult, however, it is exactly what I have learned; I feel great when I am responsible. By doing the thing I least want to do, I feel good because I become responsible to someone beyond myself. In recovery we call this 12th step work or "carrying the message to those still suffering." In politics it might translate to Kennedy's maxim that we should not ask not what our country can do for us but what we can do for your country. It is this union and identification with another recovering person that cements the recovery relationships we need.

Recently I was asked to speak about the 12th step; the first thought that came to my mind is how we read "the responsibility statement" proclaiming responsibility to the person who still suffers. I am always struck by how simple it  is to join someone on their recovery journey and be a witness to their personal transformation. But while it may be simple, it is often difficult to stay with them through this process. It is essential that I do it though, because one person reached out to me. I have learned, too, that I cannot keep what I have if I do not give it away. By giving it away I acknowledge that I am not the source of this healing and I am not attached to it like a false idol. So much of my recovery is about faith and I have learned that "faith without works is dead." I have learned that my "able example not my vain display's of glory" are what matters most.

How lucky I am to be "uniquely qualified" to help someone because my sponsor and higher power helped me turn some of my deficits into valuable assets. So today, I will pay the price for a great day; I will make my calls, I will meet the newcomer for coffee, I will attend a meeting, and I will enjoy the world around me.  What will you do today to be responsible and feel great?

Published May 29, 2012