”This thought brings us to Step Ten, which suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along. We vigorously commenced this way of living as we cleaned up the past.”
This passage and introduction to Step 10 is assuming that it is speaking to someone who is seriously gung ho about continuing to grow. Bill uses the word vigorously a couple of times (vigorously means in a way that involves physical strength, effort, or energy; strenuously) in the BB because is stresses importance.
If I spend time and effort into cleaning up my home, I certainly would not want to run back in and destroy it-but, if I am prone to doing that, then I need continued education to keep me connected to the Source that can remove the compulsion to do that. Once it’s clean, we hopefully want to keep it clean.
”We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime”
Why do we continue to take our inventory, go to meetings, study the big book and Work with Others? If these Steps have cleared me out that I have entered into the world of the Spirit, why do I need to keep on doing things?? Same principle with house cleaning….I can’t just clean my house once and call it good for a lifetime.
When we are not expanding on our spiritual growth or putting real effort toward being more effective and understanding our primary purpose of serving others; then those not so obvious things, like dust, start to accumulate and my life becomes unmanageable to the point that I am forced into action. Proactive and consistent action in 10, 11 and 12 will keep me growing properly.
It’s doesn’t mean I won’t experience some growing pains while doing 10, 11 and 12, but it’s the difference between allowing a plant to almost die and then watering it before it completely dies so that it comes back to life over and over and over. It may continue to live for a time, but it never develops more branches or leaves or the potential beauty as it could have, had it been properly cared for and nurtured on a consistent bases.
”Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help. Love and tolerance of others is our code.”
Note: It says when, not if, these crop up… we are taught to:
- Ask God to remove them
- Discuss them with someone
- Make amends quickly if we have caused harm
- Turn our thoughts to someone we can help
”And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone – even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned.”
Ceased fighting anything or anyone is the by product of having sane response to life and others because we use the above formula that is proven to work, provided I vigorously work it.
Please share some examples of what you have ceased fighting or have had a sane response to as a result of working our lifetime program.