USE THAT BROOM!

People who have cast their lot to Living on the Spiritual basis by virtue of the 12 step program of action have a leg up on those not afflicted. Now don’t misunderstand and run out and buy a bottle of Jack and a case of Bud as a shortcut to spiritual awakening. The leg up is the lack of options or to paraphrase the “Big Book”: their only choices being death, insanity or jail if they don’t embrace the path. To be clear, the 12 step way of life works for all, but unlike regular folks the addict/alcoholic has only dark limited options if they fail to change. One of the fundamentals of the 12 step process is the personal house cleaning (of the things blocking us from a relationship with a power greater than ourselves) in the 4th step and the daily maintenance of keeping our side of the street clean found in the 10th and 11th steps. The book Alcoholics Anonymous was the first tome to not only spell out unambiguously the critical necessity of this initial and continual cleaning but how to do it with clear directions. “It works, it really does. Try it”(A.A. manuscript pg. 40). By substituting “life” for alcohol when studying the steps the process then becomes applicable to all. The beauty of the 12 step process is the directions are straightforward and have a long proven record of success. But as with all paths to enlightenment, a price has to be paid and that price is the surrendering of self, which the house cleaning is an integral part, for without that broom little of any lasting effect can be accomplished.