Thursday Big Book Step Study

A.A Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step Seven pg. 71:2- end 72:1

Words:

72:1
1. exclusively
2. barren

Writing Assignment:

1. Character building and spiritual values need to be our first priorities instead of becoming materially successful. Why do you think Bill wrote this?
1a. What is your experience with this statement?
1b. Where are you today with this statement?

2. What constitutes happiness for you?
2a. What happens when you choose comfort over character building?

3. How can we make;
a. Honest y.
b. Tolerance.
c. True love of others and God the daily basis of living.
3a. What do you truly want?
3b. Are you doing it now and if not are you willing to start doing it now?

4. Is there any areas in your life that you are still agnostic?

5. As long as we place self-reliance first a general reliance on a Higher Power was out of the questions?

6. Self -reliance availed nothing. We stood at the turning point; Where are you going to turn?

A.A Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step Seven pg. 70- end 71:1

Words:

70:2
1. pride
70:3
2. millennium
71:1
3. deprecate
4. frustrated
5. oblivion

Writing Assignment:

1. Write on how pride tempered with humility is a character asset.
1a. Write how your life in recovery fellowship needs you to have this positive quality.
1b. How can pride become a shortcoming/character defect?

2. “The belief that to satisfy our basic natural desires is the main object of life”. Do you see how this is the root of all our problems; selfishness and self-centeredness?

3. Write on how you set the ball rolling to have others step on your toes (Step Four resentments) by “demanding more than our share of security, prestige, and romance.”

Words
AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Tradition Six, pgs. 155 –159

155:0
1. prestige
2. divert
3. primary
4. purpose

155:1
5. meritorious

155:2
6. derelicts

156:0
7. neurosis

156:2
8. idealist

153:3
9. consternation
10. mired

Writing Assignment

1. “We are all perfectionists who, failing perfections, have gone to the other extreme.” (156:2 line 5) Write on how it affects you and your experiences.

2. How would you explain Tradition Six to your sponsee?
2a. How would you help start a clubhouse?
2b. How would you handle being invited onto a T.V. show discussing your Step One Fellowship?

AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions pg.70:1 – end 70:3

Words:
70:3

1. ideal

Writing Assignment:

“Humility – Perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is to never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me to feel nothing done against me.
It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and pray and knee to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming trouble” (inscription of a plaque that was on the desk of Dr. Bob)

1. Write on Dr. Bob’s plague on humility.

2. “The attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of A.A.’s Twelve Steps. “ (pg. 70:2) Write on what that statement means to you.

3. Here is a list of what we receive when we develop much more of this precious quality; humility.
1.Sobriety
2.Truly happy.
3.We get to live with useful purpose. (To do God’s bidding.)
4.In adversity we are able to summon the faith to meet any emergency.
5.The task ahead of us is never greater than the POWER behind us.
Write about what this means to you.

AA Big Book “INTO ACTION” Step Seven, 76:0 – 76:2

Words:

76:2
1. bidding
2. usefulness

Writing Assignment:

1. Take page 76 paragraph number 2 and break it down and write on each segment.
1. When I am ready,
2. We say something like this:
3. “My. . .
4. Creator,
5. I am now willing that you should have all of me,
6. . . .good and bad.
7. I pray. . .
8. . . .that you now remove from me every single defect of character. . .
9. . . .which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows.
10. Grant me the strength,
11. . . .as I go out from here,
12. . . .to do your bidding. Amen”

AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Tradition, Step Six, pg.68:0 – end 69
Words:

Writing Assignment:

68:1
1.implication
2. perfection
3. ideals
4. urgent
68:2
5. venture
6. open-mindedness
69:0
7. obliged
69:1
8. dispose
9. hazardous
10. pardoned
11. rationalizing
12. indefinitely
69:2
13. abandon

1. Are you willing to raise your eyes toward perfection?
1a. Are you willing to do the action required to walk in that direction?

2. The only question is am I ready today?

3. The acronym for YET. Your Eligible Too. Write on this acronym.

4. Write on the difference between this (character defects) I cannot give up yet and this (character defects) I will never give up.

5. What does the “Grace of God” mean to you today in your recovery and in your life?

AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Tradition, Step Six, pg.66:0 – end of 68:0

Words:

66:2
1. exhult
2. superior
3. masquerade
67:1
4. preserve
67:2
5. warped
6. attribute
7. slothful
68:0
8. obliged

Writing Assignment:

1. But when we face up to these less violent aspects of these very same character defects, (see paragraph on the character defects page 67 paragraph 1) and where do you stand?

2.What character defects are bothersome to you but not causing excessive misery?
2a. Are you willing to ask Higher Power/God to take them away?

3. Are you going to drive for a self-determined objective so you can “get by” in this world or are you going to strive for the perfect objective which is of Higher Power/God?

AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step Six, pg.64:3 – 66:0,4

Word:

65:3
1. derelictions

Writing Assignment:

1.When you first put down your addiction did you think you would become just about perfect and/or your life would perfect?

2.How does Higher Power/God need your cooperation (addiction/character defects)?

3.How is stating Step Six AA’s way of stating the best possible attitude you can take in order to make a beginning on this lifetime job of letting go of your character defects?

4.Have you been patient with improvements of your character defects over the span of time and recovery?
4a. Write about what improvements you can see has happened up to now?

5.What do you do when a character defect rare its ugly head?

Words:

AA Big Book “INTO ACTION” Step Six, pg. 76:1
76:1
1. cling
AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step Six, pg. 63
63:1
2. reservations
63:2
3. affirmative
64:1
4. obstinate
64:3
5. defying
6. instinctive
7. abhor

Writing Assignment:
(from AA Big Book pg.76:1)

1. Are we now ready to let Higher Power/God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable?

2. Can your Higher Power/God now take them all/everyone?

3. Do you still cling to something you will not let go of?

4. Are you willing to ask your Higher Power/God to help you be willing?

AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step 5 pgs. 59:1 – end 62

Words:

59:2
1. astray
60:0
2. theoretical
60:1
3. garbled
4. rationalization
5. deluded
6. arrant
7. infallible
61:0
8. prudence

Writing Assignment:

1.What are some of the benefits Bill tells us will come as a result of doing the Fifth Step?

2.What are the qualities I desire and need in a Fifth Step witness?
2a. Do I know of someone who has these qualities?
2b. Am I willing to take the risk to go and ask them to hear my Fifth Step?

3. What are the cautions that Bill talks about in Step Five of not having a witness to hear our Fifth Step?